Your Thoughts on the 4-1 Call

[PMWinSTP]

I would’ve direct snapped it to Mo with no QB on the field. But like fleck said postgame, he’d rather have Nebraska go 90 yards than 40.

We blame Fleck for being aggressive in our own territory on 4th down vs Bowling Green and Purdue when it backfired. Well he went the other way this time and it worked. It was a very tough call and the call he made resulted in a win. He deserves credit IMO.

QB under center and a sneak would be my play, but punt was right call.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I thought it was a first down, then I thought that if they challenged it, it should have been right away.

As far as PJ's decision, I wanted them to go for it, but I think PJ made the right call.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

QB sneak with BSF behind pushing behind and JMS mauling in front has a 100% success rate this year

Yep, I just can't even remember the last time I've seen QB sneak stuffed.

 

[CurveballJesus]

Yep, I just can't even remember the last time I've seen QB sneak stuffed.

Michigan 2016

 

[stocker08]

Considering that we likely would have lined up in shotgun....the decision was correct. The defense was absolutely shutting Nebraska's offense down.

 

[salzie]

In heat of the moment I wanted to go for it. As dust settles, right call. Pin them deep and trust defense that's stopped them most of game and their QB isn't known for throwing

 

[swelna]

With a couple of their long catches, I think it was the right call to pin them deep. I think they can get the TD if we turned over on downs

 

[Gophergrandpa]

And that’s what Fleck did.

Remember Mo had all ready been stuffed a few times today, and the refs seemed to be slightly biased towards Nebbie.

Exactly. Nebbie had 7 or 8 TFLs in the game, virtually all on Mo running plays. The 4-1 gamble simply was not intelligent. It had a significant chance of failure and could have resulted in a massive change of momentum to Nebraska, giving it a short field to score. I am really stunned that people are criticizing the call that resulted in an easy win as “playing not to win.” I am equally stunned that people think going for a high risk 4-1 at midfield in a one score game would in any way have been an intelligent call.

 

[Roland Brooks]

I thought it was a first down, then I thought that if they challenged it, it should have been right away.

As far as PJ's decision, I wanted them to go for it, but I think PJ made the right call.

Agree

 

[kg21]

Why didn't we line up under center and try to draw them offsides? It's rare, but it's been know to work.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I think it was the right call to go for it (not the right call to overturn it).

The decision I didn't like was when we passed on 3rd and 8 from their 36 and then punted. That's actually a spot I don't mind they try to run the ball on 3rd and then go for it.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Yep, I just can't even remember the last time I've seen QB sneak stuffed.

You must have missed some Gopher games this year.

 

[WAGopher]

Why didn't we line up under center and try to draw them offsides? It's rare, but it's been know to work.

It would have been a better use of the last time out.

 

[Wcfan56]

You can play to win - or you can play not to lose. Fleck plays not to lose. Today it worked out. But Neb was 1 pass and a 2-pt conversion away from winning that game.

With that passing attack make em go 90 yards. Could easily say the punt was playing to win.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

You must have missed some Gopher games this year.

I don't think I have. When did we get stuffed on a QB sneak this year?

 

[salzie]

I don't think I have. When did we get stuffed on a QB sneak this year?

Do wildcat QB runs count?

 

[RememberMurray]

THE RIGHT CALL MAKE A BACKUP QB DRIVE THE FIELD 90 YARDS WITH ZERO TIMEOUTS

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Based on the game and how it played out, it was highly unlikely that Nebraska was going to drive 80-90 yards on our defense at that point.

Absolutely the right call.

 

[CoMn]

I'd rather have the game on the defense's shoulders than the offense's

 

[Ope3]

I understand punting there but don’t like it.

A wise man once said “You play to win the game”.

And that man was just fired at Arizona St and made his way back to Bristol, CT to comment on football rather than coach it.

 

[STPGopher]

The games is on the line, your best player is amped up and says “I got this and let’s go!” And you say “nope, I’m the coach, you sit down, PUNT!”

I don’t know…it turned out OK, Nebraska was able to get 2 huge passes on us in their last drive…

I’d let Mo and Offense to secure that half a yard at our own 30 yard line….what you’d say?

Punt was the right call, but... Sometimes will can overcome odds. This is one of many reasons that I am not a coach. LOL

 

[Yah-E]

My favorite 4th down Gopher play….

QB right under center in I-formation with a full back & tail back behind him, BSF motions til he’s directly behind QB, QB hikes the ball for a sneak and BSF pick up the QB by his hips & shoves the QB forward, fullback shoves BSF and the tailback shives the fullback!

We did this play multiple times this year and this play would’ve gotten us at least 5 yards!

What I don’t like from our 4th down playbook is any plays that starts in a shotgun formation! It’s 4th & 1 and you hike the ball 7 yards backwards try to gain 1 yard? Never get this! Don’t like the wildcat 4th & 1 plays either!

 

[Ope3]

I was FURIOUS with the decision to punt. Every armchair coach knows the correct move is to bring the offense out, hard count and try to draw the Huskers Offsides. Get the Penalty, move the chains.



If that fails then...Punt.

 

[STPGopher]

And that’s what Fleck did.

Remember Mo had all ready been stuffed a few times today, and the refs seemed to be slightly biased towards Nebbie.

Playing devil's advocate, didn't the OL and RB get a key first down last series?

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

My favorite 4th down Gopher play….

QB right under center in I-formation with a full back & tail back behind him, BSF motions til he’s directly behind QB, QB hikes the ball for a sneak and BSF pick up the QB by his hips & shoves the QB forward, fullback shoves BSF and the tailback shives the fullback!

We did this play multiple times this year and this play would’ve gotten us at least 5 yards!

What I don’t like from our 4th down playbook is any plays that starts in a shotgun formation! It’s 4th & 1 and you hike the ball 7 yards backwards try to gain 1 yard? Never get this! Don’t like the wildcat 4th & 1 plays either!

Yes. I wanted them to go for it, but only with a QB under center and running a sea with guys pushing. There is no way they would have stopped it.

If it was a handoff or shotgun...no way.

After calming down. Punting was OK too.

 

[DCinOK]

PUNTing was the better option.

 

[USAF]

PJ has been made the wrong call on going for it multiple times. This wasnt one of them.
Absolute horseshit review and overturn of the spot though.

 

[Ope3]

It would have been a better use of the last time out.

I would have thought after the replay overturn, they would have reset the game & play clocks, as well as given the Gophers TO back. That would have let them try to draw the offside penalty, without the threat of a delay of game call.

 

[Iceland12]

Thought he made the first. Announcers even thought so right until the 1st Down was overruled.

As for punting rather than going for it? Gopher Defense held them to a single field goal after the 4:18 mark of the 1st Quarter.

It was a good call.

 

[Yah-E]

PJ has been made the wrong call on going for it multiple times. This wasnt one of them.
Absolute horseshit review and overturn of the spot though.

Because he didn’t choose the QB in I-formation with 3 people pushing the QB’s behind!

 

[GopherVotary]

We won, therefore it was the right call.