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Yes, all the usual caveats are in play, primarily that we're only a quarter of the way through the season, just now entering the meat of the schedule, etc. yada yada yada.

Anywho, some comparisons that I found interesting:

Sacks per game: 2013 1.5 2014 3

Opponents' 3rd down percentage: 2013 46% 2014 35%

Average second-half points given up: 2013 21.5 2014 7

Avg points per game: 2013 26.2 2014 41
Avg points given up per game: 2013 43.8 2014 23.7

Opponents' 4th down percentage: 2013 83% (Jesus wept) 2014 43%

Rushing TDs per game: 2013 1.4 2014 3.67

Rushing TDs given up per game: 2013 2.92 2014 1

Defensive interceptions: 2014 7 2014 (in 3 games) 4

Those are HUGE improvements .......I hope it holds up in CUSA play!

That's a bang-up start...

Yeah, we plugged in a few jucos but this is mostly the same group of guys we suited up last year.

Let that sink in.

One more ... Average score:

2013:
Opponents-44, UAB-26

2014 (so far):
UAB-41, Opponents-24

2014 is currently pitching a shutout in the 4th quarter.

(09-16-2014 08:55 AM)Smaug Wrote:  2014 is currently pitching a shutout in the 4th quarter.

That's called conditioning & quality depth, pure and simple.

I've heard some pretty nasty things regarding the previous coaching staff and the way they went about practices. It really seems like Coach Clark knows a heckuva lot more about getting a team ready to play than McGee. Knowledge that changes your football team........

The defense noticeably better through 3 games. Playing defense like this would have made the past 2 seasons look much different.

(09-16-2014 09:58 AM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  The defense noticeably better through 3 games. Playing defense like this would have made the past 2 seasons look much different.

That's true but really that goes all the way back to Watson's last two years. We've had some offenses that, if we'd just had a mediocre D, we might have gone bowling.

(09-16-2014 09:43 AM)BandGrad Wrote:  I've heard some pretty nasty things regarding the previous coaching staff and the way they went about practices. It really seems like Coach Clark knows a heckuva lot more about getting a team ready to play than McGee. Knowledge that changes your football team........

Indeed, 'what you don't know can hurt you' after all.

(09-16-2014 10:05 AM)Smaug Wrote:  

(09-16-2014 09:58 AM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  The defense noticeably better through 3 games. Playing defense like this would have made the past 2 seasons look much different.

That's true but really that goes all the way back to Watson's last two years. We've had some offenses that, if we'd just had a mediocre D, we might have gone bowling.

I completely agree. I was kind of iffy about the McGee hire when it happened simply because he was an offense guy. It seemed to me the problems with UAB's years before him all came down to shoddy defense. Losing games after scoring 30 points or more, losing really close games, etc, just makes it obvious offense wasn't the problem and it was odd to hire an offensive coach to fix it.

(09-14-2014 07:27 PM)Smaug Wrote:  Yes, all the usual caveats are in play, primarily that we're only a quarter of the way through the season, just now entering the meat of the schedule, etc. yada yada yada.

Anywho, some comparisons that I found interesting:

Sacks per game: 2013 1.5 2014 3

Opponents' 3rd down percentage: 2013 46% 2014 35%

Average second-half points given up: 2013 21.5 2014 7

Avg points per game: 2013 26.2 2014 41
Avg points given up per game: 2013 43.8 2014 23.7

Opponents' 4th down percentage: 2013 83% (Jesus wept) 2014 43%

Rushing TDs per game: 2013 1.4 2014 3.67

Rushing TDs given up per game: 2013 2.92 2014 1

Defensive interceptions: 2014 7 2014 (in 3 games) 4

So, halfway point:

Sacks per game: 2013 1.5 2014 2.67 (We're 2 away from our 2013 total)

Opponents' 3rd down percentage: 2013 46% 2014 34%

Average second-half points given up: 2013 21.5 2014 10

Avg points per game: 2013 26.2 2014 40.2
Avg points given up per game: 2013 43.8 2014 27.5

Opponents' 4th down percentage: 2013 83% (Jesus wept) 2014 38%

Rushing TDs per game: 2013 1.4 2014 3.17

Rushing TDs given up per game: 2013 2.92 2014 1.17

Defensive interceptions: 2013 7 2014 (in 6 games) 6

Also on the D side of things - passes defensed, breakups & qb hurries are way above or already match last years totals

Wow

The stat comparison on second half points scored by other teams on UAB is particularly telling. If you have them, what was the second half scoring by UAB stat? It seems to me that UAB has suffered late game malaise for many seasons - perhaps due to lack of proper conditioning. Coach Woodfin appears to be doing better than those before him.

(10-12-2014 02:30 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  The stat comparison on second half points scored by other teams on UAB is particularly telling. If you have them, what was the second half scoring by UAB stat? It seems to me that UAB has suffered late game malaise for many seasons - perhaps due to lack of proper conditioning. Coach Woodfin appears to be doing better than those before him.

2013 11.75
2014 19

The 4th quarter is even more telling.

Points given up per game, 4th quarter (2013): 10.25
(2014): 2.83

4 of our 6 opponents didn't score at all in the 4th quarter.

(09-16-2014 09:43 AM)BandGrad Wrote:  I've heard some pretty nasty things regarding the previous coaching staff and the way they went about practices. It really seems like Coach Clark knows a heckuva lot more about getting a team ready to play than McGee. Knowledge that changes your football team........

I've been involved in football for 40+ years as a player/coach/fan. I don't think I've ver seen anything like it given the short amount of time. Complete about face

The difference between the 2013 UAB team and the 2014 UAB team is not talent or effort, it is coaching, off season preparation, fundamentals, play calling, and adjustments within each game and adjustments from one game to the next. Ending the 2013 season the way we did was a metaphorical flushing of the toilet. We started over in 2014 with a competent coach and he got the team ready for war during the off season. Now we are winning battles because we are battle ready.