I went to the UVA Spring Football Scrimmage this past Saturday. Unlike in the past, when each coordinator picked players and contested a simulated game, this year, one squad played offense only, and the other played defense only.
I liked the modified idea, as it pitted the best offensive player against the best defensive players. As the contest continued, as subs played offense, corresponding subs played defense.
Defensive coaches worked with their players, as did the offensive coaches.
To keep score, the offense used standard scoring rules, and the defense had a performance-based scoring schedule. Enter the rouge points. The schedule included: 6 points for a defensive touchdown, fourth down stop, interception or fumble recovery, 3 points for a 3 and out, 2 points for a safety, and 1 point for a forced punt.
I wondered if these were standard scoring rules that coaches have circulated, and did an internet search. Oklahoma, Boise State, Stanford, Notre Dame, Penn State, Nevada, and Ohio State have used varied defensive scoring methods in their scrimmages. None of them matched exactly.
The final score from Saturday was defense 57, offense 33. Did that score not reflect how the two sides played? Probably not. The defense scored more from offensive failures than from defensive success. The offense was not rewarded as much for defensive failure. The offense made some high-risk, no-reward decisions that showed poor game-theory coaching.
UVA fans should be intelligent, and a more complex scoring system could help coaches see how their teams performed. I’m an accounting major, not a math major, so numbers aren’t foreign to me.
The offense scores:
Touchdown – 6 points
Field Goal – 3 points
Extra Point – 1 or 2 points
First Down – 1 point
Plays of 20 yards or more – 2 points
Third down conversion – 1 point
Fourth down conversion – 2 points
Defensive penalty – 1 point (5 yards), 2 points (10 yards), 3 points (15 yards)
The defense scores:
Defensive touchdown – 6 points (no extra point will be attempted)
Safety – 2 points
Blocked field goal or extra point – 1 point
Stopped two-point conversion – 2 points
Interception or fumble recovery – 6 points
Tackle for Loss – 1 point
Offensive penalty – 1 point (5 yards), 2 points (10 yards), 3 points (15 yards)
Third down stop – 1 point (3 and out – 3 points)
Fourth down stop – 2 points
I’ll bring the calculator.
The scrimmage started at 3:30 pm under sunny skies, at 90 degrees, with a low dew point.
For some reason, they made us sit only in the East stands in direct sunlight. You wonder, do they want people to come to the game? I understand that the scrimmage is broadcast on the ACC Network, so that the camera would be pointed at the crowd. If they keep this theory going, start the game at 5 or 5:30 and give the crowd a break. Do a little marketing.