Gophers coach P.J. Fleck on early fourth-down decision: ‘I would do it again’..."it only cost us 3 points, it was worth it"

[BleedGopher]

per Greder:

With great field position, Purdue tacked on a 42-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead en route to a 20-10 win during the U’s Homecoming. Those three points looked as if they would decide the game until Purdue was able to tack on the late touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

“Felt like we needed to do something,” Fleck explained. “It only cost us three points, but it was worth it. I would do it again. We got to be able to get fourth-and-1.”

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck on early fourth-down decision: ‘I would do it again’

Trailing 7-0 with the ball at its own 29-yard line, the U went for a first down and failed, using its wildcat package for the first time this season.

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Plato]

If anyone ever expects PJ to say he was wrong you are also waiting for the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

The loss was on the offensive playmakers not making plays.


I don’t like that call, but that wasn’t the game.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

I’m not averse to the “no punt” offense as it is mathematically feasible with a decent offense but it has to be committed to for the numbers to work. As far as yesterday the play call could be better. Run the normal offense, or bring a big body out to fall forward a yard, ie not Kramer.

Trying to convert a fourth down at own 30 in the 1st quarter when the line was struggling to block Purdue with a lightweight and relatively non-dynamic QB in Kramer was probably not playing the odds well.

 

[Grant]

I’m totally fine with going for it. But I never want to see wildcat again.

 

[BilldGopher]

Coach asked the men...not boys like early in the regime...to man-up and they couldn't...

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

I'm fine with being aggressive, but when you are struggling mightily to run the ball, that play call in that situation was just plain stupid.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Right, exactly:

it wasn't the call to go for it .... it was the call to run the the wildcat, for the first time all season.

Why was that the play??


Sometimes you can just out-think yourself as a coach.

 

[RolGnav]

The loss was on the offensive playmakers not making plays.


I don’t like that call, but that wasn’t the game.

See, you're not even putting into account that some plays are just doomed to not work. Football is not all just athletes doing athletics. It's also a chess game between coaches. There is such a thing as putting players in the best position to succeed. Trying to trick them on 4th down by bringing our wildcat package in, and having Kramer run up the middle is not a trick. I do not have issue with taking the risk, my issue is wow, wildcat package? I am willing to bet they know about our wildcat package and know what was most likely to happen?

 

[btowngopher]

I certainly like going for it more when it seems like the other D can’t stop you, but your own D is struggling.

 

[Some guy]

I’m not averse to the “no punt” offense as it is mathematically feasible with a decent offense but it has to be committed to for the numbers to work. As far as yesterday the play call could be better. Run the normal offense, or bring a big body out to fall forward a yard, ie not Kramer.

Trying to convert a fourth down at own 30 in the 1st quarter when the line was struggling to block Purdue with a lightweight and relatively non-dynamic QB in Kramer was probably not playing the odds well.

I agree with all this

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

See, you're not even putting into account that some plays are just doomed to not work. Football is not all just athletes doing athletics. It's also a chess game between coaches. There is such a thing as putting players in the best position to succeed. Trying to trick them on 4th down by bringing our wildcat package in, and having Kramer run up the middle is not a trick. I do not have issue with taking the risk, my issue is wow, wildcat package? I am willing to bet they know about our wildcat package and know what was most likely to happen?

I said I didn’t like the call…

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Also pretty silly to just brush away 3 points. Take those 3 points off the board and you're tied late in the 4th quarter, not selling trying desperately to get the ball back.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

Some games have a feel that whatever can go wrong will go wrong, it felt that way early in the game. When they lined up to go for it, it didn't surprise me when they failed. I thought it was a stupid decision.

 

[RolGnav]

I said I didn’t like the call…

The loss was on the offensive playmakers not making plays.

This statement makes it seem like in game decisions and coaching doesn't matter, as it's all just the players fault. Did you see the offensive possessions after we tied it up? We curled up and hid under the blankets, and actually tried running out the clock... in a tied game.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Also pretty silly to just brush away 3 points. Take those 3 points off the board and you're tied late in the 4th quarter, not selling trying desperately to get the ball back.

And ending the game with 3 timeouts still in back pocket. Not Fleck’s best game. He just wasn’t hitting on all cylinders yesterday. We all have days like that.

 

[Gopherchase]

19 on his ACT showed through yesterday.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Nothing is going to top that we scored a TD ... perfect pass ..... hits the guy right between the numbers.

And he doesn't catch.


Oh except, not just that, but it bounced up to the defense for an interception and touchback.

 

[caliGopher]

This statement makes it seem like in game decisions and coaching doesn't matter, as it's all just the players fault. Did you see the offensive possessions after we tied it up? We curled up and hid under the blankets, and actually tried running out the clock... in a tied game.

If you are surprised, you have not been paying attention.

This strategy has failed twice in two years, but Fleck would do it again.

It doesn't help that in both cases it contributed to a lesser team winning the game.

At least losing to Purdue isn't as embarrassing as losing to Bowling Green.

We changed the OC because of that loss and brought back Kirk, yet the games are painfully similar - and Fleck has tripled down on his approach in the aftermath.

We're playing a slower version of what Gutekunst, Mason, and Kill/Clayes all ran in various ways before Fleck. It's a similar scheme to what Alvarez and his clones have done at Wisconsin, and what Firentz runs at Iowa.

And like all of these, when we're up early, 10 minute scoring drives are awesome. When your behind in the 4th quarter, it's not the best offense.

Georgia shit the bed in the first half yesterday, but the coaches adjusted and the pulled out a victory.

We changed things up, got back in the game then reverted to what wasn't working. This loss had a lot if contributing factors. When the players are struggling, the coaches need to adjust to help them. We don't do that.

 

[PhiloVance]

Also pretty silly to just brush away 3 points. Take those 3 points off the board and you're tied late in the 4th quarter, not selling trying desperately to get the ball back.

And if he would have caught the ball in the end zone and the Gophers are ahead in the 4th quarter.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

This statement makes it seem like in game decisions and coaching doesn't matter, as it's all just the players fault. Did you see the offensive possessions after we tied it up? We curled up and hid under the blankets, and actually tried running out the clock... in a tied game.

Don't know what to tell you if you read both those and come up with that conclusion.

 

[Word]

My take on it was that I probably would have punted, but if we are gonna go for it don't line up in shotgun. The Kramer wildcat hasn't worked at all like it did with Seth.

 

[PMWinSTP]

If anyone ever expects PJ to say he was wrong you are also waiting for the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

Wait, what...are you saying they are not real?!?

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

This statement makes it seem like in game decisions and coaching doesn't matter, as it's all just the players fault. Did you see the offensive possessions after we tied it up? We curled up and hid under the blankets, and actually tried running out the clock... in a tied game.

Don't know what to tell you if you read both those and come up with that conclusion.

Like i don't like the call and you're telling me all about how bad the call is.

Dude I know... I said so.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Also pretty silly to just brush away 3 points. Take those 3 points off the board and you're tied late in the 4th quarter, not selling trying desperately to get the ball back.

Plus he has an excellent punter. Just don't get it. Felt like a game from 2017/18.

 

[Dakota2]

I’m not averse to the “no punt” offense as it is mathematically feasible with a decent offense but it has to be committed to for the numbers to work. As far as yesterday the play call could be better. Run the normal offense, or bring a big body out to fall forward a yard, ie not Kramer.

Trying to convert a fourth down at own 30 in the 1st quarter when the line was struggling to block Purdue with a lightweight and relatively non-dynamic QB in Kramer was probably not playing the odds well.

Nothing wrong with using Kramer. You just put him under center and push for a couple yards. How many times have we been stopped from scoring from one-yard line using QB sneak?

 

[PMWinSTP]

Nothing wrong with using Kramer. You just put him under center and push for a couple yards. How many times have we been stopped from scoring from one-yard line using QB sneak?

Agree. In almost cases it has been Morgan doing the sneak.

 

[GopherRock]

I'm not totally opposed to going for it in that spot. But GET THE QB UNDER CENTER!

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Nothing wrong with using Kramer. You just put him under center and push for a couple yards. How many times have we been stopped from scoring from one-yard line using QB sneak?

Clearly coaches agree with you. I don’t get it. Physics, and so on.

 

[swelna]

His explanation was what if they punt and Purdue drives down the field and it's 14-0. After 4 near shutouts that does not sound like a resounding confidence that your D will step up. If I was Rossi and Wegner, I would be a little upset at that play call. Give your D more than one drive to show that they can step up. They literally stepped up the next drive and what turned into 3 point likely would've been a punt....

It just doesn't make sense to me in the first quarter with the defense and punter we have.