RedlessWardrobe said:
Pros and Cons of that play call decision:
Pros: Minimized the chance of a turnover and kept us in field goal range.
Cons:
Lost the reasonable opportunity to make a first down, which would enable us to:
1) Maintain possession for the rest of the game
2) Possibly end up scoring a touchdown which would have given us a bigger lead
3) Possibly make a field goal attempt from a short distance
4)Ignored possibility that our kicker misses the subsequent FG attempt ( which he did)
5) Gives Pitt a chance to respond with the own FG as opposed to a TD. (And gee, didn't we see their guy boom a 58 yarder right through the uprights?)
6) Not realizing that if a pass was attempted that resulted in an incompletion, that it wouldn't have a siginificant effect on Pitt's time EVEN if we made the field goal attempt.
7) Thinking that the effect of putting "running qb" Rogers into the game would result in a more difficult situation for the Pitt defense when the reality is our OL is to say the least - inconsistent. Think about it, even if you plan to run the ball, what is more effective - the ball in Mendoza's hands who is a realistic threat to throw a pass and resorts to a run, or Rogers who everybody in the stadium KNOWS is going to run?
CS and stupid football strategy.
Another pro was not giving up a sack and making a FG attempt longer.