So..just playing the devil's advocate: all of y'all that are saying that Skip playing conservatively at the end of this game and the South Carolina game; cost us those games...would be the same folks screaming: "Hell yes you throw on second and third down in the red zone at the end of a game that can be decided by a field goal!"
“Towie Barclay of the Glen, Happy to the maids, But never to the men.”
We had already missed two extra points. Only a complete and utter fool would have played for a FG in that situation.
We moved down the field with ease, there was no need to let off the accelerator in this case. SC was a totally different situation, a much stronger opponent and his QB had already thrown a pick in the red zone. A stronger case could be made for playing for a FG in that game, though that would not have been my strategy.
no job danger
The FG attempt is the only way you play to leave zero time on the clock. With the school record holding FG kicker who is normally clutch, this is a no brainer call that Skip got right. Had we been playing for the TD we could have left 1:30 minutes on the clock or turned the ball over, in which case, people would rightfully blame Skip for losing by playing unconventionally.
With all that said, this team seemed to be playing with a lack of focus, and that is on the coaching staff.
I thought we should have made a better attempt to score a Td against South Carolina, but I understood it because how the game played out at Western Kentucky. To me, this was not the the game to put all on one play by Barnes. First, he's obviously struggling. Second, nobody on their side thought we would take a shot at the end zone. That way, at least you could leave it up to 2 plays! If we miss, you can still attempt the field. Good grief! We had timeouts and we kicked it on 3rd down. Give your team more than one opportunity to win the dang game!
It's Trump's fault. He tweeted to Holtz on that last drive: play for the FG.
They really are two different situations. You don't have to throw the football in either one. But you can't just run the football up the middle to play for the field goal in either situation given the circumstances and feel comfortable with it. Where were the jet sweeps? What about the quick pitch that we've had success with the past few years? Something to get our RBs or a WR running the football in open space!
A first down at the end of the game against SC would have set up a chip shot FG on the last play of the game from inside 25 yards. I would have felt comfortable with Barnes in that situation given the way he was kicking that day. But with Barnes struggling and pushing the ball to the right I would have at least tried to get closer in and moved the ball over to the right hash.
In that situation he would have been striking the football in a different way and moving away from whatever issue he was having. I've seen Barnes miss FGs from the right hash but never inside of 30 yards.