Last week, I was pleased with the execution, game plan, and intensity from the players and coaches. This week, I expected the let down, but was still a bit disappointed in how lackluster the Tide came out against a one dimensional Kentucky team. At the end of the day, the difference in the legacy teams and Bama is that teams like Florida know how to beat their opponents and then keep them beat down and Bama lets them back up after they've beaten them. More on that to come...
OFFENSE
The Good...
99 1/2 yards to glory
The near safety and subsequent review of the play gave the offense time to get its ahem....stuff... together. Call it a wakeup call or whatever, the offense didn't slow down or miss a beat after that moment. The highlight for me was that the TE found purpose for the first time in the game, and maybe all season. It may just be coincidence or luck, but it seems the Tide plays much better from inside its own five to start a drive than they do from midfield. Perhaps the staff would be better served to have Terry Grant take all kickoffs and take a knee? That is sarcasm for those of you ready to cry.
Rewarding the defense
Nothing is more deflating for a defense than creating turnovers and seeing them squandered. Bama did convert 3 turnovers into scores and enjoyed the good field position most of the afternoon. It was a good thing too because the offense sputtered a lot during the 1st half and if they had been trying to make 80 yard drives, I don't know that they score more than 20.
When McElroy gets going, the game is over
It is similar to when Shaun Alexander would get going, and when McElroy starts to get his timing and the feel of the game is his to control, the Tide usually doesn't have much to worry about. The big thing here was that he made the plays when the team needed them the most. When they were only up 7-6 and a safety or punt out of the endzone may have left Bama down at the half, play made. When they needed to put the nail in the coffin, play made.
Ingram time
Here's the thing, before the year some questioned his "vision". I reference you to his 2nd TD run of the day. The play was an off tackle following the TE's lead block, but it was a modest 4 or 5 yard gain, but he saw a gap forming in the middle and he reversed field and showed a great deal of explosion out of the traffic and the rest is pay dirt. I noticed an extra burst from him several times on Saturday. I hope it stays around because they need it in Oxford Saturday afternoon.
Hankering for more
There is a very poorly formed debate over Julio vs. AJ Green out there this morning, but right now the best WR for Bama is Darius Hanks. Jones is getting attention from defenders, but that isn't new, however Hanks is making the plays and becoming a better blocker as well is. The knock on Hanks last year was that he didn't run the best routes and getting physical off the bump. I can see him getting better at both and his ability to make the tough catches is what is earning him more looks from McElroy.
The Bad...
Another lackluster showing by the OL
It is now a group effort to be well...soft. Carpenter played well early, but now teams have scouted and found his footwork is slow and you can speed rush him. Johnson really misses having 2 NFL caliber guys to each side of him to make him look better. He hasn't exactly blown away his opposition but rather held neutral more. Vlachos has moments of promise and then moments where you wonder why folks were so hard on Evan Cardwell. His snaps are still too low. Barrett Jones is still a learning process, but he needs to find his mean streak someday soon. You can't run behind him right now without a TE or pulling guard assisting in his gap. Davis is the same ol same ol, when he has a TE or guard pulling or when he pulls, he's fine, but one on one against a SEC end, he's not as effective as he should be. Last week the OL kinda held their hats in their hands after the ARK game because they didn't show up on the run. This week they let a really weak Kentucky defense put more pressure on the QB than should have been. They are being bailed out by McElroy throwing it away and not taking the sack, but the hurries are mounting up now after 5 weeks.
If you have a 15 mile an hour wind in your face, why throw it?
It doesn't take but 2 or 3 passes to tell that the wind is messing with your QB, gear down and run the damn ball and punish Kentucky with your bigger and tougher OL. I'm a real believer in the philosophy that if you get your OL into the game early with down hill running, they play better. Saturday would have been a good day to start that because the pass was pretty well closed. It also went a little unnoticed by most, Trent Richardson who was the only running option last week, didn't see the ball in the 1st quarter. Sure Ingram was hot, but a change of pace would have been nice as they floundered around in the 1st half.
The Ugly...
None
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Creating turnovers
I don't remember how many the defense had going into the game, it wasn't many, but I'd be willing to bet a coke and a moon pie that they increased their turnovers by double. This was a good week for the defense to see they can live beyond Hightower and do their thing. They didn't exactly come out of the game with that feeling, more on that to come, but the ability to create 4 turnovers and get 7 off of one, will be a good boost going forward. I felt bad for Upshaw, he looked like his legs were jello at the half.
Stepping up
Hightower's loss is big because he did a lot of things, and that's why I kept saying he was the best linebacker on the team, but it didn't just end things for the defense or make them mediocre. McClain and Reamer now have to be the team for the future of the season and I thought both played very well. McClain found himself playing more coverage than usual and he took the practice week to watch how Hartline tracks his WR and gives away his progression pretty easy. Reamer has been the butt of a lot of misinformed, and down right foolishly stupid fans today.
He's not Donta Hightower, he'd tell you that, but if you think that seldom used Jerrell Harris or Nico Johnson is the answer over a senior with extensive PT, well here's where you and I really aren't on the page. Reamer was in position for the game, he made the plays and yes was dragged 2 yards on 1 play, ONE. He made several others and drove the carrier back. I think what we have is a case where fans are in love with the IDEA of what a guy CAN be over what they ACTUALLY are. To me, if you really want to blame the running up and down the field on someone, blame your choice of coaches for Kentucky.
Javier setting the tone
Getting the opening kickoff and nearly housing it is always a good start, but getting it and getting a free 5 extra yards never hurts. The biggest change in his game is patience. Last year, he was always trying to make a play happen, but now he seems more in control and taking the play when it presents itself.
Secondary steps it up
Kentucky by no means is a power team in the SEC. They are a pesky team, but they aren't going to wow you on offense, especially passing. Kentucky is around the bottom of all the categories. They do have a top end WR in Cobb though. For the most part, I thought they did well in keeping Randall in check, but a guy who is going to get as many touches as what he does, will make plays. I would say that Arenas will be getting an ear full in film about looking for the ball.
The Bad...
Soft week of practice always equals blah
They closed practice and our imaginations ran wild as to what we would see. Yep. You can always tell when they do more going through the motions and less tough practices by the way they come out. On defense, the tell tale sign is tackling. There were more missed tackles and players out of position on Saturday than there had been all year. It made Kentucky look much better than they are. After the 1st quarter, it was pretty clear that practice for the week was more getting in position and knowing the areas that running full speed and executing the plays. Once the defense woke up, after 2 long field goals, I thought they played better, but fell back asleep once they felt good about themselves and the 31-13 lead.
The other result of the blah was that they didn't anticipate Kentucky would run outside. It isn't like that is news, everyone else has accepted that up the gut is not winning football strategy on Bama. Kentucky didn't pick on Reamer, they picked on Upshaw. They did their homework of the Bama D after the injury and saw that Upshaw always is going towards the QB, even on the run, and when he over commits, the gap is huge. Most of the big plays on the ground came outside the tackles, and primarily to the right.
Silly penalties
The 5 first half penalties were way too much for the team as a whole, but the one that stung worse was the 15 yard penalty on Kirkpatrick. Again, Bama did a lot of mental errors that made Kentucky look better than they were.
The Ugly...
If it involves special teams coverage, it sucked.
I'll be blunt, because that's what I do, they are so poorly coached in special teams that there is no chance of executing something as simple as a kickoff cover or punt cover. I couldn't tell you how many times the gunners over shot their angle or took an angle too quickly and missed the play all together. Including the squib kick, that gave 10 yards on top of the already nice starting spot, the Wildcats averaged 20 yards on punt and kick returns. That's high boys and girls. It seems to me that we can all worry about who plays where, but nobody notices the execution any more.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Georgia got screwed...How lucky is Miles?
Les is very lucky and really he gets away with a lot of risks because of talent. However, Georgia didn't lose the game because of the penalty...they lost the game because they can't tackle worth a flip. Both teams kicked the ball from their 15 after the TD, but one team made the right pursuits and tackled and the other didn't. That was the difference. Football is 60 minutes, not 2, and it is what you do over the entire game not the end.
Jerrell Harris/Nico Johnson would have made the plays
I don't dislike Harris, but I do wonder where the HELL that comes from? What makes anyone sure that a guy who hasn't played a meaningful snap in college is better than a senior who starts? You tell me because it ain't about football. I agree there is a drop from Hightower to Reamer, but there is with Harris or Johnson or Patrick. Reamer is experienced and the staff has a lot of praise about his "football IQ". He makes up for his lack of bulk with his understanding of the game and is a former safety so he can play coverage pretty well. To be honest, if you put Hightower in there Saturday, maybe some of the runs are shorter, but they were still running away from both ILBs and would have been working on Anders.
I keep reading that "Saban said Harris would start some at Will", maybe when Hightower moves to Jack in the nickel or dime, but in the base? No. Now, Hightower isn't at the Jack in those situations, so is he as effective if the pass rush isn't as good? Can Harris stop runners better than Reamer? Can anyone take the job from Reamer if he keeps doing the job well? The answer is no. A good litmus test as to who is playing well and not is McClain. McClain and Reamer were smiling and slapping high fives a good bit, so it is what it is starholics. Harris probably returns after the Ole Miss game and plays in situations, but Reamer will have 2 1/2 starts under his belt. If he plays well, they won't take it from him. However, if Upshaw or Anders, and this may be where you guys get your moral victory, don't play as well then they may have to rethink things.
Auburn will get exposed by a good defense
I tend to agree to a point, but I think folks wanting to poor mouth their little brother are missing the big picture. Auburn has improved by leaps and bounds from last year. Credit the staff for buying into the plan and sticking with it. Last year, it looked like a tug of war over philosophy between Tubberville and his OC, this year Chizik has given the offense to Gus and he's doing it his way. They haven't played a great D, but they saw a good UT defense and wore them down. The biggest thing is that they have had a 4 week live scrimmage to get the O down pat. That will be big for them in the long run. Are they an SEC contender? No. Are they a dark horse? Absolutely. They are going to be tough for the Bama defense because they play hurry up and Bama takes 15-20 seconds to get lined up. I worry more about Auburn's offense than I do Ole Miss if you want the truth.
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