09-10-2014, 02:36 AM
There's another thing I think people should keep in mind when criticizing Shaw's play calling. With the exception of the Oregon game in 2011, every Stanford loss has been extremely close, and we had a definite chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. The only reason anybody ever nitpicks play calls is because the game was so close that it is easy to isolate small things here or there (or, as with last saturday, everywhere and anywhere) that could have made the difference. Contrast that with virtually every other team, all of which are likely to suffer several losses each year by a relatively large margin, causing their fans to worry about whether they have the right personnel or system in place. With the one previously noted exception, a David Shaw coached team has never been thoroughly outclassed on the field. He deserves a LOT of credit for that, perhaps even more than for the wins and the championships.
Having said all that... I really don't understand punting from the 29. Ever. No matter how you calculate it, it simply doesn't make sense. I hope that doesn't happen again.
Having said all that... I really don't understand punting from the 29. Ever. No matter how you calculate it, it simply doesn't make sense. I hope that doesn't happen again.