I could not believe my eyes. The number of takes I did far surpassed the drama of a mere double-take.

Now, days later, I still have a hard time digesting it.

Did Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit really call for a fake field goal on WMU’s first possession of the game?

The answer is a bewildered “yes.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m as big of a proponent of the faked-special teams play as you’ll find, but not on your first possession of the game.

Not to end a drive in which you methodically drove the ball down the field on 15 plays and got five first downs, and certainly not when you trail by seven points in the first quarter.

Cubit’s decision was the definition of a high-risk, low-reward play. I wonder how WMU kicker John Potter felt afterward, when his head coach apparently doesn’t trust him with a 36-yard field goal.

Are you listening, Coach? You said after the game that Saturday was as bad as you’d seen your team play, but I have to wonder how much of it was them second-guessing every decision that came in from the sideline. All the product of a call that can be described only as silly.

There are only three situations in which a fake or going for it is an acceptable call.

I. Late in a game, when desperation is all you have left.

Sure, the other team probably knows something is up, but at this point all you have to hang your head on is that someone could make a ridiculous play and get you back into the game. For the record, being down seven points in the first quarter does not qualify as a “desperate” situation.

II. Any fourth down, not in scoring position, in which you need three or four yards to convert.
The reason this is okay is because I love a gutsy call. Having guts is what separates the good coaches from the great ones. There’s a difference between having guts and throwing reason to the wind, however. If you have less than five yards left for a first down, then absolutely roll the dice, but not when you could pull within four by kicking a 36-yard field goal.

III. Any time you could take the lead or the win with a first down or touchdown.
I’ll always support a coach who decides to go for two after a score to give their team the lead instead of a tie. The same goes for any coach who elects not to kick a field goal on the goal line when a touchdown would give them the advantage.

Notice how none of the situations above describe faking a 36-yard field goal on your first drive. It’s not being conservative or cowardly.

It’s being logical.

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