"Half Time Adjustments"

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Something I hear a lot..And I think often gets misunderstood.


Obviously there are a lot of posters here who would know more about this than i do, but often we say those words thinking if something isn't working, you go in, get to the chalkboard, and start X'n and O'n your way out of it..somehow in those few minutes together in the lockerroom.

From my own playing experience and hanging around some players and coaches, 90% of "half time adjustments" are some guys tackle better, get reminded of their assignments, etc..I've heard people say certain coaches are better at making these adjustments, but most of it is just getting the guys out there to do a better job of what the game plan is..


Half time adjustments are nothing compared to game plan week....When a game plan is put in and practiced all week, sometimes 2 in bye week situations, You have to get it right, because there isn't a half time adjustment out there to fix a bad game plan week. I had to remind myself of this Saturday night. I knew how to fix it, you knew how to fix it, but it's so much more than just putting a linebacker on the field at the half or even 2 linebackers...

Our defensive coaches didn't have a bad game or even a bad halftime...they had a bad week..The good thing is there is enough film to show how bad last week was and to do something different this one.

[goingoneight]

No halftime adjustment will save you from getting your *** kicked if you're being out-classed. But, grabbing your coordinator by the collar and telling him "hey, THIS was working and THAT wasn't working" is more than acceptable. Example = last year's offensive gameplan wasn't working and OSU just overwhelmed anything we were trying defensively.

[badger]

Do you think the game of football would benefit from having two "Zamboni" breaks as opposed to one, as there in in hockey?

I remember the UTEP game of 2002 (the rain game that brought PGA pro Anthony Kim to OU) that had two breaks and it was kind of fun.

I know - a silly question, but when you brought up halftime adjustments, I thought about hockey and how sometimes teams seem more focused in one period than another after having some time off to think about their huge lead (OMG they're up by TWO! lol)

[SoonerLaw09]

Are you saying that it's not possible to put a 4-3 defense on the field (which we normally run) instead of a dime-plus-one farce when you realize it's not working? We're not talking about a new scheme here, were talking about going back to the basic D rather than something out of a Cat In The Hat book. That should not be difficult.

[Midtowner]

Thing is, just one more stop and we'd have broken the game wide open.

A lot of what kept this game close was the BS officiating.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Sorry, I accidentally added my response to your post..So i really didn't edit yours..

we haven't run a basic 4-3 since Brent V got on a plane for clemson..and even then, if the LBs haven't been coached up on assignments in certain situations, formations that week, it would have turned into a clusterbomb probably in a different way.

[SoonerLaw09]

OK my bad...then what D had we been running prior to the Baylor game? I usually saw 3 LBs on the field, 2 if we had nickel in. Maybe I'm just not using the right terminology.

[BoulderSooner79]

I agree that the game week prep is the biggest key to success. But I see in-game adjustments by coaches all the time (not necessarily half-time). Jefferson, Colvin and Hurst are proven good tacklers and they didn't all forget how or have a bad game at the same time. They were put in a no-win situation that put a talented guy in the open the moment he got the ball. Just alternating man coverage with zone would have allowed the defense to react to a run before Austin had cleared the LOS and become dangerous. Sure, it would have opened up their passing game, but they would have had to recognize the change first or would have had to guess. I can't believe we didn't practice more than 1 scheme all week or couldn't tap into things practiced in previous weeks.

But it's water under the bridge that resulted in a WIN. A cliche, but true is that it's a whole team effort - our team (offense, defense, special teams) was better than their team (offense, defense, special teams, AND zebra help). :D OSU is a different beast I expect we'll see a different approach.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Sure there are in game adjustments that happen(that's why i didn't say 100%)..But I've read and heard people talk and use this phrase like they completely changed everything that happened..There was a game a couple of seasons ago that people were talking about the great job Brent did with half time adjustments and I watched the game over again..The only thing that changed was the linebackers quit overrunning the plays.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

OK my bad...then what D had we been running prior to the Baylor game? I usually saw 3 LBs on the field, 2 if we had nickel in. Maybe I'm just not using the right terminology.

There may be a player where the linebackers go, but I haven't seen more than 2 in situations on goaline..i know they have put 190lb safety julian Wilson in a linebacker's spot on in the field a few times.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

And Boulder, WV's run game exploited Jefferson's tackling issue where he doesn't like to tackle and wrap up..He goes to the ground and at the feet..

[yermom]

it seemed everyone was crowded around the numbers most of the time

[OUTrumpet]

What happens at my school if fairly straightforward. While the players rehydrate and relax, we spend about 5-10 minutes reviewing what worked, what didn't work, and also comparing it to our scouting report. Are we attacking what we saw on film enough and if so is it working like we thought it would? Is there a mismatch that we didn't anticipate on film that we now want to take advantage of more? Has there been any injuries that we need to account for in the playcalling? Are they using the type of defense that we predicted? Or if not, what has been working against it and what hasn't? Tend to also script the first few plays of the 2nd half. Then discuss individual assignments with the players afterwards.

As a young coach, halftime is where I've learned the most from more experienced coaches.

[BoulderSooner79]

And Boulder, WV's run game exploited Jefferson's tackling issue where he doesn't like to tackle and wrap up..He goes to the ground and at the feet..

What I saw was Jeffereson wasn't quick enough so that he could get close to Austin for a wrap up. When Austin was rested on a few plays, we had no problem tackling their other backs. So it wasn't that the scheme was terrible as so many people claim. It really was the matchup of this one guy to which we couldn't find an answer. At some point, you have to put more guys on the LOS and see if Smith can do as much damage throwing as Austin was running. At least with a pass you have a chance of something going wrong - poor throw, drop, batted pass, sack, etc.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

What happens at my school if fairly straightforward. While the players rehydrate and relax, we spend about 5-10 minutes reviewing what worked, what didn't work, and also comparing it to our scouting report. Are we attacking what we saw on film enough and if so is it working like we thought it would? Is there a mismatch that we didn't anticipate on film that we now want to take advantage of more? Has there been any injuries that we need to account for in the playcalling? Are they using the type of defense that we predicted? Or if not, what has been working against it and what hasn't? Tend to also script the first few plays of the 2nd half. Then discuss individual assignments with the players afterwards.

As a young coach, halftime is where I've learned the most from more experienced coaches.

As someone who has been a part of these discussions, it sounds pretty similar to my own experiences..Not enough time to make drastic changes but enough time to communicate what's happened the 1st 2 quarters and, like you said, get info from the players on what they are seeing.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

What I saw was Jeffereson wasn't quick enough so that he could get close to Austin for a wrap up. When Austin was rested on a few plays, we had no problem tackling their other backs. So it wasn't that the scheme was terrible as so many people claim. It really was the matchup of this one guy to which we couldn't find an answer. At some point, you have to put more guys on the LOS and see if Smith can do as much damage throwing as Austin was running. At least with a pass you have a chance of something going wrong - poor throw, drop, batted pass, sack, etc.

What people are not taking into account is that they ran different plays with Buie and the other kid...They tested the middle and did pretty much what they did against OSU with those backs...As austin said later on, they ran 2 plays for him.."left and right."....

[jkjsooner]

Are you saying that it's not possible to put a 4-3 defense on the field (which we normally run) instead of a dime-plus-one farce when you realize it's not working? We're not talking about a new scheme here, were talking about going back to the basic D rather than something out of a Cat In The Hat book. That should not be difficult.

And even if it's a vanilla scheme that isn't tailored for WVU, at that point could it actually have worse results?

[stoops the eternal pimp]

All I know if venables was linebackers coach and mike tried to run a defense without linebackers, he would have powerbombed mike through a table.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

And even if it's a vanilla scheme that isn't tailored for WVU, at that point could it actually have worse results?

When would they change it? They were up 31-17 at the half and had played pretty well in the 1st 2 quarters.

[jkjsooner]

When would they change it? They were up 31-17 at the half and had played pretty well in the 1st 2 quarters.

Fair enough. I guess this thread doesn't really apply to the WVU game since there wasn't as much of an indication that there was a serious problem until after half.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Yeah, this was more about a general thing i hear a lot than this particular game..

[Turd_Ferguson]

My experience with half time adjustments started with the HC stomping the assistant coaches ***'s...then while they were discussing adjustments the HC would stomp our ***'s. The last 5 minutes of half time would be spent with your assigned coach telling you what you needed to change. One time, the DB coach thought he needed to demonstrate a face hit inside the field house. He proceeded to tackle our full back, who had his helmet on. The DB coach spent the rest of the game on the side line with a broken nose:biggrin:

[Scott D]

See Vader made a halftime adjustment..he went from "I am your father" to "Join me and we can keel the emperor"

[goingoneight]

The defense laid down after taking somewhat comfortable leads two weeks in a row. Scheme players s part in that... but how does Colvin go from on assignment and a step ahead of WVU in the first half to embarrassed and picked on in the second half? The scheme isolated a Tony Jefferson vs Tavon Austin and TJ whiffed badly overall. Tom Wort did just the same against Baylor. It's part execution (missed tackles, DL getting owned) and part scheme (continuing to run something that your personnel struggled to execute).

[JiminyChristmas]

And Boulder, WV's run game exploited Jefferson's tackling issue where he doesn't like to tackle and wrap up..He goes to the ground and at the feet..

Jefferson's biggest problem against WV was that he wasn't fitting up into his gap quick enough. That let Austin hit the second level with too much space to work.

If you slow down the replays, you can see Jefferson 5-6 yards deep from the gap he was responsible for. If he hit up in there quicker, then Austin can't dance because the DTs would have still been involved.

I just couldn't figure out why he was so hesitant to fit up in there quick enough. Maybe the gameplan had him checking something else first, but I don't know what it would have been in that formation they were killing us with.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Probably because without backers on the field, it doubled up his responsiblity on every play.

[OUTrumpet]

Jefferson's biggest problem against WV was that he wasn't fitting up into his gap quick enough. That let Austin hit the second level with too much space to work.

If you slow down the replays, you can see Jefferson 5-6 yards deep from the gap he was responsible for. If he hit up in there quicker, then Austin can't dance because the DTs would have still been involved.

I just couldn't figure out why he was so hesitant to fit up in there quick enough. Maybe the gameplan had him checking something else first, but I don't know what it would have been in that formation they were killing us with.

That's because he wasn't responsible for a gap -- he was only responsible for Austin. We were in full on man coverage. Stoops wanted to put our best man on theirs.

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

What I saw was WV put a hyperspeed guy at running back that we weren't prepared for. We had no idea that it was possible. I think that WV was working this in practice for some time and they sprung it on us.

I'm glad we were still able to overcome it! Bully for us!

[BoulderSooner79]

What I saw was WV put a hyperspeed guy at running back that we weren't prepared for. We had no idea that it was possible. I think that WV was working this in practice for some time and they sprung it on us.
...


And all it got them was a bunch of stats and sad hillbillies burning couches. ;)

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

And all it got them was a bunch of stats and sad hillbillies burning couches. ;)

Yes, indeed!

[Collier11]

I think a lot of the "halftime adjustments" that we hear about are coaches reminding players which gap is theirs, realigning them, maybe if a team is running a certain set a lot, explaining where the players need to be. Just my take...as for WVU, Austin literally said he had two plays "run left and run right". somtimes you just let your athletes be athletes

[goingoneight]

I can't believe we still don't know how to execute a successful two-point conversion. We're always so cluster****ed on those. Last two-point conversion? Paul Thompson to Juaqin Iglesias against Boise State. And even that was a busted play where Quentin Chaney ran the wrong route and Jermaine Gresham fell down.

[OU_Sooners75]

Are you saying that it's not possible to put a 4-3 defense on the field (which we normally run) instead of a dime-plus-one farce when you realize it's not working? We're not talking about a new scheme here, were talking about going back to the basic D rather than something out of a Cat In The Hat book. That should not be difficult.

Ou doesn't run a 4-3 defense. Their base is a 4-2-5.

[JiminyChristmas]

Jefferson's biggest problem against WV was that he wasn't fitting up into his gap quick enough. That let Austin hit the second level with too much space to work.

If you slow down the replays, you can see Jefferson 5-6 yards deep from the gap he was responsible for. If he hit up in there quicker, then Austin can't dance because the DTs would have still been involved.

I just couldn't figure out why he was so hesitant to fit up in there quick enough. Maybe the gameplan had him checking something else first, but I don't know what it would have been in that formation they were killing us with.

That's because he wasn't responsible for a gap -- he was only responsible for Austin. We were in full on man coverage. Stoops wanted to put our best man on theirs.

He may have technically not had a certain gap, but when Austin hit the hole Jefferson was late meeting him in the hole, therefore giving him too much space to work with.

Why he was late getting downhill is the question. Scheme? Hesitation?

[OUTrumpet]

He may have technically not had a certain gap, but when Austin hit the hole Jefferson was late meeting him in the hole, therefore giving him too much space to work with.

Why he was late getting downhill is the question. Scheme? Hesitation?

My guess is because Austin is faster than Jefferson and also more agile. He could accelerate faster too. The gap was there so he could hopefully chose an angle. So yes, it would be hesitation so that he would at least be in somewhat position. Scheme was pretty smart -- plant 3 guys completely away from the play that's sole responsibility is to take 3 defenders out of the play while letting Austin do his thing. We only put 2 guys on those receivers I bet it would have been an auto check to some sort of screen.