This relates to the 4th and 26 play in overtime, but also a general observation. I can't think of anything more maddening in sports than prevent type defenses at end of game situations. UC was playing an extremely weak defense on that 4th down conversion allowing the QB plenty of room to run around, and the receivers all night to get open.

Why do coaches continue to push this strategy, when it still seems to fail time and time again?

6 guys were deeper than 26 yards. It’s literally like they played against a Hail Mary pass.

They should have been standing right at the first down marker, but for some reason they were standing 5-8 yards behind it. Almost as unfathomable as starting Hayden Moore at qb, or any of the decisions that Hayden Moore has made this year - from being unable to read a coverage to being unable to avoid a sack or throw it away, to countless horrible passes, and then the king of them all to end the game.

Each week we continue to see things that make me scratch my head. I keep hearing about how lacking this team is in talent, but alot of these problems are coaching. Lack of talent doesn't make a player be out of position. So far Fickel gets a thumbs up on recruiting but a big thumbs down on coaching.

I re-watched the 4th and 26 play.... The QB was within an inch of stepping out of bounds, then he threads the needle
past a UC defender to complete the pass... It reminded me of the UConn basketball game when, with .8 seconds, the ball is thrown in from 3/4 court... Then last week,,, the ball is fumbled and it bounces right back to the USF back... This just might be one of those years...
I think we should try starting Ross.... It seems like Hayden "Poops his Pants" when he gets in the red zone... Hayden is playing better,, but he is still costing us games....

I was fearful we would get a pass interference penalty in that situation. Minor was right on him, just a freak play. He threw that ball back across his body going out of bounds and i don't know how close he was to the line of scrimmage. It was so close on a number of fronts, but they made it. Broke the camel's back for sure.

At this point,,, attack these last 4 games with everything we have... If,, If we can win them all,,, we should get a lower
level bowl game... That would be great,, 3 weeks of additional practice,, chance to work in some young guys,, and
the post season experience.... Maybe,,,,, my glasses are a little Rosy,,,,,,, but "It Could Happen"....

(10-23-2017 10:07 AM)KCat Wrote:  At this point,,, attack these last 4 games with everything we have... If,, If we can win them all,,, we should get a lower
level bowl game... That would be great,, 3 weeks of additional practice,, chance to work in some young guys,, and
the post season experience.... Maybe,,,,, my glasses are a little Rosy,,,,,,, but "It Could Happen"....

I agree it would be great for the team to make a bowl, even if it is the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl against North Texas (feel good bragging to your co-workers about that one). But I don't think we get it done.

I'll let you second-guessers, analysis gurus and scenario (stim) simulators argue this out but what I saw was a team trying to desperately win a game by keeping everything in front of them and playing the percentages that the QB was not going to make a 26 yard completion. IIRC, the SMU QB was chased out of the pocket and scrambling laterally toward the sideline before completing the pass to "All-World Mighty Quinn." What was more maddening, that improbable play that lead to the go-ahead field goal or Hayden's spooked shot put INT faux pas that ended the game?

FWIW, our defense held SMU to their second lowest point total this season:

W 58 - 14 SFA
W 54 - 32 NTEXAS
W 49 - 28 UCONN
W 44 - 21 ARKST
L 36 - 56 @TCU
W 31 - 28 @CINCY
L 22 - 35 @HOU

(10-23-2017 08:33 AM)KCat Wrote:  I re-watched the 4th and 26 play.... The QB was within an inch of stepping out of bounds, then he threads the needle
past a UC defender to complete the pass... It reminded me of the UConn basketball game when, with .8 seconds, the ball is thrown in from 3/4 court... Then last week,,, the ball is fumbled and it bounces right back to the USF back... This just might be one of those years...
I think we should try starting Ross.... It seems like Hayden "Poops his Pants" when he gets in the red zone... Hayden is playing better,, but he is still costing us games....

I was curious how close the qb was from being out of bounds. I was at the game on the near side of the field with respect to that play and when I saw it live I actually cheered because it looked like he had to be out of bounds when he threw. I couldn't see the actual sideline though, so I've been very curious how close he was to being out of bounds.

(10-23-2017 08:33 AM)KCat Wrote:  I re-watched the 4th and 26 play.... The QB was within an inch of stepping out of bounds, then he threads the needle
past a UC defender to complete the pass... It reminded me of the UConn basketball game when, with .8 seconds, the ball is thrown in from 3/4 court... Then last week,,, the ball is fumbled and it bounces right back to the USF back... This just might be one of those years...
I think we should try starting Ross.... It seems like Hayden "Poops his Pants" when he gets in the red zone... Hayden is playing better,, but he is still costing us games....

IMHO Off Coordinator Denbrock is who poops his pants in the red zone! The only time Boone should be the running back is in a wildcat set, inside the 10 yard line. Doaks is without question the best back hitting up into the line scrimmage off the snap

Yea....prevent defenses, been known for years the only thing it prevents is winning the game. This is what normally happens to fans when it's used....