Declining the Penalty on the Punt

[MickeyCat]

Declining the penalty on the punt proved to be a very smart coaching decision. From the stands it looked incomprehensible that the Minnesota player who downed the ball in the end zone could not know where he was when he caught the ball, but watching it on replay shows that it can be difficult to see where the goal line is on the field a couple of yards inside the line.

The NU coaches didn’t get caught up in the Minnesota coaches’ chicanery as proven by declining the penalty. They knew that punting closer to the endzone would make it more difficult to down the punt. It seems counterintuitive, but it was correct.

From the stands, I got nervous seeing the ball moved back closer to the goal line, but it worked out great. The Cats needed every second on that drive. Those extra 15 - 19 extra yards were crucial.

What a game. It was a beautiful night to watch football outside, and the victory was an incredible reward for those who watched until the end. Congratulations to the players, player’s families, coaches, staff, and administrators. It’s a great pleasure to be a Northwestern football fan. Go Cats.

 

[its_the_sauce]

So long as they didn't jump offside on the punt lol

 

[techtim72]

Declining the penalty on the punt proved to be a very smart coaching decision. From the stands it looked incomprehensible that the Minnesota player who downed the ball in the end zone could not no where he was when he caught the ball, but watching it on replay shows that it can be difficult to see where the goal line is on the field a couple of yards into the endzone.

The NU coaches didn’t get caught up in the Minnesota coaches’ chicanery as proven by declining the penalty. They knew that punting closer to the endzone would make it more difficult to down the punt. It seems counterintuitive, but it was correct.

From the stands, I got nervous seeing the ball moved back closer to the goal line, but it worked out great. The Cats needed every second on that drive. Those extra 19 yards were crucial.

What a game. It was a beautiful night to watch football outside, and the victory was an incredible reward for those who watched until the end. Congratulations to the players, player’s families, coaches, staff, and administrators. It’s a great pleasure to be a Northwestern football fan. Go Cats.

Couple of thoughts. Not painting the endzone completely gives a slight advantage in that players looking to down a punt may be disoriented more easily. Look for coaches to imitate that in an effort to get any edge. Also, on the TV the grass looked to be in the finest condition I can recall and cut short, more like an SEC speed track. Was that true and if so I bet Braun had a hand in that. Fitz loved his cow pasture.

 

[MickeyCat]

AJ and Coco’s speed may have something to do with the choice to prepare the field to support faster play. I can’t remember a time when NU had two very fast guys returning kick offs from the goal line together. I’m looking forward to seeing more return opportunities as the weather changes.

 

[hdhntr1]

Declining the penalty on the punt proved to be a very smart coaching decision. From the stands it looked incomprehensible that the Minnesota player who downed the ball in the end zone could not know where he was when he caught the ball, but watching it on replay shows that it can be difficult to see where the goal line is on the field a couple of yards inside the line.

The NU coaches didn’t get caught up in the Minnesota coaches’ chicanery as proven by declining the penalty. They knew that punting closer to the endzone would make it more difficult to down the punt. It seems counterintuitive, but it was correct.

From the stands, I got nervous seeing the ball moved back closer to the goal line, but it worked out great. The Cats needed every second on that drive. Those extra 15 - 19 extra yards were crucial.

What a game. It was a beautiful night to watch football outside, and the victory was an incredible reward for those who watched until the end. Congratulations to the players, player’s families, coaches, staff, and administrators. It’s a great pleasure to be a Northwestern football fan. Go Cats.

And SAT they should have declined the penalty on the punt after the safety. Cost them something like 20 yds