Why Stanford Screwed Us Saturday Night

[thesandman1]

From Sundays San Francisco Chronicle. Looks like we aren't the only ones asking this question, but what a lame answer.


Jake Curtis, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, September 21, 2008

(09-20) 22:48 PDT -- Why did Stanford go for a touchdown with nine seconds left in the game and a 16-10 lead?



Coach Jim Harbaugh said he thought about just taking a knee, but said, "We really wanted to establish that attitude on the offensive line and the offense, to finish off a drive."
So Stanford ran two more plays after getting a first down at the Spartans' 7-yard line with 54 seconds left. The Spartans had no timeouts left, and, with the new 40-second play clock, the Cardinal could have kneeled down twice and walked away. Instead, Toby Gerhart ran the ball twice, the second getting him into the end zone from the 2-yard line.

Stanford's strategy brought to mind a Baylor-UNLV game in 1999. With Baylor holding a 24-21 lead with 8 seconds left, coach Kevin Steele had his team try to score a touchdown on a 1st-and-goal from the UNLV 8-yard line instead of taking a knee. Running back Darrell Bush fumbled at the 1-yard line, and UNLV defender Kevin Thomas picked it up and ran 99 yards for a touchdown that gave UNLV a 27-24 victory.
"It will go down in history as one of the most unbelievable why-did-he-do-its," Steele said later.
Steele said he would never do such a thing again, explaining that he was trying create an attitude of toughness with his team, hoping to finish off the game with a flurry.


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[Railbird]

maybe the SJSU steam from 10 to 7 offended Harbaugh. :lol:

 

[clearx1]

Stanford's strategy brought to mind a Baylor-UNLV game in 1999. With Baylor holding a 24-21 lead with 8 seconds left, coach Kevin Steele had his team try to score a touchdown on a 1st-and-goal from the UNLV 8-yard line instead of taking a knee. Running back Darrell Bush fumbled at the 1-yard line, and UNLV defender Kevin Thomas picked it up and ran 99 yards for a touchdown that gave UNLV a 27-24 victory.
"It will go down in history as one of the most unbelievable why-did-he-do-its," Steele said later.
Steele said he would never do such a thing again, explaining that he was trying create an attitude of toughness with his team, hoping to finish off the game with a flurry.

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lol, did that really happen? link to a vidz?

 

[Jetplane]

lol, did that really happen? link to a vidz?

$3,000 says it did >:| I can't really go in-depth and guess that a team will have 4+ turnovers in a game... 2 more more defensive TD's... or assholes that go for it when they are up already with no remaining time.

 

[AlwaysKeen]

I still can not sleep over this loss...I used to have respect for Harbaugh too...

 

[Railbird]

alums and donors gamble, cover if you can, Carroll does it, Meyer did it last week.

 

[ProphetablePicks]

I still can not sleep over this loss...I used to have respect for Harbaugh too...

Pags, I agree... been sick over this one.. not to many get to me like this as after all it is gambling... As for his response.. it is a bunch of BS! His ego got in the way and he wanted to beat this team by more than one td ... nothing more nothing less.. screw that piece of shit.. they will get killed the rest of the season and we will be laughing at him the entire time.

 

[teazeman]

alums and donors gamble, cover if you can, Carroll does it, Meyer did it last week.

in case some of you miss this part, it's kind of important.....................those donations gotta come from somewhere...

 

[Jetplane]

Pags, I agree... been sick over this one.. not to many get to me like this as after all it is gambling... As for his response.. it is a bunch of BS! His ego got in the way and he wanted to beat this team by more than one td ... nothing more nothing less.. screw that piece of shit.. they will get killed the rest of the season and we will be laughing at him the entire time.

ML their opponents rest of season? >

Teaze> it would be easier to have the alum bet the other side and just "give" the win eh? >

 

[BaldEagle]

Did anyone notice that when Florida wasn't covering vs Miami they kicked a FG to cover. However when they were easily covering against Tennessee Myer took the knee?

And then this Stanford game which was an obvious attempt to cover. Only way it would have been worse is if he had kicked the FG with 2 secs left to cover.

in case some of you miss this part, it's kind of important.....................those donations gotta come from somewhere...

 

[TOOTIGHT]

I loved my play on SJSU and it looked solid the whole game. I was def. bitter on that one. Got hosed in the Florida game as well. Just goes to show you there is no such thing as a lock and you never know in CFB. I better be on the other side of this BS next time!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CoachLT]

Losing the SJ St game cost me from having the 2nd best week EVER!hno: Oh well, maybe something good will happen down the road. LT

 

[Conan]

Just wondering, did anyone here bet Stanford?

If so, you can eat shit and die.

 

[Basket Case]

Yikes

Just wondering, did anyone here bet Stanford?

If so, you can eat shit and die.

Holy mackrel! :scared1:Tell us how you really feel.

I bet San Jose State at +9. I bet it last Monday - thought I had a solid play. When it was bet down to +7, I thought I had gotten a +2 value.

Like the rest, I feel like I was sodomized by this last second TD by Standford! urple:

 

[hippieki11er]

Only way it would have been worse is if he had kicked the FG with 2 secs left to cover.

What he did was obviously a punk move, but somewhat passable in the eyes of those who watch from upstairs. But if he did your latter suggestion, there'd probably be an investigation.

 

[SaltyVeteran]

I had no idea it went down like this. Harbaugh can go fuck himself..

 

[everythingthatsgreen]

Harbaugh sucks at life

 

[Patrick_Bateman]

:guillotin beacuse it is god's pay back for us cutting down so many trees.


Thankfully i was on stanford, however, coaches will do that for team motivation just like going for 2. I know it seems you got robbed but sh*t happened. Harbaugh seems like that do not play by the rules coach. I remember him as a qb, playing 3 flags up all the time against defenses.

 

[BaldEagle]

Exactly why I think he didn't do it... there is an argument for backups to score a TD with 2 secs left.. blah blah team building blah blah experience.

But kicking a FG is plain out reverse point shaving.

I am a little surpised there was no investigation into Myer's FG against Miami, I think if there was no history/rivalry there (like if he had kicked a point covering FG against eastern illinois or such) there would be... but it was still a slimy move.

It really annoys because MY team (GOOO DAWGS!) won't even run up the score much less make sure they cover a spread last minute.

What he did was obviously a punk move, but somewhat passable in the eyes of those who watch from upstairs. But if he did your latter suggestion, there'd probably be an investigation.

 

[hippieki11er]

I am a little surpised there was no investigation into Myer's FG against Miami, I think if there was no history/rivalry there (like if he had kicked a point covering FG against eastern illinois or such) there would be... but it was still a slimy move.

That was a different situation. Wasn't UF facing a somewhat long 4th down with still a minute or two left on the clock when they decided to kick the FG on 4th? Plus, they'd been trying to score a TD on the few prior plays so more points were coming regardless. That being said, it does't make what they did necessarily 'right' nor am I saying that Meyer didn't have the spread in mind at the time, but the circumstances in the two games were different.

I've seen the same thing that Harbaugh did MANY times before, but most of the time the team who's winning is up by more than a TD when they decide to add another late one instead of kneeling. Like the article states with the Baylor-UNLV example, you're risking a fumble and return for a TD to lose the game by doing so and most coaches wouldn't feel like it's worth the risk. Knowing Harbaugh's personality, I doubt he even considered the possible downside, as he really enjoys being unconventional and rubbing people the wrong way. And that's all I think this decision was really based on in the end.