End of Game Strategy

[IU Hoosier41]

Indiana completes a huge pass to get down to the 5 yard line with a minute remaining and a tie ball game.

Both offenses have tried the defense like they are not there all game long.

You have a good kicker in Oakes.

The opponent has 2 timeouts left and you have 2.

How do you script out your final plays here?

Here is what I would do:

1st Down: run up the gut, DO NOT SCORE. Opponent calls timeout.
2nd Down: run up the gut, opponent timeout.
3rd: run up the gut, DO NOT SCORE. - Run clock down to 5 seconds call time out.
4th down: kick field goal for the win.


I cringed when I saw what we did, it was obvious what was going to transpire. Worst case scenario with the way I call it you miss he field goal and go to overtime. A field goal that is basically an extra point. I have never agreed with Wilson's crunch time calls though, so maybe this is nothing new for anyone. That all being said...

HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED THAT LATE GAME SITUATION.


Here is some evidence I'm not hindsifhtinf this post lol

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EDIT: Edited to change them having 2 timeouts instead of 1, point still valid one what to do.

[JaybobHoosier]

I didn't get to watch the game, listened to Fischer for 3 quarters and had to leave to go meet family who came into town. To me, IU has to take time off the clock because until the defense can prove they can get stops, you have to take it out of their hands. Keep it in the offense's hands and and run the clock out.

[HoosierReb01]

CKW was asked the same question in the post game presser. IIRC, he basically said he couldn't see not scoring if you had the opportunity. However, the way he said it, left me with the impression that it wasn't exactly a clear cut decision for him. On the other hand, we try to run clock, and either turn the ball over, or Suds ends up getting sacked for a longer FG try, and we'd be second guessing the decision anyway.

[IU Hoosier41]

CKW was asked the same question in the post game presser. IIRC, he basically said he couldn't see not scoring if you had the opportunity. However, the way he said it, left me with the impression that it wasn't exactly a clear cut decision for him. On the other hand, we try to run clock, and either turn the ball over, or Suds ends up getting sacked for a longer FG try, and we'd be second guessing the decision anyway.

I don't think we'd second guess the decision. Pretty much any team with a halfway decent kicker in that situation will knee the ball until they can kick the game winning FG. It made absolutely ZERO sense to give an opponent's offense who had torched your defense all day long an opportunity at the end of the game.

I agree to go ahead and just score if the other team had under 200 yards and struggled on offense, but when they already amassed over 500 yards of offense and 41 points? Yikes.

[Dalton26]

I don't think we'd second guess the decision. Pretty much any team with a halfway decent kicker in that situation will knee the ball until they can kick the game winning FG. It made absolutely ZERO sense to give an opponent's offense who had torched your defense all day long an opportunity at the end of the game.

I agree to go ahead and just score if the other team had under 200 yards and struggled on offense, but when they already amassed over 500 yards of offense and 41 points? Yikes.

I agree 100%. I don't see any reason why you don't run the clock down especially if your defense is getting torn apart. Just run the clock down and take the 3 pt win.

[Bobman1]

Run it up the gut first down, don't score. Make them use their timeout. Then I run it up the gut again. Don't score. Then I call a timeout with 25 seconds. Run it up again. If we don't score, bring it down to 5 seconds, call timeout and kick a field goal for the win.

[LIHoosier]

Mr 41, SIU had 2 timeouts left.

 

Even with that, you can run the ball to the middle of the field to kill a few seconds for 1st/2nd down, then try to run it in on 3rd down and if that fails, get the clock down to about :10 or so.

[FKfootball]

They had 2 timeouts left.

[IndyHutch]

First of all the ball went to the 1 not the 5 right?

Second you would have to take a knee because SIU was letting you score there.

Third what message are you sending to your team if you do all that?

I'm not saying I was confident the defense would hold them but here's the other thing.....

Did you see Oakes' 22 yard field goal attempt to make it 41-38? It was low and ugly,

What if you do as you suggest and take the clock down and they block the field goal or there's a poor exchange? You do have a first year long snapper .

That is what gets coaches fired.

[IndyHutch]

And if you think people are second guessing the way he did it yesterday imagine what it would be like if the blocked field goal scenario had played out?

[IU Hoosier41]

They had 2 timeouts left.

Point still stands. They call timeout after 1st and 2nd, then 3rd down you run the clock all the way down to 5 seconds. Then kick on 4th

[IU Hoosier41]

First of all the ball went to the 1 not the 5 right?

Second you would have to take a knee because SIU was letting you score there.

Third what message are you sending to your team if you do all that?
.

Im firm taking a knee there or run sideways to get the ball in the middle of the field or whatever the kickers preference is.

As far as the message to the team? The message is we want to win the game and we'll run the clock down until we have the last play to win the game.


Flip this over to basketball for a second, 30 seconds left on the clock and a tie ball game, do you try and score with 25 seconds left or do you hold for the last shot?

It's the same situation, different sport.

[LIHoosier]

Did you see Oakes' 22 yard field goal attempt to make it 41-38? It was low and ugly,

Wasn't that partially blocked?

[IndyHutch]

Wasn't that partially blocked?

Precisely my point

[IndyHutch]

Im firm taking a knee there or run sideways to get the ball in the middle of the field or whatever the kickers preference is.

As far as the message to the team? The message is we want to win the game and we'll run the clock down until we have the last play to win the game.


Flip this over to basketball for a second, 30 seconds left on the clock and a tie ball game, do you try and score with 25 seconds left or do you hold for the last shot?

It's the same situation, different sport.

Don't agree. Too many things can go wrong in football in that situation. I think you okay to score the most points and take your chances.

Take it down to the end, kick a field goal, kickoff to SIU and they run it flack for a touchdown.

Bad things can happen.

I think what IU did was the lesser of two evils.

[Hovadipo]

So much can go wrong with snaps, holds, kicks or snaps, handoffs, carries. Get points when you can get points in my opinion.

[IU Hoosier41]

Don't agree. Too many things can go wrong in football in that situation. I think you okay to score the most points and take your chances.

Take it down to the end, kick a field goal, kickoff to SIU and they run it flack for a touchdown.

Bad things can happen.

I think what IU did was the lesser of two evils.

When the opposing team is parting like the Red Sea so you can score... you are probably making the wrong decision. I'll never agree on this one.

At the end of the day we won the game because the other team for greedy and went for the win. When you have a HORRIBLENESS defense, I would adjust my play calling to make sure my defense wasn't being asked to do something they aren't capable of doing.

[IU Hoosier41]

So much can go wrong with snaps, holds, kicks or snaps, handoffs, carries. Get points when you can get points in my opinion.

So much can go wrong when you give the other team 50 seconds against our defense. As evidenced by the 80 yard touchdown drive they executed to perfection. Worst case in my scenario is overtime. Worst case in score first is they win by going for 2. Which we ALL knew they would.

[IU Hoosier41]

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Tooting own horn. Just don't see how anyone disagrees with the logic of this with THIS INDIANA team. Not saying it is logical with all football games, but with us, it's the only play that makes sense.

[IndyHutch]

I love this topic and still think it was done correctly. But let's talk about it some more after I make it my Sunday Morning Quarterback analysis topic. It should be up in 30 minutes or so. You can disagree with me there too