That's not at all how it works. Just because we got a punt return on that does not mean we would have even stopped them if we had taken the three and kicked off. Different scenarios have different outcomes.
I'll never understand the whole, "but he didn't attend or play for UT, so he's purposely not going to do well." I don't know of anyone who would get hired somewhere and purposely tank. I'm not saying he's the guy, but this notion that it's because he's a "Bama guy" is absurd.