CNS's Best "in-game" Coaching Calls

[Cruloc]

It'll always be the onside kick vs Clemson for me. That smile after it worked.

We couldn't stop them, he knew it, had to steal a possession or we weren't going to win.

 

[arthurdawg]

The game that made an impression on me, especially early on, was the 2007 Arkansas game. I thought for sure that game was lost, but the way an elite-level coach managed the situation and put the team in a position to win was great to watch, especially given all the close losses from 2003 to 2006. It remains one of the most memorable coaching displays in my mind. After that game, I did not doubt that he would be great. We had not had that level of coaching since Stallings.

That was the first game we'd won in such a dire situation in many years... We had no confidence at all.

But when we pulled it out, we all looked at each other and nodded. We knew it was changing.

 

[BamaInCummingGA]

The pass play from McElroy to Upchurch in the AU game for the come from behind win.

 

[Marg]

I was also going to post the 2009 Auburn game. Called timeout to change the called run play to a pass. Touchdown Upchurch and game won.

Also, not a single play, but an in-game decision. 2024 Georgia game. Georgia went straight through the defense on the first drive. Changed the defensive plan they had prepared for the game because it was obviously not working. Switched to split safeties and shut down Georgia for just about the rest of the game.

 

[dtgreg]

I was also going to post the 2009 Auburn game. Called timeout to change the called run play to a pass. Touchdown Upchurch and game won.

Also, not a single play, but an in-game decision. 2024 Georgia game. Georgia went straight through the defense on the first drive. Changed the defensive plan they had prepared for the game because it was obviously not working. Switched to split safeties and shut down Georgia for just about the rest of the game.

Not Saban, but...

 

[arthurdawg]

The pass play from McElroy to Upchurch in the AU game for the come from behind win.

Upchurch has always said he told Saban to throw it to him and he'd take care of things... One of the best drives ever and a dagger in the heart of Barners everywhere...

 

[Marg]

Not Saban, but...

My bad. Wrong year. I was referring to the 2023 SEC Championship game.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

The McElroy pass to Roy Upchurch that won the 2009 Iron Bowl on 3rd and 3 at the Auburn 4 with everything on the line.

The deliberate decision to "run it until they can stop it" after Alec Ogeltree's blocked field goal return for a TD against UGA in 2012. That second half was a master class from Saban on how to put yourself in position to win. Having the faith to just plow and plow and plow - to set up the kill shot from AJ to Amari, splendid.

As noted, the onsides kick against Clemson to win in 2015.

 

[BhamToTexas]

I'll always remember how he opted to kick the FG down 7 late. Showed he believed we'd get the ball back and could score a TD

Exactly what I was thinking. We wouldn’t have done that with the previous admin. It showed we were changing.

Also, all of the comments are predictably more “offensive” plays. It is very hard to identify all the great defensive calls he certainly made that changed games/momentum. That is harder to see.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Those were the first 2 that came to mind for me also. Such great decisions.

I also like that our defense was ready (not sure if Saban decision or the DC) when Kirby tried that trick play with Justin Fields in one of the championship games.

I don't know who called the D, but it was the right call. Who botched it was the UGA coaches.

UGA was lined up in punt formation. We weren't even in punt-safe. We were in our standard D.... double-dog-daring them to fake. Fields stood no chance on a run off a direct snap.

I don't blame Fields for missing it. He was a true freshman backup QB in a high-pressure situation with little or no time to think. I do blame the UGA coaches, especially Kirby.

In a situation like that -- under 2 minutes to go in a championship game, nursing a lead of less than a TD, sitting at roughly midfield -- there's no way the HC didn't call that play.

That $10 million HC should have recognized that our D had checkmated his fake immediately when the huddle broke, well before the snap, and called time out. Punt and set us back 40 - 45 yards from where we actually got the ball. In all likelihood being too far from the end zone for Hurts' end-of-game heroics to even come up.

A good, not great, call by the Alabama brain trust. An unfathomable inexcusable whiff by UGA's.

After a coaching blunder like that, they deserved to lose.

 

[Padreruf]

I don't know who called the D, but it was the right call. Who botched it was the UGA coaches.

UGA was lined up in punt formation. We weren't even in punt-safe. We were in our standard D.... double-dog-daring them to fake. Fields stood no chance on a run off a direct snap.

I don't blame Fields for missing it. He was a true freshman backup QB in a high-pressure situation with little or no time to think. I do blame the UGA coaches, especially Kirby.

In a situation like that -- under 2 minutes to go in a championship game, nursing a lead of less than a TD, sitting at roughly midfield -- there's no way the HC didn't call that play.

That $10 million HC should have recognized that our D had checkmated his fake immediately when the huddle broke, well before the snap, and called time out. Punt and set us back 40 - 45 yards from where we actually got the ball. In all likelihood being too far from the end zone for Hurts' end-of-game heroics to even come up.

A good, not great, call by the Alabama brain trust. An unfathomable inexcusable whiff by UGA's.

After a coaching blunder like that, they deserved to lose.

I could not believe that call, either. I literally jumped out of my seat when they lined up...

 

[BamaMoon]

Exactly what I was thinking. We wouldn’t have done that with the previous admin. It showed we were changing.

Also, all of the comments are predictably more “offensive” plays. It is very hard to identify all the great defensive calls he certainly made that changed games/momentum. That is harder to see.

That's a great point...and no doubt CNS's fingerprints would be found on many of those great plays.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

I don't know who called the D, but it was the right call. Who botched it was the UGA coaches.

UGA was lined up in punt formation. We weren't even in punt-safe. We were in our standard D.... double-dog-daring them to fake. Fields stood no chance on a run off a direct snap.

I don't blame Fields for missing it. He was a true freshman backup QB in a high-pressure situation with little or no time to think. I do blame the UGA coaches, especially Kirby.

In a situation like that -- under 2 minutes to go in a championship game, nursing a lead of less than a TD, sitting at roughly midfield -- there's no way the HC didn't call that play.

That $10 million HC should have recognized that our D had checkmated his fake immediately when the huddle broke, well before the snap, and called time out. Punt and set us back 40 - 45 yards from where we actually got the ball. In all likelihood being too far from the end zone for Hurts' end-of-game heroics to even come up.

A good, not great, call by the Alabama brain trust. An unfathomable inexcusable whiff by UGA's.

After a coaching blunder like that, they deserved to lose.

Especially when the HC spent years under the coach he was coaching against in that game. He generally knew what the checkdowns/executions would be.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Exactly what I was thinking. We wouldn’t have done that with the previous admin. It showed we were changing.

Also, all of the comments are predictably more “offensive” plays. It is very hard to identify all the great defensive calls he certainly made that changed games/momentum. That is harder to see.

Along those lines, I remember a championship game -- don't remember whether it was SEC or BCS. But early on, our D was getting gashed on the ground. Saban made an in-game call to scrap the plan and change the way the D was lining up. I'm guessing that also involved tweaking personnel to guys that better fit the adjustment. To your point about not identifying in-game defensive calls, I also don't remember what the change was -- 3-4 to 4-3? Vice versa? Something else? I'm not sure.

We started getting stops and eventually won the game. I just remember Saban talking about it after the win. He obviously didn't couch it as a great adjustment. He just said that the original plan clearly wasn't working, so he had no choice but to change.

It is, however, example #958,679,874 of how the great coaches adjust -- both in-game and over time. It's what made Saban and Bryant the GOATs.

Good coaches get really good at one approach and execute it better than most. You can win a lot with that approach....for a while anyway. But they tend to lose track of the fact that the game, rules, and on-field interpretation of existing rules all evolve.

Past success tends to put blinders on the coach who is good but not great. He thinks, "This is how we play. We've been successful. There is no reason to change, and I'm not going to chase trends." Criticism of an outdated philosophy offends their ego and only makes them dig in deeper with a bunker mentality.

Look no further than Stallings or Les Miles to see the good-but-not-great behavior and its attendant limitations -- both short-term and long-term.

 

[YellowHammerTime]

It'll always be the onside kick vs Clemson for me. That smile after it worked.

We couldn't stop them, he knew it, had to steal a possession or we weren't going to win.

I really want to see that kick up close. I'm still not 100% convinced the ball hit the ground.

 

[jthomas666]

Calling 4 verts after Tua got sacked on first down was a pretty ballsy move. Worked out OK, IIRC.

 

[22Musso22]

Never gets old as mentioned earlier:

 

[Marg]

Along those lines, I remember a championship game -- don't remember whether it was SEC or BCS. But early on, our D was getting gashed on the ground. Saban made an in-game call to scrap the plan and change the way the D was lining up.

That's the game I mentioned earlier in the thread. It was the 2023 SECCG vs Georgia.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Never gets old as mentioned earlier:

The call and the execution are perfect.

Then CNS’s Grin followed by Dabo throwing a tantrum are the Cherries on Top.

 

[YellowHammerTime]

I'm die hard as they come but I'm still not convinced the ball hit the ground and that it's not kick catch interference unless someone can prove to me otherwise