When you’re consistently getting 3-4ypc between the tackles, you’re 1st and goal at the 5 and you don’t run between the tackles you’re not smart. If you don‘t select one of your sledgehammer RBs to run between the tackles, you ain’t very smart.
If you’re consistently averaging -1.0 ypc between the tackles and you’re 1st and goal from the 5, and you run between the tackles you’re not smart. If you run the RB between the tackles that falls down on contact if he’s not in the open field, you doubled down on dumb.
That’s kind of how it works. Anything can happen on any play, but if you pick your lowest probability option, you generally have the lowest odds of success.
Please tell me which game were we consistently getting 3-4ypc between the tackles and then didn't run between the tackles at the goal line. I think your eyes are deceiving you. It's easy when we get to 1st and G situations and don't score a TD to call out the OC because the plays we ran didn't work. Like I said in the earlier post (before UNC game) we were 13/21 scoring TDs from 1st and G over the last 2 years. I'm not saying that's a good stat and yes that needs to improve but let's look at those 8 goal to go scenarios we didn't score a TD and see where the blame lies:
1) FSU - 1st and G from 5 we had a 15 yard personal foul penalty that moved it back to 1st and G from the 20. We ended up getting back to the 5 but attempted a FG on 4th down that got blocked. 1st and 20 and gained 15 yards on 3 plays... can you blame the OC for that?
2) UCF - 1st and G from 9, Jahmyr Gibbs stopped for no gain, then Jeff Sims runs on 2nd down and fumbles to UCF. OC's fault?
3) NC State - 1st and G from 1 we had 2 false start penalties, power run Mason for 5 yards, Sims run for no gain, and incomplete pass. OC's fault? There could have been some better play calls there but got back to the 1 and very next play wiped that out with another false start. Can't put the blame on him when this keeps happening.
4) NC State - 1st and G from 10, 1st play back shoulder throw to sanders, perfect pass, great catch, just got pushed out by defender and couldn't get a foot down in bounds. 2nd down flood pattern right with Sims rolling out, Norris wide open in center of endzone, Sims didn't see him and takes off running for no gain. 3rd and G from 10, ran a counter play to Donate with 2 pulling linemen executed perfectly, safety makes a great open field tackle on Donate at the 5. That doesn't normally happen. 4th and G from 5 we kick a FG. OC's fault here? I don't see it.
5) NIU - 1st and G from the 5, I've covered this one extensively but folks keep ignoring it. We ran inside zone to Mason for 3 yards to the 2, there was a pile of players on the ground and the ref started the play clock immediately when he got tackled. It took a while for everyone to get up and Mason was still on the ground when the play clock was already down to about 25. The play clock should've been reset. Our sidelines were signaling in the play, Yates did not ever look at the play clock and realize how low it was and we had to call a TO or he would've taken a delay of game. Folks keep blaming that TO on the OC though. So the next play, we were UNDER CENTER, ran POWER RUN to MASON with a TE pulling and leading with a great kickout block. Guess what? LG let a guy run free and made the tackle in the backfield. 3rd and G, under center, misdirection, pass to Gibbs in flat, Yates has to float the ball, Gibbs still catches it at the 2, 1-on-1 vs defender and gets tackled. Great play there by defender. 4th down we are set to take the chip shot FG but CGC calls the timeout after the booing. This OC's fault? Ok so 4th down, pass to McGowan in back of endzone, called a TD and reversed. Very iffy review and overturn there. His left toe barely caught the line but his right foot was already dragging inbounds. In that case I don't see enough to overturn the call on the field. But still looked like a great play to me, so blame the OC for this?
6) Clemson - 1st and G from 10, 23 seconds before halftime (clock running) with one timeout, you are limited to what you can call here. 1st down pass to the corner of the endzone, overthrown by Yates. Play was there but you have to throw it where only your guy can catch it and Yates just put a little too much on it. 2nd down, Yates has protection and bails for 5 yard gain. Had Deveney open in the middle of field but likely couldn't see him. 3rd and G, sideline is signaling the play in, Yates looks confused and playclock is running down so we have to call TO. 3rd and G Yates gets pressured and has to throw it away. 4th and G kick the FG. OC's fault? I like the 1st down call here, you take a shot and if it's incomplete you stop the clock. 2nd down not real sure why Yates bailed so quick. Don't know who's fault it was that we had to call a timeout but the sideline was signaling a play in and Yates looks confused. You can see it on the replay. Maybe this one is on the OC, who knows? But the TO is called, next play you can't run it because you can't risk getting tackled in bounds so pass play gets pressured, throw it away and take the FG. So this is possibly one out of 6 so far that MAY be on the OC and that's only for the one third down. First and 2nd down were fine and like I said, playcalling is limited here already because of situation.
7) Clemson - 1st and G from 7 - Pass in right flat to Deveney for 2 yards. Good playcall IMO and good open field tackle but with Deveney's size, he needs to be more physical there and could've gotten a couple extra yards. 2nd and G, pass play, nobody open Yates throws it away. 3rd and G, pass to Deveney in the EZ, a little bit out front but should've been caught for a TD. I have no problems with play calling here. We could not run into the teeth of Clemson's front 7, plus we needed 2 scores so we didn't need to risk running too much clock if we run the ball. We got the FG to make it a 1 score game. That was the only thing we could do on that drive was make it a 1 possession game.
8) Clemson - 1st and G from 3. We had just run Gibbs up the middle for a 1st down, Clemson on their heels, I agree a timeout here was a bad call but that was the HC that ran down and called the TO, not the OC. In hindsight, we saw that the hurryup offense at 1st and goal did not work against UNC so who's to say we would've scored against Clemson's DL front? Then we would've had to call timeout anyway and it be 2nd down. Either way, that is not the blame of the OC. So 1st and G, rollout right pass to McGowan. Play was there, good pass, but good play by the defender to knock it away. 2nd down McGowan in jet motion on end around with lead blocker. Good playcall to me to get your speedy playmaker the ball to outrun the defense to the corner. Skalski reads it perfectly and shoots through from the MLB spot to make the play. Excellent play by him, but nothing wrong with the play call either to me. 3rd and goal we get the play in late and then huddle up. Not sure why we huddled up, but we were out of the huddle and lined up with time to snap the ball but call the timeout with 3 secs on play clock. I can understand being a little indecisive here at the goal line at the end of the game with a chance to tie it up against Clemson. We also still had one more timeout remaining so burning one here doesn't prevent you from still running the ball. 3rd and G, power run straight ahead with Mason. Everybody firing off with 2 TE package in. Billy Ward goes outside, lets the DT by and he makes the tackle for loss. If he blocks the correct man, Mason likely scores there. Then the 4th down play, the shovel pass everybody knows about. Great play again by Skalski and if we just make that one block, it's a TD.
