[teejers1]

Sorry, no way do you go for it on fourth and inches when you have a chance to take the lead with less than three minutes left in the game.  Come on, that would have been an AYFKM moment.

My point is that your goal was to maximize the probability of getting a first down or touchdown,  you really can’t blame going with the QB who has been getting 8 yards per attempt, not the running back who has been getting 3 ypc.

After all, wasn’t it you who called the coaches decision to takiethe ball out of Andrew Luck’s arm and running the ball on the ground in the Fiesta Bowl an AYFKM moment?

Like I said, easy to say we should have zigged when we zagged.

BC

If YPA vs. YPC is going to be your metric for evaluating the plays to call for getting a first down, then you almost always will pass the ball.  The number of times a Stanford team has had a better YPC than a YPA in a particular game is very small.  It may have happened a handful of times in the last several decades (though I can't recall any off the top of my head).   

You also assume two runs don't get you a first down (which you admit is the most important thing - and I agree with that).

IF Stanford had run twice, and IF Cal had burned two timeouts (or even one just on fourth down) and Stanford faced fourth and inches, then NO, I would not have called a decision to go for it AYFKM.  Not even close.  Because I could support Shaw believing and acting on the conviction that (a) a FG with 2+ minutes left and Cal with the ball is not as strong a position as (b) Stanford with first and 10, the ability to run out the clock and at worst attempt a GW FG at the end of regulation from where they were.  [If Stanford had the 2014 D, then yes, kick the FG, no question].

P.S.  My beef in the Fiesta Bowl was first that he didn't let Andrew continue to move Stanford into the end zone on that last drive in regulation (Stanford was going through Okie State's D like $hit through a goose at that point); but second, if he wanted to take away the risk of an INT, at least run the ball or let Andrew keep it on roll out to get closer.  Instead, we all sat there in disbelief as the clock wound down 40+ seconds so Stanford could line up a 37 yard GW FGA with a kicker returning from injury who had already missed a FGA earlier in the game.  So often Shaw does not maximize the team's chances to win, especially when making strategic decisions on offense.

[teejers1]

Sorry, no way do you go for it on fourth and inches when you have a chance to take the lead with less than three minutes left in the game.  Come on, that would have been an AYFKM moment.

My point is that your goal was to maximize the probability of getting a first down or touchdown,  you really can’t blame going with the QB who has been getting 8 yards per attempt, not the running back who has been getting 3 ypc.

After all, wasn’t it you who called the coaches decision to takiethe ball out of Andrew Luck’s arm and running the ball on the ground in the Fiesta Bowl an AYFKM moment?

Like I said, easy to say we should have zigged when we zagged.

BC

If YPA vs. YPC is going to be your metric for evaluating the plays to call for getting a first down, then you almost always will pass the ball.  The number of times a Stanford team has had a better YPC than a YPA in a particular game is very small.  It may have happened a handful of times in the last several decades (though I can't recall any off the top of my head).   

You also assume two runs don't get you a first down (which you admit is the most important thing - and I agree with that).

IF Stanford had run twice, and IF Cal had burned two timeouts (or even one just on fourth down) and Stanford faced fourth and inches, then NO, I would not have called a decision to go for it AYFKM.  Not even close.  Because I could support Shaw believing and acting on the conviction that (a) a FG with 2+ minutes left and Cal with the ball is not as strong a position as (b) Stanford with first and 10, the ability to run out the clock and at worst attempt a GW FG at the end of regulation from where they were.  [If Stanford had the 2014 D, then yes, kick the FG, no question].

P.S.  My beef in the Fiesta Bowl was first that he didn't let Andrew continue to move Stanford into the end zone on that last drive in regulation (Stanford was going through Okie State's D like $hit through a goose at that point); but second, if he wanted to take away the risk of an INT, at least run the ball or let Andrew keep it on roll out to get closer.  Instead, we all sat there in disbelief as the clock wound down 40+ seconds so Stanford could line up a 37 yard GW FGA with a kicker returning from injury who had already missed a FGA earlier in the game.  So often Shaw does not maximize the team's chances to win, especially when making strategic decisions on offense.