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This one hurts for a lot of reasons. I don't even think about how our final record is impacted. I'm just miffed we are 0-1 this weekend. We really need to go 1-0 next weekend, then we can take it from there.
A few thoughts:
This is the first game our defense didn't really play well enough to give us a good chance to win. I never really believed we would go the entire season without having a game like this happen to them. It happens. It hurts when it happens.
When the time came for the 4th and 1, I was yelling at the TV emploring CPJ to go for it. I am so glad he did and I stand behind his decision 100%. This is the way I look at it: you have to play to win. Playing not to lose doesn't sit well with me. You have to try and control the outcome if you can. Truthfully, in my mind, we weren't likely to win without making that first down whether we punted or not. Our defense was gassed and not playing well. Our offense was moving the ball well most of the day despite not having the ball as often as one would like. In my estimation we were a 90% chance to convert and a 75% chance to not stop them if we punted. I'll bet if you surveyed the crowd on that 4th and 1 at the instant we lined up to run that play (whether PITT fan or TECH) and asked who was in better position to win the game? The answer would be for TECH. We can second guess the play call, whatever. Generally speaking I like the call to give #26 the ball there. I don't take much solace coming back after a play fails and second guessing the decision. Unless you were specifically calling for a different play before the ball was snapped, don't even talk to me.
As in most close games, there were a handful of plays that swung the outcome. These are the four that come most quickly to my mind (other than 4th and 1):
1. MLD's drop on the first down throw.
2. LA's drop on the pick 6.
3. CG failing to tip the ball away.
4. Doink! Good. instead of doink! no good.
A few thoughts:
This is the first game our defense didn't really play well enough to give us a good chance to win. I never really believed we would go the entire season without having a game like this happen to them. It happens. It hurts when it happens.
When the time came for the 4th and 1, I was yelling at the TV emploring CPJ to go for it. I am so glad he did and I stand behind his decision 100%. This is the way I look at it: you have to play to win. Playing not to lose doesn't sit well with me. You have to try and control the outcome if you can. Truthfully, in my mind, we weren't likely to win without making that first down whether we punted or not. Our defense was gassed and not playing well. Our offense was moving the ball well most of the day despite not having the ball as often as one would like. In my estimation we were a 90% chance to convert and a 75% chance to not stop them if we punted. I'll bet if you surveyed the crowd on that 4th and 1 at the instant we lined up to run that play (whether PITT fan or TECH) and asked who was in better position to win the game? The answer would be for TECH. We can second guess the play call, whatever. Generally speaking I like the call to give #26 the ball there. I don't take much solace coming back after a play fails and second guessing the decision. Unless you were specifically calling for a different play before the ball was snapped, don't even talk to me.
As in most close games, there were a handful of plays that swung the outcome. These are the four that come most quickly to my mind (other than 4th and 1):
1. MLD's drop on the first down throw.
2. LA's drop on the pick 6.
3. CG failing to tip the ball away.
4. Doink! Good. instead of doink! no good.