[CTcard]

That isn't awful play calling when you are 14 points ahead of a team that has managed to score against you only once in three quarters, and you are facing a team that is going to gamble if and when you attempt a pass.

Generically, I agree with you but ...

- ASU had scored twice in three quarters.
- ASU had had two or three other significant drives into our territory (59 yds to the 34, 44 yds to the 31, 35 yds to the 40).
- Stanford clearly has trouble running the ball this year.
- Costello had been generally accurate on the day - though he did force one terribly.
- Stanford continued the strategy for two drives after it became a one score game.

So, while not awful, I think it started too early. And once it became a one score game I think it would have been better to play a little more toward keeping possession and a little less toward running the clock and avoiding turnovers.

But of course along with the counterfactual that many are imagining (we pass for one more first down with 2:20 left and run out the clock), I am also mindful of another counterfactual - that we throw an incomplete pass on third and 8, ASU saves a TO, after their sack or long completion call it then to save 25-30 seconds, giving them as many as 3/4 more tries from our 20 to score the final TD.
And that incomplete pass could have been almost any time in the fourth quarter with potentially the same effect on the clock.

[CTcard]

That isn't awful play calling when you are 14 points ahead of a team that has managed to score against you only once in three quarters, and you are facing a team that is going to gamble if and when you attempt a pass.

Generically, I agree with you but ...

- ASU had scored twice in three quarters.
- ASU had had two or three other significant drives into our territory (59 yds to the 34, 44 yds to the 31, 35 yds to the 40).
- Stanford clearly has trouble running the ball this year.
- Costello had been generally accurate on the day - though he did force one terribly.
- Stanford continued the strategy for two drives after it became a one score game.

So, while not awful, I think it started too early. And once it became a one score game I think it would have been better to play a little more toward keeping possession and a little less toward running the clock and avoiding turnovers.

But of course along with the counterfactual that many are imagining (we pass for one more first down with 2:20 left and run out the clock), I am also mindful of another counterfactual - that we throw an incomplete pass on third and 8, ASU saves a TO, after their sack or long completion call it then to save 25-30 seconds, giving them as many as 3/4 more tries from our 20 to score the final TD.
And that incomplete pass could have been almost any time in the fourth quarter with potentially the same effect on the clock.