Gophers football coach Jerry Kill defends his bowl-game decisions

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill argues a call in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas on Friday. (Kevin M. Cox/MCT)

HOUSTON -- Soon after the Meineke Car Care Bowl postgame news conference began, Gophers coach Jerry Kill had to explain himself. Why call a pass play for freshman quarterback Philip Nelson on third-and-7 with the score tied 31-31 and less than a minute left in the game?

The call certainly appeared to be a factor in Minnesota's 34-31 loss to Texas Tech on Friday, Dec. 28. Nelson was intercepted by D.J. Johnson, whose 39-yard return put the Red Raiders to win on Ryan Bustin's 28-yard field goal as time expired.

Kill, who has a history of gambling in critical situations with a fake field goal or punt, didn't want to run the clock out.

"We were in a two-minute offense and trying to win the game," Kill said. "We had a minute left on the clock, we were indoors, our kicker (Jordan Wettstein) has a chance to kick 50 yards and we were on the 35-yard line. We make two or three passes and kick a field goal and win the game."

Nelson had thrown two touchdown passes in the second half to help the Gophers retake the lead. Kill said he liked the matchup between Texas Tech's secondary and Derrick Engel, who had 108 yards receiving in the game. But the pass bounced off Engel's hands before being intercepted by Johnson.

"They made a play," Kill said. "It is just part of the game. You come to the game to win, and we had plenty of time to win the game."

Kill opened with Nelson at quarterback because the 19-year-old had started starting the previous six games. Nelson

completed 7 of 18 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. But the eight combined completions by Minnesota was an all-time low for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The Gophers had planned on using senior MarQueis Gray as both a quarterback and wide receiver, but they didn't want it to be too confusing for him. Gray finished with no catches, 59 yards rushing and one completion for 8 yards.

"We decided to play (Gray) at quarterback and (not) do things with him at receiver to let the young man focus on one situation," Kill said. "We felt like it gave us the best opportunity to win."

Source: http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_22281506/gophers-football-coach-jerry-kill-defends-his-bowl?source=rss

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