I’ve seen discussion of the issue of whether Sam should’ve run more clock off before scoring against Mizzou. That is, given the awful way the defense was playing, was it wise to leave them nearly a minute to score a field goal at the end of the game? I don’t know. I think if you are down and a touchdown will tie the game, you punch it in however you can. And we did that on a 20 yard throw and catch. However, we were moving/running the ball nearly at will and the defense was absolutely awful. I can’t recall if I’ve seen coach delay things like that at the end of the game, before scoring. Has anyone? It’s a strategy thing, but I just have never really seen employed. But again, is this strategy — delaying the score— any less risky than going for 2 to win the game? I don’t know.
In hindsight we know there were 43 seconds left after the score, but in real time there was no way to know for sure we wouldn’t need every second on the clock to score the tying touchdown.
I thought about that, but in that situation, they were 20 or so yds out, you score when and how you can. I think it would be easier to score from 10 - 15 yds out than 5,
Fumbles can happen. Sacks can happen, Bad plays can happen. You better score.
I did agree with the choice to go for two. I was thanking that all the way on that drive.
The TD pass to Woods was 14 yards, but that’s nitpicking. It was also on first down. But you score when you can in that case; it’s not like running the clock down to kick a winning field goal (which might have been blocked the way we were going). We also did not call any timeouts during that drive; used one for the two-point play and then two to ice the kicker at the end. Maybe if you hand the ball off to Smith on that first down, he scores anyway. Or fumbles; he put the ball on the ground twice but we got them both back.
When you need a touchdown you take it when you can get it. Only need a FG then it’s easier to manage clock and field position.
I do agree going for 2 was absolutely right. I guess that was Sam’s concession about how bad the defense was.
I can think of one other time we went for two and the win, in overtime at Ole Miss in the Henry Heave game. Worked then too but the Rebnecks didn’t have another chance to score.
Did we go for 2 to win against TCU? Might’ve been in OT but I think Bielema rolled the dice and it paid off.
Nope. We were down 8 at the end of regulation and had to go for two to force overtime, but we won in the second overtime on Austin Allen’s touchdown run after they had kicked a field goal.
Also, after we made the 2 to tie it up, TCU also drove down in position to kick a game-winner, just like yesterday, but Dan Skipper blocked it.
I mentioned in another thread yesterday: “This won’t make any difference, but clock-management wise, when we scored a TD to get our 48th or so point, the clock sat at 0:43 seconds without moving (from beginning of play to the TD). At least 5 seconds should have passed on that play.”
I wish someone would look at their replay to verify this. I have no means. Would these 5 seconds have made a difference? Who knows?
Misery ran the ball on their last offensive snap with :13 left and let the clock tick down to :03 before calling time to kick the FG. So I don’t think so.
I was thinking about the clock the entire time we were driving down the field. But, I told myself, “don’t get cute.” Score and deal with the remaining clock.
I was much more concerned about the perpetual holding on Coates. ONE holding call on that last drive and they may not get in position to kick. Or, at the least, kick a gimme.
By the way, on the play that Morgan was hurt, the EZ camera showed a Mizzou OL with both gloves on the back of Morgan’s jersey…while the OL was in front of Morgan. The fists might even have covered the M and N on his jersey. I always thought that was holding. We seem to have a lot of that against us this year…again, maybe they aren’t calling that penalty the same way any more.
I noticed the same thing.
Watch the Aub, LSU, aTm, Tenn game. This holding crap against us started early in season and teams seemed to adapt it the whole game and getting called maybe once or twice for it. Pretty good odds
With odds like that, shouldn’t we use the same means to block?
I didn’t get to watch the game. Was the kickoff after we took the lead through the end zone? I may be off base not knowing that. Occasionally I see Alabama daring a kickoff return by not driving the ball out of the end zone. Does it sound reasonable to drive the ball low and daring a return? Without looking up the statistics I would guess that there’s at least a 20% chance there will be a holding call and I imagine at minimum a 5 second clock run off.
Yes it was. Mizzou started at the 25 after the touchback and drove 60 yards to the field goal.
Yep. I thought the same thing. Don’t know if it would have ran much clock and our coverage has not been great all year. Still, we were going to need anything and everything to hold on. Of course, they could have Fair Caught it, and it would have been all the same.
How about an onside kick. Man, that would have been a surprise to everyone. If it didn’t work, we all would have said how dumb that was, but I sure didn’t think we could stop them.
My son made a great point today: if we hit the two EXP that we missed we are still up only three. Nothing that suggests Mizzou couldn’t have kept their foot on the gas and scored a TD at the end of the game. Some times, “whoever has the ball last, wins”.
I went back and watched some as much of it as I could without getting sick. They were holding Morgan when he was in there. I am not a blame the ref guy but kind of like NE when they run a pick play every play and the refs won’t call it. Coates was held he really is a potential stud next season. Defensive tackle needs some size and strength need help there. Marshal has been great but he’s probably not coming back.