Coaching Decision in Arizona Game

You throw it up for grabs 15-25 yards downfield in a place where somebody is guaranteed to catch it, hopefully your guy. But if not, the DB won't be able to help himself if it's there, so it's easier and better than a pooch punt.

Clock stops on change of possession, so running doesn't matter unless it's your best chance at a first down. The actual running of a long pass play probably kills more time than anything but a 50+ yard run.

and punt it.  Oh wait, that's only if I was trailing  in that situation.

The upside is high but the likelihood of the other team scoring a TD is super low.  A turnover in the endzone probably gets you the 10 yards of field position and a few seconds off the clock that a punt would, plus you have a slight chance at icing the game.

I'd line up in the field goal formation. Snap it to my kicker and do a pooch punt.  Mitigates any return man.

Anything except a kick (of either variety) is fine. Go for it -- reasonable (not aggressive or conservative).

A) FG is too risky at that distance. If you miss, they get the ball at the 37, though probably with only 15 seconds to go. Not sure how UTSA's kicker is, but I'm assuming not very good. That's two or maybe three plays to advance the ball about 30 yards, which can be done. Worse yet, a block may lose you the game. FGs, especially longer ones, are prone to get blocked. So FG just seems like a bad option all the way around.

B/C) If I'm punting, it's max protect and just getting the damn thing off. Always the risk of a bad snap, still risk blocking. But for a pooch punt, there just isn't enough room for it to waste time. Likewise, it's more prone to get blocked (comes out lower, tends to take a bit longer). A regular punt with max protection with a short field basically means there won't be a return. Hang it up as high as you can, you probably waste at least 7 seconds again. This is basically the FG situation but you gain 10 yards.

E) I don't like being aggressive in this situation because the most likely way to lose is by doing something stupid. The upside of, say, scoring a TD is minimal when all you need is 4 yards for a win. Likewise, a bad sack or a pick 6 or a fumble on an option is one of the more likely events leading to you losing. So being aggressive is limited upside with a lot of downside. Also, for people saying an out route or a screen or something of that nature (get players in space), those are dangerous calls in these situations. Defenders are looking to jump routes, likely playing close to the LOS. The downside of those plays is a lose, and the downside is real.

D) This is the best answer, and the one Rich Rod went with.  I would run something with a little more misdirection preferably in order to spend a little more time and try to take advantage of the defensive flow, likely something like a spring draw. But at the end of the day I give it to my RB who is least likely to fumble and I run something up the middle where a fumble (the defense will be trying to rip it) most likely ends up in a pile.

The last thing you want in this situation is a chaos play. That's any block or turnover in space, whether a fumble in space or INT in space. Offensive linemen running around trying to tackle DBs in space is a mistake.

E (Counter draw, power) > D (fade > quickout or screen) > B (max protect punt) > C (pooch punt) > A (FG)

Complete a 2 yard out.  

Years ago Washington State faked a QB run up the gut, the WRs pretended to block and then went verts.  The run action drew the safties and corners in because a first down would have ended the game.  The QB stepped back and had a choice of open receiver to lob the ball to for a TD.  I would do that!

It wouldn't have been close if Carr hadn't left the cupboard empty. I mean seriously, he's overachieving given all the players he doesn't have.

Ever notice how he/WCiMFH (I won't say his name) ALWAYS looks like he just ate a lemon??

Bummerooski!

I say if a 4 yard gain wins you the game you go for it. Keep in mind that when there's a change of posession in thus situation, the other team has all 4 downs at their disposal to move the ball down the feild, not just three. That's a tremendous advantage.

Arizona played the United States Tennis Association and nearly lost?  Oh wait...UTSA...what the hell is that?

play action corner end zone fade, takes a few seconds to develop. Low risk of interception since theoretically only your guy gets a shot at it. Maybe you get PI call.

UTSA has left in order to make this call.  If they have one or possibly even if they have two then I think they ran the correct play.

Threet bubble screen to Sheridan, but WRs don't block well; loss of five yards

4 wide with a back to block. Kill as much time as you can and either chuck it or dump it off to the back.

Run it back to your own endzone. Should be able to run off all 23 seconds. If not, then take the safety. 

I'd run a fake punt. Snap it to the up man. If he gets the first, you win...if not, it's basically the same as a run play. Of course, that doesn't address the fact you had to use trickery to beat UTSA, so maybe that's why you just go with a standard run play.

I like this question. It really depends how strongly I feel about my defense, offense, kicker, and special teams coverage but with that much time left and a reasonable kicker I probably kick the field goal.

Field goal takes a few seconds off the clock. If we make it..on the kickoff I either boot it out the back of the end zone or half pooch it to not risk the return. Then I'm forcing the other team to go 70 yards in maybe 18 seconds to beat me. Even with 3 time outs you're talking a maximum of probably 6 plays left and likely less.

If you miss the field goal that's still 40 yards with 20 seconds left to tie.

If there were more time on the clock probably 45 seconds or higher I think I would go for it on 4th down.

as possible and then punt in out of bounds inside the 5.  Of course, give him the option to run for the first down if he thinks he can make it.

Option-F

Have the punter take the ball straight backwards towards the endzone and run around trying to evade defenders as long as he can.  Then he can either attempt a forward pass or take a safety.  That should kill a few seconds.  If it was denard the entire 23 seconds would have been gone and the game would have ended on an intercepted jump ball.

/S 

For real.  Option E.  Agressive attempt at the first down.

Any way you slice it, we're likely to win, so let's not do anything stupid. Stupid includes a punt/FG where a block loses the game and a successful play doesn't win it outright. Any risk of losing outright in exchange for less than 100% win is not worth it, so I'm going for it. Mildly less stupid but still risky are what was termed "chaos plays" earlier - don't run something complicated. This comes down to either my base run play or play-action off of it. Since everyone will be in the box, I'll call a play-action pass where if someone isn't hand-wavingly open, my QB has orders to throw it to the moon and let time tick off until the ball lands in the end zone. Think mortar not laser. And if there's time I'll tell the WR to stop at the two and use up as much time as possible if he catches it. A win by three guaranteed is better than any chance of a comeback from 10, not matter how slight (kick return, plus onside plus FG is not impossible, for example, though vanishingly small). My second choice is to run the obvious but safe run play and just make them drive the field in 2-3 plays.

I'm thinking primary deep,and someone short out near the sideline.  Look short if deep isn't there, it's a safe pass, maybe the receiver can make the sticks.  If not, well you had two options that could end the game if carried out and hopefully burn some seconds if you didn't.

and it would be nice to know the info liike how UTSA was moving the ball, etc. But inasmuch as you said they won, sounds like the perfect call.