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Fake punt

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DCC80
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10:47p, 12/20/25
AG
Haven't seen any comments on this. It's a glaring coaching error, IMHO.

The fake punt was a high-risk play against and opponent you're trailing by only three points with time running out in the first half, but who gets the ball first in the second half. Failure could (and did) leave the opponent with a pretty decent chance to get three points, maybe seven -- certainly a greater chance than if they'd had a starting position 40 or so yards further back.

Reminded me of the Emsminger (I think it was) call for a pass deep in A&M's territory against Tech in Lubbock in 1995. Corey Pullig throws a pick six to Zach Thomas. Tech wins. The game had been tied -- but it was early in the season and Tech already had a conference loss.

And indeed, Miami did get the FG opportunity. Missed, yeah, because of kicker or wind, but the fact that they were in position to pad the lead and then get the ball first in the second half wasn't smart football on A&M's part.
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coupland boy
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10:57p, 12/20/25
AG
I didn't mind it. Appreciated the call.
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TheDecadeSapling
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10:57p, 12/20/25
AG
I can live with the fake punt. Whatever. What is more disturbing is that the punter has better touch on his passes than QB1.
Give me the guy who shoots for excellence and fails over the guy who shoots for mediocrity and succeeds.
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YellowPot_97
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11:25p, 12/20/25
AG
They didn't have the lead.
Score was 0-0, our D had held them to 45 total yards so far in the half, there was 2:00 minutes to halftime. The Offense needed a spark to try and get something going. It was a good call.
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CMack11
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11:30p, 12/20/25
Agreed on the idea that it was a good call. Worst case it's neutral. Had to try and get something going.
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Hubert J. Farnsworth
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11:33p, 12/20/25
Elko needs to get over himself and hire a special teams coach. He's acting very Jimbo like by refusing to do so.
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DCC80
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11:40p, 12/20/25
AG
Okay, too much alcohol and working form memory. Acknowledge score was tied. Sorry.

IMO, probability of failure was higher than probability of success. Others may disagree, but 't;s inarguable that failure sets Miami up for a decent shot at an FG attempt, and we know they'll get the ball first in the second half.

You could easily down by 10 in a low-scoring game with an offense that's not exactly lighting up the scoreboard before you see the ball again.

I'd've punted.
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KissellMissile
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In reply to DCC80 • 12:00a, 12/21/25
AG
DCC80 said:
I'd've punted.

Might be why you aren't paid to make the decision.

Sometimes in life you have to roll the dice.
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Divining Rod
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12:02a, 12/21/25
One of my pet peeves in passing, and maybe more here with a non-QB, is failure to use the field smartly to way increase chance of success when receiver has the advantage/step:


Throw more away from the sideline and let receiver run to it. he was already behind tbe defender. if tgat pass was say 5-10 yards more inside, he could have got there first.

Instead they are firced to throw "JUST over" the defender, but inside the sideline- a very high degree of difficulty.
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Cromagnum
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12:33a, 12/21/25
AG
The bigger travesty was forcing a turnover and then doing absolutely nothing.
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91AggieLawyer
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2:17a, 12/21/25
AG
I didn't understand why the punter threw a longer pass on 4th down than our QB did on any down in the quarter other than 3 passes -- 2 of which were caught for 1st downs.

It was pretty clear they were ready for the fake. Either that, or it developed so slowly and they got ready. Miami's defensive speed was way better than ours (on defense for comparison's sakes, but also where it actually affected us, on offense). Once again, we have an Aggie coach that doesn't put a premium on speed like Alabama and LSU have for decades. We're better than we were under Jimbo, and way better than under previous coaches, but not elite SEC. And that's where we need to be.
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JFABNRGR
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In reply to 91AggieLawyer • 6:06a, 12/21/25
AG
Yeah. My first thought was if the punter released that ball .5 seconds sooner its a completion. That D back closed that initial separation wicked fast.
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
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firethewagonup
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In reply to coupland boy • 6:08a, 12/21/25
coupland boy said:
I didn't mind it. Appreciated the call.


Agreed.
Gigem Aggies
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birdman
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6:19a, 12/21/25
It was a great call.

However, the punter's job is to get a first down. Punter thought he needed to throw a touchdown.

Grab the snap. Stride to sell the fake. Then throw it. Bombing it 25 yards downfield allowed Miami to recover.
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W
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6:23a, 12/21/25
AG
the killer play was the incompletion prior

should have been an easy 1st down pickup to Smith on 3rd & 4
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Sq 17
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6:25a, 12/21/25
Because it was well executed and the punter made a good throw that WR had a chance to catch I am ok with it
Shows confidence in the D
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RoadkillBBQ
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6:38a, 12/21/25
The call was acceptable considering how the defense was playing. But why have a punter throw a 20yd pass when you only need 4 yards? Throw a 5 yard pass or run.
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coupland boy
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5:49p, 12/22/25
AG
It occurred to me that a lot of folks that criticized it peobably thought the fake punt at Missouri was a great call. It was.

Let's support our coach. It makes it hard with the money and extensions but unfortunately we arent a blueblood. Cant throw a hissyfit and have things work out in the end.
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TyperWoods
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9:43p, 12/22/25
I like that Elko is aggressive on 4th down.


I didn't like that call. To their credit, it almost worked.

It ended up not hurting us - they didn't score.
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Ginormus Ag
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10:10p, 12/22/25
AG
If we were going to fake it, I would have preferred a higher percentage fake than a pass from a punter in a windy environment. A true special teams coach would have known what they were doing defending the fake and could have come up with a better play.
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In reply to TheDecadeSapling • 10:11p, 12/22/25
AG
TheDecadeSapling said:
I can live with the fake punt. Whatever. What is more disturbing is that the punter has better touch on his passes than QB1.
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4
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In reply to W • 10:12p, 12/22/25
AG
W said:
the killer play was the incompletion prior

should have been an easy 1st down pickup to Smith on 3rd & 4

It's not like hitting an uncovered receiver 5 yards in front of you with a clean passing lane is easy, you know.
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AgDotCom
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In reply to DCC80 • 10:29p, 12/22/25
DCC80 said:

Reminded me of the Emsminger (I think it was) call for a pass deep in A&M's territory against Tech in Lubbock in 1995. Corey Pullig throws a pick six to Zach Thomas. Tech wins. The game had been tied -- but it was early in the season and Tech already had a conference loss.


Throwing the ball deep in Tech territory in '95 was at the very end of the game to try to pull out a win when we should have been ahead by at least 7 already if not for the most obvious screw job in that series' history as evidenced by these videos: https://texags.com/forums/6/topics/3565993/replies/71098662
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JFABNRGR
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In reply to Ginormus Ag • 10:58p, 12/22/25
AG
Ginormus Ag said:
If we were going to fake it, I would have preferred a higher percentage fake than a pass from a punter in a windy environment. A true special teams coach would have known what they were doing defending the fake and could have come up with a better play.


The crazy thing is, it was the most accurate pass all day. A split second sooner it works but the DB closed the separation as the ball arrived.
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
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Detmersdislocatedshoulder
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11:02p, 12/22/25
in a game that will most likely be won by the team that scores 10 that was an epic blunder. especially right before half. miami got the ball to start the second half. it ended up not costing us points but it was a play of desperation at that point and was stupid.
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Bobaloo
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5:58a, 12/23/25
I liked the attempt. Canes were ready. Decent throw into coverage. I liked the call against Mizzou much better.
‘This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others; it will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing.’

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coupland boy
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In reply to AgDotCom • 10:16a
AG
AgDotCom said:
DCC80 said:

Reminded me of the Emsminger (I think it was) call for a pass deep in A&M's territory against Tech in Lubbock in 1995. Corey Pullig throws a pick six to Zach Thomas. Tech wins. The game had been tied -- but it was early in the season and Tech already had a conference loss.


Throwing the ball deep in Tech territory in '95 was at the very end of the game to try to pull out a win when we should have been ahead by at least 7 already if not for the most obvious screw job in that series' history as evidenced by these videos: https://texags.com/forums/6/topics/3565993/replies/71098662


PTSD right there. If we never grace that POS campus with our presence again it wont bother me..
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25Lighters
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In reply to W • 11:25a
AG
W said:
the killer play was the incompletion prior

should have been an easy 1st down pickup to Smith on 3rd & 4


This is the correct answer. If Reed has any accuracy this play never happens. He had so many missed completions that would have gotten first downs or made it second or third and short.

He also caused the WR screen to get blown up several times since he threw it low and behind the receiver instead of in front of him where he catches it in stride.
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25Lighters
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In reply to Sq 17 • 11:28a
AG
Sq 17 said:
Because it was well executed and the punter made a good throw that WR had a chance to catch I am ok with it
Shows confidence in the D


The problem was that he was throwing to a DB who only went up with one hand to try and catch it. If he uses two hands then he stands a much better chance of catching it. The throw was good. The DB for some unknown reason only put up one hand to catch it.
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Jarrin Jay
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In reply to DCC80 • 11:33a
AG
It was not a glaring coaching error Nancy. D was dominating, Miami didn't score, it was aggressive but didn't work. Move on.

Trying to read way too much into it. If it worked and we went down and scored a TD before HT you would have said it was amazing.

Way too much over analysis of this game and Reed in particular. We couldn't run the ball, too much pressure on QB, this offense stalled. On Manziel could have produced 17+ points for our offense in that game all else being equal.
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waco_aggie05
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11:47a
AG
Not going to call it good or bad, but it is awfully humorous that we could'nt trust our QB1 to throw consistently under the wind conditions, so sure, trot out the punter and see if he can make the throw lol.

I'd of preferred just lining up the O one more time and trying to get it than that throw.
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TX_COWDOC
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In reply to Ginormus Ag • 12:00p
AG
Ginormus Ag said:
If we were going to fake it, I would have preferred a higher percentage fake than a pass from a punter in a windy environment. A true special teams coach would have known what they were doing defending the fake and could have come up with a better play.


Exactly. It's almost as if the person calling the plays never noticed the football blowing off the tee along with the debris blowing across the football field all game long.
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TexasRebel
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12:01p
AG
Was Pass interference.
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