Well, what if the coaches are as mentally fragile as the players? There's an old saying about the fish stinking from the head down. The coaches set the tone for the players and when Chaney panics and goes completely away from the run game down only 7 with plenty of time left. IMO if the coaches aren't mentally tough and panic, how do you expect the players to behave differently?
Starts and ends with the HC. If a guy is trailing the eventual national champion by 7, I don't care how good they are, or how bad you think your own team is, you don't GO FOR IT on 4th down early in the third quarter from your own 39.
If that doesn't say "P A N I C" I don't know what does.
All this time I have been defending the chances of this team, not Dooley. If anyone needs to nut up, it's him.
If I were him, I would concentrate on making sure the players stay focused. Throughout his tenure, we seem to relax or lose focus near the end of the half/game or after a big play (whether positive or negative). IMO, the players need something from the coaches in those situations. A word, a pat on the butt, a kick, whatever...don't just let them drift off, because that's what's been happening. Dooley needs to get his head in the game, stay focused, and pass that attribute to the team. Just MO.