If we're going to make the playoffs we....

[UNI92]

Need to win a close game! (understatement of the year?) Perhaps it is.

Here are 2 facts:
Since the 2010 season, we are 8-16 in games decided by 8 points or less.
How the hell does this happen? Seriously...It's not like most of these teams have been better than us. The pattern have been 4th quarter collapses or the offense not finishing out a drive to win the game.

NDSU has given up 16 points in the 4th quarter in their last 24 games! That's how you win championships!!

Not giving up on this team because of the talent level, but talent alone won't win these games!
SO frustrating to watch...
I agree with an earlier post on here when before the season started, I thought that this would be a special year. It still can, but dammit it's time for these guys to step up and win a close game!!

[ubuntuCAT]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

Need to win a close game! (understatement of the year?) Perhaps it is.

Here are 2 facts:
Since the 2010 season, we are 8-16 in games decided by 8 points or less.
How the hell does this happen? Seriously...It's not like most of these teams have been better than us. The pattern have been 4th quarter collapses or the offense not finishing out a drive to win the game.

NDSU has given up 16 points in the 4th quarter in their last 24 games! That's how you win championships!!

Not giving up on this team because of the talent level, but talent alone won't win these games!
SO frustrating to watch...
I agree with an earlier post on here when before the season started, I thought that this would be a special year. It still can, but dammit it's time for these guys to step up and win a close game!!

Someone should look up how many points we have scored in the 4th qtr over that timespan.

[95UNIGRAD]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

Here's how the 4th quarter has gone since the beginning of last year:

ISUb - 3 - 7 (cost us the game)
TTech - 3 - 0 (garbage time)
N CO - 7 - 0 (garbage time)
Hawaii - 14 - 3 (made an ugly game somewhat close)
Iowa - 3 - 7 (reverse that, and we go to OT)
WIU - 0 - 0 (no impact)
MSU - 3 - 7 (no impact)
YSU - 16 - 6 (won the game for us)
ISUr - 0 - 3 (one score game until the 4th)
SDSU - 6 - 9 (allowed them to tie game, lost in OT)
USD - 3 - 10 (allowed them to tie game, lost in OT)
SIU - 3 - 3 (couldn't break the tie, lost in OT)
NDSU - 0 - 14 (held a 13 pt. lead, lost by 1)
McNeese - 10 - 0 (garbage time)
N CO - 13 - 0 (no impact)
Drake - 7 - 0 (garbage time)
Iowa State - 7 - 0 (essentially put away a 1 pt. game with strong finish)

The overall point totals vs. our opponents in the 4th aren't terrible. However...

In the really close games (NDSU, the 3 OT losses, ISUb this year, a handful of others) we're not coming through when it counts. If you'll notice, in most of those games we just aren't ever scoring more than a TD in the 4th. That points to an offense not finishing drives when we need them, and a D that can't get off the field to give the offense a chance. So, yeah - what we pretty much all suspected.

[Purrrrrfect]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

The fact that we've had 8+ games that close is the first problem. Find the problem inside that and you solve the close game problems

[UNI92]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

It's just getting to the point that when we are in a close game, I feel like we'll find a way to lose, which sucks!
I just hate to watch teams underachieve.

It's time that SK makes some quality throws (aka Eric Sanders) in crutch time, our receivers hang onto the ball, our defense gets a sack on 3rd and long and one of our DB's get a pick to seal a game!!!!!!!!!!
How about our OC and O-lineman sealing a game by owning their opponent??

For the love of God, can I just see it happen once this year???

If we are going to salvage the season, this has to happen!

This team has so much talent, experience and the schedule is set up as good as it could be. The team needs to take it to the next level or else we'll have another 7-5 year wondering what the hell happened again.

[ilovecats]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

FINISH DRIVES. A lot of people are talking about our inability to close out close games which they are right about and someone needs to step up but the fact of the matter is that 3 tds is usually going to beat 1 td which is what happened last week. Get the ball into the endzone!

[Purrrrrfect]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

well at least we have another all american kicker

[95UNIGRAD]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

Would he be if we were finishing drives, and he were just converting extra points instead of FGs? Something to think about...(UGH)

[UNIstudent]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

Not getting off the field on defense, not finishing drives, not finishing games that all points to conditioning. They must be out of shape.

[Pantherpower]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

It's just getting to the point that when we are in a close game, I feel like we'll find a way to lose, which sucks!
I just hate to watch teams underachieve.

It's time that SK makes some quality throws (aka Eric Sanders) in crutch time, our receivers hang onto the ball, our defense gets a sack on 3rd and long and one of our DB's get a pick to seal a game!!!!!!!!!!
How about our OC and O-lineman sealing a game by owning their opponent??

For the love of God, can I just see it happen once this year???

If we are going to salvage the season, this has to happen!

This team has so much talent, experience and the schedule is set up as good as it could be. The team needs to take it to the next level or else we'll have another 7-5 year wondering what the hell happened again.

Amen! Preach on...

[otter]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

The problem is that we start getting conservative on offense and start playing prevent on defense and instead of giving up 1 long bomb we allow them to string 5 throws together and score easily at the end of the game....at least in the most of the games that I have watched over the last several seasons.

['70 Grad]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

In the part of the game I saw, it looked like we were getting sacks on 1st & 2nd down, possibly with blitzes. On 3rd and obvious pass, no heat and the QB stands and picks us apart for 15-20. Nice prevent.

[UNI92]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

I was pretty hard on the team last week, so I'll give credit where credit is due this week.
They did a much better job of closing out the game...running the clock out and getting touchdowns late instead of FGs.

Making progress! We've got to get better if we want to compete for a NC!!

[panther-state]

Re: If we're going to make the playoffs we....

The D is good enough to make a deep run into the playoffs and it's oozing with talent and leadership. The offense, particularly the line and QB's need to step up to the same task. Heck, do you think Ronnie McNeil would be up for playing some snaps at tackle? I bet he would