Evans was awful tonight. I thought IU handled the blitz ok and the play calling was too conservative until the 4th quarter
Punting
- Thread starter edub72
- Start date
They asked Cig in the presser why he punted down 3 scores in the fourth. He said he didn't want to punt but the offense had given him no reason to believe they'd pick up 4th and ten. Plus, his thinking was, the defense was still fighting and they could get a stop and get the ball back.
I'm still not convinced, but whatever.
It worked. It shook there cage. Once we got the ball back the offense was a different (or became what they had been all season) team. Of course, at that point, ND had eased up.
Not really. The D gave up another score and burned another 6 of clock in doing so.
I don't think coach is gonna shed any tears about Evans graduating.
Cignetti, when down, seems a little too concerned about score optics. That's why I think he punted. He wanted to keep Notre Dame at 20.
Cignetti, when down, seems a little too concerned about score optics. That's why I think he punted. He wanted to keep Notre Dame at 20.
I was referring to the offense. Rourke woke up but too late.
I agree the offense woke up after that, but for all we know, a 11 yard strike on 4th and ten might have done the same thing.
That particular punt was the wrong call. But, whatever, probably didn't matter.
Punting took the odds from long to zero. There just wasn’t enough time.
But that’s a big decision made quickly and a rare miss from the staff, where we used to see gaffes like that weekly.
I was more concerned by Evans’ short punts in the first half.
Bingo on being used to seeing them weekly.
We sort of turtled, played conservative. Fair catching kicks when behind. Play calling. I thought fair catching was a smart idea. But then when nothing else is working, and we were behind it seemed pretty weak not to up the ante. Remember coach praising the return team against Michigan for turning that game... Then not going for it on the long fourth. But, it was a long fourth. And if we get a three and out it works. Just didn't get it, they had a drive.
But we could see from the first game of the year this team is coached compared to the past regime. I'm happy to take a little not-so-great with the good!
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I totally agreed with the punt and for the very reasons Cignetti stated. I viewed getting a turnover by the D about the same odds as making the 4th into a 1st. This game wasn't lost by the wrong X's & O's. ND was a bit bigger, stronger, faster and more talented. OL was spotlighted. Much of that will change positively over the next 5 months.
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Evans finished stronger with a 49 yarder and a 43, as I recall. That said, his 6 kick average was only 33.7 yds. with a long of 49. ND’s kicker didn’t fair much better but it doesn’t affect field position as much when you only punt 2 times. His 2 kicks averaged 34 yds with a long of 37.
Would have liked to see the aggressive Hoosier offense we came to know most of the season when there were two punts, one near the 50, and one in plus territory, in the first half.
How did we go from a team that goes for it on 4th down to put high amounts of pressure on its opponents, to a team that puts the ball into a punters hands that out there kicking wet duck farts??
How did we go from a team that goes for it on 4th down to put high amounts of pressure on its opponents, to a team that puts the ball into a punters hands that out there kicking wet duck farts??
There’s a different mindset when going for it on 4th and 11 against Notre Dame when your offense has been going uphill to nowhere vs going for it on 4th and less against St Mary’s College when your offense has been rolling downhill on well-oiled wheels. That said, I’ve never heard a wet duck’s fart and hope I never do because if it’s anything like a wet goose’s…
