Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

So this is something that's been bugging me about this team since, honestly, 2009. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and one of BG's strengths under Clawson's entire tenure has been the fourth quarter. How many times in three years have we seen fourth quarter rallies? When it looks like the cause is lost or the other team is about to take over, BG comes up with a stellar finish to the game and either wins or comes up just short. Kent 09, Buffalo 09, Toledo 09, Idaho 09, Troy 10, Marshall 10, Buffalo 10, Temple 10, CMU 10, Miami 10, Wyoming 11. There's nothing to gripe about fourth quarter heroics. That's a sign of a mature, mentally clicking team.

However, why is this the case? Easy. One of this team's weaknesses that entire time has been coming out flat at halftime. Especially in 2010 and 2011, it seems like the beginning of every second half the other team scores on their first drive and BG does nothing. 3rd quarter is flat for this team and that has been losing us games, and it takes a massive fourth quarter rally to get back into it. We definitely saw that last weekend. Why is this? I really have no idea. We've seen the team start with great intensity many times, we've seen them finish the first half on a roll, but whatever happens in that locker room leads to them taking the field deflated.

There's nothing we as fans can do about what's said in the locker room. However, there's a few things we as fans can do to help create an atmosphere that fosters intensity at the beginning of the second half. A few suggestions ...
... get back to your seats before the second half starts.
... don't just applaud when the team takes the field. Don't just cheer. Get on your feet and scream like the team that's taking the field is the team that's going to win the MAC each and every year. Make some noise that the fans of the other team can hear back at their home campus!
... band, play the fight song as the team takes the field in the second half. Yeah I know, you guys may still be heading back to your seats at this point and may be spread all across the field, but for the team to just hear that fight song as they enter the field could be a huge boost.
... Start a massive "BG!" "SU!" cheer across the stadium. No screaming lady on the mic who f's it all up. Just the fans leading this.

Just some thoughts. Ultimately, it is up to this team, not the fans, to start the second half right. However, for the team to know that these fans have got their backs may, may help things out a bit.

Go Falcons!!

Good post, but I truly believe that intensity is not the issue. Intensity and getting hyped up only gets you so far in football. Its a long game and the magic of a pre game speech or a half time speech can only carry you on a high for a few minutes. Sure we love to watch the movies and love to hear stories about the rah rah speech that fired up the team to victory "win one for the gipper"
Fact is football is about being prepared, executing a game plan,playing fundamentally sound for an entire game. I do not think the problem is a half time speech but the problem is Half Time ADJUSTMENTS.
The job of a coach and the coordinators are to make adjustments based on what they saw in the first half, not just go crazy in the locker room at half time. Last week Toledo clearly decided at half time they were going to exploit a weakness in our run defense. Our defense clearly did not make an plan at the half to stop the run.I think the main criticism of clawson and his staff has been the ability to make half time adjustments.

MarkL wrote:So this is something that's been bugging me about this team since, honestly, 2009. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and one of BG's strengths under Clawson's entire tenure has been the fourth quarter. How many times in three years have we seen fourth quarter rallies? When it looks like the cause is lost or the other team is about to take over, BG comes up with a stellar finish to the game and either wins or comes up just short. Kent 09, Buffalo 09, Toledo 09, Idaho 09, Troy 10, Marshall 10, Buffalo 10, Temple 10, CMU 10, Miami 10, Wyoming 11. There's nothing to gripe about fourth quarter heroics. That's a sign of a mature, mentally clicking team.

However, why is this the case? Easy. One of this team's weaknesses that entire time has been coming out flat at halftime. Especially in 2010 and 2011, it seems like the beginning of every second half the other team scores on their first drive and BG does nothing. 3rd quarter is flat for this team and that has been losing us games, and it takes a massive fourth quarter rally to get back into it. We definitely saw that last weekend. Why is this? I really have no idea. We've seen the team start with great intensity many times, we've seen them finish the first half on a roll, but whatever happens in that locker room leads to them taking the field deflated.

There's nothing we as fans can do about what's said in the locker room. However, there's a few things we as fans can do to help create an atmosphere that fosters intensity at the beginning of the second half. A few suggestions ...
... get back to your seats before the second half starts.
... don't just applaud when the team takes the field. Don't just cheer. Get on your feet and scream like the team that's taking the field is the team that's going to win the MAC each and every year. Make some noise that the fans of the other team can hear back at their home campus!
... band, play the fight song as the team takes the field in the second half. Yeah I know, you guys may still be heading back to your seats at this point and may be spread all across the field, but for the team to just hear that fight song as they enter the field could be a huge boost.
... Start a massive "BG!" "SU!" cheer across the stadium. No screaming lady on the mic who f's it all up. Just the fans leading this.

Just some thoughts. Ultimately, it is up to this team, not the fans, to start the second half right. However, for the team to know that these fans have got their backs may, may help things out a bit.

Go Falcons!!

Good Points here Mark. Although I cannot speak to last year I have seen a difference at halftime. However, I don't think it can entirely be credited to the players - the coaches have been just as accountable.

Personally, I believe that the coaching staff has been completely out-coached in a lot of the games that they have played in. We'll stick on the defensive side of the ball.

Case in point - lets look at the Toledo game. Toledo coaches find a flaw in our defense in the second half running the option/sweep out of the Shotgun. In our 4-2-5 defense we only have six in the box. Toledo was lining up in alot of single TE Gun sets to add an extra blocker for the running game, making the total blockers around any given run play to be six with a TE.

With our defensive alignment, you have essentially 3 defensive players (two defensive lineman, and an LB) ordered with the task of stopping the run to their side. 3 Defensive players!!!!!!!!

Our coaches refusal to bring a Safety into the box, or bringing a blitz has been the reason why we have been unable to stop the run so far. I understand our secondary is young, but you have to let them grow up and run some man coverage/put some more guys in the box to stop the run.

If our coaches refuse to adjust and we cant stop the run against Temple, its going to be a very long game.

My 2 cents...

I think they were concerned about UT going downfield to Page, Reedy & Co. I guess I can understand the logic of trading 8 yards to Fluellen or Williams to prevent 40 yards to Page. Temple doesn't have the same kind of weapons, so I think you may see a more run oriented defense today.

I don't think the defensive side of the ball cost us that game. Our inability to convert in the red zone and inopportune penalties killed us

Flipper wrote:I think they were concerned about UT going downfield to Page, Reedy & Co. I guess I can understand the logic of trading 8 yards to Fluellen or Williams to prevent 40 yards to Page. Temple doesn't have the same kind of weapons, so I think you may see a more run oriented defense today.

I don't think the defensive side of the ball cost us that game. Our inability to convert in the red zone and inopportune penalties killed us

Well so far you are spot on Flip. As this thread states though I hope we can keep it up for 4 quarters.

Oh yeah some more out of the offense would be grand

Never thought I would say this...our offense is boring and has no imagination, plus once we get to the opponents 40 it is so conservative. It is very frustrating to watch this coaching staff call plays.

Got to give Hurley a shot to lead this team

or at the very least provide a spark to the offensive

I agree, when we hit the redzone we lose yards more often than gain yards. It's frustrating.

This is the most boring BG offense I have ever watched.

And all these teams know that they can give up the yards between the 20's and that we are awful in the red zone.

Can't ask much more from the defense today.

If I've learned one thing so far, it's that factman is *not* Greg Franke or Tom Cole.

TG1996 wrote:If I've learned one thing so far, it's that factman is *not* Greg Franke or Tom Cole.

Need a TD here.

Warren needs dismissed... I mean running the the direct snaps to the back when everyone knows what is coming and your offensive line is not dominate and your RB is not a threat to throw is ridiculous. If they win they win in spite of their coaching staff

how many time does it have to fail.... wow... Samuel has been dominate and your doing this stupid s**t. Common COACH take control of your staff, if they are coaching like this... ITS YOUR TEAM!