Once you cross the opponents 40 yard line, and having an offense like we have, there is absolutely no reason to punt on 4th and 5 or less. 90% of the time the punt goes in the end zone and you gain less than 20 yards of field position. The opportunity cost lost by punting far outweighs the chance of pinning the other team deep. And kicking plus 50 yard field goals makes Mason look like a poorer kicker than he is.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

Once you cross the opponents 40 yard line, and having an offense like we have, there is absolutely no reason to punt on 4th and 5 or less. 90% of the time the punt goes in the end zone and you gain less than 20 yards of field position. The opportunity cost lost by punting far outweighs the chance of pinning the other team deep. And kicking plus 50 yard field goals makes Mason look like a poorer kicker than he is.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

I read a statistical analysis once that concluded going for it on 4th every single time after the 40 yard line (i.e., within 60 yards of the end zone) would net an average of approximately one victory per year. For most risk-averse coaches, that isn't enough of a difference to justify the flak they would take from the public, the media, and the owners when the attempts fail.

On the other hand, that one victory could make the difference between making the playoffs and watching them from home, and one would think making the playoffs certainly improves a coach's job security. But no one ever accused humans of being logical creatures.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel