Funny line from Locke's article.

[El Diablo Blanco]

I'll be honest, I didn't see a lot of what you'd call willpower last season. I saw a team that couldn't handle its business in the fourth quarter, if it was even still in the game at that point. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I saw an offense that had as much horsepower as a golf cart.

http://www.nems360.com/pages/full_story/push?article-COLUMN-%20Bulldogs%20haven%E2%80%99t%20played-%20yet%20they%20already%20sound%20better%20&id=3041246-COLUMN-%20Bulldogs%20haven%E2%80%99t%20played-%20yet%20they%20already%20sound%20better&instance=secondary_stories_left_column
</span>

 

[RebelBruiser]

I remember looking at our 2007 team's stats after the players had said that Orgeron overworked them during game weeks, and it was pretty glaring how much worse we were in the 4th quarter as opposed to the first 3 quarters. Here were MSU's numbers last year:

@La. Tech - 0-3
SELA - 0-7
Auburn - 2-0
@Ga. Tech - 7-7
@LSU - 14-7
Vandy - 7-7
@UT - 0-21
MTSU - 7-6
Kentucky - 6-0
@Bama - 0-10
Arkansas - 7-7
Ole Miss - 0-7

Over the year, you got outscored 82-50 in the 4th quarter. That compares to being outscored 214-133 in the first 3 quarters of games, for an average of 27 points per quarter.

So, you got outscored by 32 points total in the 4th quarter, compared to being outscored by an average of 27 points for the first 3 quarters. That's not a significant difference, though you did have some teams let up on you in the 4th quarter, which can make your 4th quarter scoring look better. The UT and Bama games are obviously the most glaring. You were actually not completely out of either game at the start of the 4th, and both teams turned respectable games into ugly losses for you in the 4th.

 

[Stormrider81]

When you spend more time and effort looking at stats than the average State poster does, I think that's a sign that something is wrong. I have no idea how OM did in the 4th quarter against opponents nor any desire to know. I also, previous to your post, had no idea how we did and had no desire to look it up.</p>

 

[615dawg]

but my Mississippi State edukashun taught me that when we get outscored by 32 points in the fourth quarter over 12 games, thats an average of being outscored by 2.7 points in the fourth quarter.

we got outscored by 81 points in the first through third quarters, an average of 2.25 points in each quarter.

A quick check of the MSU 2008 stats show that we were outscored by an average of 24.7-15.2 in a game - 9.5 points per game.

If you take the basic pre-algebra concept and state 3(2.25)+2.7, you get 9.45, which rounds up to 9.5.

Your point is taken, it can be said that we were 20 percent worse in the fourth quarter than we were in the first through third quarters.

 

[TR.sixpack]

Other than Sneed, Powe, Hardy, McCluster, I don't think I could name another starter for Ole Miss this fall. Something tells me Bruiser has our roster memorized. I've got enough going on in my life, without worrying about what OM is doing.

 

[HD6]

by an average of 80 something points per game last year?

We have definitely learned something this year, we can't spell, and you guys can't do math.

 

[Stormrider81]

nm

 

[RebelBruiser]

by an average of 80 something points per game last year?

We have definitely learned something this year, we can't spell, and you guys can't do math.

No, you lost your games by a total of 113 points last year, or 9.4 ppg. 27 x 3 (for the first 3 quarters) = 81. 81+ 32 = 113 total points.

I like numbers. I looked at our 4th quarter numbers last year, and this comment made me curious if you had similar numbers in 2008, so I looked it up. Work is slow.

 

[msudawg12]

is that in a number of those games we were out of the game and the other team's starters were resting.

Sometimes it was the same for us but there was no real talent drop from 1st team to 2nd for us

 

[HD6]

you said outscored by an average of 27 points PER QUARTER.

Am I wrong on this?

 

[RebelBruiser]

you said outscored by an average of 27 points PER QUARTER.

Am I wrong on this?

Yes, that's what I said...for the whole season. In quarters 1-3, you got outscored, on average, by 27 points total for the season.

You got outscored in quarters 1-3 by 81 total points for the year, which works out to 27 points per quarter on average, compared to getting outscored by a combined total of 32 points in the 4th quarter.

Maybe it's just phrased in a confusing way.

 

[birdZdawg]

he should have divided by 36, not 3 to get the "per quarter" number he was looking for. (12 games, Quarters 1, 2, and 3 in each game)

I'm probably wrong.</p>

 

[RebelBruiser]

he should have divided by 36, not 3 to get the "per quarter" number he was looking for. (12 games, Quarters 1, 2, and 3 in each game)

I'm probably wrong.</p>

I was going for a number to compare to the total number 32 that came from the 4th quarter, so the math is right. The wording may have been funny though. If I did it by game, it would show you getting outscored by an average of 2.25 points per quarter in each of the first three quarters of the game, and 2.67 points per quarter in the 4th.

 

[saltybulldog]

Man, I do love me some Mexican cornbread.

 

[markymark.sixpack]

you said outscored by an average of 27 points PER QUARTER.

Am I wrong on this?

Yes, that's what I said...for the whole season. In quarters 1-3, you got outscored, on average, by 27 points total for the season.

You got outscored in quarters 1-3 by 81 total points for the year, which works out to 27 points per quarter on average, compared to getting outscored by a combined total of 32 points in the 4th quarter.

Maybe it's just phrased in a confusing way.

It is, but what you're attempting to say is that over the entire season, we got outscored, per quarter, as follows
1'st - 27
2'nd - 27
3'rd - 27
4'th - 32

The 27's above come from dividing 81 by 3. it's not accurate, just an average. if we looked into it further, the 27's would probably change to a different number, but in the end, they would add up to 81. Clear as mud now?