The Final :42 Seconds... Play For OT Or Not?

Gutless. Any amount of time that that game is extended benefits only SC. I almost would have gone for 2 in the first OT. I almost would have gone for it on 4th. The more that game dragged on the more it favored SC.

GP showed he had no faith in the team by not at least trying. I absolutely playing not to lose instead of playing to win and will never support doing so. End it at any and every chance you have.

It is possible to throw the ball down field and do it safely.

I frankly put that move by GP right up there with calling timeout twice thinking you can draw a defender offsides and freeze your kicker in the meantime and calling for a fake punt on 4th and 13 on your own 30 in a close game when you haven't been able to run the ball all game.

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re: The Final :42 Seconds... Play For OT Or Not? (Posted on 10/27/13 at 12:35 am to Mizz-SEC) It was gutless, but I don't think the staff had much faith in Mauk. If that's the mistake, so be it. If it's me I take a few shots, worst case scenario is a pick six or an int followed by a short drive. Dunno what Pinkel's mindset was. For relaxing times...make it Suntory time.

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I go back and forth on my thinking.

Bottom line, we missed a lot of opportunities to seal this game.
SC hung tough, and got the win.

I agree with the call. In my opinion, or offense struggled tonight. The WR's dropped some balls that should have been caught. Mauk made some bone-head throws and get lucky a few times they didn't get picked. But, the games over. There is nothing we can do now, but shake this game off. Pick up our heads, and prepare for UT next week. I don't like Mauk being the QB. I think there is potential there, he just needs some work. Call me stupid, but that is my opinion. Hopefully this team doesn't sit on this game for too long and let it mess with their heads and come out next week and lose their next game.

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If I'm Pinkel..........I play it the way he played it tonight, I have to say.

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I agree. Don't want to toss it down the field and risk INT...then Shaw will have a chance to put his team in FG range.

On topic, Pinkel did the right thing.

Off topic, Pinkel didn't miss the fieldgoals. It should not have come down to OT. If there is blame to be handed out, it's the defense could not identify and react to the screens USC were running. For what ever reason, those screens and passing to the TE's in the middle are what killed this defense and eventually cost Mizzou the game. That and being restricted on offense.

It's the whole playing not to lose versus playing to win. This staff regularly plays not to lose and that's just not my style.

Yes the first play almost blew up but that was because of the play that was called. They weren't going downfield at all. They were already playing not to lose and it almost cost them. Show some damn confidence in your team and develop a killer instinct.

Oh, and they didn't score the TD in OT. That's the whole point. The longer that game goes on, the more it favored SC. No question SC had the momentum and that's why it favored them and you take any chance you can to avoid that momentum.

Pinkel made the gutless decision and it, along with defensive coaching/execution, along with special teams, along with dropped passes, along with a million other things cost Mizzou the game.

Once Pinkel has the lead he will always coach like a little chicken s**t and let competitive teams back in the game.

Thats why we were tied at this point. Then he made a decison very reminiscent of Derek Dooley's decision last year against Mizzou. Bagget has a strong leg, he only needed about 35 yards in 40+ seconds to give him a shot at a long FG.

But now that I have that rant out of my system, I still think Pinkel is a good coach with a few bad qualities like stated above. And I like this team, and think they still have a great shot of getting to Atlanta. Probably need the Cocks to lose at least one game though.

Odds are odds you are more likely to gain some yards and get a chance for a game winner and not go back to an even game that OT is. We had a better chance to kick a FG with :42 left the USC had in a pick. You cannot win if you don't play and setting on that lead was not playing. Game situation also dictated going for a score. USC had ALL the momentum and OT plays into their hands. Hell as a road dog OT is ALWAYS in your favor on top of the momentum.

Derek Dooley had the same dilemma last year in Knoxville. He made that choice also