For the biggest game of the season, that single play completely flipped the momentum.
I can’t recall how much time was left on the clock when we got the ball, or exactly where we started on the field … but I do remember thinking at that moment in time that UNLV should just run out the clock instead of pressing it. For us to get the yards we needed in the time that was left on the clock, it was going to rely on using the air on successive plays. And that was a weak spot for us, especially when the defense no longer has to guess run and the whole quirky formation thing is nullified.
The best and safest way to get chunks we needed would have been Hajj scrambles or even designed runs.
But it’s super easy to Monday morning quarterback.