Friday Feedback
September 18, 2015 by Mike CasazzaWelcome to the Friday Feedback, which has game even when the team doesn’t. Some things for you to track on the off weekend:
- Skyler Howard is one of 33 quarterbacks who has thrown a pass and hasn’t thrown an interception this season. (Stunning, if you ask me, that the Washington State QB leads the nation in attempts and hasn’t thrown a pick.)
- WVU is one six teams that hasn’t turned the ball over — and one of four that has played twice. (Not stunning, if you ask me, that those six teams are 10-0.)
- The Mountaineers are one of 15 teams that hasn’t allowed the opponent to convert a fourth down. WVU has faced five fourth downs, though, and only 15 teams have faced more. None of those 15 have held the opponent without a conversion.
- Only Florida State’s opponents have committed fewer penalties than WVU’s. (A bit odd when you consider Georgia Southern’s offense could put players into position for some holding and chopping penalties — the Eagles always rank among the best in penalties per game — and that the coverage Liberty’s secondary employed could have drawn some flags. Both teams used reserves late in the game, too.)
The Mountaineers will do nothing to change their standing in those categories this season, but I wonder if three of those are worth tracking — the last one is not, because this is the year WVU’s luck changes and because WVU plays Baylor … and Texas Tech.
Howard could be among the last players to throw an interception. It’s conceivable the other five teams that haven’t turned the ball over turn it over this weekend or at least before the Mountaineers. And WVU’s going to have a good season if it either a) goes a chunk of the season without allowing a fourth down conversion or b) forces opponents into a lot of fourth down attempts or c) has a close-to-zero conversion percentage.
So, no, there’s no game this weekend, but we have something to watch in its stead.
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, handle your affairs.
BobbyHeenan said:
Maybe I missed it, but the stat I think we’re interested in is red zone TD percentage – ie the % of time the team scores a TD when a drive starts in the red zone. Or alternatively, points per red zone possession. For instance, two field goals in the red zone is just about equivalent to a TD and a turnover on another two trips in the red zone.
Here are some stats from 2010 to 2012 that show some of that…
I suspect that our TD conversion rate is probably below average (7 for 13, ~54%). Based on that link above that would put us as one of the worst teams at converting for a TD when a drive starts in the red zone.
I suspect that our points per possession number is closer to average though, as we only have 1 turnover and Lambert has been consistent at converting FG’s there.
Right you are, Brain. You want 6 instead of 3, and you want to be in the end zone as often as possible when you’re in the red zone. Right now, WVU’s touchdown percentage is 53.85 and ranks No. 79. At the end of the 2014 season, that would have ranked No. 92 — or the same as juggernaut Vanderbilt. But consider this: Durante missed the slant on the blitz inside the 10 and later let a ball go through his hands on the goal line against Georgia Southern, Howard missed an open Devonte Mathis in the same game and Shelton Gibson dropped a touchdown on the goal line against Liberty. Those should have all been touchdowns. WVU kicked a feld goal each time. I get that. But getting more of those means the touchdown percentage is higher and healthier and we’re probably not discussing it with the same depth. Give them half of those misses. Now they’re 9-for-13, and 75 percent would be No. 27 today and would have finished No. 2 last season.
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