Going conservative with the lead

[gsuoption]

Last night was a perfect example of why coaches go very conservative with the lead.... The defense stopped blitzing, the offense didn't run the option hardly at all in the 4th quarter because they didn't want to risk a pitch, and they went with the odds. When you are up 24-7 or 24-14 with 6 minutes left, the other team has to do something pretty special to come back and win.

The problem is..... they nearly came back and won. Coaches routinely do this, and I have never seen the numbers on it, but I would GUESS that the winning percentage by just trying to run the clock out and playing conservative is actually pretty good, even though it is frustrating to the fans.

On two of those possessions you should have been able to get a first down even going vanilla and likely end the game, but the defense knew exactly what was coming and they didn't... On the 4th down play that likely would have put the game away, that was just a bad play by Shai Wertz. It was 4th and 3 and if he lowers his pads and goes vertical he gets it... Instead he tried to take it outside and got tackled going that direction instead of forward. The play itself was fine, Shai just didn't do the right thing as a runner.

You have to bet on your team to be able to get one first down... Do that, and the going conservative method would have been nearly zero risk last night. As it was, they had to endure some risk but the odds were still in GSU's favor.

[garns 4]

Last night was a perfect example of why coaches go very conservative with the lead.... The defense stopped blitzing, the offense didn't run the option hardly at all in the 4th quarter because they didn't want to risk a pitch, and they went with the odds. When you are up 24-7 or 24-14 with 6 minutes left, the other team has to do something pretty special to come back and win.

The problem is..... they nearly came back and won. Coaches routinely do this, and I have never seen the numbers on it, but I would GUESS that the winning percentage by just trying to run the clock out and playing conservative is actually pretty good, even though it is frustrating to the fans.

On two of those possessions you should have been able to get a first down even going vanilla and likely end the game, but the defense knew exactly what was coming and they didn't... On the 4th down play that likely would have put the game away, that was just a bad play by Shai Wertz. It was 4th and 3 and if he lowers his pads and goes vertical he gets it... Instead he tried to take it outside and got tackled going that direction instead of forward. The play itself was fine, Shai just didn't do the right thing as a runner.

You have to bet on your team to be able to get one first down... Do that, and the going conservative method would have been nearly zero risk last night. As it was, they had to endure some risk but the odds were still in GSU's favor.

we were running pretty much the same plays in the 4th that we were running in first 3 quarters. I didn't see us being conservative at all, now poor blocking in the 4th?, let's just say it wasn't the level of execution we saw in first 3 periods.

[gsuoption]

I don't think they pitched a single time in the 4th quarter..

[Pike51]

I don't think they pitched a single time in the 4th quarter..

This. We held the ball. It worked. Shai should have made that first down but tried to make something more out of it. It happens. The defense stepped up amd made them eat clock. They got aggresive as needed and won the game.

[garns 4]

I don't think they pitched a single time in the 4th quarter..

werts might not have pitched it but I think we still ran the play. We opened up some solid holes in the first 3 quarters but they weren't there in 4th. I also agree with the guys who noticed if Werts turned that one option up rather than keep moving towards sideline he would have got 1st down. If he did that we wouldn't have had to fret over Appy's last two series. I also don't think we were in the "prevent" defense much, if at all in the 4th. One thing we can keep working on is tackling, we didn't rap up a number of times late last night, I'm thinking Brinson and Echos. So yep still work to be done but overall a heck of a well played game by our Eagles. Any time we can go up there and get one it's an accomplishment.

[EAGLEMAN]

Four consecutive 3-and-outs to end the game is pitiful, especially when we just need a couple first downs to win the game. That is just too much pressure to put in your defense. We need to be able to pull something out of the playbook to help us gain 10 yards on 3 plays when the whole world knows we won’t throw it.

[garns 4]

Four consecutive 3-and-outs to end the game is pitiful, especially when we just need a couple first downs to win the game. That is just too much pressure to put in your defense. We need to be able to pull something out of the playbook to help us gain 10 yards on 3 plays when the whole world knows we won’t throw it.

thats my point, we were doing it the first 3 quarters so why didn't we execute in those series?, running the same basic plays we ran all night. I'm sticking to the lack of blocking not play calling.

[garns 4]

thats my point, we were doing it the first 3 quarters so why didn't we execute in those series?, running the same basic plays we ran all night. I'm sticking to the lack of blocking not play calling.

but yes, to your point we should have put the game away with heck just one or two at the most 1st downs.

[EAGLEMAN]

thats my point, we were doing it the first 3 quarters so why didn't we execute in those series?, running the same basic plays we ran all night. I'm sticking to the lack of blocking not play calling.

They had to respect the pass (and pitch) in the first 3 quarters, not so much in the 4th.

[Rad]

I also don't think we were in the "prevent" defense much, if at all in the 4th.

And yet, every time they threw deep, we had 2 or 3 guys right there with the receiver. So we have found a better solution. The only long passes they completed were due to NFL-type catches in the endzone (tiptoes in bounds) that nobody could defend. Other than that our long pass coverage was much improved, I thought.