I lifted the following post from somewhere else:
I can't find one of the other threads about this blocked FG where it was discussed that the Baylor holder set up only 6 yards back, assisting MSU in getting the block on the kick. On the game broadcast there is a closeup of the kicker as he talks and points to his holder to move up a yard, which he then does.
Heard over the weekend from a former MSU player who was sitting behind the MSU bench area at the Cotton Bowl. Word is that Baylor had a play where they would line up too close on purpose and let a DL through up the middle for the purpose of drawing a roughing the kicker/running into the kicker penalty. Baylor ran this FG play twice earlier in the season, and drew a penalty on one of their two attempts. I guess the kick was blocked without a penalty the other time they ran it.
So, MSU's coaches saw this attempt to draw a penalty by Baylor on film, and had the MSU FG defense team prepared for it in practice. Baylor's holder setting up a yard too close was the tell.
Not sure why Baylor tried it on a 4th and 15, because unless it was a roughing PF, it would only give them 5 yards and a retry. Seems to me you'd wait until it was a 4th and less than 5 so the penalty was a guaranteed first down, but that's just me. Anyway, MSU's players and coaches all noticed the 6-yard set up, and knew that Baylor would let a player through up the middle in the hopes that he would run in too fast and make contact, where their kicker could flop and draw the penalty flag. Rush and Calhoun recognized the ruse and reacted properly by going in high and not over running the play, so Rush got the ball without any illegal contact.
Wow. This all happened as the play clock is running down, and the players on the field recognized it and properly reacted with 15 seconds or less notice.
Are these coaches of ours well-prepared or what?
This post was edited on 3/16 1:53 PM by Victory4MSU
I can't find one of the other threads about this blocked FG where it was discussed that the Baylor holder set up only 6 yards back, assisting MSU in getting the block on the kick. On the game broadcast there is a closeup of the kicker as he talks and points to his holder to move up a yard, which he then does.
Heard over the weekend from a former MSU player who was sitting behind the MSU bench area at the Cotton Bowl. Word is that Baylor had a play where they would line up too close on purpose and let a DL through up the middle for the purpose of drawing a roughing the kicker/running into the kicker penalty. Baylor ran this FG play twice earlier in the season, and drew a penalty on one of their two attempts. I guess the kick was blocked without a penalty the other time they ran it.
So, MSU's coaches saw this attempt to draw a penalty by Baylor on film, and had the MSU FG defense team prepared for it in practice. Baylor's holder setting up a yard too close was the tell.
Not sure why Baylor tried it on a 4th and 15, because unless it was a roughing PF, it would only give them 5 yards and a retry. Seems to me you'd wait until it was a 4th and less than 5 so the penalty was a guaranteed first down, but that's just me. Anyway, MSU's players and coaches all noticed the 6-yard set up, and knew that Baylor would let a player through up the middle in the hopes that he would run in too fast and make contact, where their kicker could flop and draw the penalty flag. Rush and Calhoun recognized the ruse and reacted properly by going in high and not over running the play, so Rush got the ball without any illegal contact.
Wow. This all happened as the play clock is running down, and the players on the field recognized it and properly reacted with 15 seconds or less notice.
Are these coaches of ours well-prepared or what?
This post was edited on 3/16 1:53 PM by Victory4MSU
