Inside the Huddle, Week 1: An Inside Look at Aztec Football

[Pumph]

This series will give everyone a look behind the curtain of the San Diego Aztecs, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. Will it expose secrets to how to beat us on the field? Almost certainly. Could it cost us the chance to land a couple of recruits? Most definitely. But as we all learn the game, I think some open, frank discussion about coaching decisions will not only help us as coaches, but may also pinpoint a few things for the developers to look at as well. And besides, I want my 5 bonus recruiting points for next season. Please feel free to chime in on any of my coaching decisions, maybe point me in a better direction, perhaps open my eyes to other possibilities, and maybe help us all discover the secrets to success.

 

Week 1 Game: 45-17 WIN @ UTEP

 

The numbers are eye-popping. 45 points. 564 yards passing. My #2 WR getting 283 yards and 4 TDs. The TE with 9 catches on 9 targets, for 156 yards. Yet all I can see is the lack of success running the ball (23 carries for 40 yards), and 3 INTs for my QB. We struggled to run the ball in scrimmages, so I focused on passing in this game, with 65% passing as my setting. Sure, it worked, but I do not want to be so one-dimensional, and know that will cost me against better opponents. Defensively, we held UTEP to 99 yards passing and 112 yards rushing. We had really focused on pass defense, using a lot of nickle and dime. I'd share specific numbers (really, I will in future weeks), but I did not log them for week 1. It seemed to work, stifling their passing attack, but I am going to venture a guess that UTEP is not going to be a national power either (no offense).

 

 

Recruiting Week 1:

Like everyone else, I was so excited to start recruiting new talent. Maybe moreso, because much of this recruiting system was my brainchild, and I wanted to see it in action. I took a very cautious approach to recruiting, ignoring the players' talents, and team needs, and instead focused on players that matched my affinities. Being in Southern California, with the best weather in North America, San Diego boasts both the "Good Climate" affinity, as well as the Large Crowd affinity due to stadium size. I focused on players that had two affinity matches for me, whether it was both of those, or one of them, in combination with a "Close to Home" affinity. The results of filtering those matches left me with a sizable number of recruits with two matches, at a fairly wide range of positions. I went fairly heavy after a few of the players that I liked more, and sprinkled points on a number of others, knowing that after Week 5, I'd get double affinity bonuses on all of the players, helping me outdistance most competitors. The one position group that did not have a lot of affinity matches for me was the offensive line. So with those prospects, I know I may have to pick carefully and win those battles the old fashioned way, by just outpointing the competition, or getting lucky with a few of the decisions. Remember, the system is set up to give other teams in the running a chance at signing recruits - it's not just the leader. So I want my hat on the table for as many of these guys as I can.

[Week 1's recruiting results revealed in Week 2's article]

Edited July 7, 2021 by Pumph