Interesting strategy...definitely outside the box thinking. I wonder if he has some sort of analytics to support his moves similar to baseball managers look at to deploy infield shifts.
I think punting is necessary in the NFL but punting in college should be examined. Unless you are pinned inside your own end, I think punting on any down and distance less than 4th and 2 is silly in the college game...particularly in our league. Sure, some programs have NFL beef on their DL but most don't. More often than not, college teams should always go for it on 4th and less than 2.
Onside kicking is what is most interesting to me. If executed properly, the receiving team is actually at a disadvantage. First, most teams put their hands team in and, for the most part, hands team guys don't like to get hit. Onside plays do exactly that - it's a wave of sprinting defenders whose goal is to obliterate you and remove as many potential bodies from the recovery scrum. Second, no matter how many All Pro hands guys you can line up on the field, if the kicker makes a perfect kick (well placed, high bounce, etc), there is nothing the receiving team can do other than turn into defense and try to dislodge the football. Third, the kicking team has the element of surprise on their side. The Kicker can choose to kick right, left or down the middle. The receiving team has to be ready to defend (and receive) all three. The kicker could also try a higher degree of difficulty kick with somewhat of a pooch kick some 15-20 yards down field. That has to be placed in open field and then it's an all out sprint to the football.
I don't know how I'd react if Diaco lined up onside kicks every play. While I do think they are under-utilized (especially when a team is trailing), the traditionalist in me would probably cringe at the possibility of giving up that kind of field position. All it takes is for a bad kick to go out of bounds or a ball not to bounce as hoped and that results in a easy recovery. If we're trailing by multiple scores in the second half (not necessarily 4th quarter), then I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. I think.
I was kind of wondering when analytics would make their way into other sports. Baseball has completely changed the way managers line up their defenders and pitch to certain batters. Chip Kelly sort of began a football revolution by going for 2 after his first score. But I do wonder if coaches will start to look into statistical evidence to make special teams decisions and down/distance calls.
