First Quarter 4th and 3 Call... Why are we doing this?

[RLCookie]

I haven't seen this discussed, I suspect it is because it was successful but did anyone else question this logic in the first quarter?
We had 4th and 3 from the 4 yard line. The score was 21 - 14 with Illinois leading. Franklin chose to leave the offense on the field, pulled Clifford and brought in Levis. Not shockingly they ran a QB keeper up the middle. Analytics say kick the FG, take the points. It worked... this time. Why are we taking this risk? At the time they posted the stat we are 8/19 on 4th down conversions. These are the kind of things that frustrate me with CJF.

 

[BobPSU92]

We had nothing to lose at 3-5. Franklin likely was confident we could convert against Illinois, and if we didn’t, they get the ball around their 4. Not a bad move to go for it there.

 

[AWS1022]

Likely because Franklin felt confident we could run on their porous defense. I’m quite sure with the hours of tape they spent watching on Illinois, they felt they could exploit something in short yardage situations....either that or he panicked, like so many posters on here think.

 

[cjrugger]

I haven't seen this discussed, I suspect it is because it was successful but did anyone else question this logic in the first quarter?
We had 4th and 3 from the 4 yard line. The score was 21 - 14 with Illinois leading. Franklin chose to leave the offense on the field, pulled Clifford and brought in Levis. Not shockingly they ran a QB keeper up the middle. Analytics say kick the FG, take the points. It worked... this time. Why are we taking this risk? At the time they posted the stat we are 8/19 on 4th down conversions. These are the kind of things that frustrate me with CJF.

What analytics say kick the FG?

 

[OhioLion]

We had nothing to lose at 3-5. Franklin likely was confident we could convert against Illinois, and if we didn’t, they get the ball around their 4. Not a bad move to go for it there.

56-21. What am I missing? Can this board just take a win and not piss and moan because the coaching staff decided to do something its members didn't like?


OL

 

[BobPSU92]

56-21. What am I missing? Can this board just take a win and not piss and moan because the coaching staff decided to do something its members didn't like?


OL

We demand perfection of Franklin as we demand it of ourselves. It’s in our DNA. So it goes with high achievers.

 

[AWS1022]

56-21. What am I missing? Can this board just take a win and not piss and moan because the coaching staff decided to do something its members didn't like?


OL

Apparently a message board exists only for nonstop criticism and bashing of the coaches regardless of outcome. That’s what I’m being told anyway.

 

[AWS1022]

We demand perfection of Franklin as we demand it of ourselves. It’s in our DNA. So it goes with high achievers.

As most posters sit in their middle class homes, currently working in or retired from some mid level state job, relying on their vast football knowledge from their days of high school glory....now there’s some high achievers.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

I haven't seen this discussed, I suspect it is because it was successful but did anyone else question this logic in the first quarter?
We had 4th and 3 from the 4 yard line. The score was 21 - 14 with Illinois leading. Franklin chose to leave the offense on the field, pulled Clifford and brought in Levis. Not shockingly they ran a QB keeper up the middle. Analytics say kick the FG, take the points. It worked... this time. Why are we taking this risk? At the time they posted the stat we are 8/19 on 4th down conversions. These are the kind of things that frustrate me with CJF.

the analytics don't include the fact that the Illini defense sucks with all their players, and sucks worse when they only have 18 scholarship defensive players available in the game

 

[emertmakeshiteup]

...an O'B tape accidentally got mixed in with the "I" tapes! CJF's brain just shouted, "Hey, he did 100% of the time, what the hell?!"

 

[MJG-90]

So we kick the FG and are still losing 21-17. The Illini feel good about themselves and don’t fold so easily.

Change one thing and everything that follows changes too.

My vote? Shut up and enjoy the W.

 

[84Lion]

I had no problem with the call. Not make it and Illinois is pinned deep in their own territory. The announcers made a point of how thin the Illinois defense was, surely Franklin and Co. knew that. Penn State winning that game big was just a matter of time.

Normally, I agree, close game, take the points - but this was never going to be a close game.

 

[heckmans]

56-21. What am I missing? Can this board just take a win and not piss and moan because the coaching staff decided to do something its members didn't like?


OL

Everyone please stop discussing football on a football message board. There is no room for discussing coaching decisions, strategy, or play in this forum, especially if your team won the previous week. What's wrong with you?
Please return to posts from old guys about long ago recorded music, upcoming surgeries, and T&A. Just don't talk about current events or government.* The board's name sake will accuse you of "politics" and threaten to ban you even if you are just discussing structure and philosophy.

*It is okay to discuss govt and politics if it is in historical context. He loves that.

 

[heckmans]

Apparently a message board exists only for nonstop criticism and bashing of the coaches regardless of outcome. That’s what I’m being told anyway.

That's right. There can be no criticizing of the football team so long as you only criticize the basketball team, regardless of outcome.

 

[AWS1022]

That's right. There can be no criticizing of the football team so long as you only criticize the basketball team, regardless of outcome.

Wrong again, but thanks for playing.

 

[gogolion]

There are analytics that say you should ALWAYS go for it on 4th down, but no coach has the balls to do it.

 

[BBrown]

I haven't seen this discussed, I suspect it is because it was successful but did anyone else question this logic in the first quarter?
We had 4th and 3 from the 4 yard line. The score was 21 - 14 with Illinois leading. Franklin chose to leave the offense on the field, pulled Clifford and brought in Levis. Not shockingly they ran a QB keeper up the middle. Analytics say kick the FG, take the points. It worked... this time. Why are we taking this risk? At the time they posted the stat we are 8/19 on 4th down conversions. These are the kind of things that frustrate me with CJF.

I think there might have been a couple things at play. I think Franklin knew it was only a matter of time, apparently 5 minutes, before we completely blew away their defense.
I also don't believe he thought they (Illinois) could go that far with out a big play. I didn't have a problem with it.
This game pretty much went exactly as I thought it would...at least the first half.
Illinois having nothing to lose was going to pull out all the stops and trick plays.
I also don't trust Pry to have it "figured" out in the first half.
Also why did they prepare as if Peters was going to be the starting QB? Everything I read and saw, including from Illinois, is that they had nothing to lose by starting Williams.
And speaking of Williams what was up with his helmet?
He reminded me of this character...

 

[cjrugger]

That's right. There can be no criticizing of the football team so long as you only criticize the basketball team, regardless of outcome.

The criticism would be a lot more valid if the analytics actually said that. But they don’t, so not sure why the criticism shouldn’t be criticized

 

[Thomas1945]

The criticism would be a lot more valid if the analytics actually said that. But they don’t, so not sure why the criticism shouldn’t be criticized

If we’re going to allow the criticism of the criticism, then criticizing the critics of those that criticized the criticism should also be allowed. And so on and so forth in my opinion, which someone will probably criticize.

 

[91Joe95]

If we’re going to allow the criticism of the criticism, then criticizing the critics of those that criticized the criticism should also be allowed. And so on and so forth in my opinion, which someone will probably criticize.

That's a good point.

 

[AvgUser]

FWIW, I thought it was dumb to go for the TD as well. Then and there I think you take the three points. However, maybe CJF had little faith in being able to get the three. It was a coin flip with our kicking game.

 

[Omar81]

As most posters sit in their middle class homes, currently working in or retired from some mid level state job, relying on their vast football knowledge from their days of high school glory....now there’s some high achievers.

I hope you feel better with your condescending attitude of superiority over a class of people you just invented in your own mind. The OP simply asked for others’ opinions on an aspect of strategy from the game two days ago — he didn’t question some universal truth that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai.

I used to think you were a reasonably rational poster but in recent days you seem to be searching out individual posts that disagree with your sensibilities, and then responding with personal attacks. What gives? Maybe you should take a break from the board and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

 

[91Joe95]

FWIW, I thought it was dumb to go for the TD as well. Then and there I think you take the three points. However, maybe CJF had little faith in being able to get the three. It was a coin flip with our kicking game.

For me it brought back too many memories of Franklin going for it earlier in the season in his own territory against much better teams. Its frustrating to no end his game management this year. I am pleased that the team improved as they got more practices, disappointed they didn't view the bowl game as the opportunity to get better for next year that it is, and concerned by Franklin acting like the team needs to take unnecessary chances to stay competitive. Also frustrating, this administration (and Franklin) seemed perfectly fine with having their spot in the championship game taken away from them, to the benefit of their arguably biggest rival no less.

 

[djr4rebs]

Seasons is over, we must find something to discuss.

maybe CJF had little faith in being able to get the three. It was a coin flip with our kicking game.

I'm with you. If 3 were automatic, we probably take the points. A lot of circumstances played into this. The momentum swung on this very play. It went from a seesaw affair to PSU dominating the final 40 minutes.

 

[AWS1022]

I hope you feel better with your condescending attitude of superiority over a class of people you just invented in your own mind. The OP simply asked for others’ opinions on an aspect of strategy from the game two days ago — he didn’t question some universal truth that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai.

I used to think you were a reasonably rational poster but in recent days you seem to be searching out individual posts that disagree with your sensibilities, and then responding with personal attacks. What gives? Maybe you should take a break from the board and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

I did take a break from the board for pretty much the entire season due to the morons who polluted it as soon as we lost to Indiana. I thought maybe after winning four in a row some of these unreasonable folks would get a little better handle on things, so I came back only to find the same know it alls still spouting off stupidity. I try to be reasonable, but it’s tough to be when so many are so ridiculously unreasonable. The entitlement and constant complaining is tiresome.