ARIZONA WILDCATS FOOTBALL
Gimino: Stoops was right to go for it on fourth down
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I once had a lengthy radio argument with former local sports talk host Mike Gabrielson. The topic: A coach "going for it."
Specifically, the issue was Arizona's game at Washington State on Oct. 25, 1997. The Wildcats had taken the 10th-ranked Cougars to overtime, pulling within 35-34.
UA coach Dick Tomey, who had a decimated defensive line, decided to go for the win right there, calling for a 2-point conversion attempt.
It didn't work.
So, "Gabe" and I probably argued for the better part of 30 minutes about the wisdom/stupidity of that decision. Assuming there is no surviving audio of the show - and what an archival treasure that would be - I'll go ahead and declare myself the winner of the debate.
Despite the bad execution of the play - quarterback Ortege Jenkins failed to spot wide-open tight end Brandon Manumaleuna in the end zone and was instead stopped short as he scrambled - it was the right call.
I mean, what more can you ask for than calling a play that results in a wide-open receiver?
That's why it was the right call for Arizona coach Mike Stoops to go for it Saturday on fourth-and-3 from UA's 45 with about four minutes left.
These kind of decisions are often, and incorrectly, viewed through the prism of the ensuing execution. In this case, Arizona failed. Keola Antolin dropped a swing pass that would have resulted in the first down and more.
Must have been a bad decision to go for it, right?
But what more can you ask for than a play that results in a wide-open receiver?
"We practice that play a lot," Antolin said. "Every practice."
Besides, Arizona was sizzling on offense, having scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions.
The defense, which was "discombobulated" in the first half according to Stoops, largely had shut down Oregon in the second half. Which unit did you trust at that point, trailing 48-45?
At that point, the smart money was on UA's offense making a play.
"Really, we had the game right there," Stoops said.
"We just didn't make the play on fourth down. Shoot, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. We had their backs against the wall . . . I thought where the time was in the game that if we get that first down, we are going to go down and win."
Arizona had two timeouts. If the Cats had punted and Oregon had used three plays to get a first down, it could have run all but about 20 seconds off the clock before having to punt.
Two first downs by Oregon would have ended the game.
Stoops was faced with a similar situation in his second-season opener.
Arizona had fourth-and-5 at the Utah 42 with 3:28 left. UA trailed 27-24 and had only one timeout remaining.
Stoops punted.
Not only did I think that was the wrong decision at the time, it didn't work. Sure, Arizona eventually got the ball back - at its 9-yard line with 28 seconds left. Oops.
Stoops should have gone for it against Utah. He should have gone for it Saturday.
What are the odds of success in each situation? Who really knows. Every situation is unique. Some of it is feel, and Stoops was right Saturday to feel the game belonged in the hands of the offense in a reasonable situation.
Even after the fourth-down failure, UA would have been in OK shape if the defense had forced a three-and-out. Oregon wasn't going to kick a field goal without a first down.
Alas, the defense parted and LeGarrette Blount ran through for a 40-yard score. He was so wide-open, he could have scored if the play had started in the parking lot.
All of it contributed to this tidbit of information: The 45 points were the most an Arizona team had ever scored in regulation . . . in a loss.
(It's worth nothing that UA lost 56-55 to Cal in 1996, but that was in four overtimes.)
The singular fourth-down play automatically becomes a flashpoint for worthy discussion on the message boards, but maybe there are some bigger-picture themes going on.
Such as the fight it took to come back from a 48-17 deficit. This was almost one of the greatest games in UA history.
Looking beyond the go-for-it play, here are the words from Tomey in the aftermath of that 1997 loss at Washington State:
"Sometimes you give a winning effort and you're not rewarded with a win. But the seeds that were sewn today will bear fruit in the days and weeks to come."
He never spoke truer words. Arizona won its final four games that year, 16 of its next 17, and 22 of its next 26.
If only history can repeat itself.
Antolin may be an "unknown commodity" to you, but he isn't to any Cats fan. The kid is a STUD, and you apparently missed seeing him score 4 touchdowns against your team, on Saturday night.
That pass was the type that Antolin will corral 9 out of 10 times, and your team was EXTREMELY fortunate that this was the 1 time that he dropped it.
Over the next 3 years, you will come to understand how ignorant your comment was. You already know how classless it was :-)
Why would you pass to an unknown commodity in the passing game, when the tight end caught everything thrown to him. The tight ends were completely unstoppable. Thanks for the win UA.
sorry I meant salt lake... I also went to the BYU game in provo last year