Why Chris Klieman went for two with K-State trailing by eight against Oklahoma State
A large number of Kansas State football fans were understandably puzzled when Chris Klieman decided to try a two-point conversion with the Wildcats trailing by eight points midway through the fourth quarter of what eventually became a 29-21 loss against Oklahoma State on Friday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Traditional wisdom suggested that K-State should have kicked an extra point in that situation. After all, a PAT would have pulled the Wildcats within seven of the Cowboys and given them an opportunity to force overtime by getting a stop on defense, scoring another touchdown and then kicking another extra point.
With 8 minutes, 56 remaining on the game clock and the score 29-21, there was more than enough time for the Wildcats to leave Stillwater with a come-from-behind victory.
But Klieman opted to try to take a shortcut in an ugly game that was filled with K-State mistakes.
His decision didn’t sit well with many. Social media erupted with criticism, especially when K-State wide receiver Keagan Johnson was unable to connect with any of his teammates as he threw a pass into the end zone on a trick play and the conversion attempt failed.
Still, there are some in the world of advanced statistics that will praise Klieman’s decision no matter how it was received. Coaches are beginning to go for two when their team is down by eight, and it has paid off for them.
For example, the Green Bay Packers recently used that exact strategy to complete a comeback against the New Orleans Saints for an 18-17 win.
Klieman said he noticed that success, and wanted to do the same thing against Oklahoma State.
“If we score there and get the two-point conversion,” Klieman said, “we’re going to go in and score (again) and kick the PAT and win the game.”
The strategy truly is that simple.
A team that is down by eight needs to score twice more to win the game. Some think it is easiest to hit on a two-point conversion and then win with a touchdown. The traditional alternative is to kick an extra point, score another touchdown and then win in overtime.
Had K-State’s conversion attempt been successful, and it nearly was, then winning in regulation would have come into play.
Klieman said he had no regrets about that decision.
“We’ve been in these situations a couple times on the flip side of it,” Klieman said. “One time last year against Texas Tech they did the same thing and they made it a six point game and then they could have gone in and kicked a PAT and won it.
“So we’ve thought long and hard about it. It wasn’t just a random, ‘Hey, what do you think here?’ I’ve thought long and hard about that when we get that situation. I wish we would have converted, because I would have looked like a genius.”