How Do The 2018 Blown Leads Not Happen Again?

[Talon90]

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2019/01/31/north-texas-2018-season-recap-seth-littrell-leads-mean-green-to-special-season?ref=article_preview_title

"Biggest surprise: Late-game collapses UNT lost three regular season games during the season. All of them were in shocking fashion, and by a combined 13 points. The first time this phenomenon occurred was against Louisiana Tech. North Texas took a 21-6 lead at the half and seemed on the way to a dominant victory. However, Louisiana Tech scored 23 unanswered points to win. The same happened to UNT against C-USA champion UAB. The Mean Green took a 21-10 lead at the half, and gave up 19 unanswered points. The worst was easily against Old Dominion, when the Mean Green blew a 28-0 lead. North Texas had a very real chance to be 12-0 in 2018. In fact, the Mean Green were the only team in college football to never trail by more than one score throughout the regular season. They probably should have been 12-0. With an experienced quarterback and excellent coaching staff, the inability to finish was perplexing."

We almost gave up second half 10 point leads to UTSA and UTEP as well.

Do you agree or disagree with any of these points?

1. Run the ball more with the lead.  (Loren Easley's injury against La Tech was the turning point of the season going from great to good.)

2.  We have a different OC now.  Will he be able to make better adjustments at halftime and in the 2nd half than Harrell? We were outcoached and outplayed in these blown leads last year.

3. Just keep slinging it.  Don't get too conservative.

4.  Unfortunately our defense won't be as good and our leads won't be as big.

Thoughts?

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Talon90

[TheColonyEagle]

I don't put the collapses totally on our D. It's unfair to tell the defense "ok...go pitch a shut out in every second half"

Our offense let us down in those games.

We have to keep up the pace on offense. Lean on and trust our Sr Mason Fine and keep putting pressure on their Defense.

Play calling has to keep them off balance. we were too predictable in the 2nd half with leads last year. If the D doesn't really know what we're going to do on 4th and 1...it's amazing how much easier it will be to run the ball in those situations.

[TheColonyEagle]

4 hours ago, Talon90 said:

 

4.  Unfortunately our defense won't be as good and our leads won't be as big.

Thoughts?

 

 

See I don't necessarily agree here....

While Cole Hedlund was fantastic....we kicked too many field goals. I don't want our kicker to be that important this year.

If we get TDs instead of FGs...our leads will be bigger.

[RBP79]

Best thing to happen in off season was GH leaving. Not sure where the problem was but we'll see if he is ready for prime time or if he was being held back.

Edited August 16, 2019 by RBP79
Gmr

[MGNation92]

Stop coasting. Put the boot on the throat and crush their windpipe. 

Graham Harrell was more than happy to coast with a 10 point lead. He played it way too safe and it cost us

[golfingomez]

I feel like a big part of this was OUR offensive line wearing down in the second half... teams would stuff us on first down, then pin their ears back and go after Fine on every play.

[TheColonyEagle]

4 hours ago, MGNation92 said:

Stop coasting. Put the boot on the throat and crush their windpipe. 

Graham Harrell was more than happy to coast with a 10 point lead. He played it way too safe and it cost us

[Talon90]

8 hours ago, golfingomez said:

I feel like a big part of this was OUR offensive line wearing down in the second half... teams would stuff us on first down, then pin their ears back and go after Fine on every play.

I agree but if that's happening adjustments (play calling) need to be made.

[Withers940]

New OC will help especially if we are utilizing the TE spot more because that should help with short yardage conversions.

If that horse is starting to die, we need to keep beating it until its dead and keep beating it!!

If the other team adjusts to our game plan and our game plan stops working, then adjust!

If the same things keep happening, 2nd half beer sales will sky rocket!!

[FirefightnRick]

I lost track in the road games,...but in the La Tech game we stopped running the ball midway through the 2nd quarter till the final 5 minutes of the game.  That,...combined with the freak 7 points we gave em just before half time on the bobbled punt return ATTEMPT 😡 at our 3.  

That can’t happen, and hopefully it never will again.

 

Rick

Edited August 16, 2019 by FirefightnRick

[Salsa_Verde]

If memory serves me correctly there were a lot of drives that died and subsequently lost the game for North Texas because of a failure to convert on 3 and 1 or 3 and short. Was that GH fault or just bad execution? You could see this team get tight with a big lead though 😕 

[NorthTexasWeLove]

Too many times the offense shelled up and tried to coast. The cliche there is playing not to lose instead of playing to win. 

[H-towngreen]

It hurts to read what could’ve been last season. 12-0 was realistic if GH would’ve kept the pressure on and actually made second half adjustments worth a damn.