With this defense how do you not go for two in overtime.

[gopherdudepart2]

The way the defense is playing, on the road, offense is clearly better than the defense, how do you not go for two in overtime. Especially with our limitations in the kicking game. In normal circumstances you would always kick the extra point. With the way this defense is playing you could not trust them to make any stops. This situation, I say go for the win. I was saying it before the kick, we should go for two, I don't trust this kicking situation. Go for the win. This loss is on the coaching staff. A for going in to the shell in the fourth quarter and then B not going for two at the end. This team may lose every game this season the way they are playing defense. This is the worst Gopher defense in 10 plus years. It is in embarrassment to all recent past Gopher defenses to be playing this poorly. There was too much progress mad to be tanking this bad. I realize it is a tough season with COVID 19 and how difficult it is to even play the games but this should not be this bad on defense.
They cannot set the edge, they are always taking bad angles to tackle and they are flat footed and in panic mode constantly. This team plays with ZERO, ZERO passion on defense. The Gophers snatched a Defeat from the clutches of Victory. The more things change the more they stay the same. I like GOPHER football always have, but this defense is beyond worse than anything that the last defensive coordinator was fired for. For starters the defensive line plays way to tight to the line of scrimmage and is getting completely manhandled. Then they always overrun the pocket. This is fixable but you have to do some thing about it even if it means going younger and benching some guy's. They the team should absolutely be HOT and pissed off that they lost this football game and let the game get away. You want to be elite you have to play better. This should have been a win. Winning isn't everything but it is part of why you play the game. They set a higher standard last year and should not let things go in the toilet. They care to much and play way to hard to be labeled as a bad team. I wanted to go for two because I wanted to take that chance and end it.

 

[Herd]

Your the same guy that would be going crazy had they lost on failed 2-point conversion. It’s an extra point, that’s on the kicker, not the coach.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I would have probably gone for two in this situation if we had our starting kicker. We weren't going to stop them, they have a better kicker, and we could run the ball on them.

The fact that he didn't go for 2 with our backup kicker coming off of hernia surgery (on a week where he openly talked about how nervous the kicking game made him) is absolutely inexcusable. It was as bad of a call as I've seen in my entire time watching Gopher football.

 

[Taji34]

Let's be honest here. If he had gone for 2 and not gotten it EVERYONE would have been saying it was a dumb move and he should have just gone for the extra point.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

This 1 million percent. I texted to my buddies after Maryland scored, if the Gophers score they have to go for 2.
Also, great job calling the TO on 4th and 22 when Maryland was about to get a delay of game before the 51 yard field goal.
Lastly, Bateman, Morgan, Autman Bell and you’re afraid to throw it in the 4th quarter.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Your the same guy that would be going crazy had they lost on failed 2-point conversion. It’s an extra point, that’s on the kicker, not the coach.

You're 100% wrong.

I would have been annoyed with our defense and Sanford's playcalling at the end of the game if we didn't get the 2 point conversion. Going for two under these circumstances was the obvious call, anyone who would have been mad in that situation would be crazy.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Let's be honest here. If he had gone for 2 and not gotten it EVERYONE would have been saying it was a dumb move and he should have just gone for the extra point.

I couldn't disagree more.

It was a terrible call.

 

[Dano564]

I couldn't disagree more.

It was a terrible call.

I think it was a bad call.

But I also think we'd be littered with people saying PJ was dumb going for two had he done so and we not scored.

 

[howeda7]

Fleck saying he didn't even think about it is ridiculous. You probably have a 60% chance of making the two and only a 90% chance of making the EP given the kicker.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I think it was a bad call.

But I also think we'd be littered with people saying PJ was dumb going for two had he done so and we not scored.

I'm sure we would have been, but I think we'd have also seen a ton more people logically defending the decision.

I haven't seen one person defend the decision. I've seen people say (for no reason), you'd have been mad if he went for 2 and missed, but I haven't seen a single post defending the decision to trot out the backup injured kicker there. Not one.

 

[MGGopher]

I think it was a bad call.

But I also think we'd be littered with people saying PJ was dumb going for two had he done so and we not scored.

I doubt it. The game thread was littered with people saying go for 2 immediately. Here's my proof that both my brother and I were saying it -- and I bet man others have similar texts going. It was the obvious call given the circumstances. We were at A HUGE disadvantage in OT with our defense and no kicker. End it ASAP.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Fleck saying he didn't even think about it is ridiculous. You probably have a 60% chance of making the two and only a 90% chance of making the EP given the kicker.

Yeah, if he didn't even think about it that's even worse.

You have a 60% chance of winning right there or a 90% chance of extending the game and having a 50% chance of winning (at best).

 

[Dano564]

I doubt it. The game thread was littered with people saying go for 2 immediately. Here's my proof that both my brother and I were saying it -- and I bet man others have similar texts going. It was the obvious call given the circumstances. We were at A HUGE disadvantage in OT with our defense and no kicker. End it ASAP. View attachment 10126

I agree.

I'm just saying there would be a few people saying it was wrong because they hate PJ.

But yes. Bad call. I was saying go for 2.

Would have sooner lost by not making the 2 and saying "We didn't want to play another OT because as you saw, we were having issues stopping them and felt this was our best chance. To not let them have another chance."

 

[KoolAid]

Fleck saying he didn't even think about it is ridiculous. You probably have a 60% chance of making the two and only a 90% chance of making the EP given the kicker.

These numbers right here tell you to go for it. Expected value in going for 2 is 1.2 and expected value kicking gives you .9 points. So yeah...go for 2

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

These numbers right here tell you to go for it. Expected value in going for 2 is 1.2 and expected value kicking gives you .9 points. So yeah...go for 2

I'm not a match guy, but it's actually even more skewed than that. The game is over, we win, with the 2. With the extra point, we are back into the OT situation (where we are on offense first).

I don't even think if we tied it up it was a 50/50 game.

 

[RogueGopher]

They were a PI call away from forcing MD to a field goal in OT.

 

[MNsoftballfan]

I can't kill him for it. MD was bailed out in OT with a very questionable PI call. But for that call, they have to settle for a long field goal attempt. And it's not like the college extra point is a 37 yarder or anything. I don't know. I definitely lean more towards going for 2. But not a "hanging offense" in my opinion.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

Your the same guy that would be going crazy had they lost on failed 2-point conversion. It’s an extra point, that’s on the kicker, not the coach.

Your the same guy that would be going crazy had they lost on failed 2-point conversion. It’s an extra point, that’s on the kicker, not the coach.

No I wouldn't. Walker has just come off of sports hernia surgery. I wanted to gamble for two. Under almost all circumstances I would kick it like the coach. With the defense having just given up 17 points and football being a game of momentum, I would have went for the two. He Fleck is paid to be the coach, not me, all I'm saying is sometimes you have to see the game for what is happing in front of you. This game was lucky to go to overtime with them fumbling in to the endzone and the missed field goal. In this circumnstance I would not have ripped the coach if he had gone for two. It was the way the game was playing out at the end is why I say go for two in this situation. The kicker pushed it, so yeah not expected but I don't think I liked the way the defense was playing at the end of the football game. WIth the game being on the road, I want to take the chance to win even without fans. It never even crossed my mind about kicking it because of how poorly the defense and the offense had played in the fourth quarter. It's shame they lost because the Gophers had a lot of positives on offense and a few even on defense.

 

[MNsoftballfan]

Field goal kicker looked like he was lined up to play a 15 yard draw. On an extra point.

 

[Schnauzer]

Because you are 30 point favorites

 

[gopherdudepart2]

Let's be honest here. If he had gone for 2 and not gotten it EVERYONE would have been saying it was a dumb move and he should have just gone for the extra point.

Because of the kicking situation being a mess the coaches words, is why I thought, he would have gone for two. He seems more like the Go for the win type of coach then play for the tie. The snap was good, it was unfortunate the kicker pushed it wide. In my case I had a hunch we had a win if they had gone for two, I like the match up of our offense against the Maryland defense than the Gopher defense against the Maryland offense. That is why we are behind keyboards and not coaches though, but my hunch was we needed to go go for Two and the win.

 

[amk8930]

Because you are 30 point favorites

It was 18, when has Minnesota ever covered that large of a spread let alone not have a close game or loss?

On ESPN Streak for the Cash they had a prop of, “Will Minnesota win by 20+?” I didn’t even flinch when hitting, “Any other result.”

 

[Hopeful Pessimist]

Fleck saying he didn't even think about it is ridiculous. You probably have a 60% chance of making the two and only a 90% chance of making the EP given the kicker.

Given that the defense couldn't stop Maryland, I thought that the obvious choice was to go for 2 with Ibrahim and Green in. One way or the other, the unpleasantness would be over.

 

[howeda7]

It was 18, when has Minnesota ever covered that large of a spread let alone not have a close game or loss?

On ESPN Streak for the Cash they had a prop of, “Will Minnesota win by 20+?” I didn’t even flinch when hitting, “Any other result.”

+600 for Maryland on the ML.

 

[USAF]

Because of the kicking situation being a mess the coaches words, is why I thought, he would have gone for two. He seems more like the Go for the win type of coach then play for the tie. The snap was good, it was unfortunate the kicker pushed it wide. In my case I had a hunch we had a win if they had gone for two, I like the match up of our offense against the Maryland defense than the Gopher defense against the Maryland offense. That is why we are behind keyboards and not coaches though, but my hunch was we needed to go go for Two and the win.

I would have gone for 2, but the "kicking situation" actually argues in favor of kicking the PAT. He made every PAT prior to that one.

 

[SPEGOPHER]

Going for two was 100% the right move. Not even close. We could debate Sanford’s horrible decision to run Mo up the gut, but here is the question:

Do you like your chances of this defense getting a stop, or our offense getting three yards?

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I would have gone for 2, but the "kicking situation" actually argues in favor of kicking the PAT. He made every PAT prior to that one.

This is quite possibly the worst take I've read on Gopherhole.

Yes, he made extra points but he was our backup kicker coming off a hernia surgery with backup holder. Then when you take into account that it would just force another OT where they had a strong kicker and we continued to have our backup kicker and backup holder, it absolutely does not argue in favor of kicking the PAT.

 

[EG#9]

I thought they would go for 2 live. I didn't think they had any confidence in their defense at that point and would try to end the game. Teams that think they are the better team don't normally go for 2 in OT, but the way the Gophers defense was looking I thought they'd rather give their offense a chance to win the game. It's so hard to say what the right call is there. Normally I'd be all about kicking the extra point and extending the game unless A. You are playing an elite power like Ohio State and B. You have a 2 point play you feel really good about against that team. Since that criteria wasn't met, I'd probably kick but it just "felt" like the Gophers would go for it in the moment.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

You definitely go for. Lets just say we kicked it and tied. Now you are on offense in the second OT and must go for the TD on any marginal 4fh down. Even if you open the second OT with a TD you are giving Maryland the option to go for 2 to win...and their chances are probably better

 

[USAF]

This is quite possibly the worst take I've read on Gopherhole.

Yes, he made extra points but he was our backup kicker coming off a hernia surgery with backup holder. Then when you take into account that it would just force another OT where they had a strong kicker and we continued to have our backup kicker and backup holder, it absolutely does not argue in favor of kicking the PAT.

As I said, I'd have went for 2.

But the kicker had zero to do with that. He's been just fine on PATs.