Kirby basically went against the biggest advantage odds that favored him which was the better FG kicker.
Regardless of him missing the FG attempt earlier in the game. Blank is one of the best kickers in the game.
He's already hit a under NATTY pressure FG in that same stadium in that same direction.
If Bama is unable to convert a first down you get the short field or at worst work your way into his range.
Which is Bama's 40 as he's hit like a 54 yard er with a Natty on the line.
No different than Saban's mistake in the AU kick six situation once you saw AU had the return team
on you should have taken a time out or take the delay of game.
You Neel on the ball and play over time with the team we had that year.(bad call by Saban).

Once Kirby saw Bama was playing safe with there defensive unit on the field minus a player for waddle.
He should have taken the delay and punted or call time out and punted.
But bottom line is you should not even be considering a fake punt there based on % of success rate,
Plus the odds of success on a safe defensive alignment especially with 11 yards to go.
Pressure makes all coaches including Saban make bad call's and Kirby made one for the ages.

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Posted by prevatt33

Member since Dec 2011

2837 posts

Posted on 12/23/18 at 11:51 am to AjA77

quote:
No different than Saban's mistake in the AU kick six situation once you saw AU had the return team
on you should have taken a time out or take the delay of game.
You Neel on the ball and play over time with the team we had that year.(bad call by Saban).

I gotta disagree here. Based on Griffith's leg strength, he kicks that ball out of the endzone 9 times out of 10. On the kick 6, he just didn't get all of it. It was the 1 out of 10.

Secondly, the only problem with that play is that we had never fanned out and covered a LIVE kick return in practice. We had only done it against air - I forget who the player was who said it post-game.

So, when au returns it, we don't fan out properly and give up a return.

Kicking that ball was not a bad call. It was a 57 yard FG to win the game, and our kicker has that much leg. It's football 101. The bad 'call' was not practicing covering a live kick out of that formation all year in practice.

Also, it's "kneel".

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Posted by AjA77

Member since Aug 2015

1128 posts

Posted on 12/23/18 at 12:37 pm to prevatt33

I hear what your saying but you have to account for Au having a return unit if he does not hit it right.
If we had our best blocking unit out there or normal FG unit.
Then how many are capable of tackling the return man.
You see starters on coverage teams more in big games.
There may have been 2 people out there capable of tackling the return guy.
Its not about Griffin leg its about AU having a return possibility that you cant account for.
All we had was I think a pair of tight ends and one to the side of the rerurn.
Remember Au called a timeout and it was then that they decided to go return team.Most were expecting an all out block attempt.
Before that time out AU was going all out block?
Also as you have pointed out we had not practice covering a return Fg possibility.So once Auburn put a guy back.we should have called a time out.

This post was edited on 12/23/18 at 12:40 pm

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Posted by FairhopeTider

Fairhope, Alabama

Member since May 2012

21831 posts

Posted on 12/23/18 at 12:53 pm to AjA77

Damn. Now we’re going to get 7 more pages arguing over the Kick 6.

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Posted by prevatt33