Was there any talk in the 2 minute timeout about scoring too quick? I know it's hard to tell a kid not to score but if MR takes a knee on the 1 we win the game. Defense gave up 21 points in last 3 possessions prior to this.
If your the coach you tell him not to score too quick?

I get what you are saying but our ability to line up and punch one in on the ground in short yardage situations is also questionable so when get a chance to score with our offense you have to take it.

It comes down to who do you trust more. Your short yard offense, which was questionable since Moss got hurt (and play calling got worse) or your defense, which with a bunch of unknown DL who were gassed and a horrible tweety bird secondary. #6 and #8 on USC were killing us.

In this situation i trust the O more. But that is just me.

Whether we are trying not to score to quick, or if USC says let them score quick so we have more time on the clock is not the issue. The issue, like Vander said, is the defense should have been able to prevent them from marching down the field, basically unimpeded. and scoring with only 1:49 on the clock.

We have multiple examples of not being able to get 1 yard for a TD/first down. Not sure anyone would be comfortable purposely putting us in that situation.

I don't think it was the decision on one drive that beat us. We simply got out coached by an average coach (at best). There is no way we should lose a game where we were up 24-7 in the second half and had 3 interceptions. Then in the post game have our HC talk about how apprehensive he was anytime the opposing team dropped back to pass. This is our last game of the season and you haven't coached the team well enough to have confidence in their ability to defend. Which is his area of expertise.

Not giving up on Elko, but obviously have some concerns. Maybe it is just year 1 and he doesn't have all the pieces in place for his program, but time will tell.

aggie-1997 said:

---

We have multiple examples of not being able to get 1 yard for a TD/first down. Not sure anyone would be comfortable purposely putting us in that situation.

I don't think it was the decision on one drive that beat us. We simply got out coached by an average coach (at best). There is no way we should lose a game where we were up 24-7 in the second half and had 3 interceptions. Then in the post game have our HC talk about how apprehensive he was anytime the opposing team dropped back to pass. This is our last game of the season and you haven't coached the team well enough to have confidence in their ability to defend. Which is his area of expertise.

Not giving up on Elko, but obviously have some concerns. Maybe it is just year 1 and he doesn't have all the pieces in place for his program, but time will tell.

---

We do know what play we would run. Unfortunately we also know how that works out.

I woke my wife up off the couch to get in bed mid 4Q. I was watching in bed and when we scored with less than 2 minutes left, she looked at me and said "nothing? You're not excited?". I just immediately said no, we left too much time and we're going to lose. Well, what do you know...we're totally predictable. Our swiss cheese defense reminded me of John Chavis days.

We were down 4 so we had to score a TD. When you need a TD you take it whenever offered. When you only need FG to win you can play games with the clock

In my opinion, the interception that bounced off of Noah Thomas' hands in the end zone hurt us worse than scoring too early at the end of the game…95% that was a TD pass to Noah…..

Bring n WOOD said:

---

In my opinion, the interception that bounced off of Noah Thomas' hands in the end zone hurt us worse than scoring too early at the end of the game…95% that was a TD pass to Noah…..

---

This was the play that lost the game.

But the offense did its part in the end. The defense did not. Bateman did not.

TexasAGGIEinAR said:

---

I woke my wife up off the couch to get in bed mid 4Q. I was watching in bed and when we scored with less than 2 minutes left, she looked at me and said "nothing? You're not excited?". I just immediately said no, we left too much time and we're going to lose. Well, what do you know...we're totally predictable. Our swiss cheese defense reminded me of John Chavis days.

---

I thought the same thing

I said to myself tgst we left too much time on the clock and knew we would either lose or at the very least go to overtime

vander54 said:

---

Agmaniacmike12 said:

---

We struggled in short yardage/3rd down type plays all night. Mainly due to terrible play calling IMO, but I don't think you sit on the ball there and chance not getting a TD. Maybe you slow play it if a FG ties it.

---

This

We needed a TD you take the TD. Defense should have been able to stop them from scoring with less than 2 minutes left

---

there is a fallacy in this way of thinking

on the final drive of the game...the opponent will use all 4 downs to score -- instead of 3 downs and punt/kick

that makes it harder for a tired defense to get a stop

we saw this against Auburn too

I almost felt like they let us score. So pathetic if true that they had that much confidence they could move the ball down the field so easily. We saw it South Carolina end of half and Auburn end of game. We have no clue how to play defense with a small lead late.

USC had two timeouts. Even if we went down at the 1 unless we were willing to kneel the ball until 3rd down (which would have been even stupider than kneeling at the 1), USC still would have had time left for a drive.

Feeling like USC is going to score if they have time left and having the ability to actually prevent them from doing that with ball control are two different things.

A more important play was the first down call (Reed scored on 2nd down). We were at the two minute timeout and for some inexplicable reason took a deep shot into the EZ with two min left. Running the ball there would've kept the clock rolling and would've left little time for USC to score a TOUCHDOWN on the next possession. A FG by USC would've sent the game to OT where we could've won.

Elko has made some puzzling clock-related decisions at the ens of the season.

gunan01 said:

---

A more important play was the first down call (Reed scored on 2nd down). We were at the two minute timeout and for some inexplicable reason took a deep shot into the EZ with two min left. Running the ball there would've kept the clock rolling and would've left little time for USC to score a TOUCHDOWN on the next possession. A FG by USC would've sent the game to OT where we could've won.

Elko has made some puzzling clock-related decisions at the ens of the season.

---

There's nothing about our offense that had shown it was good enough to "burn clock". You call the play that you think is most likely to get you a score/yardage. In that spot we thought USC was stacking run so we took a shot with Noah.

Again, USC had two timeouts. If they didn't want the clock moving they had the ability to stop it.

Most of you are suggesting strategy that would have been sound if we were leading, tied or trailed by 3 or less. We needed a touchdown, and we aren't a good enough offense to try and dictate on what down or "how fast" we get that touchdown. We literally were one game removed from failing to pickup 1 yard on 3rd AND 4th down.

With USC having two timeouts, the needle that would have to have been threaded for them to have less than a minute for their drive was miniscule.

You have to take the TD when given and down by four. College football is crazy. If the TD isn't taken when given then the next play could be a fumble, interception, sack, etc… or we just don't get in at all. We had the ball inside the 5 against tu and couldn't get in on four plays. You have to take the TD there and have the defense finish the game.

I agree OP. The play prior to us scoring the TD we threw to the end zone. At that time I said, what the heck are our coaches doing? Surely Elko was saying we need to use up as much clock as possible after watching the defense give up 3 straight TDs rather easily.

The USC defense was nothing like South Carolina's, Texas's or even Auburns. So using that as an excuse for not playing smart and giving your team the best chance to win with what was unfolding in the present game the past hour falls on deaf ears for me.

Elko I hope has learned from all his experiences this year.

Against ND he did not make a QB switch. He did against LSU so at least he shows signs of learning in game high pressure decision improvement.

Having to learn clock management at this stage of his career is not a good sign.

It was a good call because it was unexpected with two yards to gain. Assuming you're talking about the throw to Thomas. If you miss it you still have two downs to gain two yards. The surprise was Reed running straight in on the next play. But, I think you always take the TD in that situation if you can get it. I don't think there are any coaches in America that decline that TD run and wait to punch it in later. The defense is the problem, especially that 3rd and 13 call. Absolutely abysmal.

In no world does an offense like A&M's try to limit their scoring chances. A&M's last three possessions had been 3-and-out, 3-and-out, 4-and-missed-FG. Acting like we could run the clock down and just punch it in when we pleased is fantasy land.

And the fact that USC still had two timeouts so they could stop us from running much more than an extra 30 seconds off makes attempting that strategy even more boneheaded.

Too many of you think your strategy in Madden on the Playstation translates to real life.

Well I would hope a head coach can think broader than just score. I prefer when a coach thinks what has the overall best outcome to help them win the game.

I have lost track of how many times the Texans lost games bc they did not focus on scoring and leaving no time on the clock for the other team.

I have seen many games won bc coaches understand this one and do not leave time on the clock for the other team. Does it work ALL the time. Of course not. But it works a lot. And just bc something weird might happen such as the Broncos having their field goal blocked against the Chiefs, the Broncos still coached to win the game correctly.

Elko himself admitted our pass defense has had major issues the past half of the season. Yet, he coached the end by putting the game in the hands of this bad pass defense. That's the definition of insanity.

If we couldn't get one yard against usc second string defense we didn't deserve to win.

But Elko has left a lot to be desired all season with respect to game management.

LB12Diamond said:

---

Well I would hope a head coach can think broader than just score. I prefer when a coach thinks what has the overall best outcome to help them win the game.

I have lost track of how many times the Texans lost games bc they did not focus on scoring and leaving no time on the clock for the other team.

I have seen many games won bc coaches understand this one and do not leave time on the clock for the other team. Does it work ALL the time. Of course not. But it works a lot. And just bc something weird might happen such as the Broncos having their field goal blocked against the Chiefs, the Broncos still coached to win the game correctly.

Elko himself admitted our pass defense has had major issues the past half of the season. Yet, he coached the end by putting the game in the hands of this bad pass defense. That's the definition of insanity.

---

In most of those situations where offenses run the clock down it's because they are either leading, tied, or down 3 or less (where a FG still helps them win).

Thinking A&M should have gone down at the 1 yard line to milk clock - the same A&M that was stuff on short yardage situations ever since Moss went down - is just fantasy land hindsight video game strategy.

What makes it even more foolish is that we're talking leaving USC 1:00 left left instead of 1:44, since USC still had two timeouts at their disposal.

So we forgo points and go down at the 1. And then we manage to punch it in on 3rd and 2, even though our short yardage playcalling has been terrible since Moss/Bisontis went down.

And that still leaves USC with 1:00 left...

The funny thing is, that fantasy land "bad" clock management completely whiffs on where the true clock mis-management really lied (though it was picked up in another thread).

On 1st and goal from the 7 with 12 seconds left, every A&M defender should have tackled every every USC receiver. You get flagged for defensive holding, but the clock still runs and USC would have had 5 seconds left and no choice but to kick the FG and force OT.

THAT was the clock mis-management.