What Erickson Was Thinking?
Why didn't Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson go for 2 points with a 33-29 lead?
``I was thinking of going for 2 but was talked out of it,'' Erickson said. ``Obviously it wouldn't have been blocked if we went for 2 but who knows what would have happened.''
Why would he go for 2 there? The smart move is to go for that almost-sure one, to extend your lead from 4 to 5. Five is a MUCH better lead late than four, and it gives you better options if your defense surrenders a TD on the other teams final drive.
Probably thinking where his next job will be.
You mean down 27-29 with 13:24 left. It was too early to go for 2 and if they took that PAT, they could have won. That was the poor decision, not this one.
Petros and Barry Tompkins were talking about it like going for two was the obvious choice. Well, they were wrong.
How is six appreciably better than five? There wasn't enough time for two field goals, so you're really talking about your opponent getting a touchdown and screwing up the extra point. No, the right move is to go up by five. That way, if the other team scores a touchdown, you'll only be down two - meaning a field goal wins it for you. It was the right call for ASU, just bad execution.
And that was a really boneheaded play he made by diving into the endzone and collecting a unsportsmanlike penalty. He was lucky they didn't say it was while the play was still going. I believe the NCAA adopted that new rule this year that gives the official the option to enforce unsportsmanlike penalties during the play, meaning the points would not have counted.
Erickson was playing smart. The high percentage play is place kick. How was he supposed to guess that we'd block it and Wolf's chosen LB Burfict would cost him the game.
if you are up by 5 and you later get a field goal- now you are up by 8
And being up by 8 means they have to get 2 scores just to tie - the TD + the 2 pt conversion (which is about 50/50 percentage wise)
6 is better than 5, but you still lose by giving up a td + extra pt (nearly automatic)
But here is the "real deal":
Football is a game of emotions - especially with 20 year olds.
Take the easy 1 and don't give them any momentum.
but if you can't execute a point after touchdown at a critical point in the game, I guess you don't deserve to win
Please explain the rationale for giving the other team two pts. if they return the xtra pt. try to the end zone. Blocking the pt. after is great , but should not be worth double the pts for making it for the defense.