Play call ???

[HANC]

Ok, let me begin by saying that like everyone else, I could not be more pleased to get out of Happy Valley with a W.....especially under the circumstances.... I thought this would be a tough game regardless of the events of the week....

 

So, I am not complaining !!!

 

Being a football coach, I get second guessed by the fans (part of the job)....and now that our season is done, it is my turn...

 

Question: When Nebraska had the ball midway through the 4th qtr with a 10 pt lead. We picked up 2 first downs and then on 1st down, I believe Rex rushed for 8 yds, setting up 2nd and 2.... Beck then went to Rex under center and a muffed hand-off was the result.

 

Fact: Yes, he use this formation a handful of times during the game...but had Rex keep, pitch (easier than hand-off), or drop to pass.

 

Fact: The DL did blow the play up by moving into, and blasting through gap...

 

** I understand the above, BUT.... my question is..... At this point in the game, when you have just picked up 2 first downs and 8 yds on 1st down with our "base" or "regular" look, and you had a chance to basically put the nail in the coffin with 1 or 2 more first downs into fg range..... should Beck had taken a chance by getting "fancy" with his "new wrinkle" ?

 

Handing a football off is much more difficult than it looks. .. He was unable to get the ball to Legate because of the DT, but was the DT aligned due to the formation ? I believe Rex played some QB in HS....but at the time this happened, I came unglued at the call.

 

** Am I wrong ? Just a good debate question ( it is "good" , cause we WON)

[Omaha-Husker]

I thought the same thing. At a certain point there isn't a need to get creative like that, a simple Martinez to Legate up the belly would have been just as effective in that situation as Burkhead to Legate.

[Hoosker]

A more questionable play call was on the 4th down and game and Beck decides to go right back to the 3rd down call when they stuffed us with the sweep to the right side. I just don't understand.

[Forge]

If we wanted to play scared or safe, we should have kept Watson. I liked the call, go for their throats.

 

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

[HANC]

If we wanted to play scared or safe, we should have kept Watson. I liked the call, go for their throats.

 

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

 

I would not consider having Taylor run the belly option or designed hand-off to Legate playing "scared".... but yes, it would be more SAFE. And under the circumstances with a 10 pt lead on the road, if "safe" is working, than you are would be stupid too not keep doing it. (not calling you or beck stupid, just the concept)..... Taylor handing that ball to Legate would make more sense... that isn't "scared", but yes "safe" !!!!

 

And, I wouldn't consider a fullback dive "going for their throats".... it was a dive, intended to get 2 yds....... and the whole not playing it "safe" almost bit them in the a$$, as PSU got huge momentum and almost came back..... There is a difference between aggressive and dumb... this was somewhere in between IMO

[Omaha-Husker]

If we wanted to play scared or safe, we should have kept Watson. I liked the call, go for their throats.

 

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

 

I would not consider having Taylor run the belly option or designed hand-off to Legate playing "scared".... but yes, it would be more SAFE. And under the circumstances with a 10 pt lead on the road, if "safe" is working, than you are would be stupid too not keep doing it. (not calling you or beck stupid, just the concept)..... Taylor handing that ball to Legate would make more sense... that isn't "scared", but yes "safe" !!!!

 

And, I wouldn't consider a fullback dive "going for their throats".... it was a dive, intended to get 2 yds....... and the whole not playing it "safe" almost bit them in the a$$, as PSU got huge momentum and almost came back..... There is a difference between aggressive and dumb... this was somewhere in between IMO

 

Exactly it was Burkhead handing off to the FB. It was a safe play call made more dangerous for really no reason. It probably made the dive tougher than it would of been with Martinez taking the snap. The D-Line keyed on the run only and could blow the play up.

 

It just felt like a risk for the sake of risk taking.

[Lil' Red]

I liked the play call. I hate it when teams get too conservative and it costs them the game.

[Husker Richard]

If we wanted to play scared or safe, we should have kept Watson. I liked the call, go for their throats.

 

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

 

I HATED that call. You only need 2 yards so you pitch the ball backward 2-3 yards and turn the play into a 4th and 5 situation. The play call forced Rex to make up those 2-3 yards that the ball travelled. Dumb call IMO. Line it up, smash it down their throat.

[huskered17]

If we wanted to play scared or safe, we should have kept Watson. I liked the call, go for their throats.

 

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

 

I would not consider having Taylor run the belly option or designed hand-off to Legate playing "scared".... but yes, it would be more SAFE. And under the circumstances with a 10 pt lead on the road, if "safe" is working, than you are would be stupid too not keep doing it. (not calling you or beck stupid, just the concept)..... Taylor handing that ball to Legate would make more sense... that isn't "scared", but yes "safe" !!!!

 

And, I wouldn't consider a fullback dive "going for their throats".... it was a dive, intended to get 2 yds....... and the whole not playing it "safe" almost bit them in the a$$, as PSU got huge momentum and almost came back..... There is a difference between aggressive and dumb... this was somewhere in between IMO

 

 

GBR!!!

[macroboy]

After the fumble I couldn't help but think that call was an unneeded risk. It is kind of one of those calls that if it works is fine and if it doesn't you get criticized. I guess in the end I am undecided.

 

I understand the idea of trying to get the ball in Rex's hands more. Do you think we'll see the option w/ Taylor as RB or did the fumble kill that formation for good?

 

I thought not kicking the FG would get more flack.

[jamrinelli]

I have been annoyed at the play calling all year. Dont get me wrong it is BETTER than last year, but we have went to the well to many times on certain plays and the sad thing is the well has been dry for some time ie. going to the short side on the belly option, the quick pitch to the weak side. I wish we would figure out our strengths and stay with them instead of worrying what the other team is "going to give us". We have all seen that we can be successful in the diamond formation; yet we barely use it. We see that when we run the zone read and get the defenders to bite we can throw it over the top yet we rarely use it. I love that we are suataining drives, but what happened to us being a quick strike offense????? It would be nice to see that everyonce in a while.

[HuskerCarter]

The only play i didnt like was the 4th and 2 - pitch right. I understand the play has worked for us....... but you cant call the same play 3 times in a row when a 4rth down is on the line (and the game). Run a counter, bootleg, fb up the gut, etc.

 

That was the only play call i did not like. I thought it that situation it would have been wise to handoff to Legate.

[BGREDSTUCKN IA]

I think Legate needs to be more involved in 1-2 yard situations. Keep it simple when needed!

 

[TonyStalloni]

As much as I am enjoying this year and the new look offense, I'm not sure this team has one strength it can hang it's hat on and make those tough yards every time. As the Oline improves, and I have seen improvement from last year and quite a bit during the season, we may be able to line up and knock people off the ball. I can see the reasoning for Beck to mix up the play calling and try to keep the D off balence. A better call might have been a play action pass to Reed or Enunwa. Freeze the linebackers and let Reed find a place on the field. He'd been a vaccuum cleaner all day, catching everything thrown his way and Taylor had done a great job hitting receivers. (The passes Taylor missed badly I'm not sure were his fault and could have been the receiver going the wrong way.) Even if the pass missed we still had 3rd down to make the first down and the pass to me would be worth the gamble.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Both would have been great calls if they had gotten the first down.

 

Looking over the game -- which was hard fought and a well earned win -- there wasn't a single bread and butter play of ours that wasn't in danger of being stuffed on a 3rd and 2 or 4th and 2. If you'd have polled this room before the fumble, I don't think anyone would have fretted about the riskiness of having Rex Burkhead hand the football to our fullback.

 

fyi Forge, the problem most people had with Shawn Watson wasn't that he played scared or safe. It was mostly the opposite.