Coach's Decision Making

[ATL1]

Yes I'm piling on. I wouldn't do it if there wasn't material.

CPJ's decision making has become very curious to me. Since it's fresh I'll look at three bowl game decisions that I found curious if not egregiously poor.

1. Fake punt with Sean Poole:
On our side of the 40 Sean was to run for 15 yards plus for a first down?

2. Justin Thomas
Putting in Justin in with the offense being placed below the 5 yard line. I don't know what the goal was
perhaps to shake things up but it doesn't put Justin in a position to succeed at all. Then the play calling.

3. The reverse
With so much momentum regained by Tech. After Vad made the play of the game up to that point. He puts the ball in Dennis hands to make a throw on a trick play. A didn't understand why run that play from that down and distance and at that time.

 

[91Wreck]

I have already stated I am an anti-CPJ guy. However, I will try and defend him on a couple of points:

1. The Sean Poole play was a read by the punter. He falsely believed he could make it. CPJ probably takes that decision away from him in the future. As long as it is not a problem next year, I really don't have an issue with it.

3. We had virtually NO sustained drives against Ole Miss since the very first drive of the game. IMO, CPJ didn't believe that we would drive 85 yards and score the game winning TD without some type of trick play. I agree with him. I would rather go big and fail miserably than to die a slow death. I have very little problem with the call. We weren't going to score any other way.

However, #2 is completely indefensible. If you are going to put in JT, put him in a situation where he can be successful, or don't put him in at all. I don't know what CPJ was thinking, but that to me was by far his most bone-headed decision of the game.

 

[Eric]

I have already stated I am an anti-CPJ guy. However, I will try and defend him on a couple of points:

1. The Sean Poole play was a read by the punter. He falsely believed he could make it. CPJ probably takes that decision away from him in the future. As long as it is not a problem next year, I really don't have an issue with it.

3. We had virtually NO sustained drives against Ole Miss since the very first drive of the game. IMO, CPJ didn't believe that we would drive 85 yards and score the game winning TD without some type of trick play. I agree with him. I would rather go big and fail miserably than to die a slow death. I have very little problem with the call. We weren't going to score any other way.

However, #2 is completely indefensible. If you are going to put in JT, put him in a situation where he can be successful, or don't put him in at all. I don't know what CPJ was thinking, but that to me was by far his most bone-headed decision of the game.

I agree with all of this.

#1 that play has been huge for all us all year...See UNC and Pitt game. That wasnt on CPJ although after the game he said he should have taken the read away.

#2. I agree with both of you guys...I would rather not see QB switches every two series but I understand what he is doing and why he is doing that...but putting Justin in at that time just did not make sense at all to me.

#3. Once again I understand what CPJ was doing and I do not fault him for the call...it was a good setup and Godhigh was wide open. This is CPJ...this is what made him a genius back in 08 and 09. Once again I have no problem with the play call...but to have put the ball into Corey Dennis's hand was just something that I did not like seeing. Nothing against Corey as he gives it his all every time out there but he has not had a catch in his career and has not had the ball in his hands on offense that I can remember...Just was not a good fit IMO.

 

[bat_082994]

The fake punt thing by Poole is something I've see quite a bit from us this year. I think CPJ makes it a read for him in certain situations and it has worked a few times. The other two choices have me completely baffled

 

[Boomergump]

#1 was a read and not a call.
#2 agreed. Not the first time this year either.
#3 maybe would have been better after getting a first down or two. I don't mind the call if he saw something but it is a high risk play. Too close to the goal line for my taste.

 

[ATL1]

I will acquiesce to the Sean's play. But that trick play with Dennis just looks like desperation to me. From that down and distance with so much time left on a first down to run that play made no sense to me.

 

[CSJacket]

I didn't have much problem with the trick play-- like he said in the post-game presser, "If it works, I'd be a genius, but since it didn't, I'm a dumbass"-- or something to that effect. From the top of my head, the way the defense was swarming to the backfield, a reverse like that probably would have left at least one receiver WIDE open. At worst, I would throw that into the "questionable" category, but I'm not going to condemn a playcall like that. I don't think any of us expected to lose, what, 30 yards? for a safety.

As for putting in the illustrious Justin Thomas, (also according to his presser), he promised Thomas he'd get the next series sometime during the last drive, when it looked like they'd have reasonable field position. Taking that drive away would have been saying to Thomas "I don't trust you."

 

[alaguy]

Putting in JT was a POLITICAL decision.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I don't have a problem with the fake punt except that we missed on it.
I missed the JT possession but don't have a problem giving him a possession or even starting him out with poor field position. He should have been prepared with a set of plays CPJ felt comfortable with him running (and that CPJ was prepared to run at that point in the game). I honestly do t know if either was the case but would assume so.
The reverse is a play I had called for prior during our game chat. I felt confident it would work. Didn't love running it that deep in our territory and agree I'd have rather seen a starter...Smelter or Days even from aback spread out...be the one with the ball in their hands.
None of this means our coach is incompetent lol...not perfect either

 

[daBuzz]

Putting in JT was a POLITICAL decision.

I don't disagree with you. But it didn't have to be at that point in time. As a matter of fact, putting a fresh QB into the game in that situation (so close to the goal line) brings an awful lot of risk with it as well, IMO.

If he was going to give him a series, do it a series or two later when we aren't in the shadow of our own goal line.

 

[John]

Not sure if anyone listened to the post-game press conference.

1. CPJ took responsibility for this. Said it shouldn't have been a read.
2. CPJ promised Justin that he was going to put him in for the next drive BEFORE he knew where the ball was going to end up. A promise is a promise.
3. CPJ defended the play call and said he waited a series and a half to call this play. Godhigh was wide open as designed but just couldn't get the ball off. He didn't say this but it sounded like to me he would call this again. In the 10/28 CPJ radio show I summarized this year, CPJ said that he always has 2-3 "momentum changers" planned for every game but typically doesn't call it unless he thought we needed to. I remember the context was trick plays but CPJ called them "momentum changers".