In the Outback Bowl this past weekend, Northwestern had a 20yard field goal attempt to tie the game in overtime. Instead of chipping in the field goal, the Wildcats tried a fake field goal "fumblerooskie" and were stopped short of the goal line, which ended the game. I was at my grandmother’s house at the time for New Year’s Day and my Uncle said: “Why would they go for it?” which got me thinking if a fake field goal could really be considered as “going for it”. If the offense came out and ran a play on fourth down, then I would say that they went for it; but I would give a fake field goal no more than a 1/3 chance to work.
There are times to run a fake on special teams and there are times to take points when they are available. It is not like this was a 40yarder to tie it; this was a chip-in 20yard field goal, basically an extra point, to tie the game. I guess they did it because their kicker, who was 0-2 for field goals and missed an extra point earlier in the game, was injured and the punter was serving as the backup kicker. But still, this kid has a scholarship for punting and had to have gotten some backup kicking reps throughout the year, and you have no confidence in him to kick a 20yard field goal? Please. Don't get me wrong, I like trick plays, but passing up a chance to tie the game from 20yards out? Insane.
Yeah, like THAT GUY is going to run it in...
On a trick play the defense can either be fooled or not fooled, there is not much gray area. If you are Northwestern's coach in that situation, you may not have much confidence in your kicker, but don't you have any confidence in your offense to get two yards, either? No, you have to resort to some bullshit "fumblerooskie" trickery that was a pathetic way to lose and, frankly, a pathetic way to win.
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