Discussion: The last offensive series in bowl game

Jeremy Hill should have gotten the rock approximately 3 times to at least force them to use their time outs and/or bleed the clock.

That's what I would have called.

I was ok with the first down pass.

You have second and 2 with one of the best rushing attacks in the game and you need a couple of yards to win the game and you drop back two more times after being reluctant to pass all damn year????

fricking bizarre

I think we should have pounded it 3 times, but that is in hindsight. I can understand the playcalling there (shocking, I know).

Our formations were absolutely predictable all game, their D knew what we were going to do every play. We passed out of the I (I think, tell if wrong) on 1st & 2nd. In choosing to pass, the coaching staff was probably thinking that Clemson would expect us to pound it like we always do, especially in that formation, therefore giving us the chance to throw them off guard and possibly gain some sizable yards.

When we were running the ball they were filling the box and stuffing us almost every time. That's why I think we chose to pass.

That last series just seemed forced and almost predetermined. It's like they told Mett, hey we are putting the ball in your hands, its up to you. I would have used Ware on 2nd down, Hill on 3rd down if necessary.

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If he had done this into the teeth of 9 in the box and gotten stuffed he would still be lambasted for ultra conservative play calling.

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not from me and if he had gotten a first down the game would have ended.

2:43 on the clock at the LSU 39

Clemson has seven in the box

we pass and it works, we get to bleed the clock, it was a good call but not the one I would have made...

Credit to Les.



1:58 2nd and 2 at the LSU 47

Clemson has six rushing and three hanging back, we gamble big time with a play action roll out and the pass rush causes Mett to hurry his throw which goes incomplete and stops the clock.

This basically gave them a time out.




1:52 3rd and 2 at the LSU 47

They rush four with two hanging back in the box.

We run a quick button hook to the WR that may have been intercepted if it wasn't batted down.

This gave them another timeout.



Worst case scenario with Hill running three times is better than what LSU ended up giving them (three timeouts with 1:39 on the clock)


I know hindsight is 20/20 but I think we should have used the team's strengths (Jeremy Hill) and not been so cute with the play calling.

Mett was getting pressured all night and to throw three times in a row at the risk of something going disastrously wrong (pick six) was borderline idiotic IMO.

I then watched the end of the Rose Bowl where Stanford was in this similar situation.

Guess what they did?

ETA:

My opinion the first down play was the real shocker for me. I was saying. That's not miles like at all. I mean why not run. But after the 8 yard gain I thought. Nice. Now all we need is a couple 1 yard carries and we can bring in the new year with a great win. But........... Oh well
I felt the same way. 2 attempts to run it,worse case scenario we do not get it but force them to call time out or watch the clock run . Also like the idea about Ford getting an chance to get to the outside.

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I liked the 1st and 2nd down play calling.. if execution is there, we win the game. If we don't execute.. I see no reason to pass again on 3rd down..

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This is what I've believed all along. Landry was wide open on 2nd down and he had the first down easy. I wonder how far he would have gotten if Mett had hit him in stride. It looks like he would have been able to turn up field before going out of bounds, and it looks like our outside guy had his defender locked up. I don't know where the next closest Clemson defender was. Oh, well..... I agree that we should have run on third down.

People also say a lot of goofy stuff about that 2nd down throw that just isn't true. It's an 18 yard pass on the run that Mettenberger has to get over/around a leaping d-lineman who is about two yards away from him. It's not an easy throw and definitely not one I'd expect Mett to make given how shaky he has been throwing on the run all year.

It would have also been maybe a 5 yard gain, total. There were at least 3 defenders around Landry that were closing and would have made the tackle. No way he takes it very far.

Watch the play here, starting at around 1:33:

LINK

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Jeremy Hill should have gotten the rock approximately 3 times to at least force them to use their time outs and/or bleed the clock.

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Agreed. We had 1 rushing yard in the 4th and not by Hill. He was pounding them.

I'll never understand why he had no carries in the 4th. Makes no sense.

I also would've taken Alexander out, as well as he's been playing up to this game, he had an off game. Put Williford in. He was 100% for this game. He's been a starter and not a true freshman in his first bowl game. It hardly would've hurt.