With 6:49 to go, why kick a FG down 16?

[bottlebass]

There were 7 minutes left and we were facing 4th and very long. Kick the field goal. If our D forces them 3 and out we get the ball back again with 5 mins only down 13.

 

[beavergopher]

If Kill thought he had to onside kick at that point (he did), then there was absolutely zero sense in kicking a field goal.


If he had kicked a field goal and then kicked it deep, I would disagree but understand it. But if kill knew he didn't have time to get the ball back twice without an onside kick it is an absolutely stupid decision to kick a field goal.
The field goal strategy says we still have time.
The onside kick says we don't.
Doing both says we had no strategy in mind.

Well put.

 

[XMan]

I had no problem with the fg decision.

 

[supadupafly]

The call made no sense at all. I realize that 4th and forever is a low percentage play but I would rather take my chances with my offense on the field then kick a meaningless field goal and put all my faith on a super low percentage onside kick. Even if you recover the kick you are still down 2 TD's and now have the ball on your own side of the 50 with even less time on the clock still needing two TD's.

The only thing you gain by kicking the field goal is that you eliminate the need for 2pt conversions but doesn't change the fact that with even less time on the clock you still have to find a way to score 2 more TD's.

This. All the other moaning about it can stop because some of you seem to have no clue.

 

[bottlebass]

Everyone should really be less concerned with this decision and more concerned our defense gave up 500 yards and couldn't stop a drive to save their lives. Alot of which was through the air against what is suppose to be one of the best defensive backfields in the B1G.

 

[XMan]

Everyone should really be less concerned with this decision and more concerned our defense gave up 500 yards and couldn't stop a drive to save their lives. Alot of which was through the air against what is suppose to be one of the best defensive backfields in the B1G.

Well stated. Exactly. The frustrating part was that on many of their deep passes our d-backs were there and in position but the Nebraska receivers still just jumped up and came down with the ball. D-Line didn't put much pressure on qb either

 

[supadupafly]

Everyone should really be less concerned with this decision and more concerned our defense gave up 500 yards and couldn't stop a drive to save their lives. Alot of which was through the air against what is suppose to be one of the best defensive backfields in the B1G.

To be fair, when your M.A.S.H. unit, patch work defensive line of back ups can't get very much pressure on the QB all day (only 1 sack) even the best DB's are going to have a long day trying to maintain coverage downfield. I don't put it on the defensive backs as much as I put it on the rash of injuries in the front 7 area that is making the DB's roles FAR more difficult to execute play after play after play.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

To be fair, when your M.A.S.H. unit, patch work defensive line of back ups can't get very much pressure on the QB all day (only 1 sack) even the best DB's are going to have a long day trying to maintain coverage downfield. I don't put it on the defensive backs as much as I put it on the rash of injuries in the front 7 area that is making the DB's roles FAR more difficult to execute play after play after play.

What defensive line starter was out yesterday? Keith has been a backup all year. The lack of pass rush has also been an issue all year, not just yesterday.

 

[bottlebass]

To be fair, when your M.A.S.H. unit, patch work defensive line of back ups can't get very much pressure on the QB all day (only 1 sack) even the best DB's are going to have a long day trying to maintain coverage downfield. I don't put it on the defensive backs as much as I put it on the rash of injuries in the front 7 area that is making the DB's roles FAR more difficult to execute play after play after play.

What Weatherguy said. Our Dline was fairly intact and hasn't really gotten pressure all year. I agree though, it is tough on the CB/safeties when a QB has 5-6 seconds to throw on each play. The receivers were able to run a lot of deep double moves which are basically impossible to cover, especially when they CBs didn't have safety help a lot of the time.

 

[beavergopher]

If it was 4th and 14, Limegrover could have run a QB draw.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

This. All the other moaning about it can stop because some of you seem to have no clue.

So you trade fairly routine 2 point conversions for a fairly impossible onside kick attempt (likely 2 needed based on their decision to onside with 6 minutes left). Lets say we stop them at our 40 after the first onside kick (what about our defense leads you to think this was very likely?) assuming we keep our TOs we would get the ball back deep in our end of the field with about 4:25 left. We would need to drive the length of the field and score, complete another onside kick and score again.

Personally, I can't recall that sequence of events ever happening in a football game. I'm sure it has, and I've been watching for a long time, but I've never seen it.

What should have happened: go for the 4th down, if we don't get it they are buried. Stop them, we get the ball back around midfield with 4:25. Score quickly (if needed). We would have the option of not needing to onside kick and trying to get a quick stop with 2 timeouts remaining.

 

[cncmin]

The biggest play on that drive was that Nebraska should have been called for PI against Eric Carter in the endzone. Their DB ran into him and never turned his head.

At the time of the FG, we were down 38-22 and it was 4th and 15. The chances of us converting 4th and 15, scoring a TD, getting the 2 pt conversion, scoring another TD, and getting a 2nd 2 pt conversion are what? By kicking the FG, it would have at least allowed us to win if (big If) we scored 2 TDs.

If we kicked the FG on 4th and 5 I would have been pissed. Not so much on 4th and 15.

Agree with all of this. It was the right call, that turned a very low chance at winning into a slightly higher, but still very low chance at winning. The problem was the 4th and 15 situation, which all but assured a turnover on downs had they gone for it. The made FG gave them the best odds at coming out on top.