Why defer after winning the toss

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by HTownBevo, Oct 3, 2021.

  1. HTownBevo

    HTownBevo 250+ Posts

    This team is built around offense. Would rather take the ball and get up out of the gate then receive ball to open second half.
     
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  2. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    I don't think it makes any difference either way, since it can't actually increase the number of total possessions. Maybe it makes a slight advantage to give yourself a chance of finishing with the last possession of the 2nd quarter and then turning around and getting the ball first in the 3rd. Maybe. Or whichever one lets you get the wind at your back in the 4th might be a small edge too?
     
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  3. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Most coaches think that the first minutes of the third quarter are the most important in the game.

    Did you make adjustments?
    Do the adjustments work?
    Did the halftime speech work?
     
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  4. LHABSOB

    LHABSOB 1,000+ Posts

    Didn’t Charlie once defer and then chose to kick to start the 2nd half?
     
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  5. KBBAKER

    KBBAKER 500+ Posts

    I AGREE!! I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS! Mark it down, if Texas defers next week versus OU, the score will be 7-0 Sooners in under 2 minutes. Absolutely have to take the ball first against a superior opponent! Especially with a pourous defense.

    There is nothing I dread more than the TX/OU coin flip.
     
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  6. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    LHABSOB,

    Do you know if and when the alumni band will be in Memorial Stadium?
     
  7. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Against UCLA, it was probably the player’s fault. We won the toss and our guy said, “we’ll go on defense first.” The ref turned off his mic, asked the player something in a whisper, and must have had the player reiterate that. So, our “choice” was to play defense first in the first half, and then UCLA took the ball in the second half.
     
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  8. Mike the Texan

    Mike the Texan 250+ Posts

    I don't know who's fault it was, but we kicked off both halfs. Never seen that before or since. Stupidest thing ever.
     
  9. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    I was going to hit the "winner" emoji but then it would have been about Charlie and I'm not going to be responsible for that oxymoron....
     
  10. Hillcityhorn

    Hillcityhorn 100+ Posts

    Happened in 2004 @ Arkansas
     
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  11. Hillcityhorn

    Hillcityhorn 100+ Posts

    Yesterday was a perfect example to take the ball first. Deferring failed in both ways, not only did they return the ball 90 yds (or whatever it ended up) & went up 7-0, but we got the ball at start of 3rd quarter...to only go 3 and out, ball right back to them
     
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  12. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    So, if we went 3 and out to start the game, and then TCU returned the 2nd half kickoff 90 yards, that would have been better somehow?
     
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  13. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    I like the idea of getting the ball to start the second half....works wonders if you can score as time runs out in the first half, get the ball coming out of the locker room and score again!
     
  14. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    I think the best answer is the same as why you defend first on OT; you would rather have a possession after the other team, when you know the time/score situation, than beforehand, not knowing what you need
     
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  15. RainH2burntO

    RainH2burntO 2,500+ Posts

    I can't believe this is a thread
     
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  16. havoc7701

    havoc7701 Sponsor and Aggy Ridiculer

    Hey it’s a legitimate thread, as say, compared to this one on TexAgs.
     
  17. HTownBevo

    HTownBevo 250+ Posts

    Just saying that the signature of this team seems to be the offense. And it would b a good idea to take the kickoff and after 5 or so plays, have seven points on the board. It’s a statement. We haven’t had many defensive statement games to this point.
    Why defer? Because it’s the thing to do? Play to your strengths.
     
  18. LHABSOB

    LHABSOB 1,000+ Posts

    Yep! November 13, Kansas game. Hoping fire a big turnout of LHB Alumni in support of Cliff, the new director.
     
  19. BLucky

    BLucky 250+ Posts

    The one and only game I've seen in Jerry world. It wasn't fun...
     
  20. n64ra

    n64ra 1,000+ Posts

    I suspect the mic off comment was 'do you understand what you are doing?'
     
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  21. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Right—that’s exactly it—“you mean, defer, right? You don’t want to elect defense….”
    “Uh, well, we want them to go on offense first in the first half.”
    “Well, okay then.”
     
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  22. HTownBevo

    HTownBevo 250+ Posts

    That’s right. I bumped it!
     
  23. BevoJoe

    BevoJoe 10,000+ Posts

    As we all know, at the coin toss before the game, the winner of the toss has four choices: receive, kick, defer, or chose a direction. Seems fairy simple, but sometimes it can be messed up. We all know the implications of most of these but if there are some folks who don't

    Kick: This option is good for teams with a strong defense and those who want to take the ball in the second half.

    Receive: The kickoff return team will be on offense to start once the kickoff return team returns the ball successfully. The benefit of receiving first is the offense gets the first chance to score points. It’s a great opportunity to establish a first-half field position.

    Defer: Deferring is interesting because many players and coaches mean they’ll take the ball in the second half. While this is true, this is not entirely true, and one false mess-up could be costly for your team. Because you say “defer,” you’re saying I’ll choose what I want in the second half. Meaning, the opposing team has the option for the first half. Oftentimes, opposing teams will listen to their coach before heading to the coin toss, and the coach will say they want to kick. Choosing to kick when the other team defers oftentimes means that they’ll kick in the first half and the second half (if the opposing team decides to receive, which they most likely will). This means the team that chose to “defer” will get the ball to start the game and get the ball at the half—a great thing for the receiving team, a bad thing for the kicking team.

    Choose a Direction: The toss winner may choose a direction instead of choosing to kick, receive or defer. This may seem like an odd choice, but it could have some benefits. For instance, the wind is strong, and the team may choose to kick with the wind instead of against the win. This may prove beneficial in a tight game, especially in the fourth quarter. College football also has to make a crucial decision in overtime whether to choose an end zone to defend. Especially if it’s a large school, the crowd and student sections are often located in the end zone. Teams may choose to defend the other end to avoid the noise factor.

    Real World Example: Many years ago, one of the biggest coin toss screw-ups happened in the 1962 AFL Championship Game between the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans. At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 17-17. The Dallas HC, Hank Schram, told Abner Haynes if they won the toss, that they did not want to receive but instead would take the clock because of the fierce wind blowing from behind it, Haynes replied: " We will kick to the clock.

    But those were not the options Haynes was given after his “heads” call won Dallas the choice. After viewing and listening to the toss over-and-over again, here is how the conversation at mid-field went:

    Official to Haynes: “You call it when the coin’s in the air – and call it loudly now – Your call”

    Haynes: “Heads”

    Official: “Heads! Dallas won the call" – (as he picked the coin off the ground and now looking at Haynes said) “you have your choice now of course, receiving or kicking." (That was an error by the Ref as he did not say they could to choose a direction to have the wind the wind.)

    Haynes replied:We will kick to the clock”.

    Making sure of the call, the official repeated Haynes’ choice: " You're going to kick . . . to the clock

    According to rule, Haynes could not make the choice to both kick and defend a goal. Once he said “we will kick” that was the only decision allowed to him. “To the clock” was no longer his option. By rule, second option is given to the loser of the toss.

    Houston took the stiff wind coming from behind the scoreboard AND would receive! Schram was livid (and was still angry when ever he would recount the story decades later. "We won the toss, and we're kicking?!? . . . into the wind?!? How the hell does that happen??")

    Neither team was able to score in the first overtime period, giving Dallas and kicker Tommy Brooker the advantage in the second overtime period with the wind now at their back. And they did not waste it. Dallas went on to kick a game winning field goal in the sixth period to win the first of their three AFL Championship on December 23, 1962, 20-17 and also vindicate Haynes for making the decision he did.

    I remember that game, I was very young, 8 years old, and remember my folks who were big Dallas Texans fans were dumbfounded, but happy when the Texans won.


     
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  24. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    A microcosm of Charlie's entire tenure here.
     
  25. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    Choosing "kick" won't give you the ball in the second half. The other team will get to choose to start the second half and will likely choose "receive".
     
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  26. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Texas took the ball first in the OU game after winning the coin toss.
     
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  27. Horn2RunAgain

    Horn2RunAgain 2,500+ Posts

    Tom Landry, is that you from thre grave? That was your favorite comment
     
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  28. NRHorn

    NRHorn 2,500+ Posts

    I like the Defer.
    If played correctly- you control the end of the 1st half by either grinding it out or hurry up to get at least 3.
    Then take the 3rd Qtr kickoff and scoring again.
     
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  29. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Of course my favorite is we don’t give a ****..
     
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  30. MajorRules00

    MajorRules00 500+ Posts

    Winner winner. A team with good defense and the ability to control tempo should always look to defer.
     

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