So they played the proper D. And if he ran it up the middle 3 times and got next to no yards and we punted people would scream about that too. And if they fell for it and Wadley ran 100 yards you would be saying BF was a genius! he tried and it didn't work because PS played proper D and maintained assignments. "THAT'S FOOTBALL!". You could focus on any play and how it could have been different if only for this or that.
***Sorry this post is so long, but I want to make a couple specific points.
First, to your main point, "That's Football" applies to weird bounces of the ball, (see Auburn's TD against Georgia), or a returner dropping a ball because the sun got in his eyes. Not for poor coaching decisions. And yes, you can nitpick all plays, even the successful ones. And there was plenty to nitpick in that game. But I think this particular play was inexcusable. Now...
I wasn't criticizing BF for being too conservative, and if by some miracle Wadley broke THAT play for a TD, I certainly would not have called BF a genius, extremely lucky maybe, and I would have been ecstatic but I would not have called him a genius.
Please go back and look at the play with 2 things in mind:
(
This point is not hindsight, these are things an OC needs to have in his head and BF had a long time to think about it before this series started.)
1. It is 2nd & 8 from our own 3 yard line (Right Hash). We have rushed for appx 15 net yards, primarily because PSU has been pressing the LOS and slanting to the boundary side. You should recognize this. As an OC you have basically 3 options;
a.
Be conservative, pound the ball inside the tackles and punt if you don't get a 1st down. If you chose this option, either side is fine, the only thing you are worried about is ball security. You're just trying to ensure you don't turn it over in the shadow of your own goal post. That's why short passing is out...too great a chance for a pick six.
b.
Be aggressive, run play action with max protection and try to hit a big play over the top. If it gets picked at the 40-45 yard line you are no worse off than if you punted. Maybe better. (Yes, there is a chance it gets picked and run back for a TD, but that doesn't happen very often on long throws, and a punt carries the same risk).
c.
Calculated Risk, run something that has some risk to it, pitch, toss, reverse, even a QB draw. But also has some home run/big play potential.
To BF's credit he picked option C, some risk. Everyone in the world was expecting off tackle, so I do give him credit for that. However, you have to understand the risks and try to mitigate them. The primary risk of this play is the DE doesn't bite on the fake. To mitigate this risk you give your back maximum lateral space/depth. If the ball is in the middle of the field, or you are outside your own 20, either side is fine. But when it is on the hash, and your back is in the end zone, you MUST run this play to the field. Based on the play called, defensive tendencies to that point in the game, and the D's pre-snap alignment (give Stanley a R/L option), BF should have known this play had a 1% chance of getting to the 5 let alone a big gainer. In other words, a moderate risk for little/no potential reward. However, if he runs it to the field side and the DE doesn't bite, Wadley can give ground and still have room (12 + yards) to outrun the DE and any pursuit before he has to escape the end zone.
Running this play to the boundary is baffling.
This part is hindsight but if you're going to pick option C, I think this would have been the obvious choice;
2. Wadley may have actually housed a toss-sweep to the field. Admittedly, this is hindsight, but a simple review of the play will show 2 things;
a. Because a toss sweep looks just like this play at the snap, the defensive reads and reactions would have all been the same with the exception of the boundary DE, and the FS. Stanley reverse pivots, Wadley jab steps left, and the FB dives off tackle just as in the play we ran. This draws all 3 LB's toward our LT. Our RG pulls and comes around to protect against a blitz, the FB is on his left hip to seal the edge and our WR is in position to block the CB. At this point if the ball is pitched to the field both LB's are out of position with their momentum going the wrong way, there is 0% chance they catch Wadley. If the boundary DE catches Wadley, then Wadley should be benched for life. So now Wadley is in space, at speed against a C and FS with a blocker in front.
b. As I've said, this IS hindsight, but if you watch the play I don't think you can make a convincing argument that the defensive players would have been in any other position at the time the ball was pitched. Assume that, for the sake of argument, and then look what we have! And before you say, "you've had days to think about this", remember this was the second play after PSU downed the punt at the 1. On PSU's 4th down BF knew we were going to get the ball back, most likely deep in our own territory, then the punt, followed by a long timeout. He had 6 or 7 minutes to think about what he wanted to do. In OC time, that is days!
Again, I'm not saying fire BF or that he is a terrible OC. He's not. He's done some good things this year, and I think he will develop into a very good OC, if his dad will allow it. But right now, I don't think he knows how to self scout, or make adjustments when our O gets stuck in neutral.
Having said all that, this particular call was an inexcusably BAD call in a big moment.
