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Why did Nyck return the final kickoff?

18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

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Didn't see it, but reading over the game summary, why return it to the 9 instead of just taking it at the 25? Better field position and saves a few seconds.

Extremely unlikely it would have made any difference, but every yard and second counts in that situation, particularly when your head coach "strategized" to let the opposing team score so the offense could get the ball back.
 
Uscg1984

Uscg1984

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I guess the staff felt there was maybe a 1/1000ths chance Harbor might return the kick for a TD and that those were better odds than the odds our offense would do anything productive with the extra time and yards. Plus, once he kind of mishandled the catch and it went into the endzone, I don't think he had any choice but to run it out.
 
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18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

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Uscg1984 said:
I guess the staff felt there was maybe a 1/1000ths chance Harbor might return the kick for a TD and that those were better odds than the odds our offense would do anything productive with the extra time and yards. Plus, once he kind of mishandled the catch and it went into the endzone, I don't think he had any choice but to run it out.
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With precious few seconds on the clock, though, it should’ve been a foregone conclusion that he just took the fair catch no matter what, right?
 
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I4CtheFuture

I4CtheFuture

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18IsTheMan said:
With precious few seconds on the clock, though, it should’ve been a foregone conclusion that he just took the fair catch no matter what, right?
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No.

Sorry, but no. Staff made the right decision but with the wrong player. - The thinking is you have no timeouts. You have one of the fastest guys in the country in Harbor and IF YOU GIVE HIM A CHANCE....something can happen. He was told to return it no matter what.... If you don't let him touch it, you eliminate 50% of your chances for a score right there....

My only gripe, it should have been Swain, not Harbor. Either way, right call. Give your team 2 chances at lightning in a bottle vs eliminating one of those chances altogether. That's the thinking. - Probably. :)
 
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18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

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I4CtheFuture said:
No.

Sorry, but no. Staff made the right decision but with the wrong player. - The thinking is you have no timeouts. You have one of the fastest guys in the country in Harbor and IF YOU GIVE HIM A CHANCE....something can happen. He was told to return it no matter what.... If you don't let him touch it, you eliminate 50% of your chances for a score right there....

My only gripe, it should have been Swain, not Harbor. Either way, right call. Give your team 2 chances at lightning in a bottle vs eliminating one of those chances altogether. That's the thinking. - Probably. :)
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Eh. Has Harbor come close to breaking on this season? Can't recall.

I would hardly say it was a 50/50 chance between going 75 yards for a score or returning a kick 100 yards.

Both were very low odds, but the best player on the field was Sellers, not Harbor. Besides, as has been discussed on here, Harbor just takes too long to get going for his speed to really be effective in that role.

I don't think it was an egregious mistake that cost us the game, but Shane let Bama score so we could get the ball back and let the offense try to score, then he gives away a few seconds and 16 yards. Seems counterproductive.
 
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18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

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Just watched highlights and, yeah, that was a terrible decision. Follows after the ball to pick it up on the bounce in the endzone to try to return it. Dumb.

Take the ball at the 25 and save 5 seconds.

Again, not the most egregious of plays, but when you LET the other team score a TD just so you could get the ball back to your offense, this makes zero sense.
 
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Piscis

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I'm of the opinion that Nick isn't too smart. Take the ball at the 25 and hope Sellers can make something happen. The offense had been moving the ball and Bama would have likely gone into the prevent trying to stop the big play. If Sellers and the offense could gain 40 or so yards in 20 seconds, the ball would be on the 35 with 10-15 seconds to play and the chance of scoring from there is much greater than the chance of Harbor returning a kick 100 yds.

Nick is fast once he gets going but great returners need to be at full speed in the first step or two and be shifty as a squirrel. Nick is a straight line runner, he isn't going make many people miss.
 
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18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

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Piscis said:
I'm of the opinion that Nick isn't too smart. Take the ball at the 25 and hope Sellers can make something happen. The offense had been moving the ball and Bama would have likely gone into the prevent trying to stop the big play. If Sellers and the offense could gain 40 or so yards in 20 seconds, the ball would be on the 35 with 10-15 seconds to play and the chance of scoring from there is much greater than the chance of Harbor returning a kick 100 yds.

Nick is fast once he gets going but great returners need to be at full speed in the first step or two and be shifty as a squirrel. Nick is a straight line runner, he isn't going make many people miss.
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Yep. I assumed he probably caught it on the fly. Letting it bounce, they trying to run after it backwards to pick it up...just stupid. Just let it go.

Again, I get we're talking a miracle situation either way, but a miracle from the 25 is a slightly more likely than a miracle from the 9.
 
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