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A question for those that watched the end of the Nebraska vs Illinois game.

Freddie.B.Cocky

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2002
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I didn't want this to get buried in the other thread. It's one of those things that is driving me nuts.

Okay, Nebraska scored their last TD with 2:41 minutes left in the game. The Huskers kick the ball away. I don't understand this strategy and obviously I'm not a coach but to me Nebraska was taking away what little chance they had to win the game. I would have thought an onside kick would have been the better strategy in that situation given:
1. The Nebraska Defense was out of gas.
2. Illinois had been doing a decent job of controlling the ball all game.
3. If Illinois had gotten two more 1st down the game would have been over, they did get one during that series.
4. Illinois has an outstanding punter that pinned Nebraska up inside their own 10 several times during the game.

True Nebraska had three time outs remaining when they kicked away. Were they gambling on Illinois not even getting one first down? If so, then that was very foolish. Now, Nebraska did get the ball back with 54 seconds remaining down eight points with no time outs. But at that point in the game Nebraska obviously had to pass. Their QB was/is not a very good passer so all Illinois had to do was sit back and not let any Nebraska receiver get behind them- which the Illini did.

Given the above circumstance, if you had been the Nebraska Coach would you have kicked away or called an onside kick?
 
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Good question. I think of it like this, if you're relying on stopping a team from getting a single first down (especially) or two first downs, it's worth the risk of the on side kick.

If you don't stop them, the game is over anyway.

If you do stop them, you have a longer field to go.

Or the third option is you get the ball right away.

I'm sure someone has gone through the statistics and shown me wrong, because every team seems to make that same decision to kick.
 
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I didn't want this to get buried in the other thread. It's one of those things that is driving me nuts.

Okay, Nebraska scored their last TD with 2:41 minutes left in the game. The Huskers kick the ball away. I don't understand this strategy and obviously I'm not a coach but to me Nebraska was taking away what little chance they had to win the game. I would have thought an onside kick would have been the better strategy in that situation given:
1. The Nebraska Defense was out of gas.
2. Illinois had been doing a decent job of controlling the ball all game.
3. If Illinois had gotten two more 1st down the game would have been over, they did get one during that series.
4. Illinois has an outstanding punter that pinned Nebraska up inside their own 10 several times during the game.

True Nebraska had three time outs remaining when they kicked away. Where they gambling on Illinois not even getting one first down? If so, then that was very foolish. Now, Nebraska did get the ball back with 54 seconds remaining down eight points with no time outs. But at that point in the game Nebraska obviously had to pass. Their QB was/is not a very good passer so all Illinois had to do was sit back and not let any Nebraska receiver get behind them- which the Illini did.

Given the above circumstance, if you had been the Nebraska Coach would you have kicked away or called an onside kick?
Freddie, u have too much time on yer hands……..sure mrs. cocky couldn’t use some help with that bushel of snap beans😁
 
He should have looked surprised - Frost gave him the game. The Nebraska D was taxed and Illinois had been running the ball hard all day. He pulled a Muschamp.
This is the problem with pre-decided game situations. Their staff probably had a chart of situations vs time remaining, and the chart said kick away. But the chart can’t account for a gassed defense and a strong running back. Reminds me of Muschamp. And it reminds me of baseball managers who can’t think beyond a stats card to a hot hitter, etc.
 
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