Sometimes You Just Have To Go For It; Fourth And Two Was That Time

When your team is 2-5 and you're facing a must win game, sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind.

It was a must win game for Vanderbilt on Saturday night against South Carolina, and it was a time to throw caution to the wind and go for it.

That should have been the call from Derek Mason, instead the Commodores played conservative and the night, and game slipped away.

Leading 7-0 and without starting quarterback Riley Neal, Vanderbilt took possession and moved the football to the Gamecocks 38 when Mason elected to punt on a 4th down and two. 

It was a moment where Mason and the Commodores could have imposed their will on the Gamecocks and kept a drive alive that could well have led to a two touchdown lead.

That moment alone didn't cost the Commodores the game, there were other opportunities, but with nothing else to lose that is exactly the moment you should throw caution out and go for the jugular. Carolina entered the game off a blowout loss to Tennessee after the Gamecocks led at half. 

It was an epic collapse for Carolina, and the hangover from that loss was still showing in the home team's eyes when Vanderbilt drove their opening possession down for a touchdown.  

Still Mason chose to punt rather than showing confidence in his offense and taking a chance they could convert. 

Nothing in football is a given, but momentum is real and when you have it with nothing to lose, you need to ride it.

This is all one man's opinion of course, and conventional coaching wisdom might suggest differently, but what else was there to lose.