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Message: [QUOTE="suloyalfan, post: 35407, member: 397"] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]The difference between ranking where we are and a "Top 50" offense in yards and points is doing better on ONE drive per game! It's taking one of the 3 and outs from our 20 yard line and turning it into an 80 yard drive for a Touchdown (actually 80 more yards per game only gets us to 56th). Do we really think we're that far off from that happening? I can think of multiple drives in each of the first 5 games this season where drives were stopped by turnovers, dropped passes, and penalties. Converting on those drives instead of stalling or being stopped is the difference in where we are to where we all want to be.[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]For the record, we had the following 3 and out drives so far this season:[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]- 6 vs. Wake Forest (out of 14 possessions, with 5 scoring drives), a couple of these drives stalled on dropped 3rd down passes, still scored 36 points, but only 299 yards[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]- 3 vs. Rhode Island (out of 10 possessions, with 3 scoring drives), plus a 3 play drive that ended in an interception, 21 points, 354 yards[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]- 3 vs. USC (out of 10 possessions, with 3 scoring drives) and 1 drive of 1 play that we fumbled, 17 points, 331 yards[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]- 3 vs. Toledo (out of 12 possessions, with 7 scoring drives) and 1 drive of 4 plays that we fumbled on first down, managed 33 points, 366 yards[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]- 4 vs. Rutgers (out of 15 Offensive possessions, only 2 scoring drives including FG in OT), plus 1 drive with a fumble on the first play, plus 1 drive with an interception on the first play, plus a 3 play drive starting deep in Rutgers territory that ended with a missed FG, plus a 4 play drive that ended with an interception at the goal line, plus a 5 play drive that ended in a blocked FG, plus a drive that ended in a fumble in OT, only 16 points, 295 yards[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]For me, taking a look at the details of each game it's clear that we're not far off from "Top 50" numbers... maybe it's lack of a big time playmaker. Maybe it's lack of execution. Maybe it's conservative playcalling when we start out deep (inside our own 35 yard line) in our end of the field (this is when the vast majority of our 3 and outs occur)... [/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Times New Roman]I think it's a combination of these 3 factors that are holding back the offense. We all saw the spark that PTG gave the offense when he came in on 3rd down vs. Toledo. That's the kind of difference maker that we need in the offense to pick up the 1st down and keep drives going. I think that the conservative playcalling when we're in our end of the field hampers the offensive production in each game because it's a lost opportunity to roll up yards and a "wasted" possession losing the chance to score points. Lastly, the players need to execute. Penalties, dropped passes, and fumbles have killed alot of drives this year so far. Those are wasted opportunities to score and run up more yardage. I know that the goal is not to have more yardage, but it's important to keep moving the ball to increase time of possession, improve field position, and establish a rhythm on offense.[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]

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