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re: The Loss to Tech
Posted on 12/1/14 at 1:30 pm to FooManChoo
Posted on 12/1/14 at 1:30 pm to FooManChoo
quote:
If we kick it deep and they return it for a TD
If that's the concern, then kick it out of bounds and make them start at the 35. It's infinitely harder to gain 30 yards, stop the clock, and kick a field goal without a timeout than it is to only need 20.
The best move would have been one of those popup kicks that forces one of the up men to fair catch it at around the 30 or so.
1
Posted on 12/1/14 at 2:00 pm to VADawg
Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm trying to think like a coach here:
GT's specialty is running the football, not passing. In fact, all day the longest pass we allowed was 17 yards, and that was to their best receiver who was out of the game with an injury. We otherwise ate their lunch when it came to the passing game and we were hoping they would pass the ball, especially since 20-30 yards (depending on the the pooch) was a tall order for a designed run play.
With that said, the decision to squib it rather than kick it deep removed the uncertainty of a kick return for a score. They may have been stopped before the 20, or they may have taken it to the house. If they don't return it all the way but still get good position and kick a FG, the worst case is a tie and moving to overtime. A TD would have ended the game then and there with no time to respond. Between a possible kick-six loss and a squib-kick tie in regulation (worst case), the squib is the safer bet for not losing the game in the 4th quarter.
Also consider the the kicker hit his longest try ever on that play (he's only 61% on FG tries), which barely crept over the bar by inches. A very long FG was in UGA's favor, especially considering that we blocked a shorter try earlier in the game. He just happened to make his career high at the right time and we didn't even attempt to block it.
Even if it turned out to be the wrong call (hindsight is 20/20), it wasn't a stupid call by any means and there is logic behind why such a call would be made in that situation.
GT's specialty is running the football, not passing. In fact, all day the longest pass we allowed was 17 yards, and that was to their best receiver who was out of the game with an injury. We otherwise ate their lunch when it came to the passing game and we were hoping they would pass the ball, especially since 20-30 yards (depending on the the pooch) was a tall order for a designed run play.
With that said, the decision to squib it rather than kick it deep removed the uncertainty of a kick return for a score. They may have been stopped before the 20, or they may have taken it to the house. If they don't return it all the way but still get good position and kick a FG, the worst case is a tie and moving to overtime. A TD would have ended the game then and there with no time to respond. Between a possible kick-six loss and a squib-kick tie in regulation (worst case), the squib is the safer bet for not losing the game in the 4th quarter.
Also consider the the kicker hit his longest try ever on that play (he's only 61% on FG tries), which barely crept over the bar by inches. A very long FG was in UGA's favor, especially considering that we blocked a shorter try earlier in the game. He just happened to make his career high at the right time and we didn't even attempt to block it.
Even if it turned out to be the wrong call (hindsight is 20/20), it wasn't a stupid call by any means and there is logic behind why such a call would be made in that situation.
This post was edited on 12/1/14 at 2:18 pm
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