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?
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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