Started By
Message
The Coach Who Never Punts
Posted on 11/20/18 at 3:56 pm
Posted on 11/20/18 at 3:56 pm
MadMan
Bama's joke of a kicking game got me to thinking about this story from a while back. This coach never punts, always goes for 2, doesn't allow players to field punts, and onside kicks after every score. Has won 5 State Titles doing so.
I honestly believe Alabama has the offense and defense to make the strategy work in college. Tua's 3rd down conversion numbers are off the charts so imagine giving him an extra crack at it.
Defense is plenty solid to keep teams out of the end zone when it doesn't work. Hell will freeze over before Nick Saban ever tries something like this but the irony is he's the one coach with the clout to attempt it and not lose his job.
Would love to see a Mike Leech or Lane Kiffin do this someday.
Bama's joke of a kicking game got me to thinking about this story from a while back. This coach never punts, always goes for 2, doesn't allow players to field punts, and onside kicks after every score. Has won 5 State Titles doing so.
I honestly believe Alabama has the offense and defense to make the strategy work in college. Tua's 3rd down conversion numbers are off the charts so imagine giving him an extra crack at it.
Defense is plenty solid to keep teams out of the end zone when it doesn't work. Hell will freeze over before Nick Saban ever tries something like this but the irony is he's the one coach with the clout to attempt it and not lose his job.
Would love to see a Mike Leech or Lane Kiffin do this someday.
10
Posted on 11/20/18 at 3:58 pm to Tuas Knee
quote:
This coach never punts, always goes for 2, doesn't allow players to field punts, and onside kicks after every score. Has won 5 State Titles doing so.
My highschool had a coach like that about 6 years ago. Dude had 1 shared conference title, all his other seasons were very very poor.
Doing this is really stupid
Posted on 11/20/18 at 3:59 pm to Tuas Knee
I always found that philosophy interesting, If I remember correctly he actually goes into the facts and statistics that backs him up
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:01 pm to thatguy45
Depends on the makeup of your team. If you generally have superior athletes to your opponents and an explosive offense like Bama's with a solid D I think it could put even more pressure on opponents.
I think Bama would be winning bigger this year employing this strategy. Would never have said that about any of our previous teams. This one is different however.
I think Bama would be winning bigger this year employing this strategy. Would never have said that about any of our previous teams. This one is different however.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:07 pm to LSUfanatic60
quote:
If I remember correctly he actually goes into the facts and statistics that backs him up
Well of course. People don't practice 4th down. They expect a kick. It puts people on edge. Once you start going for it every time your opponent expects it, and it becomes just another down.
Think of the Wildcat. It was interesting for a while, but then it fell by the wayside because it was figured out. Except when you fail to get it you're gifting your opponent 40+ yards.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:07 pm to Tuas Knee
As some of have said there are two reasons why no one has tried this in college.
First of all kicking tends to be far more effective at the college level. You will get some absolute stinkers of punts, but a decent college punter can flip the football field for you. Even in today's high octane offenses that is nothing to sneer at. And kick offs tend to be deeper with fewer chances for a big return.
The main reason, which no coach wants to admit, is that no one out there really wants to be hung up by their short and curlies because they decided to go for an onside kick 4 times in the game, didn't recover a one of them, and the other team scored on a short field.
It is, after all, easy to talk about always going for it, but we aren't the ones with a million dollar job on the line if it blows up in our faces.
Going with statistics though, can be very effective for teams. Army looked at the stats a few years ago and decided that, given their QB, they were throwing the ball too much and not going for it on 4th down enough. They had games where they not only did not complete a forward pass... they didn't even attempt one.
If they beat Navy this year then they will have back to back 10 win seasons.
Bert, as another example, when to the same stats people and they told him that Arkansas should go for it more often on 4th down. And he made a big deal about it in the off season, by golly we were going to be much more aggressive on 4th downs. He did it a few times against the rent a wins and then went away from it for the rest of the season.
First of all kicking tends to be far more effective at the college level. You will get some absolute stinkers of punts, but a decent college punter can flip the football field for you. Even in today's high octane offenses that is nothing to sneer at. And kick offs tend to be deeper with fewer chances for a big return.
The main reason, which no coach wants to admit, is that no one out there really wants to be hung up by their short and curlies because they decided to go for an onside kick 4 times in the game, didn't recover a one of them, and the other team scored on a short field.
It is, after all, easy to talk about always going for it, but we aren't the ones with a million dollar job on the line if it blows up in our faces.
Going with statistics though, can be very effective for teams. Army looked at the stats a few years ago and decided that, given their QB, they were throwing the ball too much and not going for it on 4th down enough. They had games where they not only did not complete a forward pass... they didn't even attempt one.
If they beat Navy this year then they will have back to back 10 win seasons.
Bert, as another example, when to the same stats people and they told him that Arkansas should go for it more often on 4th down. And he made a big deal about it in the off season, by golly we were going to be much more aggressive on 4th downs. He did it a few times against the rent a wins and then went away from it for the rest of the season.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:15 pm to Tuas Knee
I kind of see where he's coming from in not allowing players to field punts. As good as punters (obviously other than Bama's) are these days, it seems like you rarely see returns anymore, but you still see muffed punts at about the same rate as ever.
The idea of punting was developed decades ago when football was a very different game. Back then, punting was seen as a weapon, and it was not unusual to see teams punt the ball away on third down or even earlier if they got behind the chains and picking up the first seemed unlikely. The chance to flip field position and give the other team the opportunity to make a mistake and turn the ball over on their own half of the field was considered more worthwhile than possession in that case. Nowadays, with offenses generally more open and high-powered, and with the rules gradually shifting to favor the offense, it is entirely possible that punting on fourth down is not nearly as ironclad a strategy as it has long been assumed to be. Maybe a viable strategy would be a kind of triple threat play. Put the QB in the gun on fourth down and give him the option of either running a play, if the defensive alignment seems conducive to picking up the first, or kicking it. It would force the defense to either play a deep man to receive a potential kick, or give up the chance for a return to bring the deep man up to help stop a potential offensive play.
The idea of punting was developed decades ago when football was a very different game. Back then, punting was seen as a weapon, and it was not unusual to see teams punt the ball away on third down or even earlier if they got behind the chains and picking up the first seemed unlikely. The chance to flip field position and give the other team the opportunity to make a mistake and turn the ball over on their own half of the field was considered more worthwhile than possession in that case. Nowadays, with offenses generally more open and high-powered, and with the rules gradually shifting to favor the offense, it is entirely possible that punting on fourth down is not nearly as ironclad a strategy as it has long been assumed to be. Maybe a viable strategy would be a kind of triple threat play. Put the QB in the gun on fourth down and give him the option of either running a play, if the defensive alignment seems conducive to picking up the first, or kicking it. It would force the defense to either play a deep man to receive a potential kick, or give up the chance for a return to bring the deep man up to help stop a potential offensive play.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:21 pm to Tuas Knee
quote:
I honestly believe Alabama has the offense and defense to make the strategy work in college. T
We dont have to punt very often.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:24 pm to Tuas Knee
Pulaski has won for a long time. The Henry brothers played there
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:39 pm to Tuas Knee
PA is a cult
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:42 pm to alphaandomega
quote:
We dont have to punt very often.
Exactly why this would work. Especially if the refs would call the obvious defensive holding teams have resorted to.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 4:54 pm to Tuas Knee
quote:
The Coach Who Never Punts
Posted on 11/20/18 at 5:32 pm to TheTideMustRoll
Charlie McClendon use to punt on third down if they were backed up in their own territory and had more than 10 yards to make a first down.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 5:54 pm to Tuas Knee
I don't get it. What if it's a tie game in the 4th quarter with 20 secs left, and his team is backed up on their own goal line, 4th and long.
Not punting would obviously cost his team the game if they don't pick up the first down. No reason to be stubborn. Punting has its' perks.
Not punting would obviously cost his team the game if they don't pick up the first down. No reason to be stubborn. Punting has its' perks.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 6:03 pm to Arch Madness
Think of it this way.
Your favorite team is playing Bama and it is a close game they have the ball on their own 45 and it is 4th and 6.
Do you want them to punt to your team or do you want Tua to go for it.
I want them to punt.
Your favorite team is playing Bama and it is a close game they have the ball on their own 45 and it is 4th and 6.
Do you want them to punt to your team or do you want Tua to go for it.
I want them to punt.
Posted on 11/20/18 at 6:32 pm to Tuas Knee
:rotflmao:
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News