My take on the game

[soonercastor]

We lost because we (the coaches) overestimate our defense. This happened twice in the game (punting in Baylor territory on 4th and relatively short and the infamous timeout at the end).

The turning point for me was when up 24-17 we decided to punt on 4th and 3 or 4 yards to go in Baylor territory. Sure a lot of things happened after that but I fell like that was the turning point.
Now the timeout was ill-advised mainly because Baylor gained 4 yards on first down; having seen our D play all night how can we trust them to stop Baylor from gaining 6 more yards if they really wanted to?

Also it just appeared that we really didn't want to go to OT with them (2pt conv call and us calling a TO with Baylor driving). I thought the 2-pt conversion was a good call but after we called a TO and Baylor called the TO we should have just kicked the XP because we were trying to catch them off guard with the 2-pt and that was no longer the case.

Now I'll say this, last year we lost two games like these last year but unlike last year we've fought back in both loses which was good to see but we came up short in both which sucks. We lost both games after scoring 38 points, that should never happen.

Finch and Blake Bell = BEAST.

[EatLeadCommie]

the 2 point conversion call was mindboggling, especially considering out short yardage game. Yeah, we can get one or two yards now with BB back there, but 3 is a stretch. The timeout was just stunningly dumb. What, are we gonna get the ball back and have a chance at a game winning FG? I realize Hunnicutt kicked a 47 yarder last night (and kudos to him, btw...that was awesome and the only bright spot all night), but our kicking game is way too inconsistent for that. I like our chances in OT. We move the ball all night. Baylor was feast or famine all night. We win in OT, IMO.

[MamaMia]

The absolute worst coaching I have seen in a long time.

[BigTip]

the 2 point conversion call was mindboggling, especially considering out short yardage game. Yeah, we can get one or two yards now with BB back there, but 3 is a stretch. The timeout was just stunningly dumb. What, are we gonna get the ball back and have a chance at a game winning FG? I realize Hunnicutt kicked a 47 yarder last night (and kudos to him, btw...that was awesome and the only bright spot all night), but our kicking game is way too inconsistent for that. I like our chances in OT. We move the ball all night. Baylor was feast or famine all night. We win in OT, IMO.

The BB played had already worked from the six and maybe five. I forget exactly.
I liked the call. We certainly didn't want to get into a field goal kicking contest with anyone. It might have gone down to trying it anyway in the third OT. Unconventional call, but I think the right one.

[soonercastor]

The BB played had already worked from the six and maybe five. I forget exactly.
I liked the call. We certainly didn't want to get into a field goal kicking contest with anyone. It might have gone down to trying it anyway in the third OT. Unconventional call, but I think the right one.

It was the right call until the long delay (back to back timeouts).

[cleller]

We lost because we (the coaches) overestimate our defense. This happened twice in the game (punting in Baylor territory on 4th and relatively short and the infamous timeout at the end).
.

Trying to decide how you overestimate our defense vs a team with a good passing QB. Past performances should cause you to expect the worst each time the other offense gets the ball.

[AlboSooner]

The absolute worst coaching I have seen in a long time.

2005 isn't that long ago.

[Sooner Eclipse]

The right play was to kick the EP at the end of regulation and allow BU to run the clock for OT which they were perfectly willing to do until we called TO. Then in OT, when we're last on offense, score and use the belldozer for the EPs. Leave with a 1 pt victory.

[Widescreen]

the 2 point conversion call was mindboggling, especially considering out short yardage game. Yeah, we can get one or two yards now with BB back there, but 3 is a stretch.
3 is a stretch? Did you watch the game last night? Baylor had no answer for that formation regardless of distance.

[EatLeadCommie]

3 is a stretch? Did you watch the game last night? Baylor had no answer for that formation regardless of distance.
Defenses are a bit different when they're stacked for TDs versus short yardage.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

3 is a stretch? Did you watch the game last night? Baylor had no answer for that formation regardless of distance.

We would have been stopped on that one. We missed a blitzing corner that would have come in unimpeded.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

One thing that I'm kind of surprised that no one has mentioned was Heupel not killing more clock inside of the 5 yard line. 50 seconds is no mans land -> too little time to get it back, but enough to go down and kick a field goal.

[toast]

One thing that I'm kind of surprised that no one has mentioned was Heupel not killing more clock inside of the 5 yard line. 50 seconds is no mans land -> too little time to get it back, but enough to go down and kick a field goal.


Don't know if Josh expected them to be able to run it in from that far out on the 1st try. When they reviewed the play I told my son that it might have been better if he had touched around the 1 so that we could run some more time, although it would have just been a few seconds since bu called timeout. My mind went to the tech game when AD scored with a little over a minute left.

[FtwTxSooner]

combining a couple of threads ... i thought going for two would have been the wrong call with 51 seconds left. It would have forced BU to play offense and try to score, knowing our defense would just bend over, plus BU just needed a FG for the win.

If we would kick the PAT and have a decent kickoff, BU would be happy with OT. I didn't count on Stoops' bonehead decision with the timeout.

[8timechamps]

We definitely have defensive talent issues (well, actually I'm not sure if it's talent, effort, attitude, or all three), but the loss of Ronell Lewis was HUGE. Baylor exploited it (as any good coaching staff would), and it really affected our defensive presence.

I was nervous when it looked like we were going for 2, but I agreed with the call. I also understood the time out after the kick-off. What worried me was scoring with 50+ seconds left on the clock. With RG3 at QB, you knew Baylor wasn't going to sit on the ball and be happy with OT. But, as mentioned, I'm not sure our staff thought we would punch in that last TD so quickly.

[FtwTxSooner]

With RG3 at QB, you knew Baylor wasn't going to sit on the ball and be happy with OT. But, as mentioned, I'm not sure our staff thought we would punch in that last TD so quickly.

BU was happy taking the game to OT ... until Stoops called the timeout.

[cvsooner]

Interesting quote from Art Briles, re: the final minute, on the final play:
"Well we had a tie ball game, we had an overtime game. We felt like we could get into it. The problem was we had 51 seconds and no timeouts, they had three timeouts. We knew we had to go 80 yards because they were kicking with the wind, we knew we'd start at the 20. We knew if we ran the ball then they'd call timeout, run the ball again, timeout, run the ball again, timeout. If you're not making a first down then you're punting with 42 seconds left and there's a chance they're going to get the ball down there on the 40 yard line, make two plays, kick the field goal and then you're in trouble. We felt like we'd run the ball and see what their plan was, how they were going to play it. Were they going to try to win it in regulation? Were they going to let us go? So we ran it, they called a timeout, there's 46 seconds left and were second-and-6. And so then we say, `ok, we better make some first downs and get this thing out of here, if we can.' Now if you don't, you throw an incomplete pass and you're safe on the timeout, but at least you're attempting to get the ball down the field and work it. So our position was we were going to try to work our way down the field, see where we could get. Fortunately, Robert scrambled, got to midfield, got out of bounds, then the whole things flips. Then the ball's in our court and he was able to make an outstanding play right there at the end."

Quote from Griffin: On the final 51 seconds:
"The first plan was to get a first down because we knew they had three time outs, and we had none, and they were going to try and get the ball back, expecting us to be conservative. We came back with a pretty aggressive second down play, and we got the first. After that we were just trying to get a field goal range. We started picking up a chunk of yardage and at the very end God works in mysterious ways."

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/112011aab.html

My own take is Stoops was going for the win with the two-pointer. If we didn't get it, we try an onside kick. He was going for the win when we tied it up. Stop Baylor, use the timeouts and at least try for a good punt return and/or a field goal. And then you still have overtime. It blew up when RGIII got the first down with his legs. We'd contained him much of the night, but not the final drive. I had awful memories of the finale of the Bozo State Fiasco Bowl in that final minute. Thought we had pulled it out.

I'm not sure we would have won it in overtime, either. Just wasn't our night, and Baylor does have the top offense in the Big XII, after all. That has been overlooked by most. Yes, our defense should have done a better job. How much of that is coaching and how much of it is players, I can't say. I know players aren't coached that way. But for whatever reason, they're not getting it. I don't know if they learn it and then panic and jettison their training during the game (which is my hunch), or they just don't get it. Errors will happen, but if there's a coaching failure here it's not pulling someone and trying someone else. Unless you genuinely have no substitute, or the sub would be worse. Though I doubt last night that anybody could have been much worse...

[soonercastor]

I'm not sure we would have won it in overtime, either.

We had a much better chance because of 2 reasons

1) we moved the ball fairly well in the game, Baylor didn't move the ball as well. And by that I mean they fed off BIG plays, in a 25 and it's hard to do that when the field is shrunk. Now I know we had our share of redzone issues but we've fixed those in the last 3 games but Baylor ranks AT THE BOTTOM in the nation in red zone efficiency. ADVANTAGE US.

2) We would have had the momentum going into OT.

Again, I like the aggressiveness of wanting to go for 2, but after that TO was called we should have just kicked the XP...not like it mattered anyways. Us calling a TO after a gain of 4 on first down was a bad move however you slice it.

[BoulderSooner79]

We had a much better chance because of 2 reasons

1) we moved the ball fairly well in the game, Baylor didn't move the ball as well. And by that I mean they fed off BIG plays, in a 25 and it's hard to do that when the field is shrunk. Now I know we had our share of redzone issues but we've fixed those in the last 3 games but Baylor ranks AT THE BOTTOM in the nation in red zone efficiency. ADVANTAGE US.

2) We would have had the momentum going into OT.

Again, I like the aggressiveness of wanting to go for 2, but after that TO was called we should have just kicked the XP...not like it mattered anyways. Us calling a TO after a gain of 4 on first down was a bad move however you slice it.

I have to agree - I thought it was advantage OU if we got to OT due to 1) above. They were killing us with speed and open space which is hard to leverage from the 25 and in. Griffin would still be a threat breaking containment, but it would neutralize Wright and that other WR guy. We were moving pretty crisply to inside the 10 and then Bell was taking over. No guarantee we win in OT, but I would have liked to see that play out.

[cvsooner]

No guarantee we win in OT, but I would have liked to see that play out.Yeah. Me too. :fatigue: