Be honest answering ...

[FiremedicVol]

I was thinking right before it happened that it would be sweet if they did an onside kick here but I didn’t expect it. Team didn’t give up that’s for sure and excellent and ballsy call there on the onside kick. You don’t get the ball back there you’re screwed.

 

[Russdaddy2027]

Yes
Yes
Was convinced it was coming and worried it would not be successful and their QB would score again or drain the rest of game with his scrambling around

 

[malinoisvol]

A - Would you as a head coach last night called for that onside kick with over 4 and half minutes to play and all 3 times out left ?

B - Think that Pruitt was going to call for it ?

Absolutely would have.

Absolutely. He had done it quite a fee times before, although unsuccessfully. They got one perfect when it mattered most. MOXY!

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

A. It was 22-16. If they recover, they are basically in field goal range to make it a two possession game 25-16 to all but seal the game. Kick it deep and trust your D to get the ball back with under 2 to play. But, Pruitt and co probably were thinking if they show us a certain look, we’re going to go for it. And they have been money on onside kicks since Pruitt has been there. Yes they haven’t recovered a bunch, but they have also been VERY CLOSE and every single one looks like it had the potential to be recovered by the Vols.
B. I was not expecting it at all. Props to the coaches design and the players execution.

 

[Remy]

I agree with everything but the spying (like Lane Train 4 said, you don’t spy an unathletic QB). However, it seems like we did make some “adjustments” or made the players more aware of his ability to take off because it seems he was not as successful later in the game (admittedly I am not certain of this because I have not rewatched the game and was caught up in emotion).
I have been impressed with his ingame adjustments. While he does not always make the best decisions (timeout), unlike our former regime, he does a good job of correcting mistakes and not repeating them.

He was mostly successful early in the game running when weren't expecting him to, even though they had like 69 yards of offense in the first half. Late in the game when we rushed 3 he was effective and not quite so much when we rushed 4. He WAS their offense against us.

 

[Cormock Mac]

It was a bold call that worked out. I’d much rather have a coach that isn’t afraid to take some risks than one who never does. What bothers me is that he almost gave the game right back to them with that horrible timeout. That was horrible awareness on his part and, from what I see, that carries right through the team with the dumb penalties we rack up every single game. For example, I’ve watched a ton of football over the years and I’ve never seen a center do what Kennedy did when he got the penalty for moving the ball almost an entire yard. How Pruitt handles the QB situation next year will go a long way towards whether or not he remains our coach more than another couple of years.

Says who? Are you the Athletic Director?

 

[Boca Vol]

I didn't even think about an on-side kick but with 3 TO's it was a perfect. With the college clock and college D's a minute-90 seconds is a ton of time.

What a turn of events!...for all the Bob haters.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

It was one of those calls where you are a genius if it works, a goat if it doesn't. Congrats to CJP for having the stones to take the risk.

 

[KingtUT]

I dont think he understands what any normal coach wouldve done in that situation. Im so glad it worked out. It was a thing of beauty. But if it wouldve backfired, everyone on here would be talking about all the other blunders he made in this game and in the season and asking for him to be fired for going 7-6.

 

[volpreacher]

I would have trusted the defense to stop them by kicking off. I was totally surprised but isn’t that part of a good onside kick, element of surprise? Also if see his postgame interview, Pruitt said they had seen this in film study and they had practiced it at least 500 times

 

[savannahfan]

A - Would you as a head coach last night called for that onside kick with over 4 and half minutes to play and all 3 times out left ?

B - Think that Pruitt was going to call for it ?

Answers:
A: yes, only if I knew and the staff knew the play was going to work if executed correctly. We have heard from the kicker and others that play and I think 2 others are worked on all the time (over 600 this year I think I heard). The kicker said he worked all last off season on that kind of kick. So yes under those conditions. More likely catch a team off guard then as later.
B: Based on what little I knew about team prep NO.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

A - Would you as a head coach last night called for that onside kick with over 4 and half minutes to play and all 3 times out left ?

B - Think that Pruitt was going to call for it ?

Whith him calling four of them last year, and with us down but with momentum, I was not that surprised at the call. IU had been oving the ball and a field goal would have sealed the game for them. I think it was to only way we could have won the game. A gutsy but necessary call. IU would have still won the game if their field goal attempt had not gone wide right.

 

[savannahfan]

Didn’t see it coming, and wouldn’t have called it. Anyone who says they would’ve Is prob lying. Every stat and expert out there will say with that time left you kick it and play D. BUT CJP obviously saw something in his game planning. It paid off. It’s really a defining moment for him I believe, even though we should’ve been up 30 at that point.

This worked so he’s a genius. Had it not, and we handed the ball to IU with that field position, it was likely a dagger. Had it not worked people would be screaming for his job today.

And people have been saying we don't game plan very well. Well this time planning worked and timing during "game" coaching did as well. Coach P and staff are growing....
Any coach is second guessed from time to time. You win some and you lose some.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

I disagree with it being a dagger if we don't get it. I think we had good odds of a 3 and out with the way our defense stuffed the run all night.

Easy to show your brass balls AFTER it worked. Many teams and coaches pay lots of attention to stats. It’s essentially proven research. 100% the call there is punt and play defense. 99% of coaches and us fans would agree if being honest. Your argument supports mine. If you have faith in the D you punt and play defense. If that fails we give them the ball nearly in FG range already. On top of our defense obviously tiring out and having issues containing the QB in the 4th. It took some big ones to make the call. But I also don’t think CJP makes that call solely on fortitude. He saw something he liked. Either in film or game play that night. That’s why he’s the head coach and I was sitting in my couch cursing the TV for three and a half quarters. It’s hard to argue there’s not a very good chance that’s the dagger if it doesn’t work.

However, it worked and here we are. I’m glad it did. I’m also being realistic and giggling at all the couch coaches that would’ve made that call with 5 min left. Go Vols.

 

[savannahfan]

Didn’t see it coming, and wouldn’t have called it. Anyone who says they would’ve Is prob lying. Every stat and expert out there will say with that time left you kick it and play D. BUT CJP obviously saw something in his game planning. It paid off. It’s really a defining moment for him I believe, even though we should’ve been up 30 at that point.

This worked so he’s a genius. Had it not, and we handed the ball to IU with that field position, it was likely a dagger. Had it not worked people would be screaming for his job today.

And people have been saying we don't game plan very well. Well this time planning worked and timing during "game" coaching did as well. Coach P and staff are growing....
Any coach is second guessed from time to time. You win some and you lose some.

Personally, I did not even think about an onside kick.

I will say this, that was one Hell of a call and in my opinion his best call of the season.

I didn't think much about it either. But my wife who knows little to nothing about football said are they gonna on side kick? As the play started I said no they will kick it deep too much time left... Yea really smart ain't I???

 

[VolTexas]

Yes. Yes.

Alabama used one against Clemson. Pruitt has been practicing ever since.

 

[Bassplayer30074]

The thought did cross my mind, but I would have probably kicked deep and hoped the D held up.

 

[Volfan574]

I was surprised as much as Indiana. I wouldn’t of had the guts to call an onside kick.

 

[savannahfan]

One of those "genius if it works - idiot if it doesn't" deals. I would add that it has seemed to me that dumb luck has favored the vols more this season than previous seasons. It used to be that all the luck we had was bad. Now, the team seems to generate good luck, if that is real.

There is an old saying "you make your own luck".

 

[savannahfan]

How they were lined up had more to do with calling it than the situation of the game. I was screaming at my TV ONSIDE KICK IT before they kicked it.

No doubt you are a real student of the game and watch intently. I have always thought I watched intently and usually can "guess" what kind of play is coming and when on defense can guess what needs to take place. But I never saw this coming...

 

[Lane Train 4]

Easy to show your brass balls AFTER it worked. Many teams and coaches pay lots of attention to stats. It’s essentially proven research. 100% the call there is punt and play defense. 99% of coaches and us fans would agree if being honest. Your argument supports mine. If you have faith in the D you punt and play defense. If that fails we give them the ball nearly in FG range already. On top of our defense obviously tiring out and having issues containing the QB in the 4th. It took some big ones to make the call. But I also don’t think CJP makes that call solely on fortitude. He saw something he liked. Either in film or game play that night. That’s why he’s the head coach and I was sitting in my couch cursing the TV for three and a half quarters. It’s hard to argue there’s not a very good chance that’s the dagger if it doesn’t work.

However, it worked and here we are. I’m glad it did. I’m also being realistic and giggling at all the couch coaches that would’ve made that call with 5 min left. Go Vols.

I disagree with your assumption that 99% agree to punt. It's about momentum. The team needed a spark and they got it through the onside kick. The value of much needed momentum greatly outweighed the risk.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

I disagree with your assumption that 99% agree to punt. It's about momentum. The team needed a spark and they got it through the onside kick. The value of much needed momentum greatly outweighed the risk.

We can all disagree. But that’s not my assumption. It’s football. Down one possession with 5 minutes left coming off a score, the play is punt. Peewee, HS, college, pro, the call is punt. Anyone in the industry will tell you that. CJP didn’t kick that inside for a “spark”. That’s how coaches lose jobs. He kicked that because he saw something that led him to believe there was a high chance of success. He was right. I also think our defense factored into his decision. The past few drives they were making that IU quarterback look like Lamar Jackson. They played well all game but were having issues. I assume due to fatigue trying to keep QB contain.

I love the call, and I’m happy it worked. But if you know football in any capacity you’ll agree the call 99% of the time in that situation is punt and play D. Unless you see something which CJP did. If it hadn’t of worked this would be the “why didn’t we punt? Fahr Pruitt thread”.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Good call but I honestly thought we would pin them back on defense.

 

[VOL_Lyfe]

No idea , didn't even think about it. Imagine the threads today if we hadn't recovered it.

Definitely a "great call if it works" moment.

If it had failed and given IU a short field with 4 minutes left, CJP would be hung in effigy. As a counterpoint, that "Sooper Jeanyus" Gus Mahlzan called a fake punt in his bowl game, it failed, flipped over field position to Minny, and AU lost.

The fickle fortunes of football fate.

 

[Lane Train 4]

We can all disagree. But that’s not my assumption. It’s football. Down one possession with 5 minutes left coming off a score, the play is punt. Peewee, HS, college, pro, the call is punt. Anyone in the industry will tell you that. CJP didn’t kick that inside for a “spark”. That’s how coaches lose jobs. He kicked that because he saw something that led him to believe there was a high chance of success. He was right. I also think our defense factored into his decision. The past few drives they were making that IU quarterback look like Lamar Jackson. They played well all game but were having issues. I assume due to fatigue trying to keep QB contain.

I love the call, and I’m happy it worked. But if you know football in any capacity you’ll agree the call 99% of the time in that situation is punt and play D. Unless you see something which CJP did. If it hadn’t of worked this would be the “why didn’t we punt? Fahr Pruitt thread”.

I played college football so nice try on the "if you know football" shot. The defense was playing just fine they really only gave up 10 pts the whole game. Once you factor in the pick 6, the interception for a field goal, and the 24yd punt for a field goal. The only TD the defense gave up was out of the half. They watch film at the half a script a drive that should work before the defense has a chance to adjust. The script was to use the QB's legs on the drive. You are greatly exagerating the IU QB's success. Yes the play was there and yes it was done for a spark.