Coach ,

In this strange 2020 season, the things we talk about but usually don’t happen are happening.  Case in point - Penn State vs. Indiana.  It’s the end of the game and up 1 all Penn State has to do is get a first down and run out the clock.  It’s actually not to their advantage to score. The only thing Indiana can do to have a chance is to let them score. The intricacies involved in coaching this up on either side of it come down to preparation.

Former college head coach Rob Ash and I discussed this on the Coach and Coordinator Podcast.  Simply stated, it’s something that needs to be practiced and there should be a mechanism in both the defense to let the offense score, and for the offense to know not to score. 

It could be a code word for the offense that gets tagged into the call.  The defense obviously has to have a call for this as well, and the best coaches know all of it must be practiced.  Rule of thumb: Never do something in a game that hasn’t been practiced!

Penn State mistakenly scored and it came down to a controversial two-point play in overtime to end it and give the Hoosier the upset.

Coach Ash takes an historical approach to two-point analytics in his free course “The Analytics of Two-Point Conversions (You might be surprised!).” In this chapter he discusses one of the most famous coaching decisions in history, Tom Osbourne’s go-for-two decision for the National Championship against Miami in 1984.

Coach Ash goes through and explains the analytics behind the two-point decisions from20 games from recent seasons.  You will be fascinated by the data for or against the decisions he analyzes in this course.  

In regard to the two point play, they’re something that are usually on everyone’s call sheet.  Are they really as well thought out and prepared as they should be?  How much time is spent thinking about those and practicing the critical situation where the two point conversion is for the win?

After watching Coach Ash’s examples you will be convinced that maybe you need to give the two-point play more attention.

Who better to learn from than coaches who go for two every time they score.  Kevin Kelley has won 6 state championships at Pulaski Academy with always going for two as a strategy.  Rob Delaney does it out of necessity at South Park High School in Buffalo, New York because he never has a consistent kicker available.  

Delaney begins his thinking with some key questions.

• What is your best formation?
• What coverage are you getting from the defense?
• How can you get the ball to your best player?

Delaney prepares his team by having specific two-point play periods on multiple days throughout the week.  They also “go for two” at the end of every offensive drive in practice.  

Delaney’s two point play menu falls into these categories:

1. Sprint Passes

2. Throwback Passes

3. Option Routes

4. Pick Plays

5. Play-Action Passes

Here are two of Delaney’s two-point plays.  The first is their sprint pass:

Option Route:

Study Delaney’s Course “Two Point Plays” Here

For Kevin Kelley it’s completely about the analytics.  Technically speaking, Kelley will go for two on the first two touchdowns, and then after that they follow the numbers and analytics.  For Kelley, his strategy is always around the numbers.

Kevin Kelley explains his philosophy on two-point plays and shares his throwback in this video:

Study Kevin Kelley’s Unstoppable Two-Point Plays Here

Penn State and Indiana certainly provided a lot to study and think about.  The resources shared here are definitely worth digging into.  They may even help you win a game.

To Your Success,

Keith