Gutsiest Play Calls - Around the State

[Brad]

My gutsiest play call

By IZZY GOULD

Published August 13, 2006

MY GUTSIEST PLAY CALL

Urban Meyer, Florida, on last year's failed quarterback sneak on fourth and 1 against Tennessee: "We didn't make it. I didn't know our team. If I would have known them, I wouldn't have gone for it at that point. People said later in the year we did some things, but I don't think those were gutsy calls."

Bobby Bowden, Florida State, on his 1988 "Puntrooskie" call when LeRoy Butler ran a fake punt 78 yards to set up the winning field goal in a 24-21 victory at No. 3 Clemson: "They really had momentum. We had been ahead, they had driven it down and stuffed the ball down our throat for a touchdown. We simply could not afford to turn that thing over again. We had a play, a fake punt that we would normally not run except on your side of the 50. We were kind of desperate so we called it. It went for 78 yards down to the 3. We kicked a field goal and won the game."

Larry Coker, Miami, on fourth and 1 from his 47-yard line, trailing FSU 14-13 in the 2004 Orange Bowl. D.J. Williams ran a fake punt 31 yards to set up a field goal for a 16-14 victory: "Probably the gutsiest play call would be the fake punt against Florida State in the Orange Bowl bowl game. We had a fake punt for a first down. The outcome was good."

Jim Leavitt, South Florida, on Amarri Jackson's touchdown pass to Derek Carter on third and 2 last season in USF's 45-14 upset of Louisville: "Probably the halfback pass in the Louisville game. We scored a touchdown. We had a lot of momentum going. We thought they were trying to stop the run. We decided everyone would be coming forward to stop the run and it would be a pretty good call to make."

George O'Leary, UCF, on a fourth and 1 against Houston with the Knights leading 31-29 last season. UCF went for it at the Houston 44 with less than two minutes left, ran the ball and didn't convert (UCF held on to win): "I didn't call it, but I took blame for it. ... We should have been punting the ball. . . . That was just plain stupid. . . . Anything that happens on the field I take blame for, good or bad."

Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic, on Miami's 1983 team stopping Nebraska and coach Tom Osborne on a two-point conversion attempt to win the national championship 31-30 in the Orange Bowl: "Everyone would want me to say the game against Osborne. That was the most publicized play. They expected man to man, but we played zone, knocked the ball out and won the game."

The toughest, tastiest and gutsiest of college football

[Last modified August 13, 2006, 03:00:46]

Story Link

[TheGimp]

Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic, on Miami's 1983 team stopping Nebraska and coach Tom Osborne on a two-point conversion attempt to win the national championship 31-30 in the Orange Bowl: "Everyone would want me to say the game against Osborne. That was the most publicized play. They expected man to man, but we played zone, knocked the ball out and won the game."

Does this leave any doubt that Howard still wishes he was at UM?  This is why FAU will not be a legit 1A team until Shnellenberger retires...

[___ Eats It]

Jeez, no kidding.  Howard, let the past go.

[JoeB]

Osborne was the gutsy one.  Howards team simply played defense.  How does that merit the same as the Puntrooskie?