So Tommy Decided to Pass?

[True2tRA]

They just said on BTN, pass play was called but Tommy was instructed not to pass. He threw it anyway.

I don't get it. Call a pass play with pass blocking, but instruct TA not to pass. So pretty much giving him 0 chance to succeed. Why get so cute? If you want him to run, why not call a running play? Maybe he slips a tackle and picks up a first down.

Which do you choose in this situation?

QB Keep

Hand off to RB

Hand off to FB

Kneel

Call a pass play

Call a pass play but instruct QB not to pass.

If the above info is true, it makes the coaches look worse.

I agree. Initial reaction was to question what the hell Armstrong was thinking, but honestly, what a stupid call to begin with.

What is with Offensive Coordinators these days, especially Beck and now Langsdorf, why is there this need to get cute and "out-think" the opponent. It's such horsesh#t.

It's also an indictment of their so called "stick to what we do well" approach. Clearly nobody out there had f'ing clue what they were doing on that play.

 

[zoogs]

As for the call, you need to get a first down to ice the game. They had gone conventional -- straight handoffs to Jano and Ozigbo for the entire drive. Now it's 3rd and 7 (so, the last two runs gained 3 yards). There was reason to think the defense might sell out for another one of those plays, so you throw a changeup to try to get a first down.

Tommy's our best runner and if the call gets him in space, it works and the coaches are geniuses.

Somehow, the call didn't work. I think they had a player lined up incorrectly, or something, but also maybe credit the defense for staying home. This is also okay as long as you don't do something like throw the ball, as now you accept the fact that you'll give the other team about 20 seconds to try and score.

So, it comes down to awareness. I don't mind a call where you put the ball in your best runner's hands and not play to concede giving the other team the ball back. The other approach would be okay too, but this one should have been safe.

 

[gratefullred]

Is something unraveling when coaches throw their QB under the bus?

Because that's exactly what happened.

If they told him not to pass, and he threw it anyway, then what the f#*k do you want the coaches to say?

I want the coaches to say thats my fault. Even if they are lying to me. Now TA will have to get in front of reporters and go over this play all over again. The coach takes the responsibility, that's why they make the big bucks. Dont throw your QB under the bus.

 

[throwing bones]

Who gives a flying f#*k about winning 9 games against sh**ty teams? You just need "to stop" with defending a guy who told an entire fan base to go f#*k itself. In case you didn't know that includes you too.

Just get over this already. It's YEARS old and we got a bigger problem now named Mike Riley.

It just gets old with the Bo lovers always using 9 wins as the gold standard of college football. I personally don't see how anyone can want that POS back.

I don't want bo back, but the gold standard was set by Osborne with 9 wins every year. The first time that didn't happen for 30 years we gave Solich one more year to fix it. He went 10-3 and we still fired him. This standard goes farther back than just Bo.

 

[GBRedneck]

As for the call, you need to get a first down to ice the game. They had gone conventional -- straight handoffs to Jano and Ozigbo for the entire drive. Now it's 3rd and 7 (so, the last two runs gained 3 yards). There was reason to think the defense might sell out for another one of those plays, so you throw a changeup to try to get a first down.

Tommy's our best runner and if the call gets him in space, it works and the coaches are geniuses.

Somehow, the call didn't work. I think they had a player lined up incorrectly, or something, but also maybe credit the defense for staying home. This is also okay as long as you don't do something like throw the ball, as now you accept the fact that you'll give the other team about 20 seconds to try and score.

So, it comes down to awareness. I don't mind a call where you put the ball in your best runner's hands and not play to concede giving the other team the ball back. The other approach would be okay too, but this one should have been safe.

But they didn't need to get a first down to ice the game. Let the clock run down to :01 and call a timeout. There would be 1:00 on the clock. Get everybody on the same page. Run the play and then call another timeout as the play clock gets down to :01 with about 10-15 seconds left on the clock. Then, pooch punt or run it back into your own endzone for a safety or even run a wide play to the sideline and fall down. you'll probably run the last few seconds off the clock and they don't get the ball back, at worst they're looking at one shot at a 75 yd hail mary.

 

[zoogs]

You know, I do wonder why teams don't do more of the "run it around" stuff. Like if you need to run a few seconds off the clock, have your QB run backwards for thirty yards or something and then throw it away. I guess that must be discouraged somehow.

Anyway, all of that was going off the standard assumption I've read that a run and stuff would have resulted in about 20-25 seconds left after a punt or another run stuff.

Personally, I would say you just play it safe. You never know if you can grind out some solid yardage on 3rd and 7 anyway. Then maybe you can get the first down on 4th down, or punt, or kick a more friendly FG. Lots of options. That said, gunning for the first down is OK -- but obviously, coaches have to do a better job. For starters, they couldn't get it lined up correctly, it seems, and the coaches had a TO and didn't use it. More awareness from everybody.

 

[MichiganDad3]

What I think we can all agree on is that a bootleg was an absolutely terrible call.

What would be so wrong with calling a bootleg in that situation?

You're probably not going to get the first down running power off-tackle. They were stacking the box pretty deep by that point.

Granted, that would have been infinitely better for us than what we ended up with -- but maybe what we ended up with wasn't what the coaches wanted either.

So they call a play that (1) doesn't even involve a mesh point (extra safe), (2) would hopefully move the runner away from the teeth of the defense, and (3) might even take an extra second or two off the clock because it's a stretch play...

What would be so wrong with that call? As long as you tell your QB you cannot pass (duh) and you must get down before hitting the sideline, what is so wrong with that?

I mean, I'll answer that ..... "it didn't work." That's really what it's all about. Hindsight.

Sometimes sh*t happens when dealing with college athletes.

I still believe, absolutely nothing about our head coach or assistant coaches would make me believe they're so concerned about themselves that they want to sell out their players. It doesn't make sense. At all.

My big complaint with the play is that the coaches knew the formation was botched, but did not call a timeout.

 

[Count 'Bility]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.
The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTF are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

That black hole that won 9 games every season? Stop.

woo hoo. 9 WINS!!!!

you stop.

 

[Count 'Bility]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.
The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTF are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

That black hole that won 9 games every season? Stop.

Who gives a flying f#*k about winning 9 games against sh**ty teams? You just need "to stop" with defending a guy who told an entire fan base to go f#*k itself. In case you didn't know that includes you too. You also need to admit the truth that Bo, just like Frank left with very little talent on the team and it is going to take time for this coaching staff to fill those holes. Look at how many busts we had in the 2012/2013 recruiting classes and you will see why we don't have any LB's, DE's, or DT's.

He told both of you guys to f#ck yourself? Wow. He didn't say that to me. But I wasn't booing the team at halftime or leaving the biggest comeback victory in Husker history early.

He generalized all of us in the same crowd just like Alex Lewis did.

Weird.

 

[MichiganDad3]

And even if it was all Armstrong's fault, it still doesn't explain why they turned around and called a pass play on 4th down.

Because you are more likely converting a 4th and 7 by throwing than by running. And when you turn the ball over on downs the clock stops whether you run or pass

You are even more likely to convert a FG. i do not understand why you do not kick the FG and put the game out of reach.

 

[74Hunter]

Who gives a flying f#*k about winning 9 games against sh**ty teams? You just need "to stop" with defending a guy who told an entire fan base to go f#*k itself. In case you didn't know that includes you too.

Just get over this already. It's YEARS old.....

And let us not forget that it meant ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

It just gets old with the Bo lovers always using 9 wins as the gold standard of college football. I personally don't see how anyone can want that POS back.

Looks like you won't have to be annoyed by those pesky 9 wins this season.

Rejoice.

 

[GBRedneck]

You know, I do wonder why teams don't do more of the "run it around" stuff. Like if you need to run a few seconds off the clock, have your QB run backwards for thirty yards or something and then throw it away. I guess that must be discouraged somehow.

Anyway, all of that was going off the standard assumption I've read that a run and stuff would have resulted in about 20-25 seconds left after a punt or another run stuff.

Personally, I would say you just play it safe. You never know if you can grind out some solid yardage on 3rd and 7 anyway. Then maybe you can get the first down on 4th down, or punt, or kick a more friendly FG. Lots of options. That said, gunning for the first down is OK -- but obviously, coaches have to do a better job. For starters, they couldn't get it lined up correctly, it seems, and the coaches had a TO and didn't use it. More awareness from everybody.

The previous play was snapped at 1:46. The play clock would've expired at 1:00. That's 46 seconds. If they'd called the timeout, then snap at 1:00 and then call a timeout prior to 4th down with about 15 seconds left on the clock. A pooch punt would possibly run the whole 15 seconds off. A run around and then throw a pass out of the back of the endzone could also do it. Or just run it back through our own endzone and take the safety. Point is, there were a ton of ways that they could run out the clock or at worse given them time for one shot from 75 yards away. Instead we give them 51 seconds, which was more than enough.

 

[GBRedneck]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.
The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTF are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

That black hole that won 9 games every season? Stop.

Who gives a flying f#*k about winning 9 games against sh**ty teams? You just need "to stop" with defending a guy who told an entire fan base to go f#*k itself. In case you didn't know that includes you too. You also need to admit the truth that Bo, just like Frank left with very little talent on the team and it is going to take time for this coaching staff to fill those holes. Look at how many busts we had in the 2012/2013 recruiting classes and you will see why we don't have any LB's, DE's, or DT's.

He told both of you guys to f#ck yourself? Wow. He didn't say that to me. But I wasn't booing the team at halftime or leaving the biggest comeback victory in Husker history early.

He generalized all of us in the same crowd just like Alex Lewis did.

Weird.

Alex Lewis might have. Bo did not.

 

[Swiv3D]

But you're making stuff up.

There were no option routes. Sam makes that very clear. The coaches make that very clear.

This wasn't the same scenario as Eli. There was no pass option.

It was a bootleg. No pass option.

I mean, if we would have lined up with 5 wideouts and called a QB draw, would you say it was just too tempting for Tommy not to pass it? It makes no sense.

Tommy threw it when it was a running play with no option.

Love the guy. He's been our offensive MVP this season. But he either misinterpreted the call or he made a bonehead play.

Either way, the coaches weren't responsible here.

Not rocket science, give to the damn running back and run the clock out.
The incompetent staff screwed this up, just like they, did against BYU and Miami.

and just like they almost did vs. Southern Miss...

 

[Mavric]

You know, I do wonder why teams don't do more of the "run it around" stuff. Like if you need to run a few seconds off the clock, have your QB run backwards for thirty yards or something and then throw it away. I guess that must be discouraged somehow.

Anyway, all of that was going off the standard assumption I've read that a run and stuff would have resulted in about 20-25 seconds left after a punt or another run stuff.

Personally, I would say you just play it safe. You never know if you can grind out some solid yardage on 3rd and 7 anyway. Then maybe you can get the first down on 4th down, or punt, or kick a more friendly FG. Lots of options. That said, gunning for the first down is OK -- but obviously, coaches have to do a better job. For starters, they couldn't get it lined up correctly, it seems, and the coaches had a TO and didn't use it. More awareness from everybody.

Arkansas did this yesterday. Had third down and had to snap it with about 45 seconds left on the game clock. They had their QB run backwards about 15 yards and fall down so enough time would run off the game clock that they didn't have to snap it again.