As if Texas State could have scored on that last drive in regulation...

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

[CatFan22]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

How do you know what they would have done? They could have gotten just far enough to get a FG or gotten a nice catch for a TD.

[Isaac23]

what in the hell is that suppose to mean?

[DB_Atlantic10]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due. You of all people, a GSU fan would say such a thing.....if that would have happened at GSU, he would have had his walking papers during his post-game interview.....

[barechestcat]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

Tell me you're joking! You never, and I mean never, play to not lose. :asswhip:

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Even with three timeouts, I don't think that minute was enough time. You don't want the players to get too excited and turn the ball over.

[ASU Kep]

Horrible call by the TSU coach, who IMHO has done a great job though this season. Congrats to a great TSU squad. Getting to the semi's is not easy. Ask us.

[bandl]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.
Hey, since you seem to know the future....can you give me the winning powerball combination in Virginia??

How in the **** do you know that TXST couldn't have gotten 50 yards down the field within field goal range with over a minute left AND 3 timeouts AND the clock stopping to move the chains??? Did you SEE any of the big plays that both sides put up during the game?? There were plenty of defensive lapses that would have allowed a big play to move down the field.

[strike00]

I disagree. 1:20 and 3 timeouts was enough to get into field goal range. It would have had to have been run really well but definately could have been done.

[JMU Duke Dog]

As many others do I also think Texas State should have gone for it at the end. In the 2004 regular season W&M had about the same amount of time left against JMU in Harrisonburg and marched down the field under the guidance of Tribe QB Lang Campbell to get the game-winning field goal as time expired.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

The way some of you are talking, you are assuming that they would have scored. The chances weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't a great decision, but I don't think it was what blew the game.

[nlwwln]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

What an idiotic statement :nonono2:

[DB_Atlantic10]

Even with three timeouts, I don't think that minute was enough time. You don't want the players to get too excited and turn the ball over.

Football is played for 60 minutes, not 58:46..... what the hell were those timeouts for..... He choked, just plainly put, he choked....Championship teams don't bow down before the battle is over...UNI deserves to go after that.... That was not a standard football move and it killed the confidence of the players.....he basically told them, he didn't trust them and to play not with him, but for him..... Bad move, very bad move.

[bandl]

The way some of you are talking, you are assuming that they would have scored. The chances weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't a great decision, but I don't think it was what blew the game.

You don't play not to lose. You play to win the game. There's a reason they had 3 timeouts at the end of the game...why didn't they use them? Nealy had shown, through the entire game, that he couldn't be rattled to make a big mistake. Just about any coach in football in that situation would have been peeing their pants in excitement if they were in that situation with 3 timeouts and Nealy as their QB.

[nlwwln]

Football is played for 60 minutes, not 58:46..... what the hell were those timeouts for..... He choked, just plainly put, he choked....Championship teams don't bow down before the battle is over...UNI deserves to go after that.... That was not a standard football move and it killed the confidence of the players.....he basically told them, he didn't trust them and to play not with him, but for him..... Bad move, very bad move.

nicely said

[JohnStOnge]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

Well, we'll never know. But why would they not want to give it a shot? Look at it this way: You've at least got a chance to end it in regulation. You've got the last offensive possession in an offensive game where both defenses had trouble.

With the trouble they had with UNI's offense why would they NOT want to at least take a shot at getting into field goal range and ending it?

To say they had no shot given the offensive nature of that game would be ridiculous.

[leatherneck177]

I'm not sure I agree with the coach's decision either, but then again the Texas St QB could have tossed an INT like he did at the end of the game. Maybe the coach was worried about something like that happening. Either way, would've, should've, could've, UNI won.

[JohnStOnge]

The way some of you are talking, you are assuming that they would have scored. The chances weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't a great decision, but I don't think it was what blew the game.

I think given the nature of that game the chances that they could have at least gotten into field goal range was at least 50:50 and probably better. Neither defense distinguished itself in terms of overall ability to stop the opponent from moving the football. UNI did make some plays in the red zone. But all they needed to do was get into field goal range.

[JohnStOnge]

I'm not sure I agree with the coach's decision either, but then again the Texas St QB could have tossed an INT like he did at the end of the game. Maybe the coach was worried about something like that happening. Either way, would've, should've, could've, UNI won.

The biggest coulda shouda ect. in this game was the officials keeping UNI's field goal drive alive before halftime with that horrible roughing the kicker call. I was hoping the game wouldn't be so close that one could look back and think it was a factor in the outcome. But as it turns out it was very close and that was three points UNI got only because the officials blew one.

[golionsgo]

The way some of you are talking, you are assuming that they would have scored. The chances weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't a great decision, but I don't think it was what blew the game.


The bottom line is, Bailiff didn't give his team every opportunity to win the game and he gave UNI an opportunity by kneeling on the ball. There's no guarantee they would have scored, or even put themselves in a position to score, but by sitting on the ball, he guaranteed UNI at least a chance to win in OT and denied his team an additional opportunity to win the game.

Coaching not to lose, often times means that you do in the end.

[GSUISBACK]

The way some of you are talking, you are assuming that they would have scored. The chances weren't that great. Maybe it wasn't a great decision, but I don't think it was what blew the game.

http://www.nyiia.org/images/graphics/Book_YouPlayToWinTheGame_small.jpg

[HiHiYikas]

[QUOTE=bandl]You don't play not to lose. You play to win the game. QUOTE]

Especially at home. And with a trip to the NC on the line.

[MarkCCU]

You don't play not to lose. You play to win the game. There's a reason they had 3 timeouts at the end of the game...why didn't they use them? Nealy had shown, through the entire game, that he couldn't be rattled to make a big mistake. Just about any coach in football in that situation would have been peeing their pants in excitement if they were in that situation with 3 timeouts and Nealy as their QB.
I agree. I just read some highlights from the game, he choked. he had the time, i am amazed that the coach made that decision. is this season for bad calls or what? First Coastal now them... Congrats Cap'n and UNI

[igo4uni]

The biggest coulda shouda ect. in this game was the officials keeping UNI's field goal drive alive before halftime with that horrible roughing the kicker call.


The call was indeed questionable. (as many replays showed.)

However, the defensive player has to be smart enough to not even touch the punter. It was a mental mistake, but he shouldn't have put himself in the position to be called for roughing the kicker.

[golionsgo]

The call was indeed questionable. (as many replays showed.)

However, the defensive player has to be smart enough to not even touch the punter. It was a mental mistake, but he shouldn't have put himself in the position to be called for roughing the kicker.


I would disagree slightly on that. He thought he had a chance to get a block, that's why he was so close, but when he realized he couldn't get out in front, he tried to peel off. He did a good job, it's just that the official took the bait. It's hard to blame the ref for calling what he thought he saw, but if it took him that long to make up his mind, he should have just given him five instead of fifteen.

[JohnStOnge]

The bottom line is, Bailiff didn't give his team every opportunity to win the game and he gave UNI an opportunity by kneeling on the ball. There's no guarantee they would have scored, or even put themselves in a position to score, but by sitting on the ball, he guaranteed UNI at least a chance to win in OT and denied his team an additional opportunity to win the game.

Coaching not to lose, often times means that you do in the end.

That's a good point. That was an opportunity to win the game. You've got an opportunity for the last possession of a high scoring game during which your offense has moved the ball up and down the field all night.

How much do you want to bet that if UNI had had the same opportunity they'd have gone for it?

Must be tough to be a Texas State fan right now. On one hand it's a coach who brought the team to a hair's width of the championship game after the program had never been in the I-AA playoffs before. On the other hand that was one of the most disappointing decisions I've ever seen. Just unbelievable.

Yes, they very well could still have lost. But they would not have wasted that opportunity.

[ravens]

I agree. I just read some highlights from the game, he choked. he had the time, i am amazed that the coach made that decision. is this season for bad calls or what? First Coastal now them... Congrats Cap'n and UNI


Heard TXST coach headed to CCU to help tweak Super Safety play :coach:

[JohnStOnge]

The call was indeed questionable. (as many replays showed.)

However, the defensive player has to be smart enough to not even touch the punter. It was a mental mistake, but he shouldn't have put himself in the position to be called for roughing the kicker.

No, that was just a bad call. That kind of thing...with players passing close to the punter...happens all the time. The guy actually did a good job of avoiding the punter. There's no way the player bears responsibility for that unless you think players should never even attempt to block punts.

That was just flat out a horribly blown call by an official.

It happens. That kind of thing is one reason why I say luck plays a role in football. Even if you do a good acting job, you can't count on having an official keep a drive for you like that. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't.

[ngineer]

Bailiff, you will write on the blackboard 500 times:PLAY TO WIN, PLAY TO WIN,PLAY TO WIN, PLAY TO WIN, PLAY TO WIN, PLAY TO WIN....... :read:

[AUtigersGSUeagles]

I've seen NFL teams move down the field and get into field goal range in 1:20, and they don't have the clock stopping on 1st downs. So a college team with three time outs could definitely do it. I don't understand that call.

[MarkCCU]

Heard TXST coach headed to CCU to help tweak Super Safety play :coach:

:coach: HA. now i have to get on the defensive here b/c i was at the CSU game and i think you need to see the difference. we know bout Baliffs, so lets focus for a second on Bennett. I agree that it was a bad coaching decsion but Simpson should've known to go for the safety, or at least stay the hell away from the sidelines. Our coach played to win every game.

[MarkCCU]

I've seen NFL teams move down the field and get into field goal range in 1:20, and they don't have the clock stopping on 1st downs. So a college team with three time outs could definitely do it. I don't understand that call.

one of the greatest NFL plays was i believe made by the Dolphins that had 3 minutes left in the game and came back from a 32 point defiencey. my facts may be a lil off, but something like that.

[JohnStOnge]

I've seen NFL teams move down the field and get into field goal range in 1:20, and they don't have the clock stopping on 1st downs. So a college team with three time outs could definitely do it. I don't understand that call.

Absolutely. They had plenty of time. And with a guy who can make plays with his feet like Nealy they could've told him to take a look then pull it down if he didn't see anything wide open.

Sure, there would've been some risk but it was low risk. I think their chances of winning by doing it were a lot better their chances of losing by doing it.

[ravens]

:coach: HA. now i have to get on the defensive here b/c i was at the CSU game and i think you need to see the difference. we know bout Baliffs, so lets focus for a second on Bennett. I agree that it was a bad coaching decsion but Simpson should've known to go for the safety, or at least stay the hell away from the sidelines. Our coach played to win every game.


Don't you think Baliff could help Simpson find the sideline sooner?

[MarkCCU]

From his performance tonite, Baliff would be at the end of the sideline leaving the field during the last seconds...The coaching, albeit risky, wasn't bad. Simpson just executed it completly wrong...

[ericappstate]

As suspect as both teams secondarys were, there was time for Texas State to score. Then UNI would have the ball back and they would have time to score also.

[golionsgo]

That's a good point. That was an opportunity to win the game. You've got an opportunity for the last possession of a high scoring game during which your offense has moved the ball up and down the field all night.

How much do you want to bet that if UNI had had the same opportunity they'd have gone for it?

Must be tough to be a Texas State fan right now. On one hand it's a coach who brought the team to a hair's width of the championship game after the program had never been in the I-AA playoffs before. On the other hand that was one of the most disappointing decisions I've ever seen. Just unbelievable.

Yes, they very well could still have lost. But they would not have wasted that opportunity.


I could understand sitting on it if the score were 10-10, and both offenses had been struggling. I still think with three times out to their none, you still go for the win from the 25 yardline with 1:27 to go, but at least if it were a defensive struggle (or would that actually be an offensive struggle? I digress...) it would be easier to digest playing for OT.

Another factor to consider as a coach, you never want the opponent to go to OT with momentum. The fact that UNI had just scored, they had to be breathing a huge sigh of relief when they saw Nealy take the knee. They had all the momentum and the Texas State side was completely befuddled and full of dispair. It was like having a date with Ms. America, only to find out she had Herpes as soon you got to the hotel room!!!

[DB_Atlantic10]

I just feel bad for the Seniors.... you have 3 TOs left, a Payton Award Candidate QB, 1:16 left and Chatty at stake.....could it get any better than that...going for the win and the highlight reel for life....This is football...the greatest players are known for drives and catches...not laying down. At least they would have known that they tried, even if they do lose, it would have been fighting to the end!!!

I heard a similar comment in regards to the Colts on Inside the NFL, all of the undefeated hype being talked up..then in the next sentence it was, if they were in a tight game 16 against the Cardinals, do you play to win or take out key players not to get hurt before the play-offs...therefore defeating the whole purpose of going undefeated......What's the point in playing your butts off 15 weeks just to dump the final game to play safe for the playoffs. Nothings guaranteed in football, it's all about momentum...lose your momentum at the wrong time and it doesn't matter what happened weeks before....

[Pantherpower]

John, please give the roughing call a rest already. If I didn't know any better, it would seem that you're really holding a grudge not only against the officiating, but UNI. That's sad. I really like the McNeese folks and usually enjoy your insightful posts, but you need to let this one go. Geaux Cowboys! :beerchug:

[skinny_uncle]

The old saw is that you go for the tie at home and the win on the road. It doesn't always work out.

[bobcatfan06]

The refs were pretty bad. There were some of those UNI catches that were definately not catches. You could see the player trap the ball, or the ball hit the turf through his arms. THe refs were pretty bad.

[JohnStOnge]

John, please give the roughing call a rest already. If I didn't know any better, it would seem that you're really holding a grudge not only against the officiating, but UNI. That's sad. I really like the McNeese folks and usually enjoy your insightful posts, but you need to let this one go. Geaux Cowboys! :beerchug:

If it were McNeese and the same thing had happened I'd be glad McNeese went on to the final. The way I look at it, even if you have some luck in the form of things like officiating errors, you still have to be really good to get to that point. And right now the thing with the kickers acting like they've been hit when they haven't been is common practice.

But, as a general matter, I do not like it. Even if it hadn't happened in this game, if the subject came up, I'd tell you that football at all levels ought to do something about it. I really do think they ought to start penalizing teams when they judge that there's acting going on.

Plus I was pulling for Texas State in this case and that was a really bad call. Sure, a team has to put that behind it and overcome it but that doesn't change the fact that it helped UNI's chances of winning in a game that was very close. I'm sure as in any game there were other bad calls and no calls but that one was just so obvious.

Heck, just say you know it was a bad call but you're still glad UNI won. Say if they weren't real good and hadn't played well one bad call wouldn't have helped them. That's what I'd do.

[*****]

...That was an opportunity to win the game...and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.

[skinny_uncle]

and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.
True, Ralph. But sometimes, you just got to go for it.
:D

[JohnStOnge]

The fact that UNI had just scored, they had to be breathing a huge sigh of relief when they saw Nealy take the knee.

I think that's a great observation. I don't think that there's any doubt that if you'd have asked UNI's coaching staff if they'd rather have seen Texas State come out and try to score or come out and take a knee they'd have said they'd rather see them come out and take a knee. That right there tells you which action would've carried the greatest overall chance of a Texas State win.

[JohnStOnge]

and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.

Overall, all things considered, I think there best chance to win would've been to go for it. I think there chances of winning in overtime were 50:50 at best. You're weighing the chance that by going for it you either score or neither team scores agains the chance that you either turn it over or leave too much time left so that the other team scores. I think the chance of them scoring in some way was greater than the chance of having the other team score in regulation as a result of them going for it. If the neutral happened they lost nothing and go to overtime anyway. And, given the way they'd been able to move the ball and Nealy's scrambling ability, having the positive happen was more likely than having the negative happen so long as they told him to just pull it down and run if he didn't see anything wide open.

Sure, we'll never know what would've happened. But I think they cut their chances to win by failing to go for it. And I'd be of that opinion even if they'd have won in overtime.

[arkstfan]

I've personally watched 5 overtime college games. In 2 of them a turnover in the extra frame determined the outcome. TV games I couldn't say the ratio.

Scanning the box score, unless Texas State turned the ball over on downs and/or had the ball at the end of the first half, had the ball 10 times in regulation and scored on six of those possessions.

1:20 is a lot of time with no timeouts. With three it is a near eternity. I watched Arkansas State (tied at the time) move to a game winning FG in 52 seconds and the next to last play was run to milk the clock down and bring out the placekicker to insure no remaining time.

Texas State was not in a position that required every play to be deep pass. A significant portion of the playbook was still available. Left with a short playbook and a need for repeated successful deep plays I would understand going to OT, but that wasn't the case.

Yeah a turnover on your side of the field maybe costs you the game but a turnover in OT pretty much does the same thing (and did). The difference is that if you march down and do score in regulation chances are UNI does not get a chance to answer the score. If you score in OT your opponent has a shot to match or exceed you in OT.

Texas State had essentially a 2 to 1 possession advantage and conceded it. A chance to drive and score in regulation and if that failed there would be an OT possession for both teams.

On the plus side, Texas State fans will talk about this game for decades to come.

[DB_Atlantic10]

I now wish that TX St. would have scored and UNI would have had the 3 TOs with a minute plus left...it would have been a much better ending....

[golionsgo]

and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.


I completely disagree. A turnover at any point in the game is relatively low percentage, even in games that are marred with turnovers. The fact that Texas State had three times out, had 1:27 on the clock, and needed only about 45 to 50 yards to reach reasonable FG range, the odds were much greater that Texas State would have scored than them turning the ball over to UNI. Additionally, by pulling the plug, you GUARANTEED UNI a chance to win the game in OT. They may very well have stopped Texas State and won in OT anyway, but Bailiff passed on a very reasonable chance to win the game in regulation, which in affect, was like playing with one hand tied behind his back. Bobcat fans have every right to be irate at this point.

[golionsgo]

Texas State had essentially a 2 to 1 possession advantage and conceded it. A chance to drive and score in regulation and if that failed there would be an OT possession for both teams.




BINGO!!! You said exactly what I've been saying. A coach has the obligation to make decisions that allow his team every reasonable opportunity to win a ballgame. Needing only 45 or 50 yards in 1:27 with three times out is more than reasonable and forfeiting that opportunity in favor of overtime is a FAR RISKIER venture in my opinion. They had a golden opportunity to win it without UNI ever getting a chance to touch the ball again, or at least if they did, no times out left and not much time.

As I've said many times since the end of the game, the outcome may have been the same no matter what decision Bailiff made, but the one he did make will create the biggest WHAT IF? question in Texas State Bobcat history I'm afraid.

[blackfordpu]

Even with three timeouts, I don't think that minute was enough time. You don't want the players to get too excited and turn the ball over.

What are you talking about. Long lead the Kats down the field in 45 seconds or less last season to score the winning touchdown from 75+ yards. It is possible, you just have to go for it.

[savannahjohn]

and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.

Perhaps you should tell that to the Texas State players who openly expressed dismay on the sidelines when they saw their coach show ZERO confidence in them.

Bailiff basically told his guys that he didn't have enough confidence in them to trust them to win the game. They rewarded his attitude in OT.

[Laserlips]

You of all people, a GSU fan would say such a thing.....if that would have happened at GSU, he would have had his walking papers during his post-game interview.....



Yes sir.... You are correct.

I think if a GSU coach had taken a knee with the ball, over a minute to go in regulation, 3 time outs and the wind he would have been mobbed by angry fans and hung from the same flagpole that flies our 6 national championship flags.

And deserved it.

xidiotx

[blueballs]

Perhaps you should tell that to the Texas State players who openly expressed dismay on the sidelines when they saw their coach show ZERO confidence in them.

Bailiff basically told his guys that he didn't have enough confidence in them to trust them to win the game. They rewarded his attitude in OT.

Absolutely correct...

You can't hit a homerun if you don't swing the bat.

I don't know how his players could possibly respect and believe in him after this.

[ngineer]

and an opportunity to throw an INT or fumble and let UNI win the game in regulation. I agree that people here are making too much of that coach call.

And that's what happened in OT. With that much time and three timeouts, and the clock stopping for firstdowns, and a larger field to work with, with an amazing backfield that TSU has, and a strong kicker...I was scratchin' my head.

[PantherRob82]

horrid play. coach gave us the game. thanks Bailiff.

[McTailGator]

People, it would have not done any good...congrats to UNI on your first trip to the big game. You are past due.

BUT,

As the commercial says:

YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS THAT YOU DO NOT TAKE.

WE'LL NEVER KNOW NOW.

[ravens]

Perhaps you should tell that to the Texas State players who openly expressed dismay on the sidelines when they saw their coach show ZERO confidence in them.

Bailiff basically told his guys that he didn't have enough confidence in them to trust them to win the game. They rewarded his attitude in OT.

100 % correct. I didn't have a dog in this fight but HORRIBLE coaching. Ralph you have lost objectivity defending this call.

[PantherRob82]

The refs were pretty bad. There were some of those UNI catches that were definately not catches. You could see the player trap the ball, or the ball hit the turf through his arms. THe refs were pretty bad.

watch the replay of the game. there were no questionable catches.

waa waa

[PMB4Life]

Here are my thoughts.

UNI won in overtime because they were playing a Texas State team that was collectively stunned and saying to themselves "WTF?" Everyone who was watching the game in our neck of the woods was confused as well. This was a "Play not to lose" decision. UNI simply capitalized on it.

[BCisforBobcatTX]

I don't recall seeing any questionable catches, but I was in the stands and didn't have the benefit of a slow motion replay. There were some questionable calls sprinkled in there, but that's part of the game. Five times out of 10 Texas State wins and five times out of 10 Northern Iowa wins. UNI got the ball to bounce in their direction and congratulations to them. Anyways, Bailiff shocked me by making a terrible decision at the end. NOBODY could believe what they were seeing last night, myself included. Bailiff's still the coach of the year in my book but I doubt he'll win any awards for that call last night.

[Tom W]

Perhaps you should tell that to the Texas State players who openly expressed dismay on the sidelines when they saw their coach show ZERO confidence in them.

Bailiff basically told his guys that he didn't have enough confidence in them to trust them to win the game. They rewarded his attitude in OT.
Good decision or Bad, it is his decision to make; what it really showed me is that he obviously did not have enough faith is his offence to take the risk of turning the ball over and letting UNI win it in regulation! I agree with you on this one.