Butch Jones Made The Right Call For The Vols Against South Carolina
By Zach Ragan
Can you imagine if Butch Jones had decided to go for two and failed to get the conversion on Saturday night when the Vols rallied to tie the game against South Carolina?
It’s a moot point now, but plenty of Vol fans, at the time, were calling for the Vols to forego overtime and go for the win after Josh Dobbs delivered the potential game-tying touchdown to Jason Croom.
Come on, Butch. Go for two. Nope, ain't gonna do it.
— Mark Haselden (@MarkHaselden) November 2, 2014
It's somewhat surprising Butch didn't go for two and the win there with Dobbs as a run option. You are on the road against a tired D
— Nathan Jones (@nate_jonesin) November 2, 2014
It’s easy to understand why folks thought the Vols should go for it. Tennessee hasn’t fared very well at the end of games the past few seasons (see the 2013 Georgia game). Plus going for two would follow the old college basketball adage of play for overtime at home and go for the win on the road.
The Vols’ good fortune, as it had so many times before, was surely about to run out
Seeing as how the Vols were playing on the road and had just pulled even in a game they should’ve lost, it had to be tempting for Jones to at least consider going for two, right?
The Vols’ good fortune, as it had so many times before, was surely about to run out. We’ve all seen the script. Tennessee ties the game, gets the ball first in overtime, kicks a field goal and then South Carolina rallies for a touchdown, sending the Volunteers back to Knoxville with yet another “oh-so-close” moment to hang their hat on.
But Jones said on Wednesday, during the SEC coaches teleconference, that he never considered going for two.
Butch Jones on possibly going for two after last regulation touchdown: "It was all about overtime." Never considered it, basically.
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) November 5, 2014
In hindsight, it was the right call. But you best believe if the Vols had lost in overtime, fans would have lambasted Jones for not going for the win in regulation.
But I believe, win or lose, playing for overtime was absolutely the right call. Even if Tennessee had lost.
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The Vols had all the momentum heading into the extra period. Why hang a game — and possibly your season — on one play? Why not give your offense and defense a series of plays to win the game for you?
It was refreshing to see that Jones, though he was certainly feeling the heat to win a game in crunch time, didn’t cave to the pressure and put his team in a bad situation.
Jones, and by extension his players, remained calm and poised. They continued their workmanlike approach and left Columbia with the win.
They also left Steve Spurrier at a loss for words.
Which is almost more impressive than the win itself.
There’s been a lot of questions about Jones’ coaching style/efficiency.
But it’s kind of hard to question someone that’s outcoached the head ball coach two years in a row, isn’t it?