This was one of those games that just lends to the saying- "You play like you practice". When Bama practices hard and at full speed all week, they usually look sharp. When they take days off or do more walk through stuff, they always come out sluggish and slow. So, was the slow start on both sides, or as Coach Saban said "lacked intensity", a shock? No. I think the shock was that it took a whole half to wake up.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Amazing how if you establish the run, you break opponents....
I won't get into play calling yet, but it wasn't a fluke or a miracle that when Bama geared down and quit the cute stuff and got down to helmet to helmet, north and south offense that they broke Vandy down and even the passing game looked better once the run started to get steam. Getting Richardson, the by far best player on offense, more touches and putting him in situations to make plays is always a good thing, and after a half of dust catching, he was utilized and the game shifted from sleepy slugging to knockout blow when that started.
Big individual efforts
After weeks of being MIA, DeAndrew White found his game. His 2 TDs were both great plays on HIS part. I thought Smelley did a better job of getting involved in the game and separating. Hanks also continued to get back up to speed and had another step in the right direction after missing 2 games.
Not the best game by the OL, but for the most part good enough
As you know, I always will believe that you have to start out with the run to get the OL into the game and get the trench battle set up early. Bama didn't do that, but for the most part, they were able to protect and get the running game going enough to let Bama bide its time until they could wake up.
The 2 AJs.....The good one
Last week, I read a lot of the replies and emails, I didn't reply back for a reason. I get that some want to believe something, and in a way they are right. There is the good AJ that moves in the pocket and makes plays. There is the AJ that manages the game and doesn't have INTs that have hurt the team since week one. He won't lack fear of throwing. He won't ever lack the excitement when they score. All of which are good things that make him the starter.
The Bad....
The 2 AJs.....The Bad one
The flip side is that he makes some really bad decisions that he shouldn't this far down the road. The first TD was a throw that he's very lucky to have completed. It was put in a place that only his WR could get to it, and that is good, but in the red zone, you never EVER do anything like that unless it is the last play of the game or 4th down. If he chokes up on the ball or shorts it, that's a pick. He could throw it 5 times and maybe gets the 1 completion. What is worse, he didn't get a lot of love for his play from Saban when he returned from the sideline. He got a scolding about protecting the ball. His 2nd TD pass to White was a big throw, but it was into double coverage. He's getting away with those passes for now, and as long as he keeps getting away with it, so be it, but a tuck and run or two wouldn't hurt.
The Ugly....
Play calling in the first half
Simply put, when your best player has 7 carries and 34 yards or whatever it was, those are both just not acceptable. The lack of intensity that the offense had was from one part poor play calling that put the ball into their best energizers- Richardson and Lacy/Fowler. Now, I can understand that the lack of Lacy probably meant they couldn't just shoulder up Trent and go, but 7 carries for him and 5 for Fowler? 12 run plays out of 36 plays in the half. It isn't just that. You have Jones and Fluker who are good run blockers. You have Warmack who has played much better on the run now that they have adjusted to his abilities. Vlachos has some iffy moments each week, but he still is a solid run blocking center week in and out. So with all that said, why again are you not running??? This is a game that really should have been about 21 or 28 to zip at half. Vandy was scrappy and your Daddy's Vandy and all, but Alabama contributed a lot to how well they looked.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Shutout
I'm not as wild about the whole "we knocked another QB out" thing, but I am wild about how they have only given up about a TD per week. The big thing was that against Vandy, they didn't have their best day, and against anyone worthwhile it might not have been as forceful, they still were able to flip the switch and choke out another opponent. This week's defensive stand was more team than individuals. Florida was more individuals, but this week was more of an effort of 11 to get there.
Improvement up front
I know when I scan through the message boards on Sunday or Monday, there is often a complaint here there and yonder about how the defensive line isn't making plays or haven't played up to expectation. That really isn't the case. In the 3-4, the down 3 are not expected to disrupt as much as they are to create space. Williams has made some plays, but more importantly, he is starting to see and understand his role more. Some of the hits that you see Hightower and Upshaw make are the result of Jesse Williams and Josh Chapman. Chapman has really played well this year. I really haven't noticed him getting moved out of a lane or losing containment. Square and Dial have also been big parts in how this team gives up next to nothing on the run. This week you could see them collapsing down and it was much easier for them to rush linebackers or keep them in space without a lot of linemen in their space. Their work was most noticed when Vandy ran screens and their linemen weren't in position to block safeties and corners from busting the play.
The turnovers are starting to trickle through
I would like to have a few more picks and fumbles by now, but the end results make it hard to complain there. I thought Rodgers played pretty well given the "talent" around him. I thought Bama started to break him when they got a few hits on him and it caught up to him with 2 late INTs.
The Bad...
Special Teams Play
Whether it was the status quo short kickoffs that resulted in better than should be field position, status quo punts that turn over after 7 yards, or the missed extra point, it wasn't a game that Coach Williams will put on his resume. I just hate seeing a great play busted up by a lousy kick and Shelley did that with a full on shank. The kickoffs and punts, well I'm about to the point where I'm numb to it. It will stink all year and that won't change without steroids. The extra point miss and hopefully it stays singular, is never something that should happen. EVER.
The Ugly....
Upshaw loses his composure
I find it interesting how the POV is always shaded by fandom. I've read that he was breaking away, or that the guy was holding his leg, or that we don't know what happened before. The answers to those are no, no, and so? The lineman's hands were on the ground catching himself when Upshaw threw him down. It was a great play on his part up until he lost his composure and swiped at him. He didn't hit him, and it wasn't like he was raring up to kick an extra point, he'd missed that too given how well Bama teaches kicking, but the point is what kind of player are you? I see Hightower drilling and beating men senseless out there, but he always pulls them up. The point is that Bama isn't that program where cheap shit goes. I don't care what anyone did before, retaliation is only what they want. Besides, this is Vandy. They are about as clean as it gets. The truth is that the LT had whipped him a couple of times, and did a few more afterwards, and he was frustrated.
With all that said, is he in trouble? Not bad. He probably will get a little tough love and if it happens any more, he probably loses some PT or starts. In any case, hopefully this is a blip and not a sign of things to come. He's too good of a ball player to be caught with the bush league stuff.
RANDOM THOUGHTS....
What did we learn????
UGA v. UT
Tennessee is not close to ready for prime time. Georgia will get a false sense of pride and control, but this game was more or less a sign that UT is just really behind the times. South Carolina has passed them, Florida has lived ahead of them, and GA is ahead of them. Vandy will run with UT this year. Kentucky will root for their basketball team to show up......Dooley has his work cut out for him. Word is that the team is probably more like the 2000 Bama team at the moment and could roll up into a tent at this point.
Florida State v. Wake Forrest
My momma always said never is as never was....FSU has cracked again and now Jimbo has to pull off his best coaching trick of date to avoid Shula comparisons.
Auburn v. Arkansas
When you give up yards faster than the national debt rises, your offense won't save you every week. Arkansas has found their stride of sorts after the 1st half of the aTm game. They will be a handful for LSU at the end of the year.
Florida v. LSU
Les Miles is nuts, but he's stomping the shit out of everyone else's right now. Comparing scores of Bama and LSU v. FL is not going to justify anything. What was justified is that the SEC is a 2 team race that will be decided when LSU goes to Tuscaloosa. There are 2 teams that can beat LSU- Alabama and LSU. There are 2 teams that can beat Alabama- LSU and Alabama.
Speaking of Les Miles....
There isn't much better in the way of interviews than absorbing the full Les Miles interview experience. It is always one of those things where you know at some point, somewhere in the interview, Les will say that "really?" kinda statement. Apparently he has rubbed off on Mathieu as he proclaimed that he's thinking about big plays when on dates.....Ya know, I think about a lot of things, but when I was on a date, it wasn't football. Well, now that I think bout it, I did used to try to remember stats during parts of the dating process relative to the goal that I was trying to achieve......
Need proof that the Internets lies to you?
Just a midway reminder that there is always a lot of bullshit on the Internets:
Blake Sims will be featured a lot in the Wildcat- Right now, if Sims could be featured between the sidelines it would be a start.
CyKo will be starting by mid year- This one probably had some legs under it in August, but there are two things that were against him. One, Saban leans on experience over raw talent 9 times out of 10. Two, he's not that solid against the pass rush yet.
Michael Bowman is blowing it up- Apparently it wasn't football.
One of the quarterbacks had a better scrimmage (Sims) and it wasn't close- It wasn't really true at the time, but now it really reflects how perception plays out doesn't it? You saw what you wanted to see and said so.
Scott Moore said....- Next.
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