#GTvsDUKE Postgame

awbuzz

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From the AJC: A tip of the cap to PeJe, unsung hero, but I'm sure he'll get kudos for the coaches.

"PeJe Harris made two hustle plays that didn’t get much attention but were significant in shaping the game’s outcome. Harris made the stops after both of Sims’ interceptions. Harris, who was not the target for Sims’ first interception, closed down on cornerback Jeremiah Lewis to knock him out of bounds. Harris was the target for Sims’ second interception and he chased cornerback Leonard Johnson, diving at Johnson’s feet as he sped away to the Tech end zone and getting just enough of his foot to cause him to step out of bounds.

At the least, Harris prevented better starting field position after the first interception for Duke, which lost the ball on downs at the Tech 20. By not giving up on the play on the second, Harris might have prevented an interception return for a touchdown that would have given the Blue Devils a 21-17 advantage. Instead, the Tech defense didn’t allow a first down, and then Charlie Ham missed a 42-yard try near the end of the first half.

In a game decided in the final minute and one in which Harris caught one pass for no gain, he still managed to make a significant impact on the outcome."
 

UgaBlows

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Actually, the usual extracurricular activities went on as the two went down field. None of that is ever called these days, unless the WR gets tackled or grabbed. When the ball got there Sanders, to his credit, had fought clear, but if the DB had turned around, he'd have been able to bat the ball down.

The whole sequence reminded me of the miracle catch in the 2017 Miami game, thought the shoe was on the other foot in that one. Luck plays more of a role in football then we usually like to think.
Are you talking about when the ball bounced off of our defenders helmet and then the Miami bobbled it, reeled it in and ran in for a touchdown? You need to learn how to admit when you are wrong about something and move on, we all make dumbass statements that are total b.s. from time to time.
 

bobongo

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Actually, the usual extracurricular activities went on as the two went down field. None of that is ever called these days, unless the WR gets tackled or grabbed. When the ball got there Sanders, to his credit, had fought clear, but if the DB had turned around, he'd have been able to bat the ball down.

The whole sequence reminded me of the miracle catch in the 2017 Miami game, thought the shoe was on the other foot in that one. Luck plays more of a role in football then we usually like to think.
Yes the coverage was very, very tight. Whether the interference is called is immaterial regarding the fact that it was still a very good catch made after the receiver was held near the line of scrimmage and interfered with just before the catch (and in fact it was called, because the flag was thrown). It would have been extremely difficult for the DB to have knocked the ball down because it was perfectly thrown over Sanders' head hitting him in full stride. It was an absolute primo play by QB and receiver.

It was 100% skill, and 0% luck.
 

4shotB

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Yes the coverage was very, very tight. Whether the interference is called is immaterial regarding the fact that it was still a very good catch made after the receiver was held near the line of scrimmage and interfered with just before the catch (and in fact it was called, because the flag was thrown). It would have been extremely difficult for the DB to have knocked the ball down because it was perfectly thrown over Sanders' head hitting him in full stride. It was an absolute primo play by QB and receiver.

It was 100% skill, and 0% luck.
Not that it really matters but when watching a replay of that catch, the announcer said there were 3 separate instances on that one play where the ref could have thrown a flag for interference. I agree, there definitely was interference but as you said, our receiver (and QB) just made a great play that took luck out of the equation.
 

bobongo

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The whole sequence reminded me of the miracle catch in the 2017 Miami game, thought the shoe was on the other foot in that one. Luck plays more of a role in football then we usually like to think.
Now that was luck. A batted ball falling down into the receiver's hands as he lay on the ground? Way different from our last TD at Duke. Way different.
If you call that one luck, you could call any pass completion luck.
 

Gtswifty81

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Who ever is the QB coach is the fault for a lot of his interceptions. locking on to receivers, forcing throws, not to mention his release that causes a lot of batted balls. Thats coaching.
Even with great coaching, I’d expect
From the rulebook:

Muff ARTICLE 2. To muff the ball is to touch the ball in an unsuccessful attempt to catch or recover it. Muffing the ball does not change its status.

Muffing doesn't change the status. It's still a live ball that traveled into the end zone on it's own. Touchback.
The muff rule is one of the most frustrating. At the very least they should add something like “a muffed punt resulting in a touchback will be not be advanced beyond the point of initial touch”
Ok, I can see this. However, Duke outplayed us for most of the game and we won on a Hail Mary. Yes, that was a "play when it mattered", but it was, let's face it, sheer unadulterated luck. My guess is that Sims didn't think the ball would be caught when he threw it. But it was and that's what counts.

I agree that this game could be a big confidence boost. However, I think that would come from the team beginning to think that their luck is in, rather then that they won because they outplayed Duke. Believing in your luck is one of the things that contributes to good seasons, as Dodd and every other coach who knows his business will freely admit.
I’m not sure why the last touchdown was luck. Sanders beat the DB quickly in his route and the Duke player grabbed him so he didn’t get beaten by 5 yards. A flag should have been tossed at that moment for defensive holding. Even with the hold Sanders maintained separation and I’m sure Sims saw he was open. It was pretty ugly blocking by the Tackles on that play, and the back foot throw isn’t ideal, but two athletes made a play and it wasn’t by luck. Even without the catch, the DB was beaten so badly he committed pass interference so it was a smart decision by sims to give sanders a chance to make a play. I’ll agree it was probably thrown better than Sims would have guessed in the moment.
 

dressedcheeseside

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The thing that concerns me about the coaches is that Sims had poor throwing mechanics when he arrived. He thrived in high school (in Jacksonville where I live) by being the best athlete on the field. Now, two years later, he has the same awful mechanics and footwork.
 

g0lftime

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Even with great coaching, I’d expect

The muff rule is one of the most frustrating. At the very least they should add something like “a muffed punt resulting in a touchback will be not be advanced beyond the point of initial touch”

I’m not sure why the last touchdown was luck. Sanders beat the DB quickly in his route and the Duke player grabbed him so he didn’t get beaten by 5 yards. A flag should have been tossed at that moment for defensive holding. Even with the hold Sanders maintained separation and I’m sure Sims saw he was open. It was pretty ugly blocking by the Tackles on that play, and the back foot throw isn’t ideal, but two athletes made a play and it wasn’t by luck. Even without the catch, the DB was beaten so badly he committed pass interference so it was a smart decision by sims to give sanders a chance to make a play. I’ll agree it was probably thrown better than Sims would have guessed in the moment.
Nailed it. The DB was beat and was trying to draw a penalty rather than the TD. A well executed pass and catch even with a defender grabbing him.
 

takethepoints

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Even without the catch, the DB was beaten so badly he committed pass interference so it was a smart decision by sims to give sanders a chance to make a play. I’ll agree it was probably thrown better than Sims would have guessed in the moment.
Or, to put it short, we lucked out. You are right, Sims was trying to give Sanders "a chance to make a play". There's an element of chance in every football play, but it is greater when it is a throw like that. And chance came down on our side. I'm having a hard time seeing why there is so much resistance to this notion.
 

THWG

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Or, to put it short, we lucked out. You are right, Sims was trying to give Sanders "a chance to make a play". There's an element of chance in every football play, but it is greater when it is a throw like that. And chance came down on our side. I'm having a hard time seeing why there is so much resistance to this notion.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
 

takethepoints

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Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
Branch Rickey put it better: "Luck is the residue of design." And, yes, it is. In order to have luck, you have to plan for it. Oth, chance is a factor in every plan. Especially when it involves a long throw at the very end of a game.
 

ibeattetris

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yeah hard to overcome that. pointing the finger at play calling?
O line is probably a bigger culprit than play calling. I have no idea what is wrong with the defense.

Excluding the NIU data (since I don't have access to it)

On offense our average yards to go on first down is 7.4.
On defense it is 6.8

Our lack of run game is putting the o in a rough spot on third down, and it highlights where our td drives are usually more explosive and less "grind it out".

Holding teams to 6.8 on defense is respectable (top 40), but we are allowing them to convert on 46% of those third downs which puts us near the bottom of the country (113th).
 
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