Stoops' decision not to go for field goal

HuskerfaninOkieland

HuskerfaninOkieland

Heisman Trophy Winner
Found this on the NE Statepaper website

"It was a complete win," said a relatively subdued head coach Bo Pelini, who badly beat his friend, Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. "...It was nothing fancy."

 

Indeed, Stoops said Pelini "had mercy" on Arizona, which in turn prompted Stoops to forego a chip-shot field goal late in fourth quarter and try for a touchdown on the Wildcats lone successful drive of the game. Reserve safety P.J. Smith knocked down a fourth down pass from Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, preserving the shutout and touching off a wild, out-of-character celebration on NU's sidelines.

Link

This must've been Stoops' idea of a "saluting" Pelini/Huskers for such a dominant performance

 
Surely Stoops wasn't trying to allow us to secure a shutout. If you are coaching division 1 football and you allow someone to secure a shutout than you should look into a career change....

 
I actually liked the move for two reasons.

For one, while a shutout can be a kick to the nuts for the team, they have no games left until next season and they can turn it into motivation to further improve (Stoops is a good coach). A field goal doesn't mean much...they drove down there and getting a field goal (pretty high percentage play) isn't going to look like a real accomplishment. But punching in a TD would be a big accomplishment.

Two, it gave Nebraska the chance to earn a shutout which I took as a tip of the hat to us.

 
The Maudfather said:
Surely Stoops wasn't trying to allow us to secure a shutout. If you are coaching division 1 football and you allow someone to secure a shutout than you should look into a career change....
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I think what Ebyl said as it being more of a tip of the hat to the Huskers is what Stoops may have been trying to convey here. There was no guarantee that the defense would have stopped them on that play. I think it was more of Stoops saying, stop us...and you earned and deserve the shut out.

 
I don't get the logic here. If you are helping us out, then you kneel the ball. If you are going for a touchdown, you're trying to make the score 33-7. How is that helping us out? And how did we "have mercy" on them? We had our defensive starters in till the very end.

 
JTrain said:
I don't get the logic here. If you are helping us out, then you kneel the ball. If you are going for a touchdown, you're trying to make the score 33-7. How is that helping us out? And how did we "have mercy" on them? We had our defensive starters in till the very end.
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Helping us out as not trying for a almost certain fg since it was almost like a PAT where it was. He put his offense in there and gave Nebraska a shot at getting a shutout.

It was a class move unlike Callahan in Oklahoma.

 
REDSTEEL said:
JTrain said:
I don't get the logic here. If you are helping us out, then you kneel the ball. If you are going for a touchdown, you're trying to make the score 33-7. How is that helping us out? And how did we "have mercy" on them? We had our defensive starters in till the very end.
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Helping us out as not trying for a almost certain fg since it was almost like a PAT where it was. He put his offense in there and gave Nebraska a shot at getting a shutout.

It was a class move unlike Callahan in Oklahoma.
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Still don't get it. If you are intentionally trying to help the other team out (which is silly IMO) then you kneel the ball. Trying to pass the ball for a touchdown is not helping us out. Plus, they have a pretty mediocre kicker and who knows if Suh wouldn't have just blocked a FG attempt anyway.

If you are giving up on the game, just kneel the ball and hit the showers. If you aren't giving up, then do whatever is best for your team.

 
Didn't TO do it once in a bowlgame as well when we were getting thumped by I believe Miami? Yep, he did. It was in 1988. Too bad we didn't get close enough in 1991 when Miami left Nebraska with a great big goose egg on the scoreboard.

 
A FG from that close is a pretty high percentage play no matter what kicker you have and no matter who you're facing on the other side. Much higher percentage than trying to punch it into the endzone.

I really believe there was little benefit to them in kicking the FG. Getting one off a high percentage play doesn't add much to their drive and almost feels like a copout, while not getting one obviously adds nothing. Punching in a TD adds a lot to the drive, and not getting one adds nothing. It's a risk/reward thing where the TD move looks better, even moreso because going for the TD gives Nebraska a legit chance to earn their shutout without you just giving up (which no head coach should do).

 
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If it was US that was getting shutout and we were driving..I'd think it was cowardly to "give up" and kick a FG..just to prevent a shutout..

Classy move by Stoops to try to score a TD...

NEVER surrender.

 
The Maudfather said:
Surely Stoops wasn't trying to allow us to secure a shutout. If you are coaching division 1 football and you allow someone to secure a shutout than you should look into a career change....
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Actually, that is EXACTLY what Stoops was doing. I was surprised too:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091230/SPORTS/312309756

Video interview of the Arizona players and coach. He wanted to get the 7 for his team too, but Stoops said himself Bo was merciful and he allowed them the chance to get the shutout, felt that if they stopped them they deserved it.

 
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taking the field goal would be a defeat, i wouldn't expect a coach to kick a field goal in that situation. i think any coach would have made that move, to prove something to their offense.

 
sd said:
taking the field goal would be a defeat, i wouldn't expect a coach to kick a field goal in that situation. i think any coach would have made that move, to prove something to their offense.
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Callafraud went for the 3 while getting pounded by OU a few years ago.

OU 30

NU 3

11/13/04

With less than one minute remaining in the game, Oklahoma went for it on fourth down, but White's completion to Ataleo Ford came up four yards short at the Nebraska 13. Following a penalty that put the Huskers at their 28, fullback Steve Kriewald rambled 48 yards to the OU 24. Kriewald followed his career-long rush with a three-yarder before quarterback Joe Dailey spiked the ball with one second and David Dyches connected on a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the game for the Huskers' only points of the contest.

 
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Some of it may have been Stoops wanting to see if his kids have quit, if they still had the desire to put one in the endzone after sustaining a long drive, I think it had more to do with character than the scoreboard at that point, I don't think it had anything to do with NU.

 
Vince from ShamWOW said:
sd said:
taking the field goal would be a defeat, i wouldn't expect a coach to kick a field goal in that situation. i think any coach would have made that move, to prove something to their offense.
Click to expand...

Callafraud went for the 3 while getting pounded by OU a few years ago.

OU 30

NU 3

11/13/04
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case in point.

callafraud was also worried about reputation, and being able to say, at least we weren't shut out. he was transparent with his intentions and always worried about he reputation over the team.

 
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