Mind Games
Mental Mistakes Doomed a Better UM Team
by John F. Murray
How important is the mental game in football? It is rarely given the amount of credit it deserves, but we saw once again how important it was last Saturday. It was painfully obvious as FSU literally stole a victory as a result of Miami mental blunders.
I attended my first big time football game on November 15, 1970 (when the Dolphins beat the Saints in the Orange Bowl 21-10) and I’ve been hooked on football ever since. I’d often wonder why teams did what they did and how they won or lost. I didn’t even know what the word psychology was in 1970, but in retrospect it was psychological skills that often made the difference. This Dolphins team was riding a three game losing streak and the season was sinking fast. It was the week after Tom Dempsey’s famous 63-yard field goal with a half foot. Miami finally decided to put it all together. Shula’s relentless gassers in practice and his constant emphasis on avoiding mistakes and improving focus and other mental aspects of football finally paid off. I know this from talking with several players who were on that legendary team. Shula worked them three times harder than players on other teams. They finally got smart, began making fewer mental mistakes, and won this particular game, ending the skid. It was the first win in a 6- game winning streak to finish the season and it put Miami in the playoffs for the first time.
After this Saints victory, Miami did not suffer another two game losing streak over 6 consecutive seasons! Miami was the least penalized team in the league and famous for their mental as well as physical prowess. They executed in the trenches brilliantly, had very few careless plays, never beat themselves, played opportunistic football, and came up with big plays when needed. Like a new Rolex watch, the Miami Dolphins symbolized quality, efficiency, and accuracy. My experiences watching this early Shula-led Dolphins team in my first taste of football from 1970 to 1975 were lessons in sports psychology. It was a key factor in my later development of the MPI. My new book, “The Mental Performance Index: Ranking the Best Teams in Super Bowl History,” explains how the MPI, an index of perfection in football with both mental and physical components, had its roots right here in South Florida. The book also shows teams how to use the MPI and also use mental coaching to win more games. It is just what the Hurricanes need today after this terrible loss. It is all right there in the book and I will be ready to help when the phone rings.
The Hurricanes are now that Miami Dolphins team on November 15, 1970. A bowl game is still possible for the Canes with another win, the same way the playoffs were still possible for the Miami Dolphins. It is just this same smart/efficient approach that the Miami Hurricanes need if they wish to reverse the blunders against FSU and return to national prominence. Al Golden has done a remarkable job with this young Hurricanes team so far. Until this past Saturday, he really had them going in the right direction. The special teams unit was consistent and sharp, penalties were few and far between, and the word “turnover” was just a food item, and unheard of on the field. Unfortunately, and at the worst imaginable time against enemy number one, Miami found a way to lose with many mental mistakes despite outperforming FSU on offense, defense, and in pressure moments!
As in all Mind Games columns, let’s take a closer look at what happened in terms of performance, rather than just looking at outcome, big plays, individual stats, and results. Football is a team sport, so the MPI focuses on team performance in the trenches, and the MPI highly values mental performance, consistency, and the quality of execution play by play.
While this game was filled with errors on both sides of the ball, there were enough good plays on both sides to propel each team slightly above average in terms of performance. Miami performed slightly better (MPI-T=.503 for Miami, .502 for FSU). This team performance means that Miami lost one of those rare games that only occur about 10 percent of the time. Recall earlier this season that Miami beat North Carolina on the scoreboard while losing to them in terms of total performance on the MPI-T. Miami escaped a bullet. Here, the tables were reversed. FSU escaped the bullet and fate evened the score against Miami. Play with fire long enough and you’ll eventually get burned. Miami got burned by losing a game they should have won. Mental performance matters, and in this case it did them in.
Miami outperformed FSU on 12 of 14 MPI statistics and 6 of 9 traditional variables. Unfortunately, it was on the statistics with the heaviest mental demands that Miami failed. FSU destroyed Miami on special teams on a very rare day off for the Miami special teams unit. Just a couple examples included the botched extra point and the FSU punt return for a touchdown. Could it be that Miami was too jacked up for this all important game? When intensity levels get too high, teams and players can make odd mistakes as a result of reduced focus, tunnel vision, and/or carelessness. It takes experience and maturity to keep an even keel. FSU did it better. They showed a little more confidence and swagger in their “just win” performance, as Al Davis might now be saying in another world.
FSU had zero turnovers compared with Miami’s 3, and this might have been the most important difference of all. It’s nearly impossible to win a game while committing 3 more turnovers than your opponent, and Miami knows this. The fact that UM almost won despite this minus 3 on takeaways - giveaways shows how talented they actually are. FSU tried to give the game away with a sloppy 10 penalties, but Miami matched them with 9 penalties of their own. It was a careless performance by Miami in many ways.
Let’s give Tallahassee some credit. Their quarterback Manuel was efficient and accurate, going 17 of 23 for 196 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. Throwing no picks might have been his greatest accomplishment in this game. On the other hand, Jacory Harris made the mistake of throwing into double coverage for his lone pick in the red zone, but he was otherwise sharp (20/31, 225 yards, one touchdown, one interception).
Miami’s offensive dominance over FSU’s defense was average at best, but FSU was way below average on this same measure (MPI-OD=.09, 47th percentile for Miami, .000 for FSU, 16th percentile). Miami rushed and passed for more yards than FSU and had a better time of possession (70th percentile). Miami was much better than FSU in pressure situations on offense (MPI-OP=.538 for Miami, 72nd percentile, .229 for FSU, 4th percentile). In every way possible except for turnovers, Miami’s offense was simply better in this game!
Miami’s defense performed better than FSU’s defense too (MPI-D=.495 for Miami, 56th percentile, .442 for FSU, 25th percentile). While both defenses were outperformed by their offensive opponents on the field, FSU’s defense struggled more, and Miami performed better in defensive pressure situations (MPI-DP=.675 for Miami, 84th percentile, .482 for FSU, 31st percentile).
Now we go to the real scene of the crime: Special Teams. FSU dominated by over 33 percent (MPI-STD=.333, above 99th percentile!) and they did so while scoring a .716 on MPI-ST (99th percentile) compared with Miami’s lowly .383 (4th percentile). It’s truly ironic that Miami lost this big game in large due to poor special teams play when this has been Miami’s shining forte all season! Oh well, you are only as good as your last performance goes the saying.
Even in conditions of pressure or heightened stakes, Miami was much better than FSU! This would signify a great mental performance if not for the turnover differential, large number of penalties, and poor special teams play. Miami’s performance in clutch/pressure situations (MPI-TP=.598, 80th percentile) was much better than FSU’s performance in similar situations (MPI-TP=.365, 8th percentile).
After crunching all the numbers, the Miami Hurricanes clearly outperformed their northern state rivals on offense, defense, and in pressure moments of the game. Unfortunately, they were absolutely annihilated on special teams, had 3 more turnovers than FSU, and committed 9 penalties. Gain more yards rushing and passing, win the time of possession battle, and play better in the clutch and you’ll usually win. In this case, Miami’s superior play could not compensate for their idiotic play and obvious mental mistakes including a 3 turnover disadvantage and the worst UM special teams play of the season.
It is frustrating to be a Hurricane or Hurricane fan now, but I have a positive message for the team this week. If you had protected the ball just a little better or had played a little better on special teams, you would be celebrating a glorious victory today. You were not going to win a national championship anyway this season, so use this as fuel for the future. Use this painful experience as a starting point for a whole new standard, realizing that you have more talent than you may have known.
In sum, Miami needs to become much better mentally. Talent is never enough and it never was enough. If this team wants to become like one of the previous 5 Hurricanes champions, or become like the Miami Dolphins in their amazing 6 season stretch from 1970-1975, they need to:
(1)
Reduce careless mental errors,
(2)
Manage personal intensity levels better,
(3)
Avoid big breakdowns such as the ones on special teams,
(4)
Mental coaching for the entire team and all the individual players could be a big part of the solution next season and I am ready to help any time Coach Golden calls.
With the proper training and experience, this talented team will be able to utilize their talent when it counts in the big games. This loss against FSU should never have happened and it hurts. Now use it for motivation. Never forget. Get better mentally. Listen to coach Golden.
One more message to Al Golden. Stay right here. We need you. Penn State is a mess. Go Canes!
