A key moment in the game

[Creek Walker]

I like Tyson Helton and I think he called a pretty good game yesterday, overall, but there was one play call I absolutely didn't understand: 3rd and 4 with ~2 minutes to play 1st half. We're at their 41-yard-line. JG has been carving up their secondary, and has been particularly effective on third down. Our OL is struggling to open holes for our RBs. London just ran for -1 on 2nd and 3 the play before. And not only do we run London again, but we run right, with the right side of the line struggling particularly bad.

I didn't understand the play call at the time and now I think it was magnified by the way things turned out. We had all the momentum at that point. We had just scored, the defense got a stop, and we were driving again. If we can get on down the field and punch that one in, it's a 14-10 halftime lead and everything is different. No, Tennessee was never gonna win the game. We know that now. But if it's 14-10 at halftime, you can absorb that easy TD drive they put together to start the third quarter and it's still just 17-14. You're still one play away from taking the lead back. Instead, we have to punt, a very stupid unsportsmanlike conduct penalty helps them get into field goal range, and it's 13-7 at halftime. Then when they score to start the third quarter it's 19-7 and our kids are starting to doubt themselves.

As others have pointed out, a play here and a play there would've made the score much closer and would've changed everyone's perception. Losing 40-14 sucks. Losing 37-21 (or 33-21 if we don't have an offsides penalty on that field goal try or even 33-28 if JG doesn't overthrow to the back pylon on the last try...ifs and buts and candy and nuts and all that stuff) isn't supposed to feel a lot better...but we all know it would've.

[Coupe De VOL]

I thought the very same thing right at the time it happened.  It is almost as if we conceded the drive and decided to play it safe and play for the locker room, as they say.  You can tell from the body language of the players on that play that they did not like it.  Add in an unfortunate PF and offsides and before you know it, WVU is at mid field with plenty of time to score.  Big time momentum killer there.

[Tnphil]

Agreed.....we were heavy right sided for way too much of the time yesterday and if I'm Pruitt today watching the film with the staff I'd turn to Helton and say what the hell were you thinking right there.....you've got a future NFL millionaire at left tackle.....use him!!!

All in all it wasn't a bad called game.

[VinnieVOL]

Yes, I remember that play exactly and remember thinking "what was that?".

[BanditVol]

apparently everyone thought that, including me.  I heard someone complaining to Hyams and Dr. Punch today on my drive home from Knoxville.

It did seem like a decision to play it safe and run the clock, and I was not happy.  But at least the D held them to 3, and almost pulled off a 30 yard sack on the next to last play.

I hope in a future situation, Helton just goes for it and throws on second down, or at least runs left.