What Richt was thinking with 18 seconds left:

[redmule]

"Tech has a back-up linebacker on their KO return team standing at about the 25 yd line. Why don't we kick it to him rather than Golden. At worst, he'll fair catch, and they will be 75 yards away with just a few seconds left. Probably, given the pressure Tech is under right now, he'll fumble or let it hit the ground."

Instead Harrell grabbed the kick and returned it for 20 yards to get us to almost midfield and give us a chance. I declare this the most significant kick return of the year and award the Kevin Tisdale 2014 trophy to Anthony Harrell. Remember Tisdale didn't score against Clemson in 1990, but put us in position to take back the lead and score the winning TD just like Harrell did.

 

[jeffgt14]

Richt did what any coach would do. Jamal is a dangerous return man and you don’t want to put the ball in his hands. Harrell made a great play and our guys blocked really well for a squib kick.

 

[GTRX7]

CPJ also said he had given his guys the instruction to return the kick no matter what. As he put it, better to take a chance in the open field on a kick return than start from the 25. I also don't think it was a terrible call, though not well executed.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Agree with the above. Plus this...usually 18 seconds or less almost always requires at least one big completion to move the ball into FG range. We had been killing them on run dives but not passing. And our best receiver was sidelined. Not what I'd have called but not as boneheaded as most mutts and media are portraying. JT just made a helluva play once the mutt defense bailed deep to play the long pass attempt.

 

[00Burdell]

Richt made the right call.

But on the wrong day.

Against the wrong team.

 

[takethepoints]

Yes, hindsight is 20/20. If I was Richt, I'd call the same thing. The problem was that he got three results that nobody would predict and that probably wouldn't happen in sequence again in that situation:

Harrell not only didn't muff the ball or fall on it (what I'd predict), but returned the ball to the 43.
Richt: OK, the world hasn't come to an end; we're in the same boat we'd be in if Golden had seen a crease. Play D!

JT goes back to pass, steps up in the pocket, and finds all WRs covered. He also see an open field and runs down to the 34 as a result.
Richt: Darn! We cover well and he takes off on us! Only 4 seconds left. But Butker is 53 yards away; 5 yards beyond his best.

Butker lines up and Ugag calls timeout.
Richt to his special teams coach: I know they might have been called for delay, but this is his longest kick of the year in a big game!

Butker hits the FG.
Richt: Rats! Better get an explanation ready for the press conference. After we win in OT.

I'm with him. After all this, however, I might have had an inkling that the Man Upstairs was not looking with favor at my chances to win.

 

[33jacket]

My coach never squib kicked unless under 12 seconds left in the game. Otherwise he kicked deep. 18 seconds is borderline for a squib imo. I bet many coaches kick deep with that time as a rule. Maybe even most.

Richt brain farted imo.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

Yeah the inbreeds and the media are harping on the squib kick because Richt came forward and said it was a mistake. What if he had kicked it deep and Golden had a TD on the return? Then he would have been an idiot as well. He made the choice to eliminate as much as possible the only thing he thought that could beat him with that much time on the clock. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us it did not work out. The truth is Georgia was lucky to be in the position they were in and the Football gods delivered justice upon them in the end. We were clearly the better team that Saturday.

Go Jackets!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

A lot of improbable things had to happen and did happen to make the squib idea fail:

1. Poor squib
2. Good return by upman
3. Great play by Thomas on the 20+ yard run out of bounds
4. Super human kick by Butker

All in all, Richt was playing the odds well by squibbing, even with 18 seconds to go. His timeout before the kick was the boneheaded call and I don't hear a lot of talk about that.

 

[UgaBlows]

The truth is Georgia was lucky to be in the position they were in and the Football gods delivered justice upon them in the end. We were clearly the better team that Saturday.

Go Jackets!

Yes!

 

[vamosjackets]

Harrell also played RB in high school and had a good looking film from what I remember. He's the right guy to have in that spot on the KOR team.

 

[SteamWhistle]

Based on his grin I'd say he was thinking "We beat the Nerds again, their best team in 5 years and we beat them with a poor effort". Not this team Fake-Tan-Richt. NO THIS TEAM!

 

[33jacket]

A lot of improbable things had to happen and did happen to make the squib idea fail:

1. Poor squib
2. Good return by upman
3. Great play by Thomas on the 20+ yard run out of bounds
4. Super human kick by Butker

All in all, Richt was playing the odds well by squibbing, even with 18 seconds to go. His timeout before the kick was the boneheaded call and I don't hear a lot of talk about that.

you are right, the timeout may have been worse...LOL

seriously, football god intervention that game. Serious.

 

[ClydeBrick]

Which mistake would be easier for CMR to "own" in the presser and inevitable mutthurt outcry?

1) Squib kick vs. deep kick

Or

2) Calling the TO with 4 seconds

(Choosing a 3rd option - admitting both, is just not in human nature.)


Unfortunately for CMR, the combo of doing both teased Murphy into getting involved.

From the cheap seats where I sit, CMR selling #1 as the "bad decision" is a better prospect for his reputation. "Icing" the kicker - is a time honored, and usually useless, way for a coach to affect an outcome of a play - thus it could be mostly ignored by the fans and media. If he sold #2 first, the mutthurt would not have been satisfied, and since #1 is an obvious call to complain about given the benefit of hindsight - CMR would be crucified for both.

As many have pointed out, #1 required many things to break GT's way to hose UGAg - thus CMR was simply playing the odds. Choice #2, given the totality of the circumstances, was just plain ignant.

 

[Boomergump]

Yeah the inbreeds and the media are harping on the squib kick because Richt came forward and said it was a mistake. What if he had kicked it deep and Golden had a TD on the return? Then he would have been an idiot as well. He made the choice to eliminate as much as possible the only thing he thought that could beat him with that much time on the clock. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us it did not work out. The truth is Georgia was lucky to be in the position they were in and the Football gods delivered justice upon them in the end. We were clearly the better team that Saturday.

Go Jackets!

This. Can you imagine the weeping and gnashing of teeth if Golden had returned one 99 yards for a TD? It was the right call. If you want to get crabby about their execution the last 18 seconds, how did they leave the underneath THAAT wide open on our only offensive play from scrimmage? One guy should have spied our good running QB. You don't need all 7 guys deep. They gave up that run by poor scheme. Also, I might agree with calling time out before the kick, HAD WE BEEN LINED UP AND READY TO GO. We weren't and he bailed us out. I don't think he was very aware of the game situation at the moment. I was relieved as all get out when they called TO. I started screaming at the tv with about 12 seconds left on the play clock, "get your @$$e$ lined up you are running out of time". To be truthful, I don't think any of our kids were aware and we would have been flagged had the REV not bailed us out.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Yes, hindsight is 20/20. If I was Richt, I'd call the same thing. The problem was that he got three results that nobody would predict and that probably wouldn't happen in sequence again in that situation:

Harrell not only didn't muff the ball or fall on it (what I'd predict), but returned the ball to the 43.
Richt: OK, the world hasn't come to an end; we're in the same boat we'd be in if Golden had seen a crease. Play D!

JT goes back to pass, steps up in the pocket, and finds all WRs covered. He also see an open field and runs down to the 34 as a result.
Richt: Darn! We cover well and he takes off on us! Only 4 seconds left. But Butker is 53 yards away; 5 yards beyond his best.

Butker lines up and Ugag calls timeout.
Richt to his special teams coach: I know they might have been called for delay, but this is his longest kick of the year in a big game!

Butker hits the FG.
Richt: Rats! Better get an explanation ready for the press conference. After we win in OT.

I'm with him. After all this, however, I might have had an inkling that the Man Upstairs was not looking with favor at my chances to win.

If you were Richt, you'd look like Helen Hunt

 

[dressedcheeseside]

This. Can you imagine the weeping and gnashing of teeth if Golden had returned one 99 yards for a TD? It was the right call. If you want to get crabby about their execution the last 18 seconds, how did they leave the underneath THAAT wide open on our only offensive play from scrimmage? One guy should have spied our good running QB. You don't need all 7 guys deep. They gave up that run by poor scheme. Also, I might agree with calling time out before the kick, HAD WE BEEN LINED UP AND READY TO GO. We weren't and he bailed us out. I don't think he was very aware of the game situation at the moment. I was relieved as all get out when they called TO. I started screaming at the tv with about 12 seconds left on the play clock, "get your @$$e$ lined up you are running out of time". To be truthful, I don't think any of our kids were aware and we would have been flagged had the REV not bailed us out.

I think I remember the announcer commenting that Thomas beat the spy to the edge on that run so they did have one.

On a more disturbing note, how in the world was our place kicking team not all lined up and ready to sprint onto the field the minute coach yelled "go"? There was a tv timeout after the mutt's final td for crysakes!!!

 

[takethepoints]

If you were Richt, you'd look like Helen Hunt

Huh?

Mind, were I the right gender, I wouldn't be that upset by looking like Helen Hunt.