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Gopher Gildy

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Thought this was an interesting nugget - during Mr. Fleck’s two years here, his teams have been very disciplined regarding penalties, or lack thereof:

2017 season: 28.3 average penalty yards per game, #1 in the nation

2018 season: 39.1 average penalty yards per game, #6 in the nation

Source: CFBstats.org (fantastic site)

I hope this continues looking ahead to the 2019 season and beyond!



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We are a tremendously disciplined team.

Hope it continues.
 

Thought this was an interesting nugget - during Mr. Fleck’s two years here, his teams have been very disciplined regarding penalties, or lack thereof:

2017 season: 28.3 average penalty yards per game, #1 in the nation

2018 season: 39.1 average penalty yards per game, #6 in the nation

Source: CFBstats.org (fantastic site)

I hope this continues looking ahead to the 2019 season and beyond!



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Interesting that there isn't really a correlation between that stat and team success (wins). Of the 25 teams with the best records in 2018, two were ranked 25 or better in average penalty yards, six were ranked 96 or lower.
 

Thought this was an interesting nugget - during Mr. Fleck’s two years here, his teams have been very disciplined regarding penalties, or lack thereof:

2017 season: 28.3 average penalty yards per game, #1 in the nation

2018 season: 39.1 average penalty yards per game, #6 in the nation

Source: CFBstats.org (fantastic site)

I hope this continues looking ahead to the 2019 season and beyond!



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I’m curious if you know the 2016 rank? I recall a lot of penalties, but may be overly influenced by the recollection of all those targeting calls.


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Also in 2016, Western Michigan under Fleck led the country in both fewest turnovers lost (8) and turnover margin (18). They were 18th in turnovers gained (26th)
 


I’m curious if you know the 2016 rank? I recall a lot of penalties, but may be overly influenced by the recollection of all those targeting calls.


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80th in penalty yards per game.
 

Year / Average penalty yards per game / National rank
Stats from teamrankings.com

2018 / 39.1 / 10
2017 / 28.3 / 1
2016 / 55.1 / 71
2015 / 45.5 / 27
2014 / 46.2 / 43
2013 / 38.2 / 23
2012 / 51.7 / 60
2011 / 48.7 / 59
2010/ 43.6 / 32
2009 / 52.7 / 56
2008 / 50.7 / 66

Here's how I interpret the data. Brewster was a dumpster fire, as we know, and the team had no discipline. If the team could hold onto the ball for longer than a 3 and out with 2 illegal formation penalties in the process, then it would have been worse. Kill had improved things a lot. TC had lost what Kill established and the team was taking a lot of penalties again. PJ has instilled a level of discipline we haven't seen in a long time.

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Year / Average penalty yards per game / National rank
Stats from teamrankings.com

2018 / 39.1 / 10
2017 / 28.3 / 1
2016 / 55.1 / 71
2015 / 45.5 / 27
2014 / 46.2 / 43
2013 / 38.2 / 23
2012 / 51.7 / 60
2011 / 48.7 / 59
2010/ 43.6 / 32
2009 / 52.7 / 56
2008 / 50.7 / 66

Here's how I interpret the data. Brewster was a dumpster fire, as we know, and the team had no discipline. If the team could hold onto the ball for longer than a 3 and out with 2 illegal formation penalties in the process, then it would have been worse. Kill had improved things a lot. TC had lost what Kill established and the team was taking a lot of penalties again. PJ has instilled a level of discipline we haven't seen in a long time.

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As with all things TC, IMO not a large enough sample to judge much IMO.
 

Also in 2016, Western Michigan under Fleck led the country in both fewest turnovers lost (8) and turnover margin (18). They were 18th in turnovers gained (26th)

The margin correlates much more to wins than T/Os lost.

Fleck's two big stats are T/O margin and TOP. He feels if these in combination are highly ranked, it translates into wins.
 



Year / Average penalty yards per game / National rank
Stats from teamrankings.com

2018 / 39.1 / 10
2017 / 28.3 / 1
2016 / 55.1 / 71
2015 / 45.5 / 27
2014 / 46.2 / 43
2013 / 38.2 / 23
2012 / 51.7 / 60
2011 / 48.7 / 59
2010/ 43.6 / 32
2009 / 52.7 / 56
2008 / 50.7 / 66

Here's how I interpret the data. Brewster was a dumpster fire, as we know, and the team had no discipline. If the team could hold onto the ball for longer than a 3 and out with 2 illegal formation penalties in the process, then it would have been worse. Kill had improved things a lot. TC had lost what Kill established and the team was taking a lot of penalties again. PJ has instilled a level of discipline we haven't seen in a long time.

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My recollection is that for Kill and Claeys if your basis is ground and pound 4 yards and a cloud of dust, 5 yard penalties are drive killers out of proportion with how they affect other teams who might shoot for 10+yards at a shot.
 

My recollection is that for Kill and Claeys if your basis is ground and pound 4 yards and a cloud of dust, 5 yard penalties are drive killers out of proportion with how they affect other teams who might shoot for 10+yards at a shot.

Yeah it was painful that you'd get an off-sides and ... the whole possession was often just over at that moment. Brutal to watch.
 

I remember thinking Kill's teams were very disciplined for the most part but Fleck has taken it to an even higher level the past 2 years. One of the biggest things I have noticed is that we rarely seem to get called for the stupid penalties (unnecessary roughness, late hit...). That is a sign of an intelligent team, when you can avoid getting hit with those big 15 yarders after the play.
 

I think the Big Ten was hyper aggressive with the targeting penalties early on (except for Ohio State) and if I heard him right during his presser Carollo said there were zero confirmed targeting calls bs Big Ten teams or in any Big Ten games last season. This is obviously hard to believe as the incidental contact happens fairly often. My opinion is the officials hold a conclave before the season and either stipulate focusing on certain penalties (targeting, defensive holding) and downplay or completely ignore others (offensive holding).
 



I think the Big Ten was hyper aggressive with the targeting penalties early on (except for Ohio State) and if I heard him right during his presser Carollo said there were zero confirmed targeting calls bs Big Ten teams or in any Big Ten games last season. This is obviously hard to believe as the incidental contact happens fairly often. My opinion is the officials hold a conclave before the season and either stipulate focusing on certain penalties (targeting, defensive holding) and downplay or completely ignore others (offensive holding).

I think players lave learned and are coached to stop throwing hits with their heads down all the time and now keep their head up more often.
 



What year was it that Gophs got those penalty calls on the PSU kicker? That game alone might have skewed the number that season :p
 

What year was it that Gophs got those penalty calls on the PSU kicker? That game alone might have skewed the number that season :p

Jaylen Waters laid out the idiot kicker that had been (actually) spearing/targeting kick returners in 2016. That was one of those forgivable ones...
 

Jaylen Waters laid out the idiot kicker that had been (actually) spearing/targeting kick returners in 2016. That was one of those forgivable ones...

I think Gophs got multiple penalties for hitting him that game? I agree and remember the thread on it, they were clean hits that he brought on himself. Pretty sure he stopped barreling down field after that game.
 

Me neither.
Yeah there's no way the "targeting" has stopped. The big ten just realized how foolish and arbitrary those penalties were so they quit calling them. There were some really dumb calls... Not just on the gophers.

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Yeah there's no way the "targeting" has stopped. The big ten just realized how foolish and arbitrary those penalties were so they quit calling them. There were some really dumb calls... Not just on the gophers.

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Yes, and non-calls. Remember ML at OSU? Multiple refs throw the flag, goes for review, comes back as no penalty AND OSU gets 7 points. Clear targeting as crown of helmet hits ML's facemask.
 
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Regarding penalties if they place an emphasis on illegal man downfield and enforce it as hyper aggressively and vigilantly as targeting that may hinder RPO offenses somewhat...hopefully they take the very liberal hands off approach as with offensive holding
 


Respectfully disagree. There were plenty of snaps and plenty of penalties called in 1 season.

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I'm with you.
The high preponderance of targeting calls with Claeys was quite high and I think it reflected the personality of the team.
 

There were perhaps 3 legitimate targeting calls the rest was good aggressive defense and nitpicking. How many blowouts that year?
 

Yes, and none calls. Remember ML at OSU? Multiple refs throw the flag, goes for review, comes back as no penalty AND OSU gets 7 points. Clear targeting as crown of helmet hits ML's facemask.

I'm still bent out of shape about that call, completely ridiculous!
 




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