My thoughts on both teams' 4th quarter play calling

[Tony (admin)]

4th and inches

First the 4th and inches for the Utes. I totally agree with the choice to kick the field goal to make it a 7 point game. If we don’t get the 4th, that gives the zoo the ball and a chance to win it with a TD. We make the FG and it is a 7 point game. Then the zoo would at best tie the game with a TD and extra point. That one was a no-brainer to me during the game, and the possibility of them going for two was not even on the table in my mind.

Prevent yourself from winning defense, or go aggressive?

Once it was a 7 point game and the zoo had about 2:30 to work with, I thought “oh sh*t here we go. Here comes the prevent yourself from winning defense.” We didn’t do the prevent. Instead we sent a lot of blitzers. Hill and the decent o-line blocking made that look like a bad idea as they marched down and scored a TD. Personally I still would have blitzed.

BYU’s 2 point conversion

Okay so the zoo scores and it is 20-19. The OBVIOUS smart thing to do in my mind was kick the extra point and play for overtime. They had just marched the whole length of the field on our defense and I felt they had the advantage offensively at that point. Play for overtime, right? Nope. Sitake went for the kill, with was a ballsy but ill-advised call in my book. We blow up their attempt for two and the game is over.

[Anonymous]

I watched the inches play again I still say go for it.  I think you score potentially with an aggressive call or even a QB sneak.  The problem with that is that they waited too long and the Dline was gassed was able to get some wind from the chains, review, etc…

I think I said this somewhere else or before but the blitz that Hill scored on the guy left his feet something you never want to do as the blitzer.  You force him to throw maybe he makes a bad toss.

Playing the odds when they are stacked against you in OT is why Sitake didn’t kick the PAT.  Utah’s offense easily scored on your defense that was missing Nacua.  Your offense finally got lucky on that last drive do you play the odds and try to score a TD again in OT?

[Tony (admin)]

And I have to wonder if the bad decision wasn’t made much earlier in the game when byu kicked an extra point to go up 13-7. That’s one of those scenarios I thought you were supposed to go for two.

[Puget Ute]

I think that if we liked right up and went for it we would have picked it up easily. The D was gassed and had no answer or O Line.

But they measured, there was a timeout, lots of time milling around. It took almost 5 min to get the play off and by that time the Defense was rested and ready.

If we go for it and mess up the play call, somebody slips through the line, if the pass gets tipped, etc., Then the game is decidedly in Taysom Hill’s hands and he only needs to get one person to slip free to win the game.

Andy is LITERALLY automatic inside 30 yards (100% inside the 30 over his 4-year career), so you have to take the points.

And byu’s call was very good as well. Always go for the dagger on the road in front of a hostile crowd. They isolated Taysom Hill vs Cody Barton, and CB just isn’t big enough big enough for that matchup. Luckily Pita T blew through the line before his blocker could chip him, and then Dimick, Mokofisi, and Williams scraped across to make the tackle.

[Anonymous]

That was very poorly blocked unless the running back was on the wrong side of the line on where they wanted to go. Hill should have seen the Dline and changed the play you would think a Senior would know what to do.

I feel like Hill is a s**tty accuracy qb with ability to make a play when defenses make errors.

[UTE98]

Rewatching that 2 pt conversion attempt, Cody Barton, hit the ball and it was loose and Hill paused to regain control. Had that not happened the chances of him bouncing it outside and possibly converting the attempt go way up. While he didn’t make the tackle Cody Barton made a great play.

[Anonymous]

The blockers should have gone left but instead the covered the middle and leaving a single lineman to handle two guys.