Anyone have the percentage of times we have deferred to the second half and the offense comes out with a 3 and out? I know it's a high percentage. Why not just receive first half and let the defense get the momentum going start of the second half?
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I'd rather the Defense set the tone in the first half.
Set the 'TONE
This game is not a very good example of setting the "tone" for a defense haha
I think Frank likes the idea of playing to our historical strength to begin the game, which is having the defense on the field. Also, supposedly you have a better likelihood of an additional possession in the second half that way. I don't know if that is statistically accurate, but that's an old philosophy for coaches. Some coaches like to begin on offense, but Frank never has. He's just more comfortable starting the defense.
It's all about da D
I have always wanted to start the game on defense and then open the 2nd half with the ball. Always killed me if the other team had the ball to end the first half and then get it right back in the 2nd.
This right here. This is another major reason to defer. If you can end on a scoring drive knowing you are on offense at the start of the second half, you keep momentum. If you score at the end of the first half and come out on defense, your defense has to play up.
Just from my perspective of playing Madden and the like, I prefer to receive the second half kickoff. It gives me a guaranteed possession in the middle of the game. Either I can get two back to back scores, or I have less pressure to score at the end of the first half.
Aside from the reasons mentioned, I've always liked kicking off to start the game from a field position standpoint. If your defense can stop the opponent from moving down the field too much, you're going to force a punt and end up ahead in the field position battle right off the start. I prefer the O starting from the 35-40 than farther back.
There was a game against Syracuse awhile back... I want to say 2002. They won the toss, kicked off, then we had a turnover and they scored right off the bat and well... it went downhill from there. Hokies never had a chance.
No, 2002 was the 3OT game. I think we had a chance in that one.
Yeah, you're right. It was definitely a VT home game and 2002 was the OT game in the Dome. Looking back, it appears to have been 2001, VT lost 22-14... you can see Syracuse got out to a 17-0 lead and we couldn't recover in time: http://www.hokiesports.com/football/stats/showstats.html?5972
Also, looks like it wasn't a turnover, but a 3 & out followed by a nice punt return by Syracuse that gave them excellent field position to start the game. Memory is a bit hazy from 13 years back. ~.^
This is quite simple, think about it... We are VT home of Beamerball, I believe the reasoning for this is Beamer believes that if we come out with a big kick return in the second half, even if we are down bug, will spark our team for the rest of the game. Doesn't always work out but the chance is always there.
2010 at NC State says hello
That was the first time we won from 17 or more down.
also the bowl game against Kansas I believe we came out of half time and ran a reverse kickoff back for a td, winded up losing but still
Hold on, let me look at the last 25 years of box scores, be back after lunch...
anyone know the #s of times we have gone 3 and out period? not trying to be a downer but our O has put out alot of 3 and outs hopefully thats a thing of the past but i dont think any offensive catagory is going to look to good for us judging on some of our outputs.
Wow, I was just thinking about this a few hours ago. I understand the logic for kicking off early, but here's my case for kicking off the 2nd half. It seems that VT often (but not always) has some early jitters defensively; I think Bud Foster's aggressive D scares the hell out of opposing Off Coord and they usually throw in a few wrinkles or schemes not previously on film early to try to keep the D off balance.
Often (but not always), Foster et al will adjust at halftime and the D seems to play better after the half. So why not put the other team's offense on the field for that extra possession once you've made your halftime adjustments rather than in the first half? And why potentially put a (often) less than dynamic offense behind the 8 ball early?
It could be that one reason why Bud is able to make such great halftime adjustments is because deferring to the 2nd half gives him extra time to game plan.
At first I was like, Yup!
But then I was like... Stanford. UCLA. Brutal second halves. Georgia (not Bud's fault, but still a bad 2nd half)
Maybe not.
I think it's one of those things that can vary depending on team strengths, atmosphere, etc. It may never be clear cut what option will be better.
For us though, I do agree that defering is better. I've always seemed to remember we've had better O output in the 2nd half than the first.
Though again, college usually the call is to defer. Pros call to receive.
This here. I think in the college game, nerves/experience/etc play so much of a role at the start of the game. I feel like (and this is purely unscientific, booze addled college football observation since I stepped on campus way back in 1999), but college offenses show more nerves than defenses. DB drops a ball..."Oh well, thats why he plays defensive back". WR drops a ball, can take him out of the entire gameplan.
So maybe better to uncage the guys that are trying to tackle the other guys first, from a mental standpoint.
I think it can vary game to game as well. Against W&M, eh, not a big deal. But in the Shoe on Saturday night, maybe let Foster go to start and let the young kids that are the future of the program on offense watch for a bit and realize "Hey, we can play with these guys". I get the gut sense that guys like Fuller, Facyson, Maddy, Jarrett, Bonner, etc won't let that scene get in their head.
In the pros, I find the opposite to be true. Offense...defense, really no difference in how the pros approach the game or react regardless of the first 5-10 minutes or so.
You want to put your strength out first to put you in a good position to start the game. Our Defense usually can force a punt and give us good field position or maybe force a turnover.
Which year was it that we lost every coin toss until the last two?
I think it's always better to start with the ball after the half, because it gives you an opportunity to check the pulse of the game and then get a series. Are we ahead and running well? Can we just grind them down with rbs? Or do we need to implement new wrinkles? Are we behind and in catch-up mode? Use the half to evaluate your team and the game, make necessary adjustments and open with the tempo needed given the situation.