The onside kick with 2:20 left and 2 timeouts was a real head scratcher to me. If UNC was that conservative in their play calling that last series from inside our 50 then imagine if they had started on their own 25. The difference in field position was potentially the difference in the game. Starting on our own 10 with 1:15 left vs starting at our 30 etc... was huge. Those decisions win or lose games.
The decision to go for it from the 2 yard line after 6 consecutive plays from inside the 4 was also very questionable to me for a few reasons. First in was early in the game and we were down 7-0. Secondly the momentum had clearly swung in favor of UNC after 6 straight running plays were stuffed. I don't understand why he doesn't take the points there being so early in the game with a kicker who is as close to automatic as you can get at close range. His counter argument may be that even if we don't make it that UNC would have the ball at their own 2 setting our defense up to either create a turnover or get a 3 and out thus setting up great field position. The huge flaw in that thinking is that our defense has not shown the ability to capitalize on those situations. IIRC UNC proceeded to march 98 yards for a TD on their ensuing possession.
At the beginning of the 3rd quarter UNC got the ball and it was immediately evident that Kevin Steele had made some great adjustments. In the first series the DL which had clearly mainlined a case of Popeye's spinach at the half, came out on fire sacking Maye on first down after lining up in what I can only describe as a double wide 9 alignment with Harvey doing the honors around left end. Next Darrell Jackson proceeds to dogwalk the LG right into Maye's face thus forcing Maye to shorten up his arm motion and throw a floater that was picked off by Killa Kam.
At this point the entire team is both confident and fired up about the interception and the 10 unanswered points we scored before halftime as TVD was red hot and UNC had no answers for our passing attack and the uptempo pace we were playing at. Now with all of the above factors at play, momentum clearly with us and Kinchens interception lighting the fuse, that was the time to smell the blood and have TVD attack their defense relentlessly through the air and take control of the game. That wasn't what happened. No, instead of going in for the kill and continue to apply massive pressure to the UNC defense Mario decides to just slow it all down and go back to running the football out of bunch formations. Yes we also threw the ball that drive but just slowing it down allowed UNC to gather themselves and take TVD out of his zone.
These are the types of things that have me concerned. Cristobal's game management and in game decisions are/have been atrocious and I'm not sure that he will improve on that at this point. He can certainly improve and reshape this rooster to the point where we are top 5 in talent but it's the game management and game day decisions that are the difference between making the playoffs and winning the title.
I can go either way on the onside kick. I’m on the visitors side and was blocked out by the UNC players, but man, the way the crowd reacted on the other sides, I thought it was clean.
Anyway, with the type of onside kick it was, I was good with it. It wasn’t the typical 10 yard OS kick. The recovery that wasn’t was at their 35 yard line? So, it they had recovered, they’re at the 35-40 as opposed to the 25. The illegal touching penalty moved the ball up.
Kudos to Flagg btw on the QB stop. Mack was relying on bad LB play to get the easy 1st down with that call.
Disagree on the 4th down. Mo stays with UNC if they hold us to a FG there.
I will say the 3rd and 6 inches call was a head scratcher. It’s not the most exciting play in football but run the QB sneak again with a little “Bush Push” help from the RB.
Agree 1000% on the series after the INT.
Most teams go for the kill-shot right there.
One sideways point on the plodding offensive approach When not going tempo.
Nothing deflates the crowd more (after a big play) than to wait 35 seconds for an inside running play that loses 2 yards….
then another 35 seconds….
Brings back bad memories of the 2002 Natty. The OSU fans would cheer like crazy after a 3 1/2 yard run. They knew that 2 more of those, 2 minutes later, would get them a first down.
Me no-can-do.
