Stitt addresses passing on FGs

[Grizzoola]

Coaching 101: no team can afford to go deep into their opponent's red zone twice late in a close game and come away with 0 points.

This is it, in a nutshell.

 

[albinogriz]

Hog Wash.....
At the end of the NDST game he kicked a field goal in a situation where we needed two scores to win... One of them being a touchdown..
There was around nine minutes remaining in the game. The Bison were going to have the ball and are more than famous for their nine minute plus drives.
There was a great chance our offense wasn't going to see the ball again but he kicked the field goal and lo and behold NDST fumbled the ball back to the Griz and we all know what happened next..

Kick the damn field goal.!!

 

[ranco]

Eriul wins.

Coach panicked in the third qt.

Learn from the mistake and move on.

 

[SoldierGriz]

I don't know if the level of insanity on the board is at an all time high, but it's not far off. Please relax a little bit. I'm getting PM's from trolls complaining that they can't get a word in edgewise.

Wow. There is ACTUAL FOOTBALL RELATED discussion here, and you and others are complaining? Egriz baffles me.

 

[uofmman1122]

Hog Wash.....
At the end of the NDST game he kicked a field goal in a situation where we needed two scores to win... One of them being a touchdown..
There was around nine minutes remaining in the game. The Bison were going to have the ball and are more than famous for their nine minute plus drives.
There was a great chance our offense wasn't going to see the ball again but he kicked the field goal and lo and behold NDST fumbled the ball back to the Griz and we all know what happened next..

Kick the damn field goal.!!

Did you even watch that game? Almost nothing in this post is true.

Sullivan kicked the field goal with 2:47 left in the game. We then forced NDSU to punt on a 3 and out.

I think it's a fair criticism to call out Stitt's contradiction in kicking it here when we only needed a TD to tie it, just like in the Weber game. However, the situations were pretty different considering the game clock and our personnel trying to get that score.

 

[IdahoGrizFan]

Have we figured this out yet?
No?
Maybe it's time to more on. Who we playing this week? What are the chances we kick a FG in the red zone when it's 4th and 2 in the 3rd quarter? LOL

 

[fanofzoo]

Have we figured this out yet?
No?
Maybe it's time to more on. Who we playing this week? What are the chances we kick a FG in the red zone when it's 4th and 2 in the 3rd quarter? LOL

We need a poll !

 

[GrizRanger]

Something must be wrong with Stitt's strategy, since it is obvious that if he had his team make one field goal on either failed 4th down effort, Griz would have won the game in regular time instead of losing in overtime.

There is a reason most NFL coaches generally take the field goal points when available in the red zone rather than risking going for it on 4th down. There is also a reason those coaches made it to the top league in their profession. They understand risks and statistics.

Stitt needs to learn these things or he will not be around long.

 

[rgrizfan]

Kicks up the kicks good. Your University of Montana Grizzlies 17 Weber State Wildcats 21

That simple!

Since this would change everything about the rest of the game...I heard Weber then took the ensuing kickoff back for a TD...Damn it! Montana Grizzlies 17 Weber State 28

That simple!

 

[nzone]

Kicks up the kicks good. Your University of Montana Grizzlies 17 Weber State Wildcats 21

That simple!

Since this would change everything about the rest of the game...I heard Weber then took the ensuing kickoff back for a TD...Damn it! Montana Grizzlies 17 Weber State 28

That simple!

So kick coverage sucks too!! Damn :shock:

 

[Eriul]

I don't know if the level of insanity on the board is at an all time high, but it's not far off. Please relax a little bit. I'm getting PM's from trolls complaining that they can't get a word in edgewise.

Wow. There is ACTUAL FOOTBALL RELATED discussion here, and you and others are complaining? Egriz baffles me.

Basically. I thought this thread(while disagreements occurred) was actually quite cool. Different viewpoints, strategies, and I thought a real good analysis was occurring. I personally dug deep on statistics and we even got the philosophy input on why you should go for it on every fourth down.

No one called anyone on this board names and no trolling occurred.

How dare we right?

 

[AZGrizFan]

I just have a hard time with people who are wrong in the face of blatant statistics and logic. Box is just trying to argue to argue. Oh wells. I'm gonna go study now. Done trying to show numbers to people ignoring them

I'm a little late to this game since I'm in the middle of the ocean, but if a team fails to produce meaningful offense on 5 of 6 drives, who is it REALLY that fails to recognize blatant statistics and logic?

 

[PlayerRep]

Hog Wash.....
At the end of the NDST game he kicked a field goal in a situation where we needed two scores to win... One of them being a touchdown..
There was around nine minutes remaining in the game. The Bison were going to have the ball and are more than famous for their nine minute plus drives.
There was a great chance our offense wasn't going to see the ball again but he kicked the field goal and lo and behold NDST fumbled the ball back to the Griz and we all know what happened next..

Kick the damn field goal.!!

Did you even watch that game? Almost nothing in this post is true.

Sullivan kicked the field goal with 2:47 left in the game. We then forced NDSU to punt on a 3 and out.

I think it's a fair criticism to call out Stitt's contradiction in kicking it here when we only needed a TD to tie it, just like in the Weber game. However, the situations were pretty different considering the game clock and our personnel trying to get that score.

Agreed. While I'm okay with Stitt going for the TD's against Weber--knowing what we know about his philosophy--he should have gone for the TD against NDSU with only 2:50 or so left, and kicked a FG or two against Weber. Sullivan is 9-9 this year between 20-29, the range of one of the FG's. What were the chances of getting the ball back against NDSU and having enough time to drive the field for a TD. Not much, in my view. UM got lucky against NDSU late in the game, and certainly didn't get the job done against Weber.

 

[PlayerRep]

Grizindabox = winning. And again folks are saying Stitt should have known that the Griz would have another opportunity to score. So if you think like that then by deductive reasoning alone one also has to believe that Weber would have another opportunity to score. Stitt assumed he needed TDs bc he assumed that Weber would also score sometime. Whether is assumption was right or wrong it was reasonable for sure, especially with Weber gnashing us in the run game

I'm not second-guessing Stitt, but what you said makes zero sense. Why would anyone assume UM might not get the ball back, and get it back multiple times, and have several chances to score, before the end of the game? The UM defense had completely shut down Weber. Weber was not doing anything to UM in the run game in the second half--and averaged 3 yards per carry and got zero TD's and zero points.

Watching some of you try to justify the calls, is actually quite funny. In my view, they can't be justified--other than by saying that Stitt takes chances and goes by instinct. It's like the Bud Light superstition commercial: it's only weird if it doesn't work. If in the next year or so, all of this is working, it will be okay. If not, then ....

 

[PlayerRep]

.... Just as perplexing is the whole reasoning of going on fourth down instead of punting is based on his theory of percentages. The percentages by any measure say you kick the field goal.

Not true! there is a whole lot of statistical data showing that "conventional wisdom" isn't very wise.

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/a-new-study-on-fourth-downs-go-for-it/

Other situations also expose "conventional wisdom".

Example: It's late in the 4th quarter, you are down 31-17. you score a TD......now what?

A) go for 2
B) kick the pat, score again, go for 2
C) kick pat, score again, kick pat, win in overtime

Answer: http://www.slate.com/articles/sport...he_late_game_scenario_in_which_going_for.html

Side note: Nothing sucks the wind out of me as a fan like watching the Griz work the ball down the field, only to miss a 23 yard field goal.

Conventional wisdom yields "Bobby ball" and a runner-up trophy.
I'm ready for something different. Not something dreamed-up by some whacko, something based on statistical evidence of success. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, I like where Stitt's head is at and expect far better results as the team matures.

Regarding 23 yard FG's, Sullivan is 9-9 from 20-29 this year.

 

[PlayerRep]

I'm chuckling at the difference reactions from NDSU until Weber. Most of you seem to base your views on 20-20 hindsight. You don't view the call/situation from when it occurred. You view it from after the game. If UM had won the game, few would be discussing these calls. But we lost, so many are discussing, and disagreeing, with them. In the NDSU game, if Stitt hadn't gotten lucky, almost everyone would have been agreeing with me, when I was saying Stitt should have gone for the first down instead of the FG

 

[fanofzoo]

I'm over it. You can contemplate scenarios till you're blue in the face.....(not sure why that would make your face blue but thats what gramps always said) Not gonna pretend to know enough about the game to say I could have done any better. I still have faith in Stitt and will do my best to allow him what he deserves (time) to put his team together and get us going in the right direction. Going to be a rollercoaster but in the long run I trust there will be more downhill than uphill runs. Or is it the other way around?

:thumb:

 

[Tailbone]

Something must be wrong with Stitt's strategy, since it is obvious that if he had his team make one field goal on either failed 4th down effort, Griz would have won the game in regular time instead of losing in overtime.

There is a reason most NFL coaches generally take the field goal points when available in the red zone rather than risking going for it on 4th down.Coaches take the field goal because they are risk averse. There is also a reason those coaches made it to the top league in their profession.Bill Belichick? They understand risks and statistics. they understand risks, they apparently ignore statistics.

Stitt needs to learn these things or he will not be around long.

"Good enough" (making the playoffs but not winning the superbowl) contributes to a longer tenure for a coach - after all, only a single team ends the season with a win. Thus, the aversion to risk. Don Read was elevated to godhood with a single NC. If Stitt's unconventional approach to football yields a Natty, job security won't be an issue.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1652308-are-nfl-teams-making-a-mistake-by-punting-on-4th-down

 

[Glendivegriz]

One thing has been discussed is that by taking the field goal (I know, assuming you make it), the lead is four. Weber has now going to have to rethink their strategy. Their lead is no longer feeling safe. They would have continued to run the ball but when we got the touchdown, they would have had to take more risks passing offensively. Something they clearly didn't want to do. By getting the field goals, momentum shifts to our sideline. Weber then has to play with more urgency.

 

[grizindabox]

I just have a hard time with people who are wrong in the face of blatant statistics and logic. Box is just trying to argue to argue. Oh wells. I'm gonna go study now. Done trying to show numbers to people ignoring them

I'm a little late to this game since I'm in the middle of the ocean, but if a team fails to produce meaningful offense on 5 of 6 drives, who is it REALLY that fails to recognize blatant statistics and logic?

Bingo, Eriul wants to overlook the biggest statistic of all...