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[QUOTE="kingottoiii, post: 412608"]
Outside of the Minny, Pitt, RU stretch our O has been really good this year. 
 
The D just needs to be able to get off the field on 3rd down and we can take off. For the year we are 62nd nationally in 3rd down D. That isn't bad but it doesn't tell the whole story. The last three games we have struggled, allowing 50% on 3rd downs (21-42) which is well above our season average of 40%. The games this year in which we were more aggressive, we have allowed 24%.
 
I hate the bend but don't break philosophy that we use. And it seems like so many of these 3rd down conversions are of the long variety. At this point I feel more comfortable stopping 3rd and 3 than 3rd and 9. I wish Shafer was more agressive. We play so soft on D which makes little sense when you have the secondary that we do. Personally I rather be agressive on 3rd downs. Make teams dump it off to a hot route or make plays down the field. We give other teams way too much credit.
 
I think a team is better off giving up 4 TDs out of 10 drives in the quick variety (good or bad) than giving up 3 TDs and 2 FGs in the long variety. Yes I get that the later is 1 point less, but it also prevents you from gaining any momentum or setting up the O with a short field. Which hurts you from scoring points. I will trade that 1 point any day for the benefits it gives to the O and the team mentality.
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