Question about number of guys who play.

[ncjacket]

A comment was made on another post about how we don't play enough people. I got curious and did some quick checking on our participation stats. In the Clemson game we played 53 and against BYU 51. Clemson played 57 and BTU 58. So somebody who knows tell me, is that a problem for us? It's easy to have a higher number is no regulars play on special teams I know, and you can run a lot of WRs in (like BYU) but what is a reasonable number.

I suppose it also depends on how many you have. We are trying to protect RS years for some guys and others are hurt. My only concern is the question raised that if not enough guys are seeing the field the unity/attitude of the team suffers. How are we doing?

I'm not asking this because of the guys who have left, they played in every game. You can argue that they wanted more PT but if they get the chance and don't produce their time will be limited. Just an overall question.

 

[ahsoisee]

NCJacket, personally, I think the coaches and teams that play a lot of players have better moral on the team. I also thing it leads to players being ready quicker should you need them.

I tend to give this example every once in a while. Take a weight lifter and have him lift the weights, on a given set, as many times as he possibly can. Then tell him to immediately start lifting the weights again. He can't, he is exhausted.

Now take the next lifter and have him do the same set and see how many he does. If he is the back-up lifter, he will do almost as many as the first lifter.

Say the first does 50 reps, and the second one does 45 reps. We have gotten 95 reps between them. Had we not switched off to the second lifter, the first would have been dead at 50.

I had much rather have a second stringer in the game with fresh strength, rather than the first stringer that is tired and working at only 70% capacity. Some coaches don't understand this and say to the player, "you have to suck it up". What a stupid statement. Suck what up coach? I am dead tired and don't have anything left to suck up!

Also, different players have different motors. Some can play forever and tend not to lose any strength. Others can play great for several series, then lose strength. It is their physical makeup, and little can be done about it, except substitution.

So how many substitutes should we play. I have no idea, except as many as possible to keep them fresh and to keep the team at maximum performance. I certainly hope our coaches monitor all of this and realize the facts of the individual bodies.