You could easily take the same facts and make it an excuse for Stoops. Sure the play went to an 18 year old, but that’s only because Tuitama made a good read and checked down to the receiver the Duck D left WIDE OPEN! Sure the kid dropped it, but the play call was solid, and Tuitama’s execution and decision making was solid.

I’m not saying that it wasn’t a bad decision to have the Freshman in the game, but I don’t think it is an indictment on Stoops.

I would have gone for it, but I don’t know if I like the play calling. I would need to see the replay though before I am sure on that. In that situation, you need to give yourself choices. Tuitama is a good decision maker, and a play maker. In that situation, you need as many of those as you can get.

Statistically, going for it with less than 4 yards is more successful than not.

I thought it was a poor decision because it took a lot of the pressure of our offense. Rather than being backed up deep into our own territory and needing a first down to (potentially) avoid punting from our own end zone, our offense now just had to avoid fumbling and would be able to (in the worst case), pin UA deep in their own territory. I just don’t think the risk was worth the reward. I also agree with your point that it re-energized the crowd which, I am assuming, was pretty shell-shocked.

do you have?

By the way, leave it to the local sports columnist to defend the coach under fire.

I thought it was the smartest call I’ve ever seen Mike Stoops make, actually. Offense scored 28 straight points, Oregon obviously had an explosive offense on that night… your D had held up well lately, and that swing pass was very smart in itself. Nobody even took the back coming out of the backfield, you only need 3 yards…

I voted yes.

I’m very torn on this issue. I’m usually a go-for-it type of guy, and the math background in me screams go, and that’s what statistics tell you as well…

But, in this case, what does Stoops gain by going for it. Well, he gains a first down, which gives a decent chance at scoring. Or he gives the ball back to the Oregon offense, who has zero momentum, in poor field position.

If Arizona gets it, it may affect the game, it may not. It could get them going even more, and add to their already great momentum. But by not getting it, it gave the Oregon offense life and spark.

That call, with the momentum and emotion involved, was pretty much the game. If he punts, he keeps the status quo. If he goes and gets it, its not really backbreaking, cause it’s only 4th and 3, and drive continues….

It’s a tough choice. But the risks outweigh the reward in this case, I feel.

I am a pretty instinctive “go-for-it” type of guy. I almost always think the offense should seriously consider going for it on anything less than 4th and 4.

But this time, I think it’s different, and it’s because of how the possessions at the end of the game play out. In this situation, there are 5 minutes left. If Arizona gets the first down, there is almost no way they are running the full 5 minutes off the clock in that position.

In my mind, each team was going to get one more possession, whether Stoops goes for it or not. So, do you want to give Oregon the ball with momentum if you don’t get it. Do you want to give them the ball with their backs against the wall (and 4 downs to use), when they succeeded the week before (assuming Arizona scores)? Or do you want to give them the ball with little momentum, deep in their own territory?

Because of that, overall, whether or not he got the ball, it seems an unwise choice to go for it.