By Jimmy Hyams
Facing fourth-and-4 at the Tennessee 14-yard line, LSU coach Brian Kelly rolled the dice.
The Tigers were down 10-0 mid-way through the first quarter.
No reason to panic. No reason to gamble. No reason to fret.
There was plenty of time to make up a double-digit deficit, which LSU had done in previous games against Mississippi State and Auburn.
However, Kelly eschewed the field-goal attempt in hopes of getting a touchdown.
The LSU pass play came up short, thanks to a nice tackle by Vols defensive back Kamal Hadden.
You wonder why Kelly felt compelled to pass on the field goal.
If Tennessee weren’t averaging 48 points per game, would Kelly have kicked the field goal?
If Hendon Hooker wasn’t leading the top offense in the SEC, would Kelly have gambled?
Probably not.
It makes you wonder: Is Josh Heupel’s offense so dynamic, opposing coaches alter their game plan, figuring they can’t beat Tennessee with field goals so they have to be aggressive in pursuit of finding the end zone.
That wasn’t the only Kelly decision that left you scratching your head.
Down 13-0 early in the fourth quarter, Kelly went for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 46 behind a young and not-so-efficient offensive line.
Tennessee stuffed the run.
On the next play, Hooker hit Jalin Hyatt for a 45-yard score, and before you could say “geaux Tigers,’’ LSU was down 20-0.
With 29 seconds left in the first half, Kelly made another interesting decision.
With UT ahead 20-7, Kelly went for a fourth-and-10 at the Tennessee 45. Quarterback Jayden Daniels was sacked for a 12-yard loss.
Hooker hit Bru McCoy for 32 yards to set up Chase McGrath’s 32-yard field goal for a 23-7 halftime lead.
When LSU took the second half kickoff and scored to make it 30-7, the wind had left LSU’s sails.
LSU went 0-for-3 on fourth-down tries. You wonder how much of Tennessee’s offense affected Kelly’s decision making.
A similar situation occurred in the UT-Florida game, but it wasn’t as egregious.
Florida took the opening possession and drove to the UT 20-yard line. Rather than kick a field goal for a 3-0 lead, Gator coach Billy Napier went for it on fourth-and-2. A quarterback run fell short.
Did Napier, like Kelly, feel he couldn’t beat the explosive Vols with field goals?
Unlike Kelly, Napier had success on his fourth down gambles, other than the first one.
Florida had fourth-and-2 at its 44 early in the second quarter, down 3-0. Napier called timeout, then had Anthony Richardson complete a 10-yard pass before throwing a scoring pass on the next snap for a 7-3 lead.
In the third quarter, Napier went for fourth-and-2 at the UT 13 and converted. The ensuing touchdown cut UT’s lead to 24-21. A field goal would have made it a 7-point game.
Napier then went for a fourth-and-3 at his own 27 late in the third quarter, down 31-21.
Who does that? Hal Mumme?
The roll of the dice worked. Florida converted and was only stopped on the drive by a lost fumble at the UT 13.
It will be interesting going forward if Alabama coach Nick Saban or Georgia coach Kirby Smart employ the same tactics: Gamble on fourth downs against Tennessee because the Vols offense is prolific.
My guess: No.
Both Bama and Georgia have better defenses than Florida and LSU.
And there’s no reason to be desperate early.
But for the rest of the teams on Tennessee’s schedule, you might see more off-the-wall risk taking.
Heupel has changed Tennessee’s offense.
He has also changed the way opposing coaches manage a game.
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