4th and 1

#26
#26
Historical perspective is not an advantage they had at the time.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that UGA had been moving the ball on our defense all day. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out our defense was exhausted. It didn't take Nostradamus to see that we needed to score twice and only had one quarter to do it. The Vols were a 1-3 team, on the road, needing a little momentum against a ranked team and instead of our coach having any balls whatsoever, he resorted to go back to the good ole "field position" approach.

Now, maybe they get that one yard and maybe they don't, we'll never know. However, I was certain that if the punt team came on the field, that game was most definitely over... and it was. I have a feeling a lot of people had that feeling. (Except for our coach)
 
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#27
#27
You were certain? Come on. You didn't know, nobody can know that. What if they fumbled the punt return? I agree they probably should have gone for it. But thats easy for me to say sitting on the sofa by myself eating a meatball sandwich. But it certainly wasn't the reason we lost and some people are blowing it out of proportion.
 
#28
#28
You were certain? Come on. You didn't know, nobody can know that. What if they fumbled the punt return? I agree they probably should have gone for it. But thats easy for me to say sitting on the sofa by myself eating a meatball sandwich. But it certainly wasn't the reason we lost and some people are blowing it out of proportion.
I'm not saying it's the only reason we lost the game because we're just a bad football team, that's why the Vols are losing games. I'm just saying it's one of the many reasons that contributed to our loss. And as for knowing UGA would drive down the field and run clock, yes, I was certain it would happen. So certain, I stopped watching at that point.
 
#29
#29
We lost because we didn't run the ball at all (which probably factored into the fourth down call) and Stephens is a tit baby (and if we're being honest not that good of a quarterback) in his first road SEC start. That is a recipe for unmitigated disaster on a fourth and one. Our defensive line is average at best and our secondary though talented and loaded with potential still makes goofy learning mistakes.
 
#30
#30
I'm not saying it's the only reason we lost the game because we're just a bad football team, that's why the Vols are losing games. I'm just saying it's one of the many reasons that contributed to our loss. And as for knowing UGA would drive down the field and run clock, yes, I was certain it would happen. So certain, I stopped watching at that point.

You stopped watching a Vols game with 11+ minutes left and a 9 point differential?
 
#32
#32
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that UGA had moving the ball on our defense all day. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out our defense was exhausted. It didn't take Nostradamus to see that we needed to score twice and only had one quarter to do it. The Vols were a 1-3 team, on the road, needing a little momentum against a ranked team on the road and instead of our coach having any balls whatsoever, he resorted to go back to the good ole "field position" approach.

Now, maybe they get that one yard and maybe they don't, we'll never know. However, I was certain that if they punt team came on the field, that game was most definitely over and it was. I have a feeling a lot of people had that feeling. (Except for our coach)
Nice post and response. How many times did Les Miles take chances last year and look what the rewards were. Look at the risk Bob Stoops took calling a fake punt in OU's territory in a game with NC implications with Texas. Great coaches in this era take chances. Phil just has no killer instinct whatsoever.
 
#33
#33
We lost because we didn't run the ball at all (which probably factored into the fourth down call) and Stephens is a tit baby (and if we're being honest not that good of a quarterback) in his first road SEC start. That is a recipe for unmitigated disaster on a fourth and one. Our defensive line is average at best and our secondary though talented and loaded with potential still makes goofy learning mistakes.
You left out one important factor, our offensive line.
 
#35
#35
Nice post and response. How many times did Les Miles take chances last year and look what the rewards were. Look at the risk Bob Stoops took calling a fake punt in OU's territory in a game with NC implications with Texas. Great coaches in this era take chances. Phil just has no killer instinct whatsoever.

It's not as simple as "Les Miles does it, we should do it". Every fourth down call is it's own situation. For starters, we don't have the personnel LSU had last year. You know who else used to go for it on fourth down all the time? Hal Mumme. And he was an idiot because he never got it.
 
#36
#36
He's counting on the opposition making some incredible blunder to lose the game the way they did last year.

Bingo. The fact is anytime in the 4th quarter if you are down two scores and it is 4th and 1 across midfield, YOU GO FOR IT!!
 
#37
#37
That's really what it seems like. If you think about every single coach in the SEC, each of them would go for it in that situation.

He ask's his players to "not quit" to "never give up". But he doesn't believe in this team. I don't think anyone does. There isn't anyone stepping up and making plays other than Eric Berry. The problem is a Saftey can't win football games for you.

The quote above says it all. It sums up the way Fulmer coaches the game. He coaches not to lose. For a man who is a couple of losses away from loosing his job and preaches to his team to "never quit" on 4th and 1 down two scores on the road with 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. What did he do? He punted!! That tells me what type of man Phil Fulmer is. It should tell all of us.
 
#38
#38
Historical perspective is not an advantage they had at the time.
how is it not. They clearly knew at that point that our D would continue in 2 Way Deep mode with open receivers everywhere, making 1st downs essentially gimmes. They knew that driving a long field for us is virtually impossible because eventually the multiple 3rd and 10s would kill us. They knew that our defensive front was smoked from being on the field all day. They knew that we still have Chavis. They knew we were on the road. They knew that the new clock rules make that 11 minutes even shorter. They knew that we hd already wasted 2 timeouts.

They clearly knew enough to go for that fist down. However, Phil's philosophy of awaiting opponent mistakes hurt us again, the same way it has in his keeping Chavis around due to Chavis' buying the same tired philosophy.
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#39
#39
Our O line is truly Offensive! I don't care if you flip flop or not. Hit somebody, we have no push up front at all. No excuse. We are soft. It is obvious when the staff went with Crapton that we have no idea of what tallent is or who has it. Plug for Stephens, kid is playing smart and has a great arm. Finally where is Creer?:rock:
 
#41
#41
how is it not. They clearly knew at that point that our D would continue in 2 Way Deep mode with open receivers everywhere, making 1st downs essentially gimmes. They knew that driving a long field for us is virtually impossible because eventually the multiple 3rd and 10s would kill us. They knew that our defensive front was smoked from being on the field all day. They knew that we still have Chavis. They knew we were on the road. They knew that the new clock rules make that 11 minutes even shorter. They knew that we hd already wasted 2 timeouts.

They clearly knew enough to go for that fist down. However, Phil's philosophy of awaiting opponent mistakes hurt us again, the same way it has in his keeping Chavis around due to Chavis' buying the same tired philosophy.
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Good post BPV. We weren't playing AU again, where we could punt to them because their offense was as inept as ours. 4th and 1. If we go for it and don't get it, what's the worst that could happen? They score in 3 minutes instead of an 11 minute drive?
 
#42
#42
To a certain extent, yes it does suprise me. This is a guy who is fighting for his job and it just seems like there is never a sense of urgency.

What does he have to worry about? He's got a buyout that screams he is in a safe position.
 
#43
#43
You were certain? Come on. You didn't know, nobody can know that. What if they fumbled the punt return? I agree they probably should have gone for it. But thats easy for me to say sitting on the sofa by myself eating a meatball sandwich. But it certainly wasn't the reason we lost and some people are blowing it out of proportion.

I agree with everything OWH said. We saw it in 2005. Our defense got worn out in the fourth quarter and UGA ran the ball at will for probably yards per rush. I wasn't surprised at all to see Knowshon and Caleb King ram it down our throats.
 
#44
#44
Well it's an oblong ball so s**t happens and you never know when it's going to happen. Sometimes Boise State converts a 4th and wyoming and then scores a 2 point conversion on a statue of liberty against Oklahoma. There is no way to be certain about anything when it comes to football.
 
#45
#45
Even if we had gotten the 1st, do you really think we would have scored twice and prevent Uga from scoring once more?

For the record though I think we should have gone for it.
 
#46
#46
There's no way to be certain, but when your defense hasn't forced a punt all day, you're down two scores, there's 12 minutes left, the new play clock rules make quarters much shorter, your special teams are horrible, you have a free safety that is possibly narcoleptic, and you're facing a team with a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back... well that's a lot to think about. Something tells me Fulmer thought about none of that.
 
#47
#47
2 options:

1. Go for it on 4th down and not make it. Game over
2. Punt the ball away and hope that your defense that hasn't stopped anybody all day will turn it over to you so that you could give the ball back to your offense and score/recover onside kick, and score again. Game over anyways...

:crazy:
 
#48
#48
There's no way to be certain, but when your defense hasn't forced a punt all day, you're down two scores, there's 12 minutes left, the new play clock rules make quarters much shorter, your special teams are horrible, you have a free safety that is possibly narcoleptic, and you're facing a team with a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back... well that's a lot to think about. Something tells me Fulmer thought about none of that.

All of that is true, but you also must consider: Your quarterback is average at best, and his strength is the deep ball and not the short stuff you would be running to get this first down. Your offensive line has been beyond putrid all day, so any sort of running play will probably be a complete failure, and there's a good chance that your tit baby QB on his first SEC road start is going to have three guys in his jock as soon as the ball is snapped if you're going to throw the ball.

I'm not saying he made the right choice by punting it, I'm just saying it's not as cut and dry a choice as some people would believe.
 

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