Rock Candy

Nutt should leave the play calling to Gus ... just give the ball to McHeisman & Jones. The players deserved better than what Nutt gave them Saturday. Gosh, even a Soccer Mom would've known better than to let Casey Dick try to pass.

The same people criticizing the passing play call are the same people who have whined for years that we don't throw the ball. Looks like Nutt listened to the sideline quarterbacks and it probably cost his team the game.

That column makes me sick.

Everybody's an armchair Bill Bellichick the day after a game.

If the guy is going to criticize, he ought not to do so on such a superficial basis. McFadden's prior carry was 9 yards? Uh, Mr. Columnist, running for 9 yards on third and 12 doesn't mean you can do it on fourth and 3. And the carry before the 9 yarder? ONE yard on second and 4. The two carries before that netted 6 and 11 yards--but they both came on first and 10.

Jones's prior carries were 18 (first and 10); 15 (first and 10); 3 (second and 10) and 9 (third and 12).

Nothing in those stats suggests to me that a run on fourth and 3 would have been a gimme.

Oh, you say, but didn't Houston have sense enough to see what a miserable passing day Dick was having? Probably. It might have reminded him of the seven straight incompletions (plus one sack and including two interceptions) that Mitch Mustain threw before hitting Ben Cleveland for the game-winner against Alabama.

If Dick had hit Monk in single coverage and he broke a tackle for a score, HDN would be hailed as a genius. Even without a Soccer Mom for a defensive coordinator, the Tigers might have been leaning toward the run a bit.

I think it's fair to call the criticism "second guessing."