Impactful coaching moves: The best and worst decisions of Week 7
Week 7 is in the books, and the conference races in both the SEC East and West are starting to take shape. This week, a coaching move played a huge role for a team seizing command in the West.
With that in mind, here are the best and worst coaching decisions from around the league in Week 7:
GOOD MOVE
LSU edged Florida, 35-28, in a classic SEC contest Saturday night in Death Valley. Leonard Fournette was his usual Heisman-worthy self, and quarterback Brandon Harris was efficient at the controls of the Tigers offense.
However, Florida played very well and early in the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 28. The Tigers were facing a fourth-and-13 play from the Florida 16-yard line.
LSU brings the field goal unit on, presumably to attempt the go-ahead field goal. Then, Les Miles again lived up to his “Mad Hatter” moniker:
What else could be our #LSUTopPlay from Saturday? Check out @TrentDomingue fake field goal. https://t.co/ljlEKyYVEp
— LSU Football (@LSUfball) October 18, 2015
It was a gutty call, and it was run to perfection. The perfect storm of courage and execution.
BAD MOVE
Memphis found itself in a 14-0 hole in the first quarter against Ole Miss in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday. It had all the makings of a Rebel rout. Instead, the Tigers reeled off 31 straight points en route to a stunning 37-24 win.
As much as the win — and Memphis’ unbeaten start — is enhancing the growing reputation of its coach, Justin Fuente, the result is equally harmful to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
The same is true for offensive coordinator Matt Luke, whose play calling drew considerable ire on Mississippi message boards.
My issues are two-fold: First, an SEC team has to be able to hold, and build on, a 14-0 lead against an American Athletic Conference school. Second, it’s embarrassing for Ole Miss to run the ball 24 times for a 1.7 yards per carry average against a non-Power 5 foe.
The players must share the majority of the blame for those things, but the folks that get them ready to play deserve some as well.
GOOD MOVE
Steve Spurrier divides opinion like few other football coaches. Even when he walks away.
It’s easy for pundits to criticize his decision to resign as the Gamecocks coach and say that he quit on his team.
For pretty much any other coach, I’d probably agree.
But, love him or hate him, Spurrier is one of a kind. He doesn’t talk like a normal football coach. He never coached like a normal football coach. So why be surprised when he doesn’t act like one?
He doesn’t owe any of us anything. He’s 70 years old, and he’s given his life to the sport. If he thinks he can’t do the job anymore, why not step aside and give Shawn Elliott an audition? If he’s great, and South Carolina hires him to be the next coach, it’s a win.
If he’s less than great, and they decide to go another way, the school has an extra seven weeks to find Spurrier’s successor. That’s a win, too.
It was an out-of-the-box solution to a problem. In other words, it was classic Spurrier.
BAD MOVE
Lost in the narrative of Elliott’s first win on the sidelines for South Carolina was the fact that Vanderbilt, through questionable play calling, allowed it to happen.
Darrius Sims topped 100 yards on the ground for the Commodores, and he did it on just 6 carries. Ralph Webb added another 58 yards, and for the game, Vandy ran it 35 times for 155 yards for an average of 4.4 yards per carry.
I would have liked to see 10 more running plays and 10 fewer passes for Johnny McCrary. McCrary put it up 42 times and suffered 3 interceptions in the process.
With the Gamecocks’ season-long issues stopping the run, a more run-heavy approach would have likely been more effective.