Colorado football year 2 "Progression"

[absinthe]

Typically the second year of any coaching staff yields the biggest change in performance over the previous year. At this point players have 2 full years of practice and a season of live action under their belts in the new system. The team is typically made up of 50% of the "new guy's" players and many of the kinks are worked out. We've seen some progression in the return game and O'niel is having a better season, other than that it is not good, here are the numbers and just the numbers:

Jon Embree 2011 Vs Jon Embree 2012:

Category	2012 Rank	2011 Rank	"progression"
Rushing Offense	109	105	worse
Passing Offense	99	56	worse
Total Offense	118	96	worse
Scoring Offense	120	109	worse
Rush defense	116	97	worse
Pass Efficiency Defense	120	114	worse
Total Defense	118	104	worse
Scoring Defense	120	117	worse
Turnover Margin	114	80	worse
Pass Defense	106	97	worse
Passing Efficiency	116	82	worse
Sacks	80	47	worse
SacksAllowed	119	91	worse

We are worse in almost every major statistical category.

 

[BuffaloChuck]

Good formatting and chart-work. Thanks. Much appreciated, sad as it is. When I saw how many points we allowed last year to this, and that we're giving up a lot more, plus that we're scoring far fewer points, I was embarrassed for Embree. Thru 11 games, there's a 110-point differential between those totals from last year to this season. "In every phase, going backwards and getting worse."

 

[Buffnik]

Good formatting and chart-work. Thanks. Much appreciated, sad as it is. When I saw how many points we allowed last year to this, and that we're giving up a lot more, plus that we're scoring far fewer points, I was embarrassed for Embree. Thru 11 games, there's a 110-point differential between those totals from last year to this season. "In every phase, going backwards and getting worse."

We had a much tougher schedule last year, too.

 

[absinthe]

Penalties are also another great measurement of the staff, at the beginning of year two in a system the players should better understand where they need to be, their assignments, and after playing for a lame duck coach should be more invested with a new staff. This along with the renewed energy and attention brought to practice should result in a decrease in pnealties year over year, here is what we are seeing through 10 games this year:

10 games in 2011
PENALTIES/YARDS .......................................... 64/598
Offensive .................................................. 31/238
Defensive ................................................. 15/187
Special Teams ......................................... 16/143
Bench/Fans/NCAA Unsportsmanlike .... 2/30

13 games in 2011
PENALTIES/YARDS .......................................... 103/866
Offensive .................................................. 60/411
Defensive ................................................. 28/326
Special Teams ......................................... 14/114
Bench/Fans/NCAA Unsportsmanlike .... 1/15

Now this is not a particularly fair comparison as we are looking at totals for a 13 game season last year vs a total of 10 (reported) games so far this season. So how do we reconcile this? I went with simple math and applied at 10/13 ratio to the penalties. After doing that we show a marginal improvement in total penalties taken (76 vs 64) Yards (665 vs 598) and show some improvement on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. However Special teams have been truly terrible racking up and adjusted 50% more penalties.

All in all here the penalties are about a wash with small improvements in some area's and regressions in others. This is probably the biggest thing the staff could hang its hat on, "hey we didnt get worse." That said this is an area we would have expected to see significant progress and have not.

 

[Buffnik]

"Penalties" is a completely useless stat, abs. Thanks for the work on breaking this down, but it means nothing to me.

Programs in the bottom 20 in the nation in penalties per game:

TCU
Texas Tech
Fresno State
LSU
Bowling Green
Florida
Syracuse
Washington
Oregon
Rutgers
LA Tech
USC
UCLA

All of those teams have winning records and some are among the best teams in the nation.

That said, I think it's a good thing that the offense has cut down on false starts this season.

 

[absinthe]

I am just fishing for numbers to look at and penalties is not a great one - but there is no real other way to convey that your OC cant get a play in on time than penalties. Also you have the issue of penalties of aggression vs penalties that are coaching issues.

That said i do think there is some value in looking at it, and was actually surprised we arent worse when you have EB on national TV admitting he cant get plays in.

 

[Quattro]

Last three years:

2010:

Wins	5
Losses	7
Season Points Scored	290
Season Points Allowed	369
Average CU Points	24.2
Average Opponent Points	30.8
Average Margin	-6.6

2011:

Wins	3
Losses	10
Season Points Scored	257
Season Points Allowed	475
Average CU Points	19.8
Average Opponent Points	36.5
Average Margin	-16.8

2012:

Wins	1
Losses	10
Season Points Scored	179
Season Points Allowed	510
Average CU Points	16.3
Average Opponent Points	46.4
Average Margin	-30.1