ISU fake in OT

[knapplc]

I've been looking at replays of that fake, and I don't know if ISU could have pulled it off any better. Bo had Prince on the right, Gomes on the left, and PJ Smith rushing from the end. We had that play snuffed out pretty good. If PJ Smith takes a hair shallower angle on the holder during his rush he's the hero making the tackle at the ten yard line. He missed the holder/thrower by a step and was within half a yard as the pass was thrown. Prince was right there to challenge the running play, and while it could have come down to an Option pitch, I like my odds with Prince right there, Hagg coming up in support, and a PAT holder making the pitch to a place kicker.

 

However, as it turns out they threw the pass, and we were dead on balls covering it. Hagg broke immediately as the holder stood from his crouch, and what I initially thought was a close call wasn't so much. Hagg had lots of time on that pass, and even a faster-thrown ball probably wouldn't have been a completion. Hagg would have gotten there regardless, is my guess. In fact, Eric had such a great break on that play that he nearly overran the pass. Wouldn't that have been something - knowing they were going to run a fake, having the right defense on, and overrunning the play for the loss. Yikes.

[deedsker15]

I've been looking at replays of that fake, and I don't know if ISU could have pulled it off any better. Bo had Prince on the right, Gomes on the left, and PJ Smith rushing from the end. We had that play snuffed out pretty good. If PJ Smith takes a hair shallower angle on the holder during his rush he's the hero making the tackle at the ten yard line. He missed the holder/thrower by a step and was within half a yard as the pass was thrown. Prince was right there to challenge the running play, and while it could have come down to an Option pitch, I like my odds with Prince right there, Hagg coming up in support, and a PAT holder making the pitch to a place kicker.

 

However, as it turns out they threw the pass, and we were dead on balls covering it. Hagg broke immediately as the holder stood from his crouch, and what I initially thought was a close call wasn't so much. Hagg had lots of time on that pass, and even a faster-thrown ball probably wouldn't have been a completion. Hagg would have gotten there regardless, is my guess. In fact, Eric had such a great break on that play that he nearly overran the pass. Wouldn't that have been something - knowing they were going to run a fake, having the right defense on, and overrunning the play for the loss. Yikes.

Is it just me or did the holder think that his guy was so open that he could just lob the ball into him, only to have the wind come up and hold the ball in the air longer?

[knapplc]

Is it just me or did the holder think that his guy was so open that he could just lob the ball into him, only to have the wind come up and hold the ball in the air longer?

 

I have yet to find a quote from Kuehl about that pass. I'd love to know what he thinks about it, how he threw it, etc. So far, I've found nothing.

 

I have found this article with a bunch of quotes from Rhoads about the play, and the game in general. It's a good read:

 

ISU football Monday

 

Most of Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads’ press conference today centered around his call to fake the PAT after the Cyclones’ touchdown in overtime, turning the play into the final one of the game, win or lose.

 

Rhoads said he decided to call the fake even before the coin toss heading into overtime.

 

Just as he said following the loss on Saturday, the play was there, but Daniel Kuehl’s pass wasn’t on the mark.

 

Asked how Kuehl was feeling after the game, Rhoads responded with an emphatic statement.

 

“You mean Daniel Kuehl, the same guy who ran a fake field goal perfectly early in the season as our backup punter and holder, who took that fake field goal right to the last second, drew all the UNI defenders in and pitched it at the perfect time to allow us to move the first down chains and score a touchdown against UNI?

 

“Daniel Kuehl’s doing pretty good. He’ll do a nice job holding this week, and if I ask him to run a fake, I bet he goes out and executes it perfectly.”

 

Well then.

 

There's a pair of my stories linked to the right, the first a game story from Saturday, the second some player reaction to the call to fake.

 

Another interesting thing to come out of Monday’s presser is that the OT PAT wasn’t the first time Rhoads had called for a fake on the afternoon. Grant Mahoney’s 57-yard field goal was originally intended to be a fake.

 

“(Nebraska) ran a safe alignment, that’s why a I called a timeout and get us out of it and kick the field goal,” said Rhoads.

 

The man is nothing if not bold.

 

The Cyclones were still feeling the sting of Saturday’s loss when they reported to the training room the following morning.

 

“In walking in that trainer’s room there was no doubt that the kids still felt the pain,” said Rhoads, “but had a confidence level that we’ve accomplished over the last three weeks that still remains to be built on.

 

“That’s exactly why I couldn’t wait to get to work, to be around the energy of these kids.”

[junior4949]

I haven't seen it, but Matty said as a player he'd be pi$$ed by the call because they put the game in the hand of their punter rather than their QB who led them to the tie. The call almost reminded me of the KU game I believe in 1993 when Mason went for two rather than the tie that would have kept us out of the title hunt.

[I am I]

I've been looking at replays of that fake, and I don't know if ISU could have pulled it off any better. Bo had Prince on the right, Gomes on the left, and PJ Smith rushing from the end. We had that play snuffed out pretty good. If PJ Smith takes a hair shallower angle on the holder during his rush he's the hero making the tackle at the ten yard line. He missed the holder/thrower by a step and was within half a yard as the pass was thrown. Prince was right there to challenge the running play, and while it could have come down to an Option pitch, I like my odds with Prince right there, Hagg coming up in support, and a PAT holder making the pitch to a place kicker.

 

 

Great analysis. Sounds like what I thought about it re-watching it over and over. Haag was all over it. He's well coached and just plain makes plays. He's the Gomes of 2009.

However, as it turns out they threw the pass, and we were dead on balls covering it. Hagg broke immediately as the holder stood from his crouch, and what I initially thought was a close call wasn't so much. Hagg had lots of time on that pass, and even a faster-thrown ball probably wouldn't have been a completion. Hagg would have gotten there regardless, is my guess. In fact, Eric had such a great break on that play that he nearly overran the pass. Wouldn't that have been something - knowing they were going to run a fake, having the right defense on, and overrunning the play for the loss. Yikes.

[Jason Sitoke]

I've been looking at replays of that fake, and I don't know if ISU could have pulled it off any better. Bo had Prince on the right, Gomes on the left, and PJ Smith rushing from the end. We had that play snuffed out pretty good. If PJ Smith takes a hair shallower angle on the holder during his rush he's the hero making the tackle at the ten yard line. He missed the holder/thrower by a step and was within half a yard as the pass was thrown. Prince was right there to challenge the running play, and while it could have come down to an Option pitch, I like my odds with Prince right there, Hagg coming up in support, and a PAT holder making the pitch to a place kicker.

 

However, as it turns out they threw the pass, and we were dead on balls covering it. Hagg broke immediately as the holder stood from his crouch, and what I initially thought was a close call wasn't so much. Hagg had lots of time on that pass, and even a faster-thrown ball probably wouldn't have been a completion. Hagg would have gotten there regardless, is my guess. In fact, Eric had such a great break on that play that he nearly overran the pass. Wouldn't that have been something - knowing they were going to run a fake, having the right defense on, and overrunning the play for the loss. Yikes.

 

I guess I didn't quite see it that way. Certainly Hagg broke, and we obviously had contingencies in place for the fake, but all they needed was a quick little out route to be open immediately. They got that. The punter just looked like he never threw a pass before.

 

Hagg did all he could and closed quickly, but if that pass is thrown harder and on time, it's good. The pass was SOOOO bad that the receiver had to stop completely and it gives the indication that Hagg closed a lot quicker than he should have.

[zoogs]

If I remember, the ball practically changed trajectory mid-flight. In Hagg's direction. At least it looked that way. It looked like it was going to be semi-leading the receiver, then was caught in the wind and hanged to the point of being way behind the receiver. That's what enabled Hagg to get there. However, a ball thrown with actual zip, I don't know how Hagg covers that distance and makes a play on the ball. Would have had to lay out for it, or knock the receiver as the ball arrived and hope to cause a drop.

[knapplc]

A better pass would certainly have had a better chance at success, but watch Hagg as he nears the receiver slow down and take some stutter-steps to time his jump. He had plenty of time in the split seconds a play like that takes. Hagg would have gotten there on a better pass. He slowed down.

[RedDenver]

A better pass would certainly have had a better chance at success, but watch Hagg as he nears the receiver slow down and take some stutter-steps to time his jump. He had plenty of time in the split seconds a play like that takes. Hagg would have gotten there on a better pass. He slowed down.

I agree if the pass is thrown harder and on the same angle. But the replay (from behind the thrower) clearly shows that a pass leading the receiver towards the sideline and/or corner of the endzone was open. Hagg would have been short by several yards. But where the pass was thrown was so bad that the receiver had to come back for the ball. That's part of the problem when you have the backup punter throw a pass.