G5 Final: Louisiana 17, South Alabama 20

[LouisianaB]

I love Des, but our last drive last night was terrible from a game management perspective. I just went back to watch.

First and 10 from the 20 with 1:22 left, Wooldridge pass to Fleming for 8 yard gain. And then there is a big hoopla on the sideline. It looked like Matt Bergeron came on the field looking for a timeout at 1:11. The sideline looked panicked. Technically speaking only a head coach or a legal player/substitute can call a TO. I dont know if Bergeron was supposed to call one there.

Fast forward to first and goal on the three. Williams rushed for 2 to the 1 yard line and we call a timeout. We have 2nd and goal from the 1. In theory we have three opportunities to score from the 1 yard line with 51 seconds. Without us taking the TO, it would most likely have taken 10-15 seconds to set here, there wasnt a pile of bodies. So you drop down to 36-41 seconds left at snap. Then 5-10 seconds for a play, brings down to 26-36 seconds left at the end of a third down play. You still have two TOs. South Al has three TOs.

We come out of the 2nd timeout with 2nd and g from the 1 and WE GET UNDER CENTER! Surely we will run it in. Nah, we PASS THE BALL. Wooldridge throws it away and 0:47 seconds remain, clock stopped. What is our third down play? A frecking pass! And a difficult reception at that.

I knew with 0:41 seconds left and USA with three TOs we were losing the game in regulation. No doubt in my mind. USA had a competent kicker.

Overall, we played checkers last night, but game management is a game of chess.

[BigSaucey]

I think our coach is a college coach. He is listed as the coach at Louisiana. Last I looked, that was college.

I know his official title; I was referring to his actual skill level of coaching.

[zephyr]

I love Des, but our last drive last night was terrible from a game management perspective. I just went back to watch.

First and 10 from the 20 with 1:22 left, Wooldridge pass to Fleming for 8 yard gain. And then there is a big hoopla on the sideline. It looked like Matt Bergeron came on the field looking for a timeout at 1:11. The sideline looked panicked. Technically speaking only a head coach or a legal player/substitute can call a TO. I dont know if Bergeron was supposed to call one there.

Fast forward to first and goal on the three. Williams rushed for 2 to the 1 yard line and we call a timeout. We have 2nd and goal from the 1. In theory we have three opportunities to score from the 1 yard line with 51 seconds. Without us taking the TO, it would most likely have taken 10-15 seconds to set here, there wasnt a pile of bodies. So you drop down to 36-41 seconds left at snap. Then 5-10 seconds for a play, brings down to 26-36 seconds left at the end of a third down play. You still have two TOs. South Al has three TOs.

We come out of the 2nd timeout with 2nd and g from the 1 and WE GET UNDER CENTER! Surely we will run it in. Nah, we PASS THE BALL. Wooldridge throws it away and 0:47 seconds remain, clock stopped. What is our third down play? A frecking pass! And a difficult reception at that.

I knew with 0:41 seconds left and USA with three TOs we were losing the game in regulation. No doubt in my mind. USA had a competent kicker.

Overall, we played checkers last night, but game management is a game of chess.

Don't forget ending the first half with timeouts in our pocket while letting the clock run out on us

[GoneGolfin]

Another thing not mentioned: the passing play that set up the USA winning field goal, our secondary must have been playing 20 yards deep. No idea why we were in prevent defense when all they needed was about 10 yards.

Totally agree ... I was very vocal and displeased with the defensive alignment when I saw it on that play. You need to know what the other team is thinking on that play and defend accordingly.

Brian

[GoneGolfin]

CMD was asked about that decision and said he had no regrets for making it—said even though analytics SAID to take the penalty, his gut told him not to—he was banking on us running the punt back to great field position for the game winning FG…..

Yet, you still have that opportunity to run the punt back after taking the penalty. Again, you are only talking about a handful of seconds with the extra play. Meanwhile, putting them back on their own 15 changes everything from the perspective of how aggressive the offense is in that situation.

Brian

[mxpxfr690]

We lost and it sucks…. We need to work towards getting back in the race for bowl eligibility…this year is officially a medicine season… sit back relax and just pull for your team… no coach will get fired their first year just for losing… just hold on for the ride and hope we get to see what Zeon has.

[apb]

I haven’t seen USL anywhere in a formal setting of recent. Now I see many here using it so much it might become part of the branding again. Be careful what you ask for and how you hold yourself out in times of disappointment . . . it could be everlasting . . .

Blah, blah, blah. Stop making USL decisions then. We had all the momentum to take the next step and flush it with a homer hire who cannot get out of his own way in games (see end of last nights game). Raise your expectations, man.

[RaginCajun77]

Can we talk wide receivers for a bit? This position group has a lot of depth, yet consistently under performs. When you're struggling to run the football, you need your receivers to step up and frankly I don't see it.

[lafman1]

I think our coach is a college coach. He is listed as the coach at Louisiana. Last I looked, that was college.

It’s a university

[CajunVic]

It’s a university

There is the problem. We not playing college football, we playing university football.

[Turbine]

Overall, we played checkers last night, but game management is a game of chess.

Great quote.

You said it and I quote it

[lafman1]

There is the problem. We not playing college football, we playing university football.

Nooo. They are playing college football. Not university level football. That’s the problem.