Lost the game when Holtz elected to kick the FG on the 2

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Just think, Holtz is the guy that every player and assistant coach on the team is thinking, ‘What the hell was that...? How are we going to win a championship with this guy deciding things?’ Right now, everyone on the Tech team has serious doubts about the abilities of the guy leading them.

Not too much in like the nation’s surrenderer-in-chief, we have a-failer-in-charge-coach.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Just think, Holtz is the guy that every player and assistant coach on the team is thinking, ‘What the hell was that...? How are we going to win a championship with this guy deciding things?’ Right now, everyone on the Tech team has serious doubts about the abilities of the guy leading them.

Not too much unlike the nation’s surrenderer-in-chief, we have a-failer-in-charge-coach.

[Cory]

I thought I saw a finger on it but at that point I was mostly tuned out. I knew how it was going to end, barring some bonus Tech move like an 87 yard fumble.

I agree though. At the time it was a fine decision. We were in the drivers seat until Holtz saw the scoreboard.

The ball was tipped so I don’t think the missed FG was exclusively Barnes fault. That being said, this game should not have come down to a field goal and Skip also managed the clock poorly during the final 2 minutes. Skip always does this when a legitimate lead has been built against a favorable opponent —he lets off the gas and gives the other team a chance in the 4th. He’s conservative when Techs leading when he should be doubling down, take more risks, and be more aggressive (take advantage of the cushion), knowing that if the gamble doesn’t pay off, we can spare it. He pulled the exact same shit against South Carolina in 2017 (another SEC game that Tech should have won but lost by 1 point late in the 4th quarter).

[HogDawg]

The ball was tipped so I don’t think the missed FG was exclusively Barnes fault. That being said, this game should not have come down to a field goal and Skip also managed the clock poorly during the final 2 minutes. Skip always does this when a legitimate lead has been built against a favorable opponent —he lets off the gas and gives the other team a chance in the 4th. He’s conservative when Techs leading when he should be doubling down, take more risks, and be more aggressive (take advantage of the cushion), knowing that if the gamble doesn’t pay off, we can spare it. He pulled the exact same shit against South Carolina in 2017 (another SEC game that Tech should have won but lost by 1 point late in the 4th quarter).

Holtz did it again.....

Against Kansas in 2014. (Tech lost 13-10, after leading 10-3 with 10 minutes left in the 4th qtr)
Against Marshall in 2014. (Tech lost 26-23, after leading 23-16 with 9 minutes left in the 4th qtr)
Against ODU in 2014. (Tech lost in OT 30-27, after leading 24-14 at halftime, and 24-17 with 7 minutes left in the 4th qtr)
Against KSU in 2015. (Tech lost 39-33 in triple OT, after leading 20-13 midway thru the 4th qtr)
Against Arkansas in 2016. (Tech lost 21-20, after losing a 20-14 lead in the 4th Qtr)
Against Middle Tennessee in 2016. (Tech lost 38-34, after leading 27-7 early in the 3rd qtr & 34-31 with 4 minutes left in the 4th qtr)
Against South Carolina in 2017. (Tech lost 17-16, after leading 13-0 until 11 minutes were left in the 4th qtr)
Against Southern Miss in 2017. (Tech lost in OT 34-27, after leading 27-19 with only 1:23 left in the 4th qtr)
Against North Texas in 2017. (Tech lost 24-23, after leading 17-10 at halftime & 23-17 with less than 7 min left in the 4th qtr.)
Against Southern Miss in 2018. (Tech lost 21-20, after leading 20-14 with 13 minutes left in the 4th qtr)
Against UTSA in 2020. (Tech lost 27-26, after leading 26-13 with 11 minutes left in the 4th qtr.)
Against Miss State in 2021. (Tech lost 35-34, after leading 34-14 with 13 minutes left in the 4th qtr.)


That's 12 games Holtz has lost in the 4th Qtr, most of them late in the 4th quarter. That's truly unbelievable. Holtz should be fired on these stats alone. Something just ain't right.

[sportdawg]

That game was the perfect metaphor of Holtz's career. Kansas, Kansas St., South Carolina, Arkansas, and now this game are almost completely the same. Just terrible play calling. Why pass it on every down when you have a decent lead in the 4th?

Our RBs had 33 yds on 20 carries- that’s why we didn’t run the ball. Had our receivers bot dropped so many in the 4th, we could have kept possession. Most were catchable

[dawg80]

During that kickoff return that set them up, I said to my wife, "we have just lost this game 35-34." She looks at the TV, sees the score 34-14, and the Moo State guy knocked out of bounds. With a look of confusion, because she is a football fan and knows the game, "if you say so." I knew it, in my gut. Sometimes I "see" things, call 'em premonitions or whatever. Someone else with such a gut feel might have dismissed it as a ridiculous thought, but I have the added experience of having to endure Skippy Holtz, the guy who has NEVER beaten a P5 in the regular season, while at Tech, and is notorious for 4th quarter meltdowns.

Meanwhile UTSA beat Illinois, Charlotte beat Duke, two upstarts garnering P5 wins.

Gonna be a looooooooooooong season, again.

[dawg80]

Oh, BTW, my wife comes back into the "Man Cave" a few minutes later with a glass of wine, hands it to me with, "You're gonna need this." Yep.

[champion110]

Holtz biggest weakness as a coach is he can not or will not change his tactics. How did you get 34 points? Not by playing scared. Why in the world does he insist on every time we get a lead on a P5 going into ultra conservative play calling, both offensively and defensively? Whenever we picked up that 4th and long with over a minute to go, the momentum swung big time in our favor. I nearly jumped through the ceiling, I can’t imagine what a bunch of 20 something year old testosterone overloaded men were feeling. Everyone knew except him. Why try and run the ball straight up the middle 3 times for a chance at an almost 50 yard FG? He literally held all the cards at that moment.

This...

[champion110]

I was thinking of not even coming to the board this morning. Last night was filled with highs and lows and I knew we would be in meltdown mode on here. I will just state this - The good: We have a QB and a team. The Bad: We have Holtz that can't coach in the 4th Quarter.

I will add that I thought we would get the Field Goal, though. I am bummed out about the game, but glad we have some type of team at least. We will win enough games again to get to a bowl, but that is it.

[kfj]

Our RBs had 33 yds on 20 carries- that’s why we didn’t run the ball. Had our receivers bot dropped so many in the 4th, we could have kept possession. Most were catchable

Kendall had 5 carries for 68 yards and a rushing Touchdown. I know most was on one play but maybe Holtz should have been creative enough to, I don’t know, let his best player make a play.

[kfj]

This was in the ESPN article:

"It was a roller coaster," Holtz said. "I'm not going to say we lost so much as time just ran out."

No, Skip, YOU lost plain and simple.

[techman05]

This was in the ESPN article:

"It was a roller coaster," Holtz said. "I'm not going to say we lost so much as time just ran out."

No, Skip, YOU lost plain and simple.

That is the worst thing he could have said. Admit that your players played better than you coached and that you lost the game for them.

[Amos Moses]

I am, and have been, a staunch critic of Holtz's choking tendencies late in games, but this one is on the players' execution. I know "if ifs and buts were candies and nuts, every day would be Christmas", but if the QB hadn't starting missing his passes, if the receivers didn't get dropsey in the fourth, if the special teams hadn't given up a long KO return and if the reliable FG kicker hadn't kicked a knuckleball FG try, we win.

The defense looked damn good. I think we backed off mid fourth quarter and that hurt us. We were in the QB's face up until that point. The DL and LB's were solid enough to win.

[techman05]

Maybe he believes he is coaching the skins game? As long as he wins 3 of 4 quarters he is good.

[techman05]

I am, and have been, a staunch critic of Holtz's choking tendencies late in games, but this one is on the players' execution. I know "if ifs and buts were candies and nuts, every day would be Christmas", but if the QB hadn't starting missing his passes, if the receivers didn't get dropsey in the fourth, if the special teams hadn't given up a long KO return and if the reliable FG kicker hadn't kicked a knuckleball FG try, we win.

The defense looked damn good. I think we backed off mid fourth quarter and that hurt us. We were in the QB's face up until that point. The DL and LB's were solid enough to win.

If the defense kept up pressure, we win. That’s coaching. If the coach has faith in his players to go out and get the job done, he doesn’t call runs up the middle into a wall of 300’s or screen passes out into the flat where 4 defenders are waiting to make the tackle. These players can’t possibly believe in themselves if the coach doesn’t.