Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

There are always big plays that are keys to big games that are easy to see. The roughing the kicker, the personal foul on Mayberry, etc. But there is usually a few lesser noticed plays that make the difference as well. Here is my one overlooked play that cost us dearly.

About three minutes to go in the game, Toledo driving, third and whatever picks up enough to make it fourth and one at our 35. Everybody in the stadium and watching on TV knows they are going for it. Everybody except our defense that is. Toledo hustled to the line and quick snapped the ball while our def ends were still trying to figure out where the TE was so they would know which side of the formation to line up on. Gradkowski easily picks up the first down.

If we just call a TO (we had three left) we could have at least have gotten time to get set up. This would have let the crowd get into the play as well. The ball game was on the line. We stop them there and we win the game. But no, we were running around like a bunch of confused kids while the play was being run. Outcoached again.

Excellent point. That did not help at all, and teams like us that adjust so slowly are often vulnerable to that.

Here's my second hidden play. Third and 10 from the Toledo 25 on their last drive in regulation. Since the average play nets about seven yards, just play good defense and we should stop them short of a first down. What do we do? Corner blitz. TE heads right to the area vacated by the blitzer. Pass completion for 13 yards and a first down. Blitzing on third and long is just plain stupid. If we stop them there, they punt, and maybe never get the ball back.

Warthog wrote:Here's my second hidden play. Third and 10 from the Toledo 25 on their last drive in regulation. Since the average play nets about seven yards, just play good defense and we should stop them short of a first down. What do we do? Corner blitz. TE heads right to the area vacated by the blitzer. Pass completion for 13 yards and a first down. Blitzing on third and long is just plain stupid. If we stop them there, they punt, and maybe never get the ball back.

That was my thought at the time, also. If we stop them there, the game was ours.

I thought that roughing the punter was a BS call, the kid fell down on a BG player.

since your in the bad place. Dont forget our free touchdown. i would not have liked to win a game like that.

also i do agree we should have burned a T/O on 4th and 1, but more importantly our D could have done a more consistant job of getting to CueTip.

As for the roughing the kicker, I believe everything that can be done to protect kickers should be done. Yet I also believe that some latitude need be brought in for the officals. The hit had on the punter lastnight I believe is one of those hits. As it not a hit as you can clearly see our guy do every thing he could (while in midair mind you) to avoid the kicker. He did infact avoid the kicker, and the kicker landed on him. This should be a penalty, but 5 to 10yards from the spot of punt return and still allowing the recieving to keep the ball. Much like a block in the back on the return.

What if the Toledo FG is a couple inches more to the left and hits the goal post squarely and bounces back...not bouncing through?

That's not a 'hidden play'. That's an obvious one.

My 'hidden play' theory is about plays that are basically forgotten once they happen, but looking back you can say that if that one play turns out different, the whole outcome of the game is changed.

I thought it was hidden in the fact it occurred earlier, and all that happened at the end of the game overshadowed it.

This is more of a hidden possession: In the first half after the blocked punt gave us great field position we did nothing. A score there would have been great. After seeing what happened last year, I thought at the time we can not allow any opportunity to get away. But we did.

Go Falcons!!

Back on in to the MACC!!

RobbyFalcon wrote:This is more of a hidden possession: In the first half after the blocked punt gave us great field position we did nothing. A score there would have been great. After seeing what happened last year, I thought at the time we can not allow any opportunity to get away. But we did.

Big, big possession. After we failed to do anything, I turned to Noah and said that was a big stop for Toledo.

The worst part of that was that we went three and out. Is my memory correct - wasn't the second play of that drive a really long pass to Sharon that wasn't anywhere close to being completed? I love going for the dagger to the heart. But after that long opening drive, I think to follow it up with another time-consuming TD drive could have prompted Toledo to alter its game plan and get out of sync. Just a thought.

1987alum wrote:

RobbyFalcon wrote:This is more of a hidden possession: In the first half after the blocked punt gave us great field position we did nothing. A score there would have been great. After seeing what happened last year, I thought at the time we can not allow any opportunity to get away. But we did.

Big, big possession. After we failed to do anything, I turned to Noah and said that was a big stop for Toledo.

The worst part of that was that we went three and out. Is my memory correct - wasn't the second play of that drive a really long pass to Sharon that wasn't anywhere close to being completed? I love going for the dagger to the heart. But after that long opening drive, I think to follow it up with another time-consuming TD drive could have prompted Toledo to alter its game plan and get out of sync. Just a thought.

But Chuck was wide open on that throw. The throw was not made. I have no problem with the decision to go for the home run, but the execution was just not there, unfortunately.

hammb:

I didn't say he was covered, just that the pass wasn't close to being completed. I love going for the jugular, too and this brings up something that's nagged at me.

Maybe it's just my perception, but it always seems that when we go for - and miss - on a long pass play, our drives inevitably stall.

Biggest play to me was the deep ball to Sanders from our own 5 yard line that was incomplete. Sanders adjusted to the ball, and if it had been on target, he cuts back to the far side of the field and scores a 95-yd dagger touchdown.

Jacobs4Heisman wrote:Biggest play to me was the deep ball to Sanders from our own 5 yard line that was incomplete. Sanders adjusted to the ball, and if it had been on target, he cuts back to the far side of the field and scores a 95-yd dagger touchdown.

Very true.

I said last night late in the game that Omar is the worst sure-fire first round pick QB I've ever seen.

I love Omar, he's clearly the best player on our team, but he took a big step back from last year, IMO. He's missed a lot of throws this season, and has not seemed to see the defenses as well as he did last year either. Hopefully he returns for his Senior year and improves to play at a higher level.

For those interested, I heard Kiper on ESPN radio last week saying that Omar has dropped from his #1 Jr QB to more in the #4-5 range. I know he listed Brady Quinn & Vince Young, but I cannot remember who else he thought had surpassed Omar this year.