Coaching 101: Clock Management

[Buster Bluth]

Sorry buster... at some point the blame for the team's performance MUST go to the coach.

And that point is the two-point conversation. And notice, I'm not even saying Kelly made the right call, simply saying it's not an insane and horrendous call.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

And that point is the two-point conversation.

Yeah that's where I am. I'm ready to throw blame at Kelly, but I want to properly direct it. Calling a running play there is a non-issue for me

 

[Grahambo]

Yeah that's where I am. I'm ready to throw blame at Kelly, but I want to properly direct it. Calling a running play there is a non-issue for me

I would've taken a knee then punted in that situation. I called for it after the PI call was made. They decided to run the ball, fine but I would not have given it to anybody but Folston. He's the one that has been handling the ball all game. So many things that can be picked apart about this game.

The defense takes the cake.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

I would've taken a knee then punted in that situation. I called for it after the PI call was made. They decided to run the ball, fine but I would not have given it to anybody but Folston. He's the one that has been handling the ball all game. So many things that can be picked apart about this game.

The defense takes the cake.

I'm fine with that. When it's 20 degrees bringing a guy off the bench is just a weird decision. If you're going to run just give it to Folston.

 

[T Town Tommy]

And that point is the two-point conversation. And notice, I'm not even saying Kelly made the right call, simply saying it's not an insane and horrendous call.

And handing the ball off late instead of kneeling. Tried to milk a few more seconds and took the chance. It didn't work. He made the decision and it was the wrong decision. Horrendous? No. Wrong? Yes.

Not to mention his atrocious play calling. That's on him.

I like Kelly and think he is the best coach the Irish have had in a long while, but his decisions, not just the two point attempt, helped his team lose today. That's on him.

 

[Grahambo]

I'm fine with that. When it's 20 degrees bringing a guy off the bench is just a weird decision. If you're going to run just give it to Folston.

Yup. His over reliance on Cam is frustrating to me. Greg Bryant gets one carry for 4-5 yards and doesn't see the field again. Cam missed some blocks while he was in there too.

 

[scUM Hater]

Bryant is going to transfer....I know I will get blasted for saying that, but what would make him stay? I wouldn't blame him one bit. Maybe he isn't good enough to see the field, maybe he dances too much, I don't know what it is, but he gone in my eyes.

 

[IrishinTN]

Not sure going for 2 was a big deal. The way Northwestern was shredding our derfense they easily could have scored a touchdown just as soon as they kicked the fg at the end of regulation. Sickening game all around.

 

[gkIrish]

Not sure going for 2 was a big deal. The way Northwestern was shredding our derfense they easily could have scored a touchdown just as soon as they kicked the fg at the end of regulation. Sickening game all around.

Did you watch them try and score a touchdown and fail? Going for 2 literally cost us the game.

 

[Bluto]

Did you watch them try and score a touchdown and fail? Going for 2 literally cost us the game.

Way more than that cost ND the game.

 

[GATTACA!]

Yup. His over reliance on Cam is frustrating to me. Greg Bryant gets one carry for 4-5 yards and doesn't see the field again. Cam missed some blocks while he was in there too.

Just another symptom of his infatuation with playing seniors no matter what.

 

[Irish#1]

So I'm going to say this loss is embarassing but its not Kelly's fault that the most reliable back in the country fumbled the ball.

IMO it is BK's fault. TF is running well and is warm. Cam comes in off the bench cold. I would have stayed with TF.

 

[BGIF]

Saw someone do it in a similar situation last week. I gotta look up scores from last week in games I watched to figure out who, but they kneeled it out and then ran around a tiny bit on the last one.

Thursday night USC's QB Kessler ran back 19 yards from the LOS then took a slide to run out the clock with an 8 point lead over CAL.

 

[NCND]

So I'm going to say this loss is embarassing but its not Kelly's fault that the most reliable back in the country fumbled the ball.

"Most reliable back in the country?" That's GOT to be a joke right?

 

[GoldenDome]

IMO it is BK's fault. TF is running well and is warm. Cam comes in off the bench cold. I would have stayed with TF.

Sorry but what the hell does that have to do with holding onto the ball. Don't fumble. Period. People who say he should knee on the ball and punt is ridiculous. Never seen that before in my life.

Cam fumbling is just unacceptable considering the circumstances.

I don't think anyone on planet earth is saying before Cam ran on that play, Folston should be in, he is warmer. At that point, we all just assumed the game was over, considering Cam is usually sure handed.

 

[NCND]

Sorry but what the hell does that have to do with holding onto the ball. Don't fumble. Period. People who say he should knee on the ball and punt is ridiculous. Never seen that before in my life.

Cam fumbling is just unacceptable considering the circumstances.

I don't think anyone on planet earth is saying before Cam ran on that play, Folston should be in, he is warmer. At that point, we all just assumed the game was over, considering Cam is usually sure handed.

So y isnt Folston considered "sure handed". I dont see Folston fumbling and he is CLEARLY the better back.

 

[philipm31]

Yeah that's where I am. I'm ready to throw blame at Kelly, but I want to properly direct it. Calling a running play there is a non-issue for me

Makes sense, considering you are a McDaniel Apologist

 

[philipm31]

Just another symptom of his infatuation with playing seniors no matter what.

Bryant will be gone next year too, at this rate.

So much for having a stacked backfield as a strength of the team.

McDaniel is literally not worthy of seeing the field in place of GB or TF, especially TF.

 

[GATTACA!]

Bryant will be gone next year too, at this rate.

So much for having a stacked backfield as a strength of the team.

McDaniel is literally not worthy of seeing the field in place of GB or TF, especially TF.

The only reason is for pass pro, which is only an issue bc we are not balanced. So Kelly creates another problem by putting Cam on the field in an attempt to solve the first issue of his making.

I guarantee if our run/pass ratio was closer to even 60/40 then you wouldn't need Cam in on ALL of the pass plays. So yes Cam is effective at picking up that extra pass rusher, but maybe if Cam wasn't in that blitzer wouldn't be coming in the first place.

 

[philipm31]

Who was blitzing on that play? And would you have to even worry about a blitzer on a kneeldown play?

HORRIBLE coaching decisions on both sides of the ball for most of the last month.

 

[NDRock]

Or if we didn't snap that one play with 30 seconds left on the play clock lol

Funny how we always struggled to get plays off before the play clock ended yet when it's time to run the clock down we leave 20+ seconds on it.

 

[kmoose]

Just another symptom of his infatuation with playing seniors no matter what.

Seriously? Look how many young guys are playing on Defense. How can you possibly think that Kelly is fixated on playing upperclassmen?

 

[ThePiombino]

Seriously? Look how many young guys are playing on Defense. How can you possibly think that Kelly is fixated on playing upperclassmen?

See: Cam McDaniel in crunch time. That should be Folston's time. He's earned it. Besides, how else is he gonna learn? What's the worst that happens- he misses a block or fumbles the game away? Oh. Wait...

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Perhaps already mentioned, but maybe Kelly wanted to run the clock out by running plays as opposed to the kneel (thus the handoff to Cam) because he was deathly afraid to snap the ball to Brindza for a punt. He said post game Brindza had lost his confidence, thus the reason for the 2 pt try. Just spitballing.

 

[kmoose]

See: Cam McDaniel in crunch time. That should be Folston's time. He's earned it. Besides, how else is he gonna learn? What's the worst that happens- he misses a block or fumbles the game away? Oh. Wait...

McDaniel in crunch time has been MONEY, up until last night. It hasn't been predicated on McDaniel being a senior, it's been predicated on past performance, which had (up until last night) been damn near impeccable. I mean, I get that people are frustrated. But you can't just make stuff up, like "Kelly is too focused on playing seniors, and it is hurting the team", to blame it on.

 

[Catholics_Rule]

This loss is squarely on Brian Kelly for his terrible coaching decisions. It wasn't one or two things, it was through out the whole game. When they lined up for 2 I immediately said out loud, "what are you doing?!" Even the broadcast booth were questioning it. It's basic math, and because of that decision, and a host of others, Northwestertn won that game. Then with 6:00 left we're throwing the ball when Folston and McDaniel are running well.

Many have already done the math for punting the ball versus giving it to Cam. Sorry, I don't put it on Cam because he shouldn't have been put in that situation. If they have punted, There would maybe 11-12 seconds and NO timeouts.
Then Brian Kelly says, I never saw a situation where we take a knee then punted. Really? The USC game 2012, they did that very same thing.

This loss reminded me of the Tulsa game and how questioned Brian Kelly has a head coach at Notre Dame. Not only did his decision cost Notre Dame the game, but his arrogance post game was the same as yesterday's.

 

[Grahambo]

I guess BK isn't allowed a bad game once every few years.

 

[Irish Insanity]

This loss is squarely on Brian Kelly for his terrible coaching decisions. It wasn't one or two things, it was through out the whole game. When they lined up for 2 I immediately said out loud, "what are you doing?!" Even the broadcast booth were questioning it. It's basic math, and because of that decision, and a host of others, Northwestertn won that game. Then with 6:00 left we're throwing the ball when Folston and McDaniel are running well.

Many have already done the math for punting the ball versus giving it to Cam. Sorry, I don't put it on Cam because he shouldn't have been put in that situation. If they have punted, There would maybe 11-12 seconds and NO timeouts.
Then Brian Kelly says, I never saw a situation where we take a knee then punted. Really? The USC game 2012, they did that very same thing.

This loss reminded me of the Tulsa game and how questioned Brian Kelly has a head coach at Notre Dame. Not only did his decision cost Notre Dame the game, but his arrogance post game was the same as yesterday's.

Well said.

It is the coaches job to put the players in position to succeed and win. Yesterday he didn't do that.

 

[IrishLax]

Thursday night USC's QB Kessler ran back 19 yards from the LOS then took a slide to run out the clock with an 8 point lead over CAL.

This!!! This was it.

So USC had the ball on second down with 1:30 left, versus 1:36 for us. Ball not quite as deep into Cal territory. On second down, they called a "running play" that was set up for Allen to run laterally and then go down after having wasted a little bit of time. And then they had Kessler take a loss on 3rd down. Game over, 45+ seconds off the clock for each play. Kelly could've done the same thing or just straight kneeled it giving NW the ball at their 30 with 6-10 seconds max on the clock.

 

[irishfan]

I guess BK isn't allowed a bad game once every few years.

2010: Navy, Tulsa
2011: USF, Michigan, somewhat USC
2012: Really just Bama
2013: Michigan, Pitt
2014: Northwestern, and ASU to some degree

BK has 1-2 WTF games every year

Unless, you don't think the above games are "bad"