Why didnt USC just kick a FG down 9? Kiffen make a bet?

[Zippy Chippy]

Did Kiffen bet on USC? That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Down 9 on 3 yard line go for it on 4th down. So funny I immediately looked at my paper to see the spread and saw USC +5. Annoys me that Musberger and Kirk didn't say anything about this

[Dahoss2002]

With less than 3 minutes left I think he figured the TD was now or never. Yes I know he coulda tried the onside after the FG.

[redshift1]

Loss of Barkley probably influenced his decision making, especially all the run plays at the ND goal line, after all USC has the two top receivers in college ball. The last five minutes of the game was mass confusion from clock management to play calling.

.

[elysiantraveller]

They went for it because Lane Kiffin has a football mind so superior to every other mere mortal his decisions are hard to comprehend. Just like Mike D'Antoni nobody fails upward like these two. Amazingly they both found that latest "promotion" in LA... go figure... :lol:

What that guy has ever done to convince anyone he is actually good is a complete mystery to me...

[Shemp Howard]

He was outcoached the whole game, why mess up a perfect game by doing the smart thing late?

[Robert Goren]

He was trying to win the game, not cover the spread. If kicks the FG there, then he has to drive the whole field to score a TD. If he scores a TD there, then he only has to get into FG range(and kick it) to win the game. Which way is the easier path? I think clearly the second is easier although the odds are against both. I don't think it is the job of coaches to worry about point spreads. Their job is to win games. Kiffin may or may not been out coached in the game, but certainly he was out manned without his star QB. The game was a lot closer than I thought it was going to be.

[Zippy Chippy]

Kick the FG and give yourself a chance.

[Robert Goren]

Kick the FG and give yourself a chance.The guy dropped a td pass on a very catchable ball. It not like they ran a play that had no chance on fourth down. All he had to do catch the ball. He makes that catch at least 75% of the time.

[Rookies]

I've seen hundreds of these over the years and depending on betting interest :rolleyes: , am either pleased/not with the decision.

As others have mentioned, he made the decision on the time left- 3 minutes. Thought it was the correct decision. It was interesting that USC was ripping some decent sized holes until they got down to the shadow of the goal line and THEN, the Irish stiffened.

[Hosshead]

I am not a fan of Kiffin (at all), but the problem was, he needed 2 scores, and they were already at the goal line.

Gotta go for it.
Then hope you can get within field goal range.
Otherwise you kick a field goal, maybe get the ball back, and have to drive the whole length of the field to score a TD. with maybe not enough time to go all the way. And then at that point, it wouldn't be any easier to score a TD anyway..

But you don't need as much time to get within field goal range.
So the clock was also part of that decision.

It would have helped considerably if he would have had Barkley. Especially at the goal line.

[anotherCAfan]

I don't have (that big of) an issue with eschewing the field goal on fourth-and-goal. What bothered me was no Student Body Right or Student Body Left, and not many passes. You can't run on ND defense, so you gotta do other things to score.

Looking forward to Wittek (or whoever wins the competition) hopefully do well next year with no outside expectations.

[Stillriledup]

That last drive was just a mess. They got a great runback and a great bomb but just fell apart late due to incredibly bad coaching. I dont mind that they went for it on 4th down because i think it might be harder to get the TD if the D knows that the TD ties the game which would be the case had they kicked a FG and then recovered the onsides kick.

[mostpost]

The nerve of these coaches to care more about winning the game than the money you bet on the game. :eek: