Did Coach Sam make the right call to go for two?

Football Insider Board
#1

Question at Church today

Lots of celebration of UK Victory over LSU

Lots of people watched the Arkansas game

Lots of compliments on Arkansas being goid team

Question: “Why didn’t your coach go for PAT and over time”

My answer - right or wrong

“Coach Sam made a decision that is decisive - it’s in his nature- he believed he could win “

“He is a Coach that came in and carried a dead Hog on his back to respectability with the decisions he has made”

“I’m Not going to question a leader like him whose performance gives him the credibility to do it his way -

Proud of our coach “

I could of added - after all we could of had lane Kiffin who was pooping his pants on the side line

That was worth a lot right there

We are in good hands “Get them next year In Fayettnam

#2

In my group at the watch party, as we were making our way toward what would be our penultimate Touchdown, I posited that if we scored with more than a minute to go, we should kick the point; if we scored with less than 30 seconds left, we should go for two.

As it turned out - we did BOTH.

We scored very shortly after I made that statement (with about 1:30 or 2:00 left), and went for the single PAT to tie the game. As you will recall, Ole Miss scored in one or two plays after the kickoff, and so we had the ball once again going for a TD that would tie the game (if we kicked the PAT). Of course, we scored as time expired, and this time, we went for two.

WHY did I make that det4erminateion (and, therefore, why was Sam correct in following that same plan of action)?

The way I looked at it, if we score with a minute or more left, GOING FOR TWO - EVEN IF SUCCESSFUL - DOESN’T GUARANTEE A WIN. With Ole Miss’ offense and especially the way they had moved the ball in the fourth quarter, whether you are up by one, or tied, a FG by Ole Miss beats you. You get no “extra” benefit by going up by 1 that justifies the risk of NOT making it. So, you kick the point and rely on your defense.

On the other hand, if you score in the last 30 seconds, if you are successful with the 2 point conversion you have a tremendous chance to come off with the win because they don’t have enough time (most likely) to get into FG range. So, that risk IS worth it, because if you get into OT with them I like Ole Miss’ chances in a back and forth “first to not score loses” scenario.

So, I was 100% fine with the decision, and I’m OK with living with the consequences (just as I was when Brandon Allen’s 2 pointer was successful).

Now, I’ll admit that I was not really thrilled with the play we called. Ole Miss was all over it and we never really had a chance. I wish we had run something similar, but with the right side tight end doing the quick block and then running to the far left side of the EZ thing. Good chance we would have been standing by himself. But hindsight is 20/20.

Bottom line - I’m totally OK with the decision.

#3

I’m not sure. But I had no problem with it. It gave us a good chance of winning. I would have liked to have seen KJ keep it. I know he had that option.

His one TD run was phenomenal.

Although I’m not sure it was the right call, I do think it was gutsy. Even though losing 52-51 to a favored media darling certainly re-opened some eyes, going to OT probably would have even more.

But, he thought the 2pt conversion was the right call and given what we gained per play I can’t complain.

I just also think there’s 2 sides to it. A one-play scenario also gives a bad defense a chance to cure some ills with one big down. Unfortunately OM did that.

#4

Great analysis as always Wiz

Totally agree

I don’t like the loss - hate it - but if you got to lose let it because you were fighting to win

I’m with you - I’m ok with it and I’m proud we have a leader as coach

(A guy that I thought really wasn’t ready fir the job )

I was wrong - he us more than ready

Good days are ahead

#5

Agree with the call. In OT, they score each and every time. Our defense had no clue. theirs was not much better, but they did make us earn our scores. They just had to run a 100 yds with little to no one hindering them. It was our best chance to win. They did a very poor job of running the play. Ole miss played a little defense for a change on the play and they won. That play did not cost us the game. We scored 51 points and lost. Thank about how poor your defense has to play for that to happen. Same would have been for Ole Miss if they had lost with 52 pts.

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#6

The call was just fine. KJ had three options. Unfortunately we failed to block people and as a result none of the three was available. I think option 1, the shovel pass, was excellent but OM blew that up. Should he have put his head down and tried to bull his way in after that? Possibly.

As always, doesn’t matter what you call if you don’t block people.

#7

I actually wanted the Hogs to onside kick after the TD that tied the game. I remember the Mizzou game, and knew Ole Miss would go down the field and score with little time left. I figured that if we didn’t get the onside kick, Ole Miss would score quickly and we would have more time to match it. Little did I know they would score in 2 plays and leave us plenty of time to match (1:06)

Jeff

#8

Going for two was the right call. I didn’t like the play call either. With KJ’s length and leaping ability maybe we should just run straight ahead and leap over the pile?

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#9

I had the same reaction as Wiz. You go for the tie if there was much time left on the clock. However, with only a few ticks left, go for 2 and the win.

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#10

I never considered that - I like it!

Still - after a decade of abject program failure the football program is winning and in good hands trending upward - the future is bright

This was simply a team loss not failure and there is a difference

(Not into pounding on the defense - they look worn out and there is no program depth yet to help them in the brutal schedule they have)

Btw; I love this team fir it’s smarts and heart - they have a loss not a failure and there is a huge difference - I suspect that’s why I’m not upset - just disappointed for them - the team - they fought hard just came up short by a point

The program is in good hands and now with Bama loss - looking at Ole Miss Schedule vs Ark schedule

This team has a lot to shoot for - way over my expectations of a 5-6 win season

They can go 2 or more wins over that

I’m a very happy Razorback Foitball fan right now

Hope all y’all can show up and be rowdy Proud and Loud Saturday

I think this team needs the fans to show huge support to give them a boost and some Auburn false starts

#11

You would have had to go for two in the second OT and I think it would have been a series of OTs. But, then, Ole Miss would have gotten a 2-point play, too.

So you had to make a 2-point play to win. Might as well do it then when you had a tired Ole Miss defense. I maintained during that drive they should go for two and they did.

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#12

I very much agree with going for 2 bc we weren’t going to stop them anytime soon so I thought it was the thing to do but its tough down there bc everything is so tight about the only way to really get somebody open is run a Pick route or have some TE delay or something they are not looking for.

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#13

It appeared ola ms new the exact play we were going to ATTEMPT. Jefferson had no time to look any delay type plays. They were certainly keying on KJ. The blatant hold on Burks should have resulted in a replay down call by the officials. Chicken salad ,weesly SEC officiating.

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#14

Swine was on point here. I just saw the replay of both calls on the same play during the game on Thinking out Loud this morning. On the 2 pt play it was supposed to be a shovel pass to Dom bu the LG missed the block on the back side. He allowed the DL to knife through and it put him right behind Dom so KJ had to look at other options. There was a good bit of real estate in front of Dom had the play been made because everyone was covering the TE or WR’s. With Dom’s size I think he easily plows in. Unfortunately, the LG whiffed on his block.

At first - didn’t like it but after I understood and respected the call. We have a lot of season left to play and we were not stopping them one bit so try and win it and get out of there. Gutsy call by Sam and I will live with it and move on knowing we could have one that game.

Let us not forget we had a missed FG and an overthrow on a wide open TD that resulted in a FG or we would have won on the TD!

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#15

Hawgfan1 your are right in your analysis, though Latham actually pulled on rollout support (and he didn’t get there in time, you’re right). The block that cost us the shovel pass was Myron’s. He seemed to hesitate for a split second, and Ole Miss right d-end, #7 (Williams) just blew past him. Williams is the one that blew up the shovel. Then, he AND the dude Brady didn’t reach on his pull were both breathing down KJ’s neck as KJ was forced to lob it in hoping Superman16 could make a play. There was no possibility of KY running. He had two of their best players right in his face.

So, for those that go back and watch like Hawgfan and I just did…it wasn’t the play call. Like it was said above…you miss blocks…plays don’t tend to work.

I will add this: while I am an optimist by nature, I am also on the cautious side when it comes to huge gambles like Pittman took. But in this case, it made total sense to me. Not only was the Ole Miss D tired, but BOTH team’s were completely dominating when their offenses were on the field. We couldn’t stop them…and they couldn’t stop us. Who is to say we could have ever stopped them from scoring and getting the 2 pt conversion once it went to that in overtime?

This gave us the chance to prevent their offense from winning the game for them…and allow our offense to win the game for us. Our offense versus their defense. That was the matchup we wanted. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. We missed blocks…and they called the right defense. I do wonder if they might have recognized the formation. Or even anticipated the call. We ran the exact same play with the same personnel on the play that resulted in Knox’s TD catch. The shovel had been there that play too…but KJ kept it and hit Trey.

I hope we win the rest of our non-Bama games by two or more scores. Its possible. But the next close game…it does seem like karma should belong to us. Auburn. LSU. Missouri. All close games that didn’t go our way (of course we all know the Auburn game last year was pure robbery). Sam deserves the next close one.

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#16

Thanks Hogmaestro and well said!

#17

I made my comment about not being thrilled with the play selection (on the 2 pointer) before re-watching it, or hearing analysis by those that had. I’ve since (yesterday) reviewed it and posted in another thread that it was the missed block by Cunningham that blew the play up. Otherwise, Johnson walks into the EZ after a short toss from KJ.

Now, as to the decision - as mentioned earlier, it was the right call. But I still maintain it was also correct to kick the PAT when we scored with 1:40 (or whatever) to go in the game, for the reasons I mentioned.

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#18

Wiz, I agree about the shuttle pass to DJ (almost) being open. Unfortunately after MC was beaten it seemed that both he and DJ quickly became spectators to the play instead of active participants.

Further evidence that each play simply requires everyone to do their job…and usually that is enough.

#19

Right call but like others stated, it could of been a better call and would like to see something with shifting and pre-snap motion.

#20

I want to know how high and far KJ can leap. Send him flying over the top! Ball just has to cross the goal line…LOL

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