Why are we so low on plays per game?

ThreatMatrix

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400+ yards/game is needed. Really more like 450. What bothers me is that this offense just feels more productive than the last two regimes. But when you look at total offense while the stat is better it's not a whole lot better. So digging a little deeper:

2012
Total Offense 105th
Plays per game 109th
Points per game 71st
Yards per play 95th

2016
Total Offense 109th
Plays per game 110th
Points per game 97th
Yards per play 100th


So typical Chump and Shark Humper years. We sucked at everything.

We're 6 games in and have played 4 SEC teams so the stats are now a little more meaningful.
2018
Total Offense 89th
Plays per game 127th

As we know total offense (total yards) hasn't improved that much and we are actually running a few less plays.

Points per game 49th
Yards per play 32nd


But then we are scoring more ~ a TD per game and we are getting 1 yard more per play. So we are doing more with less plays. The question I have is why are we so low on plays per game? :dunno:

Just one more series per game would do wonders. Defensively we are 76th in plays allowed per game. Does the defense need to do a better job of getting the ball back? I'm open to suggestions.
 

stephenPE

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The creator of Huck Finn explained it thusly. There are lies, damned lies and statistics. Ws & Ls is my favored math regarding this glorious return to relevance
 

CaribGator

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A couple of things, Mullens is keeping it slow to help Franks. Mullens has done wonders with him, but he still struggles if he gets past his checkdown. Doesn't want him to feel he needs to push the pace.

The other would be field position, as you can see, we are way up in yards per play. We've been getting turnovers or flipping the field in our favor, but when you have short fields, (TN game for ex) you don't get long drives to help your total ypg.

For what our roster is, these are great numbers, we are improving every game!

Go Gators!!
 

Captain Sasquatch

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It’s a combination of having a lot of 3 & outs, not running up tempo, defense giving up extended drives, defense forcing turnovers deep in the opponent’s territory and/or scoring themselves, and special teams touchdowns. It really seems like our offense either goes 3 & out or scores most of the time.
 

Swamp Donkey

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Mullinz doesnt run tempo, ever, it isnt just Franks.

It is what it is. He has always run the meerkat offense and likely always will. He lines them up, they all look to the sideline and get the play with 10 seconds to go based on numbers in the box by the defense.

You just cant run a lot of plays that way.

It is also always going to cause a lot of false starts bc it is a lot of time for OL to hold their stances, as several of our game analysts have already noted.
 

Nomadigator

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Mullinz doesnt run tempo, ever, it isnt just Franks.

It is what it is. He has always run the meerkat offense and likely always will. He lines them up, they all look to the sideline and get the play with 10 seconds to go based on numbers in the box by the defense.

You just cant run a lot of plays that way.

It is also always going to cause a lot of false starts bc it is a lot of time for OL to hold their stances, as several of our game analysts have already noted.

First time reader of the term "meerkat offense" so did a smidgen of due diligence. Supposed coined origin of the term with pros and cons explained in the link. Thanks Donk!

49ers find success with Meerkat offense vs. Panthers
 

Silverback Gator

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Good thread and hard to believe we are winning with so few plays. Imagine if our D did not create TOs?

I wonder what CDM and Co think of our low play count and if they are concerned about it or if somehow it is that they are coaching around some other deficiencies or weaknesses. Maybe we just don't have enough offense ready to run 70 plays?

Defense and STs baby.
 

chferg

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While Swonkey is right about slower pace by Mullen, I think you also have to take in account that in a few games like MSU, we literally only had three possessions in the first half primarily by design of MSU. LSU ran a ton of clock as well.

I don't think we will ever be a high paced offense but I expect some of this to pick up when we play teams like Methzou and USCe
 

Renard904

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Let the data speak to you. I'm not going to delve into the reasons our numbers are low.
In short, I just think some of these stats are overrated. It's one of those things akin to Time Of Possession. People seem to think they're more important than they really are. In all my years of coaching I have never cared about plays per game. My focus is more on making the ones that you do have count.
 

g8tr72

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Let the data speak to you.

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data-star-trek-really-gif-12004051
 

Swamp Donkey

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like Methzou and USCe
Methzu.... I like it. Gonna steal it if I can remember.

Mushcucks? You think Ole Chimp is running something other than a time of possession offense?
 

BostonGator84

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Played around with the statistics just for kicks. Some thoughts:

We've run 367 plays, and our opponents have run 411. The biggest disadvantaged games were Colorado State and Tennessee. CSU ran 39 more plays than us, and UT ran 26 more than us. What do these have in common? We have short fields, so fewer plays to get to the end zone. The other games we are fairly even - we ran 8 more than MSU, and 4 fewer than LSU. We ran 10 more than Kentucky, and only 7 more than Charleston Southern.

We've had 70 non-kneeling possessions, and our opponents have had 75. Why? We've scored on special teams a few times and kneeled out the game a few times. So I'm not concerned about the comparison here. Interestingly, though, we score an average of 2.9 points per possession, while only allowing an average of 1.2 points per possession. Again, this sounds like a good stat.

Similarly, points per play - we score an average of 0.55 points per play, while the opponents score an average of 0.22 points per play.

Anything else? Yards per play? We have 6.22 yards per play, our opponents have 4.09 yards per play.

Long story short - I think our offense is doing just fine. Could they be doing better? Sure. But the slower tempo is leading to more efficient plays, possessions, and point totals.
 

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Swamp Donkey

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Points per possession is a garbage stat. If you score 14 points and go three and out the rest of the time, you might have a great yard per play. It means nada.
 

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