Through 7 games 2007vs2008

[missouri_husker24]

I'm home sick from school today so I decided to do some stat comparisons from this year to last year.

Through 7 games

2007 2008

W-L (4-3) (4-3)

Off yrds/gm 424 438

Off pts/gm 28 33

Off turnovers 16 13

penaltys/gm 6.2 8.2

Def yrds/gm 457 354

Def pts/gm 31 24.8

Forced turnovers 10 8

Turnover Mrgn -6 -5

We all know that in 07' it went down hill from here. The defensive statistics got even worse, but the offense actually got better. I am happy to see that through 7 games Bo has cut the avg def yards per game by 100 yards. Another thing to consider is the teams we have played this year vs. last year.

Any insight to these statistics?

 

[DCHusker]

That's interesting. I'm surprised there's that large a statistical improvement on defense. As far as strength of opponents go, it seems to me that last year's first seven are comparable to this years, with two tough offensive tests in each year (USC and Missouri 2007; Missouri and TT 2008)

The Ball St. (610yds) and Oklahoma St. (551 yds) seem to be the games that really inflated those defensive numbers for 2007. As disappointed as I was in our defensive performance against VT this year (377 yds), a team that I don't think has a great offense, it was certainly an improvement over those Ball St. and Ok St. games from last year.

I think also that because we were so overmatched and the game got so out of hand against Missouri this year, the number of yards we allowed was suppressed. If our offense had competed in that game, Missouri could've made a run at 600+ yds. Same goes for the TT game if our offense hadn't dominated time of possession the way they did. If the offense had moved the ball quicker, it's easy to imagine TT racking up 500+ yds. We didn't really stop them all day.

In other words, I think we're a slightly better defensive team, especially against the teams that we should be able to contain, like VT this year, unlike Ball St. and Ok St. last year. I think that against good offensive teams, like Missouri and TT, we are vastly overmatched and incapable of containing. The good news is that the coaching staff, at least in the TT game, found a way to control the clock and give us a chance to win with a minimal contribution from our defense.

 

[I am I]

nice dig on the stats, bro...I think the difference for me, personally, between this year and last when comparing these stats is it just seemed a matter of time before the dam burst last year...and it finally did against OSU, who we are finding out is a good team...

For sure this year we are starting better and surely finishing better. besides mizzery, it seems we have been putting up a good fight til the end, whereas last year after we were down, it was a very slippery slope a la the dam breaking in wash out losses for us last year.

Remember this too (very important, I think): this is a first year coach and we are seeing improvement week to week in many areas, maybe not all at once, but seeing improvement nonetheless....last year we had a coach in his FOURTH year and we saw DI-gression week to week, especially after 5 or 6 weeks.

I want us to win as bad as anyone, but to me, this isnt about this year per se...steady, marked improvement is the order. and your stats back it up, methinks.

btw: i am in Canary Islands working this week, tonite is my first day off. however i caught the second half on internet radio yesterday...tonite 949pm, i am gettign a nice buzz on by the pool talking to some nice spanish people!! bottoms up!! :cheers

oops i meant on saturday, the jet lag has me reelin, but the Huskers have me cheerin!!