LBS said:
Calling a double reverse, Statue of Liberty, Hook-n-Ladder, triple Lindy from the 3 yard line is not where we want to be. Every team in America can hand it to their fastest guy and sprint toward the sideline. Trick plays and sideline sprints are always an option, but you need more. If your team can't man up and pound it down the other team's belly you will lose more goal line situations than you win.
When do we become masters of bounding it in against good teams when it matters? Against ULM one week from the end of the season? No. At some point you just have to do it when it counts. If you don't execute, you fail, people notice, and the game counts.
The lack of the Triple Lindy was not the issue with our Red Zone failures last year. It was the lack of the ability to walk up to the line, tell the guy across from you that you're running the ball right over him, and then doing it.
i agree with your point that good teams are able to pound it for 1 or 2 yards when necessary, BUT a good staff knows its players inside and out, their strengths and weaknesses, and recognizes and adapts to the flow of a game.
the stubborness demonstrated on that critical TD drive was classic Shula - well it didn't work the first time, so let's try it again. why Saban and Co. put that touchdown in the hands of our suspect OL when we've not been able to run it consistently up the middle on anyone since the suspensions, is beyond my understanding. did you like the way we beat Miss, Tenn, and almost beat LSU??? because we were missing two OL starters in that game too, and responded accordingly by reducing the number of rushes up the middle, recognizing our reduced push off the line of scrimmage.
a good coach takes what he has to work with and produces results. schools like Boise St. uses the caliber of players they can recruit to the fullest by designing schemes that accommodate the personel. i couldn't have cared less how we got the ball in the endzone against MSU so long as we did it. i don't mind failure either, so long as the strategy is sound and adequately creative relative to your personel.
again, i find it difficult to understand the strategy of using a small, fast RB up the middle behind a shuffled OL missing two starters against a respectable defense for two consecutive plays when a touchdown in this type of game at that particular time (right before halftime) would have been a huge advantage.
more options come to mind: if you're determined to use Grant up the middle after the first failed attempt, then tell him to dive
over the line of scrimmage. if you are determined to use Grant then run a toss sweep and let Grant use his greatest attribute, his speed, to outrun MSU to the pylon for that crucial yard or two. there is nothing to be ashamed about by maximizing red zone opportunities when not able to use hosses like Caldwell, Davis, and Coffee.
