Really this could be a pretty short and simple post. There was about zilch in the way of good for the first 30 minutes of play. Dooley's pants were better than Bama's play in the first half. The only high point was the play of Donta Hightower. None of that is a surprise because the lack of focus that had Saban mad at the press was an extension of the lack of focus by the players. Every practice report kinda gave away that Alabama wasn't exactly gearing up for war, like they better be doing around the middle of this week, and typically Bama plays like they practice. So the slow start was an extension of what they did all week. They have been blessed that they have done a great job of making adjustments and that the players respond well after the half.
OFFENSE
The Good....
When AJ can get going, he goes well....
I won't discuss the 1st half here, but it is coming. It was good for him to get some confidence back and he got it by the staff putting the ball on him to turn the game around. Then all of a sudden the passes that missed by 10 yards all of a sudden made it into the hands of everyone that it was supposed to. Hopefully, he won't sit around and worry when he makes a mistake. He doesn't need to make them, but it will happen and his progression and growth is going to depend on him not letting an INT haunt him for a quarter or more.
It wasn't Trent's best showing, but it was enough...
With all the stacking of the line, which wasn't anything new, Richardson's carries were going to be tougher than the Ole Miss game. However, I thought all things considered, he did well getting around 5 a carry for the night. I really wish that they would have kept feeding him the ball early in the game because even if he isn't getting 5 a carry, he's wearing down the UT defense and keeping the pressure off AJ.
(T)Hanks for the A-Maze-ing memories
While a lot of folks will talk about McCarron's stats or his 2nd half. You better start talking about how well Hanks has played. He laid out for 2 or 3 passes that AJ sent him and his athleticism kept those drives going. Same goes for Maze. Maze made a couple of tough grabs and had the 60 yard play early in the game. They have stepped up their play, and they have wanted to make plays. I thought last year that they were too content to let Julio do it for them, but this year they have been the leaders of the group and have made a lot of key plays.
Going for the Kill
I really liked that after UT failed on 4th and inches that Bama went for the kill right away. That turnaround pretty well ended the night and the dream for the Vols.
Kenny Bell catches it this time
Bell keeps folks scratching his head. He has a catch like he had Saturday that was tough. With a corner draped on him, he dives and makes a spectacular TD catch. Other games, he lets it hit him in the hands and he drops it. Bell and White are going to be key parts to the offense in 2 weeks. They have to be able to stretch the field and make LSU guess at what Bama is doing. Bell should be a guy that steps up in 2 weeks because the LSU game should be personal.
The Bad...
Poor Play Calling and Even Worse Execution
This game had all the markings of the La-Mo early on. They were that kinda flat, and making those kind of mistakes. With AJ in a funk, they kept plugging away with him to no avail really. I thought they killed both drives that ended in a FG by not putting the ball in Richardson's hands on 1st down. To me, and this is just my thought here, when you go to 2nd and 10 and then run, you are asking for a stall to occur most times. Go with the safe run on 1st down and get your 3 or 4 or 5 yards and then put the play action or bootleg play in after that. Heck, in the 1st half you would have thought 2 straight runs was illegal.
The Ugly....
The 1st half was just that tough to watch
I just can't begin to tell you how rough it was to know I had to do it, and then do it. Kinda ranked up there with going to the movies with the old bag to see some crap movie about a vampire, some skank and a guy who can't keep his shirt on. They tell me that movie has a sequel, but I can't take another round of such. Likewise, I hope to not have to sit through another half like that. I wish I was kidding when I said it was that ugly. The line got whipped on a ritual-esque basis in the first. It was clear they hadn't been hitting during the week. It was clear that McCullough had not practiced much at RG before the week. It was clear that they just were flat all week and it took a reaming from Saban at the half to get over it.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Hightower reaches a new high...without Calloway's help
I thought this was probably his best game of the year. While a lot of guys were going through the motions and trying to make it to the bye week, Hightower was flying around and getting vocal. His energy caught on. Nico Johnson's game kept improving as the night went on as he fed off Hightower's game. After watching the replay, I realized that UT really couldn't figure out what to do about him. You can see them calling plays and trying to neutralize him, but the more they tried, the more they played into his game. They weren't used to a guy lining up all over the box, and as the night went on, UT's gameplan slowly eroded.
Avoiding the big play this week
After what seems to be a Tide Tradition of late, letting teams score on big plays early, Bama was able to keep a beaten and inexperienced UT offense pinned down to field goals. UT did gash their run defense some, nothing huge but it seemed like they got yards when they wanted at times, but everything seemed to shut down early and often for UT.
The defense is relatively healthy going into the bye
Mosley and Upshaw have some dings it appears, but nothing that will keep either out. The rest of the cast look to be healthy and good to go for LSU. It was key to come out of a rivalry game healthy and be full speed for the biggest game of the year. They have passed all the tests they need to as far as knowing they are that good and can play with LSU's diverse and physical offense. They just need to rest up for a couple of days and then start hitting and get mentally ready for the game.
The Bad...
Soft Coverage on the Fake
I still can't figure out how a safe cover gets blown like that. Nobody thought UT was punting. UT of course knew. Bama knew. The stadium knew. Yet, neither corner played for it. By giving a 10 yard cushion and a first down, they effectively allowed UT to gain life that with simple execution, never happens. Take that play out, I don't know if UT does much of anything all night because they fed off that play for the whole half.
Soft Practice = Missed Tackles
On offense, the lack of hitting results in sluggish play and missed blocks. On defense, the common giveaway to a soft week of practice is arm tackling. In the 1st half, Bama didn't play terribly on D, but they missed a lot of tackles and didn't really wrap up well in the half either. There was a lot of playing through going on. The offense was leaving them on the field for most of the 1st half, and they were not swarming around and disrupting Tennessee's offense in the half.
The Ugly....
None
RANDOM THOUGHTS....
BCS Cleaning Up
Ok, the National Champion one of the following: UA/LSU's winner, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Stanford or Kansas State. Chokelahoma's annual choke job has eliminated them because one of those teams, maybe two will run the table and keep them out even if they win out.
While it may be short lived, what an outstanding job Bill Snyder has done. The OG ol Ball Coach has taken Kansas State from the bottom and once again put them into national consideration. But the football powers that be don't like them down the stretch. They get 4 straight ranked teams (2 home/2 road). Regardless of their final record, they have quality wins against Miami, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas Tech.
I really think Clemson is the team that has the best road to face the SEC Champ. They don't have a terrible schedule, but most of it is on the road from here on out. They are @Tech, @ NCState, and @ USCar with a home layoff against Wake. They then would have a rematch in Jacksonville with Va Tech. There isn't a game mentioned that they shouldn't win. Tech is falling apart. State is....um.....well they didn't listen to Coach Valvano's speech. South Carolina has limped through and without Lattimore, they are in bad shape for a game like that. VT couldn't handle them at home, so I don't see that changing.
Nobody says LSWho now....
I don't think I have ever sat and watched Auburn just get blasted for 4 quarters like LSU did. Bama should take that tape and observe it well. LSU flexed a lot of muscle early and often. They ran and ran and ran, and when Auburn crept up trying to stop the bleeding, LSU started throwing haymakers. Is LSU beatable? Yes, very much so. Can Bama beat them? Yes. Can they lose to them? Yes. Bama has got to get over this sluggish start business. They cannot take 2 quarters to get it going against a team like LSU. They are a veteran team and they have really rallied together and gotten behind Lee. He definately isn't the player he was in 2008. He is very confident and playing without fear of making mistakes for the first time. Lee isn't a top end QB, but he's that kind of QB that killed Bama last year.
The other factor is the Les Miles risk level. With both teams having a lot on the line, he will more than likely want to step up the tricks and risks. That has been his profile since he was at Ok State. Last year, he outcoached Saban. This year, I think and hope that this is one of those games the players and coaches, Saban in particular, will want.
CyKo done, Steen scrambled,
Bama needs to stay healthy up front, that goes without saying. However, Bama has more than likely lost CyKo for the year and while that isn't a starter lost, it is a key reserve and contributor. Steen should play against LSU, but if he can't go, they are that much shorter on the bench.
Bama has been using a lot of linemen in situations all year. For example, Saturday they had a line of:
TE- Williams
LT- Warmack
LG- McCullough
C- Vlachos
RG- Fluker
RT- Jones
for a play or two. They were basically putting an unbalanced line right out there and challenging UT to stop it. They didn't really stop it. Bama has done formations like that off and on all year. They have played Jones all over the place. They have used Warmack as a pull guard all season. They need to be able to throw things at LSU that they haven't scouted. Bama will need to continue to use multiple looks for the Tigers because they need to keep them off balance. They also need to mentally prepare for what is ahead. That will probably mean less unique looks like the one above.
Next week is the bye week. I will do the mid year report card, as is tradition, and probably hit a few more random thoughts as the 2 weeks progress.
October 24, 2011
October 16, 2011
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Ole Miss
Now the march to the play in game is 3 weeks away. There are 2 teams that can beat Alabama right now- LSU and Alabama. Same can be said about LSU. The Ole Miss game was good for them in some aspects, and in others continued to leave "coachable moments".
OFFENSE
The Good.....
Trent being Trent.
I can't begin to describe how he busted the pants off this guy, but the video does all the speaking for me...
The O Line gets involved and breaks Ole Miss early and often
Bama made the decision early on that they were going to be a running team. With 7 rushes in the 1st, and 12 in the 2nd, they were well ahead of where they were a week ago. As a result, they got the OL into the game and got them going. It also resulted in the best performance by Trent, Eddie, and Jalston.
Keeping it short and keeping it safe
There were also was a focus to keep things short and simple for McCarron this week too. Hanks caught the only long pass of the day (36 yards), but for the most part everything was inside and intermediate. Both of which are more to his strengths right now. Getting Williams and Smelley early and often also helped settle McCarron down and get him in a good flow. They were able to keep him out of long pass situations thanks to the run, and really only had 2 3rd and longs to deal with most of the night.
White returning to form
If you just look at his stat line, you would think that DeAndrew White was doing ok, but nothing special. That is where stats lie. White did a lot of things that didn't end up on the stat sheet, but the more he plays the more he displays that he's the 3rd option for the future on offense. He blocks well down field, he runs pretty descent routes and he hustles. Add those intangibles to his size and speed, there isn't much downside to him if he doesn't want there to be.
Fowler redeems
I thought against Vandy, Fowler looked a little soft and sluggish. This week he looked sharper, like he was ready to play, and his cuts and burst were much more in line with a guy who wanted to be playing. Fowler is over hyped by Internet Message Boards, but as a 3rd option behind Lacy and Richardson, he's a great weapon late in the game.
Staying on the field
One of the little things that is getting overlooked is that the offense is not just going 3 and out much. Bama went 8-12 on 3rd and 4th down and had 27 first downs on the night. The 67 plays took over 33 minutes and really wore down Ole Miss and if it wasn't for 2 big runs by Richardson and Fowler, it probably would have been more like 40 minutes and 75 plays.
The Bad...
None
The Ugly...
None
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Upshaw sits
If I had a spot for excellent, this would be it. While the lockjaw, paranoid, they're outtagitus crowd boos this, I applaud it. The 1 quarter sit down was a bigger message to the others as it was to Upshaw. Upshaw's actions weren't vile or overly egregious, but it was a play that is not allowed in a program that has so many rules and procedures in the process. He lost his composure and did something punishable, and was. Hopefully, that is the last time any player has to be disciplined this year.
Once they get going....the going is good
Bama started slow again, more on that soon, but once the defense got going, they absolutely owned the rest of the game. They choked Ole Miss to 7 first downs after the first series, and less than 100 total yards. Ole Miss wasn't real good when it got down to it, but they were good enough that if you let them believe, they could be dangerous. Bama killed belief and Ole Miss's Santa Claus by the half.
Linebacker play
I thought the LB play was really good and part of that came from Mosley returning to play. The other part was that Nico and Hightower really were on top of their game and were in position all night. After 7 games, it is clear that you cannot go sideline to sideline on Alabama. The linebackers are why you cannot. Heck, if the secondary could quit having the mental farts, you could say you can't go vertical either.
1 punt
The best way to keep your weakness from being exposed is to not have to use it. Bama didn't have to punt but just once and heck it was one of Mandell's best of the year.
The Bad....
First Series Fapping
Google search it. Long story short, Bama continues to over read and under react to what they see early on. For the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the first drive was a scoring drive. And in the same time period it is the result of a poorly executed play. Before the lockjaw sets in, Bama wasn't in anything complicated, they were in a base zone (as best I can tell, everyone else was zone) and just blew it. While it was good that Millner pursued and tackled Brassell, the lack of pressure on Mackey and the breakdown in coverage was more or less Bama giving Ole Miss a freebie.
The Ugly....
Kicking a 53 yard Field Goal and busting up your kicker in one swift move
There are so many things wrong with this decision. First is that Ole Miss even knew Foster didn't have the game leg for it. They had a guy on the goal line waiting for the kick. Second, even though it was a 7 point game, why not punt and position? Even if Mandell kicks his traditional 35 yarder, that was better than what they ended up with. The play ended up with a net of 2 yards. The kick was from the 36 and Ole Miss returned it to the 34. Third, Ole Miss had called a timeout, that was plenty of time to get a better play up than that. With Richardson running as well as he did, and Ole Miss sucking like they did, if you are going to go for something that risky, why not put it in the star's hands???? The end result of the head scratcher was 2 yards net, and 1 broken kicker. Foster kicked one more time and lost about 10 or more yards on his kickoff, the worse news is that he didn't have 10 to spare......
RANDOM THOUGHTS
If there was one team I would so love to see in Atlanta, it would be UGA
Why? Well there are really 3 reasons. First, they aren't real good but think they have it all fixed. [insert evil laugh here] Second, Grantham needs an ass whoopin. I don't care who did what, when you embarrass yourself like that on TV, you need one. Richt needs one just to see if he has a pulse. Third, there is nothing sweeter than seeing a team in its backyard get its masculinity ripped from it.
The BCS is gonna have a mess on its hands....
They are spared in part because the SEC and Big 12 have a play in game thanks to the LSU/Bama and OSU/OU games. What they don't have is a way to get those two plus more than likely an undefeated Boise, undefeated Wisconsin, and possibly an undefeated Stanford or Clemson. The system that has Forrest Gump'd its way through the last few years without major issues, will probably have one this year and the chant for a plus 1 format will return. I personally like the plus one.
Take this into consideration. Let's say LSU beats Bama on a last second field goal or something. Bama wins out. LSU wins out. Then let's say Wisconsin goes undefeated as does OU. Stanford and Clemson both lose a game but win conference. Now, can anyone say that a one loss Bama team is less worthy than Wisconsin or OU? Especially when neither has a resume worth spit. To me, that is where the system has failed is that great teams have been denied a chance. Bama in this scenario would get Wisconsin and if they won in the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl, then they would take the winner of LSU/OU. I think that is the only way to avoid the what ifs that seem to be creeping into things this year. Wanna get real confusing? Say that scenario happens except LSU falls to Arkansas who by the way will only have 1 loss going into LSU more than likely.
Don't Score First. It Only Pisses Bama Off
Best quote by a Dooley male ever.
Next weekend is the 3rd Saturday renewal and it also is the 5th anniversary of when supposedly Saban expressed interest in Bama. It also has been that long since Bama lost to the Vols. UT has not broken 20 points since the 4th and 22 debacle. There isn't a snowball's chance they do this coming week either. UT is on their way to mid-tier with Dooley, unfortunately, because there just isn't a lot of heart on that team. Watching them against LSU, you could see them just break and take their beating over the course of the game. It is pretty clear that UT's guys haven't bought in and won't go all out week in and out for Dooley. With that said, my favorite UT videos....
Don't play this one loud in the office but enjoy....
OFFENSE
The Good.....
Trent being Trent.
I can't begin to describe how he busted the pants off this guy, but the video does all the speaking for me...
The O Line gets involved and breaks Ole Miss early and often
Bama made the decision early on that they were going to be a running team. With 7 rushes in the 1st, and 12 in the 2nd, they were well ahead of where they were a week ago. As a result, they got the OL into the game and got them going. It also resulted in the best performance by Trent, Eddie, and Jalston.
Keeping it short and keeping it safe
There were also was a focus to keep things short and simple for McCarron this week too. Hanks caught the only long pass of the day (36 yards), but for the most part everything was inside and intermediate. Both of which are more to his strengths right now. Getting Williams and Smelley early and often also helped settle McCarron down and get him in a good flow. They were able to keep him out of long pass situations thanks to the run, and really only had 2 3rd and longs to deal with most of the night.
White returning to form
If you just look at his stat line, you would think that DeAndrew White was doing ok, but nothing special. That is where stats lie. White did a lot of things that didn't end up on the stat sheet, but the more he plays the more he displays that he's the 3rd option for the future on offense. He blocks well down field, he runs pretty descent routes and he hustles. Add those intangibles to his size and speed, there isn't much downside to him if he doesn't want there to be.
Fowler redeems
I thought against Vandy, Fowler looked a little soft and sluggish. This week he looked sharper, like he was ready to play, and his cuts and burst were much more in line with a guy who wanted to be playing. Fowler is over hyped by Internet Message Boards, but as a 3rd option behind Lacy and Richardson, he's a great weapon late in the game.
Staying on the field
One of the little things that is getting overlooked is that the offense is not just going 3 and out much. Bama went 8-12 on 3rd and 4th down and had 27 first downs on the night. The 67 plays took over 33 minutes and really wore down Ole Miss and if it wasn't for 2 big runs by Richardson and Fowler, it probably would have been more like 40 minutes and 75 plays.
The Bad...
None
The Ugly...
None
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Upshaw sits
If I had a spot for excellent, this would be it. While the lockjaw, paranoid, they're outtagitus crowd boos this, I applaud it. The 1 quarter sit down was a bigger message to the others as it was to Upshaw. Upshaw's actions weren't vile or overly egregious, but it was a play that is not allowed in a program that has so many rules and procedures in the process. He lost his composure and did something punishable, and was. Hopefully, that is the last time any player has to be disciplined this year.
Once they get going....the going is good
Bama started slow again, more on that soon, but once the defense got going, they absolutely owned the rest of the game. They choked Ole Miss to 7 first downs after the first series, and less than 100 total yards. Ole Miss wasn't real good when it got down to it, but they were good enough that if you let them believe, they could be dangerous. Bama killed belief and Ole Miss's Santa Claus by the half.
Linebacker play
I thought the LB play was really good and part of that came from Mosley returning to play. The other part was that Nico and Hightower really were on top of their game and were in position all night. After 7 games, it is clear that you cannot go sideline to sideline on Alabama. The linebackers are why you cannot. Heck, if the secondary could quit having the mental farts, you could say you can't go vertical either.
1 punt
The best way to keep your weakness from being exposed is to not have to use it. Bama didn't have to punt but just once and heck it was one of Mandell's best of the year.
The Bad....
First Series Fapping
Google search it. Long story short, Bama continues to over read and under react to what they see early on. For the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the first drive was a scoring drive. And in the same time period it is the result of a poorly executed play. Before the lockjaw sets in, Bama wasn't in anything complicated, they were in a base zone (as best I can tell, everyone else was zone) and just blew it. While it was good that Millner pursued and tackled Brassell, the lack of pressure on Mackey and the breakdown in coverage was more or less Bama giving Ole Miss a freebie.
The Ugly....
Kicking a 53 yard Field Goal and busting up your kicker in one swift move
There are so many things wrong with this decision. First is that Ole Miss even knew Foster didn't have the game leg for it. They had a guy on the goal line waiting for the kick. Second, even though it was a 7 point game, why not punt and position? Even if Mandell kicks his traditional 35 yarder, that was better than what they ended up with. The play ended up with a net of 2 yards. The kick was from the 36 and Ole Miss returned it to the 34. Third, Ole Miss had called a timeout, that was plenty of time to get a better play up than that. With Richardson running as well as he did, and Ole Miss sucking like they did, if you are going to go for something that risky, why not put it in the star's hands???? The end result of the head scratcher was 2 yards net, and 1 broken kicker. Foster kicked one more time and lost about 10 or more yards on his kickoff, the worse news is that he didn't have 10 to spare......
RANDOM THOUGHTS
If there was one team I would so love to see in Atlanta, it would be UGA
Why? Well there are really 3 reasons. First, they aren't real good but think they have it all fixed. [insert evil laugh here] Second, Grantham needs an ass whoopin. I don't care who did what, when you embarrass yourself like that on TV, you need one. Richt needs one just to see if he has a pulse. Third, there is nothing sweeter than seeing a team in its backyard get its masculinity ripped from it.
The BCS is gonna have a mess on its hands....
They are spared in part because the SEC and Big 12 have a play in game thanks to the LSU/Bama and OSU/OU games. What they don't have is a way to get those two plus more than likely an undefeated Boise, undefeated Wisconsin, and possibly an undefeated Stanford or Clemson. The system that has Forrest Gump'd its way through the last few years without major issues, will probably have one this year and the chant for a plus 1 format will return. I personally like the plus one.
Take this into consideration. Let's say LSU beats Bama on a last second field goal or something. Bama wins out. LSU wins out. Then let's say Wisconsin goes undefeated as does OU. Stanford and Clemson both lose a game but win conference. Now, can anyone say that a one loss Bama team is less worthy than Wisconsin or OU? Especially when neither has a resume worth spit. To me, that is where the system has failed is that great teams have been denied a chance. Bama in this scenario would get Wisconsin and if they won in the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl, then they would take the winner of LSU/OU. I think that is the only way to avoid the what ifs that seem to be creeping into things this year. Wanna get real confusing? Say that scenario happens except LSU falls to Arkansas who by the way will only have 1 loss going into LSU more than likely.
Don't Score First. It Only Pisses Bama Off
Best quote by a Dooley male ever.
Next weekend is the 3rd Saturday renewal and it also is the 5th anniversary of when supposedly Saban expressed interest in Bama. It also has been that long since Bama lost to the Vols. UT has not broken 20 points since the 4th and 22 debacle. There isn't a snowball's chance they do this coming week either. UT is on their way to mid-tier with Dooley, unfortunately, because there just isn't a lot of heart on that team. Watching them against LSU, you could see them just break and take their beating over the course of the game. It is pretty clear that UT's guys haven't bought in and won't go all out week in and out for Dooley. With that said, my favorite UT videos....
Don't play this one loud in the office but enjoy....
October 10, 2011
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Vanderbilt
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.
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.
October 3, 2011
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Florida
After Saturday's win, Bama now moves into the tested undefeated class with LSU and Clemson. The biggest take away from the game is that Bama can take a punch and fight through it to win. While the 1st quarter is one that the coaches will use, they will hope to not see the 18 or so minutes of lost composure and errors again.
OFFENSE
The Good...
Better Goal Line Offense
For the real man of genius who insisted that I was dumb, I hope that you saw the difference when the linemen get lower and drive their guys back. If anyone questions if the line was scolded and worked on this week in goal line situations, play the 1st and goal from the 1 and this week's sneak from the 1. Much better job of getting in and driving back to allow AJ to scoot over the goal line. They were much more focused in the red zone of hitting their blocks and getting Trent and co over the goal line all night. It was good to see them take a bad moment and improve and learn from it.
When Trent taketh away, he keeps taking...
This was a big game for Trent. This was his hometown school so to speak. He has friends there, he's heard the jawing over the years from them, and this is the only time he'll ever get to play in front of that crowd. So, when he went to Bama and took away the potential of one of the most dominating offenses in football history from Florida (imagine Tebow, Cooper, Nelson, Hernandez, Demps, Rainey, and Trent Richardson on one team....), he returned to take more than pride. From his first carry, he basically was in his "zone" and was wanting the ball. They couldn't feed him the ball enough and he wanted more when they pulled him late in the game. I like seeing that.
Better blocking performances by several
Trent's big day, and Lacy's TD, were helped in large part because Bama has begun to go downhill more and less zone block. Warmack, who has been the focus of much ire by more than just me, found his block assignment to his liking because he absolutely mauled him for 4 quarters. They also have adjusted some of the counters to work towards his abilities instead of pushing beyond who and what he is. In other words, they are shorter counters to the 0 or A gap instead of B or C/4-5 gaps. They also have included more H Back assistance in the last two weeks with Underwood and Williams (on occasion) sliding inside to give backside help and seal the lanes.
Screen like a pig...
There wasn't a lot in the way of the passing game that was working well. Credit Florida's team speed for a lot of that, but the screen plays to Richardson and Maze were probably the best 2 plays from the passing game on Saturday. They were well timed as well, as Florida was bringing 6 or 7 on both instances and they were able to put more hats on smaller helmets down field as a result.
The Bad...
McCarron regressed back to 2010 McTats
I know as I type this, the big chested homer will caw on about how it was a great win and blah blah fart blah blah. It was for the most part, but upon further review, AJ didn't have a good game. In a way, this is good for 2 reasons. First, it is a teaching moment. He can be taken to film and talked to and asked what he thought and why he did some of the things he did. Then he can apply and grow from those mental errors and hopefully not make them again. Second, it proved to the team that even with their new QB struggling as he did, they can win through the run and defense. Now, if you wonder what it was that he did that was "Bad", it was a combination of 3 things that most "Team AJ" fans accused McElroy of doing. He held the ball too long on a few plays, sailed several that nearly killed Hanks and Williams, and he really should have had about 3 INTs but was fortunate to see them hit the ground. I said this during the game, and I again ask it now but wasn't he supposed to have the arm to make all the throws Team AJers? Before you go off on a brooding hate, I fully disclose that AJ is the starter and should be the starter, but there were many fans who proclaimed without fear of recourse that he could do it all and open the offense up. Saturday, I saw a player who was more content with short passes and handing it off and could not hit go routes or fades than I did the Internet version of him.
Bell flop
I probably shouldn't be as irritated as I was/am about him dropping a TD pass, but I am. The thing about it is this, if a guy is gonna talk and say this that and the next, when it is time to put up or shut up, you better put up. When a ball hits you square in the hands, well, it is what it is. AJ has already lost faith in White, so Bell has a great chance to earn a spot this year and next, but if he can't make big plays, he won't get many looks.
The Ugly...
None
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Interior Pressure improves
The Upshaw pick 6 was a product of great interior pressure from Gentry. Uphsaw actually was getting beaten by his guy, but luck is a fickle date sometime and she put Upshaw in the right spot to make a play. It was good to see all the defenders rally to him and make sure he was finding paydirt too. Defensive guys love to score touchdowns and it doesn't happen a whole lot, so when they see the chance, they always seem to give a little bit more to get their guy home.
Demps and Rainey= 24 feet of offense
I credit Twitter for the title. They accumulated fewer feet than the 3 D Linemen and Jack are tall. That is domination in any shape or form and for the 2nd straight year, they were forced to be 1 dimensional early and often. Granted Demps was hurt by a kicker.....wait I gotta compose myself.....and that probably lessened the performance, but it was obvious early that they couldn't man up and plow up the middle- they didn't have a runner built for that- and the more they tried to stretch the run left or right the more they played into Bama's strength.
Helmet popping
I know folks like "Boom". It sells tickets and gets on TV, but it isn't always a great thing. However, when Saturday was done, both sides had swapped paint pretty well. It was clear after Florida came out swinging, that Bama was gonna have to impose itself one play at a time and start to make them quit. It took a lot longer than it did Arkansas or Penn State, but Florida did tap out late in the 3rd after they just couldn't swing back and hit helmets like Bama was.
Great vision by Hightower, Barron, and others
I single these two out in particular because I noticed them several times making the right angles and reading the play pre-snap. You saw Florida having a lot of issues with communicating their play on defense, but when you have 2 guys with 3-4 years starting in key roles, the difference is easy to notice. I was very impressed by Hightower's lateral quickness to snare Rainey and one of their WRs in the open field. For a guy of his size to be able to move that well, even with angles, is amazing. Factor in a knee injury, and then it is almost unbelievable.
The Bad...
A first quarter to forget.
The first play was a bust either on Dre, Lester or both. My guess is that it was Lester since Barron drifted back to support Menzie's backside. Regardless, it was a bad start. The next series or three weren't much better as they let Florida pick and prod them down the field at will for about 18 minutes or so. What I would guess is the most damaging of this time frame is that it displayed that Bama is slow to adjust to two plays- the slant and any inside route. Way too many crossing routes hit without a guy on them early on.
I would wet myself if kicking and punting was improving...
It is bizarre to me that folks want to argue how the short kickoffs are a planned thing. I've never heard of a plan where you kick to the 10. If you are kicking to avoid or disrupt a return, you either kick it to the back pylon or you squib it straight down the middle of the field with about 10 hops on it. I would have thought that this week's game had dispelled the myth that kicking high and short worked given that Florida lived around midfield through the first half. I really have never heard a coach with any defensive background say they would give up 10 yards up front for some thing in return. Now, punting is consistent I suppose, but it isn't great. The odd thing is that it takes about killing him to get a great punt out of him. What is probably more concerning is that after he was hit in the knee, they were more than happy to keep him out there than try another punter.....
The Ugly...
None
RANDOM THOUGHTS
So what did this game teach us????
Well, it sure enough said that the following positives are true:
Georgia fans feel like Christmas came early when Florida lost their QB and USCar lost to Auburn. However, when I look at the East, I don't see a front runner. With Brantley out, Florida has a much lower shot of winning the East. They cannot put that kind of pressure on a true Freshman, I don't care how highly recruited he was. South Carolina has lived on borrowed time all year. Navy and others about did it to them, but Auburn (who is the master of borrowed time) caught them and exposed that they have 0 defense and no passing attack.
Vandy is overachieving, but their schedule will catch them. Tennessee is too young for prime time. UT didn't handle the loss to UF well and another loss to UGA could result in a very long fall for Flashy Pants. Tennessee has to beat UGA to have any shot at surviving and getting to play "Who wants their ass whooped by the national champion?" Kentucky....well basketball is just around the corner.
That leaves UGA. Now the Bulldogs will tell you that they have fixed the problems and they are full speed ahead. That's easy to say when you donkey punch a low end school and the weak sisters of the West. Their signature win is a next to last West team, let that sink in. They looked weak against Boise, and weak on defense against USCar. They can and should beat UT because they aren't ready for the show yet. They go to Vanderbilt who has been a trap game for UGA for years it seems. They still aren't a favorite to beat UF in the Non Alcoholic Cocktail Bowl with or without Brantley. Florida's defense can outlast a team like UGA because they don't have the same wear it down and pound you down mentality or a defense that imposes itself like Bama or LSU can. Here's the bigger catch for UGA to me, Auburn and Georgia Tech are the absolute last teams that they should want to see. Two spread offenses with talented runners against their defense is a bad recipe to me. I think whomever survives the (L)East is probably doomed to get a beat down from either Bama or LSU.
OFFENSE
The Good...
Better Goal Line Offense
For the real man of genius who insisted that I was dumb, I hope that you saw the difference when the linemen get lower and drive their guys back. If anyone questions if the line was scolded and worked on this week in goal line situations, play the 1st and goal from the 1 and this week's sneak from the 1. Much better job of getting in and driving back to allow AJ to scoot over the goal line. They were much more focused in the red zone of hitting their blocks and getting Trent and co over the goal line all night. It was good to see them take a bad moment and improve and learn from it.
When Trent taketh away, he keeps taking...
This was a big game for Trent. This was his hometown school so to speak. He has friends there, he's heard the jawing over the years from them, and this is the only time he'll ever get to play in front of that crowd. So, when he went to Bama and took away the potential of one of the most dominating offenses in football history from Florida (imagine Tebow, Cooper, Nelson, Hernandez, Demps, Rainey, and Trent Richardson on one team....), he returned to take more than pride. From his first carry, he basically was in his "zone" and was wanting the ball. They couldn't feed him the ball enough and he wanted more when they pulled him late in the game. I like seeing that.
Better blocking performances by several
Trent's big day, and Lacy's TD, were helped in large part because Bama has begun to go downhill more and less zone block. Warmack, who has been the focus of much ire by more than just me, found his block assignment to his liking because he absolutely mauled him for 4 quarters. They also have adjusted some of the counters to work towards his abilities instead of pushing beyond who and what he is. In other words, they are shorter counters to the 0 or A gap instead of B or C/4-5 gaps. They also have included more H Back assistance in the last two weeks with Underwood and Williams (on occasion) sliding inside to give backside help and seal the lanes.
Screen like a pig...
There wasn't a lot in the way of the passing game that was working well. Credit Florida's team speed for a lot of that, but the screen plays to Richardson and Maze were probably the best 2 plays from the passing game on Saturday. They were well timed as well, as Florida was bringing 6 or 7 on both instances and they were able to put more hats on smaller helmets down field as a result.
The Bad...
McCarron regressed back to 2010 McTats
I know as I type this, the big chested homer will caw on about how it was a great win and blah blah fart blah blah. It was for the most part, but upon further review, AJ didn't have a good game. In a way, this is good for 2 reasons. First, it is a teaching moment. He can be taken to film and talked to and asked what he thought and why he did some of the things he did. Then he can apply and grow from those mental errors and hopefully not make them again. Second, it proved to the team that even with their new QB struggling as he did, they can win through the run and defense. Now, if you wonder what it was that he did that was "Bad", it was a combination of 3 things that most "Team AJ" fans accused McElroy of doing. He held the ball too long on a few plays, sailed several that nearly killed Hanks and Williams, and he really should have had about 3 INTs but was fortunate to see them hit the ground. I said this during the game, and I again ask it now but wasn't he supposed to have the arm to make all the throws Team AJers? Before you go off on a brooding hate, I fully disclose that AJ is the starter and should be the starter, but there were many fans who proclaimed without fear of recourse that he could do it all and open the offense up. Saturday, I saw a player who was more content with short passes and handing it off and could not hit go routes or fades than I did the Internet version of him.
Bell flop
I probably shouldn't be as irritated as I was/am about him dropping a TD pass, but I am. The thing about it is this, if a guy is gonna talk and say this that and the next, when it is time to put up or shut up, you better put up. When a ball hits you square in the hands, well, it is what it is. AJ has already lost faith in White, so Bell has a great chance to earn a spot this year and next, but if he can't make big plays, he won't get many looks.
The Ugly...
None
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Interior Pressure improves
The Upshaw pick 6 was a product of great interior pressure from Gentry. Uphsaw actually was getting beaten by his guy, but luck is a fickle date sometime and she put Upshaw in the right spot to make a play. It was good to see all the defenders rally to him and make sure he was finding paydirt too. Defensive guys love to score touchdowns and it doesn't happen a whole lot, so when they see the chance, they always seem to give a little bit more to get their guy home.
Demps and Rainey= 24 feet of offense
I credit Twitter for the title. They accumulated fewer feet than the 3 D Linemen and Jack are tall. That is domination in any shape or form and for the 2nd straight year, they were forced to be 1 dimensional early and often. Granted Demps was hurt by a kicker.....wait I gotta compose myself.....and that probably lessened the performance, but it was obvious early that they couldn't man up and plow up the middle- they didn't have a runner built for that- and the more they tried to stretch the run left or right the more they played into Bama's strength.
Helmet popping
I know folks like "Boom". It sells tickets and gets on TV, but it isn't always a great thing. However, when Saturday was done, both sides had swapped paint pretty well. It was clear after Florida came out swinging, that Bama was gonna have to impose itself one play at a time and start to make them quit. It took a lot longer than it did Arkansas or Penn State, but Florida did tap out late in the 3rd after they just couldn't swing back and hit helmets like Bama was.
Great vision by Hightower, Barron, and others
I single these two out in particular because I noticed them several times making the right angles and reading the play pre-snap. You saw Florida having a lot of issues with communicating their play on defense, but when you have 2 guys with 3-4 years starting in key roles, the difference is easy to notice. I was very impressed by Hightower's lateral quickness to snare Rainey and one of their WRs in the open field. For a guy of his size to be able to move that well, even with angles, is amazing. Factor in a knee injury, and then it is almost unbelievable.
The Bad...
A first quarter to forget.
The first play was a bust either on Dre, Lester or both. My guess is that it was Lester since Barron drifted back to support Menzie's backside. Regardless, it was a bad start. The next series or three weren't much better as they let Florida pick and prod them down the field at will for about 18 minutes or so. What I would guess is the most damaging of this time frame is that it displayed that Bama is slow to adjust to two plays- the slant and any inside route. Way too many crossing routes hit without a guy on them early on.
I would wet myself if kicking and punting was improving...
It is bizarre to me that folks want to argue how the short kickoffs are a planned thing. I've never heard of a plan where you kick to the 10. If you are kicking to avoid or disrupt a return, you either kick it to the back pylon or you squib it straight down the middle of the field with about 10 hops on it. I would have thought that this week's game had dispelled the myth that kicking high and short worked given that Florida lived around midfield through the first half. I really have never heard a coach with any defensive background say they would give up 10 yards up front for some thing in return. Now, punting is consistent I suppose, but it isn't great. The odd thing is that it takes about killing him to get a great punt out of him. What is probably more concerning is that after he was hit in the knee, they were more than happy to keep him out there than try another punter.....
The Ugly...
None
RANDOM THOUGHTS
So what did this game teach us????
Well, it sure enough said that the following positives are true:
- Bama can play on the road in a hostile environment
- Bama can take a serious punch/attack and weather it to win
- They don't panic like they did last year.
- Bama can enforce their will on top end teams and make them one dimensional
- Bama cannot flip the field with their kicking/punting game.
- Bama still struggles with interior routes
- The offense does not start or restart at will yet.
Georgia fans feel like Christmas came early when Florida lost their QB and USCar lost to Auburn. However, when I look at the East, I don't see a front runner. With Brantley out, Florida has a much lower shot of winning the East. They cannot put that kind of pressure on a true Freshman, I don't care how highly recruited he was. South Carolina has lived on borrowed time all year. Navy and others about did it to them, but Auburn (who is the master of borrowed time) caught them and exposed that they have 0 defense and no passing attack.
Vandy is overachieving, but their schedule will catch them. Tennessee is too young for prime time. UT didn't handle the loss to UF well and another loss to UGA could result in a very long fall for Flashy Pants. Tennessee has to beat UGA to have any shot at surviving and getting to play "Who wants their ass whooped by the national champion?" Kentucky....well basketball is just around the corner.
That leaves UGA. Now the Bulldogs will tell you that they have fixed the problems and they are full speed ahead. That's easy to say when you donkey punch a low end school and the weak sisters of the West. Their signature win is a next to last West team, let that sink in. They looked weak against Boise, and weak on defense against USCar. They can and should beat UT because they aren't ready for the show yet. They go to Vanderbilt who has been a trap game for UGA for years it seems. They still aren't a favorite to beat UF in the Non Alcoholic Cocktail Bowl with or without Brantley. Florida's defense can outlast a team like UGA because they don't have the same wear it down and pound you down mentality or a defense that imposes itself like Bama or LSU can. Here's the bigger catch for UGA to me, Auburn and Georgia Tech are the absolute last teams that they should want to see. Two spread offenses with talented runners against their defense is a bad recipe to me. I think whomever survives the (L)East is probably doomed to get a beat down from either Bama or LSU.
September 26, 2011
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Arkansas
I have taken an extra day to think about this game. While some will complain and say that I am hunting things to call "bad", it wasn't hard to find some....3 tries for 1 inch and can't get it...but actually, I saw a few things and wanted a second set of eyes (impartial ones at that) tell me what they saw. I will try to respond to any of your comments, but it being Tuesday morning, I will be golfing with John Smoltz, and no I won't take a picture or doing anything to embarass myself (outside of play golf) for the cause...
OFFENSE
The Good....
AJ continues to develop
I am not a stat hound. I could care less about most stats. I care about 3 things on the stat sheet when talking about QBs. Completion percentage, number of interceptions, and number of sacks taken. The rest is just fodder, including touchdowns. If a QB hits above 65%, has 1 or fewer INTs a game, and 3 or fewer sacks a week, then you are gonna take care of touchdowns, yards, and all that crap. So, on Saturday he hit all 3 and has for the most part all season. The only thing he needs to work on is his timing with Maze on the outs and slants to the sideline. He's still a little off. Outside of that, he's doing all the right things. He is managing the game well. You don't see a lot of confusion and you don't see a lot of blown plays. He isn't putting the D in bad positions and he continues to progress forward and look a little better each week. He is becoming a game manager.....heh....
Running Game gets going....sorta
I preface this because this is the thing I wanted other eyes on. Not because they ran the ball better, it is Arkansas and they gash to anyone. I wanted it because I wanted someone else to tell me that I wasn't seeing things. For 3 weeks, it has been a lot of passive plays- traps, delayed hand offs, zone reads- and not a lot of downhill helmet on helmet play. The biggest upgrade to Bama's run game was that they went more power with counters and more to the tackles plays. That goes more into the style that I am more comfortable with because it gets the OL in the game and gets them motivated, and it also wears down the defense when they are always having to hold their ground. It was the interior's best game of the year and it also was one that probably asked a lot less of them. There were more runs outside, and more quick pass plays to keep them from getting in trouble. That's a good thing when it works.
Richardson is starting to get in his zone
It is always a football truth that a great running back can make any offensive line look good. Richardson's awakening has also improved the look of the line. Richardson loves to kill Arkansas, they hate to tackle and he dares you to. Richardson and Lacy are really stepping up to carry the load and take the pressure off everyone else. With the short passes, and both backs getting yards in bunches now, it makes the game more one on one where Bama should win that battle most times. The biggest change in Richardson is that he's getting patient and he's seeing the gaps a little better because he is patient with the play.
Having Hanks back is good for business
Darius won't catch your eye on the stat lines, but he is in there. He is sealing corners on screens, sealing running lanes to the outside for Richardson and Lacy, and clearing out zone covers to get a matchup for Maze. Does it show up on the stat line? No. Does it win ball games? Yes. Hanks is a big part of this offense and the 2 weeks without him exposed that. He will do all the things that the team needs to get first downs and touchdowns. Perhaps they should line him up on goal line at TE....
More looks for opponents to digest
Bama again used the Wildcat with McCarron at QB. They used a lot of trips this week and used a host of player packages that will make life fun for the scouts. Bama used the pistol after scrapping it some earlier. Bama used a lot more pulling guard plays this past week than in the last 3. As I mentioned earlier, they were going outside the tackles more now and it seemed to work better than trying to maul it over the middle. My favorite play of Saturday's game was the Wildcat screen. It was the 2nd TD pass that Richardson took to the house. The play started with WR motion to the wide side and drew the D to the right, they slipped Richardson off a block and set the screen up and the rest was just Trent being Trent.
The Bad....
Play Calling left a lot to be desired
Don't bother telling me that the team had however many yards or scored 38 points. That is all well and good, but Bama didn't score an offensive touchdown until the 3rd quarter. In fact, the special teams almost beat the offense in scoring (17-14, Defense 7). The issue I had with the calls were that they didn't have any flow or plan to them. You start out running and it goes well to start the game, then you start throwing and kill the momentum. That got lost because Williams is still running with the ball, but it doesn't go unnoticed that they continue to stall. The goal line series was just junk. 3 plays, nothing that had a shot of working, and a field goal. It took a good while before the offense got hitting, and once it did, it was a run away, but it wasn't great for a while. Bama's first 5 drives stalled and out of those only 2 had more than 4 plays.
Here's an example. Bama in the 2nd was driving down the field. Lacy and Richardson were taking up chunks of yards running outside the tackles. Bama gets to the 9 and they decide on 2nd and 7 to run trips right with a TE to the strong side along with Richardson. The TE is Smelley who has yet to block a soul all 4 years. The play is designed to rub him off a defender after he initiates a block and slides off and Richardson is to pick him up. Smelley misses and the defender is downhill so fast that Richardson cannot get to him before he's blown the play up and flushed AJ out. Now, pre-snap, Arkansas puts 6 on the line and only 1 deep safety (his foot is on the goal line), this is a sure fire blitz package. It is goal line and they aren't worried about White, Maze or Hanks. They were right. The play call wasn't right with what was working. I will say that AJ should have caught this pre snap and called timeout or audibled to get to a play that was better suited like the slip screens they had ran with success or the HB dump passes.
The Ugly...
Les Miles eats inches of grass better than Bama's goal line offense does
Ok, Bama has 2nd and 7 that is the sack described above. They dump it to TR and get to the 1. So it is first and goal. The play gets reviewed so you are getitng a free timeout to make a play call. Bama runs a QB sneak with a 180 pound QB.... I do agree that you should trust your All Conference Center to make that couple of inches he needs, but Vlachos hasn't blown away anybody in a while. Also, someone needs to take time to teach the linemen to get lower and take the legs out. First down the snap is exchanged and you can see a ton of red jerseys as McCarron is trying to wedge forward. Second down, they go with the muscle. I agree with the play call but would have liked it better on 1st down. Bama again is too high and loses the battle up front allowing a surge back to Fowler who had no chance once because Steen and Fluker never got down on their blocks. Vlachos did get down on his and had made a lane, but because the right side was peeled back so, it vanished by the time AJ handed the ball off. Third and goal is just ugly folks. They have their power to the left with Williams, Jones, and Underwood. They run a counter right with Steen and from LG to RT you can see their numbers when snapped. If Vlachos gets lower, he holds his ground in the middle and the linebacker never gets to Richardson, but because he is too high for goal line blocking he is moved right and because Warmack also is getting taken out by a lower drive, there is about a 2 and half shoulder to shoulder gap between C and LG. Now, it may be that Underwood didn't slide in for his block. It may be that they were slide right and Fowler misses his block because he doesn't know blocking-he knows running and tackling. Between the counter, the defeat up front, and the missed fullback lead, when Richardson gets the handoff a Hawg LB is 1 yard from him. The play lost 3 yards.
Some will bitch that I took time to talk about that in detail, but you think LSU hasn't noticed???? Florida is bound to be feeling good that they can man up.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Maze goes and goes and goes
He had a few good returns before this one, but Arkansas made 2 mistakes that cost them. First, they out kicked the coverage. Second, there were at least 2 that got out of their lanes and were too far inside. As such, when you do that with an athlete as gifted as Maze has become, you have given him all he needs to break a big play. Sunseri made his weekly big play by sealing a block late in the play.
Upshaw jaws and Menzie reaps the reward
Menzie is one of those guys that we are just now seeing how talented he is because he's healthy finally. On his TD, the play before Upshaw and Wilson start to bark. Arkansas called time to regroup. It didn't work. The pass was off and Menzie makes a great play by keeping it alive and getting it for the score. The more enjoyable part is that Upshaw hunted Wilson to get him some blockin......linebackers love to block QBs.
Hightower is well....that damn good
I don't know where he will be at the end of his career in relation to the greats. I do know that he deserves to be mentioned in their breath. I thought this was his best game in a long time. The 3rd down tackle on a ARK WR coming across the field was shades of his form pre-injury. He is a rare player too. McClain could cover and manage, but he couldn't rush as well. Hightower can cover, he manages things, and he is the teams best rush specialist. I just can't believe that he has come this far after injury, but he's been special since he hit the campus.
A year later, the McCarron special teams pass works
Last year, the fake was just as obvious, but it just wasn't a good play for a player who had maybe 15 snaps total. This year, it was obvious they weren't kicking. The scouting report tells you Bama isn't good from beyond 43 yards or so. However, they did something that was better than last year- they stood AJ up. Getting him upright and seeing how Arkansas reacted to the play helped him decide who his read was. It also was interesting they ran a slip wheel route with Williams across the formation to get him loose. It was probably the best play of the season to date.
Lots of individual performers step up
Dre Kirkpatrick had talked a lot this week. He wanted this game. He had a sub-par game last year against them and it was motivating him. I thought he did a superb job of shutting his side down and making a lot of key tackles. I also thought Hubbard had a good game filling in for Mosley. Jesse Williams was getting into a lot of plays and was a silent reason why Arkansas was zilch for running most of the day. Ed Stinson also had a solid day in reserve.
The Bad...
Arkansas 1st score
Bama had the momentum but didn't keep it. They allowed Arkansas to march them down for a 12 play 5 and a half minute drive. While they did a good job all day of keeping Arkansas from making big passes, they did let ARK get too many 3rd down conversions on this drive. ARK converted a 3rd and 12, allowed a a slip screen to go more like a reverse and make a 1st, after a 2nd and 20- ARK was allowed to convert 3rd and 11, and the worst play of the series was the TD play where about 4 players lost their composure and were out of position and it was an easy score. Half of Arkansas 3rd down conversions came in this drive.
The Ugly....
Is it really called punting when they just go a minimal distance?
When you average 37 a punt, you aren't getting it done. Now, last week his average was 35 or so and that got them inside the 20. This week wasn't one of those moments. They also weren't all coverage kicks because only half were fair caught. Bama has been fortunate because they aren't returning them. How can they? The thing doesn't go far enough to out kick the coverage. The issue isn't just distance, it is consistency and the fact it isn't a weapon to use for this team. If they had a good punter, imagine how much more dominating the defense would be? Putting them back farther and flipping the field is a great weapon to use when you know you can. It takes the pressure off the offense somewhat and keeps the defense from having to defend short fields.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The Internets thinks Les Miles is stupid. It is a Sith Lord Mind Trick....
Folks have predicted the end of Miles for years. First it was that he couldn't last after Saban's players left. Then it was that the SEC would pass him by and he wouldn't meet the standard. Then it was the game management would be the end of him. Now it is that they are good but not that good. Don't fool yourself about LSU folks. They are good and well deserving of the number 1 ranking. Their defense is as good as Bama's and has been road tested well. Their offense is not flashy or exciting, but they are like Bama and improving each week. Jarrett Lee isn't that guy we remember any more. Gone is the guy who couldn't control himself enough to keep from making mistakes and in his place is a confident winner. He isn't going to win any games on his arm, but when he plays smart, they can win on his decision making now. Did you think that was possible 3 years ago? I didn't. For all the "neaner neaner" that comes with fandom, the reality is that Miles is a master at distraction. He wants you to think and talk about him and his quirks and quotes. I love me some Les Miles quotes just as much as anyone. However, he isn't as dumb as folks think. He's crazy, but crazy has been known to win. So, when you are going around telling folks you don't think much of LSU, beware. You are falling into the trap that Miles sets up year after year.
Clemson is overrated
They beat Auburn and Florida State. Auburn is in rebuild mode and has survived on luck. Their luck ran out when they went to Death Valley. Florida State was overrated all year. They gave OU a run for their money, but they aren't ready for primetime. Clemson goes to Va Tech this week. Don't be surprised if you don't see them fall back to earth Saturday. Dabo has coached well in the 2 games, for the most part, but this is still the team that had to play 3 quarters to remove Wofford from the game. The Clempson faithful will try to talk up their team, and they have a right and resume (sorta) to do that. However, this is another one of your Daddy's Clempson Tigers that underachieve in the end. Now, if you want to see a team in the ACC that isn't overrated, visit GA Tech. They aren't a BCS contender and they weren't talked about being one, but they are good enough to beat most on their schedule.
The potential loss of Mosley will not be as big an impact as some think
The Tide has to find CJ's replacement fast because this is a week they needed him most. However, I don't buy into the impact that some have said. Bama has played so much dime and nickel this year that a few adjustments in schemes will cover his loss fairly well. I don't think they intend or want to move Hightower back to replace CJ, but they can and put Hubbard/Stinson in his place. When they play as much dime as they do, they can slide Barron up and ask him to fill that role. DePriest and Hubbard both looked suitable in short duty replacing him. Harris did fill in the role as well, and looked ok, but his track record scares me with the better half of the schedule coming up. If it was Barron or Hightower, I would probably worry a lot more. The bottom line is that Bama has a lot of options to work with to replace Mosley if needed, so it will be interesting to see if they experiment or just move a player over for his role in the passing situations.
OFFENSE
The Good....
AJ continues to develop
I am not a stat hound. I could care less about most stats. I care about 3 things on the stat sheet when talking about QBs. Completion percentage, number of interceptions, and number of sacks taken. The rest is just fodder, including touchdowns. If a QB hits above 65%, has 1 or fewer INTs a game, and 3 or fewer sacks a week, then you are gonna take care of touchdowns, yards, and all that crap. So, on Saturday he hit all 3 and has for the most part all season. The only thing he needs to work on is his timing with Maze on the outs and slants to the sideline. He's still a little off. Outside of that, he's doing all the right things. He is managing the game well. You don't see a lot of confusion and you don't see a lot of blown plays. He isn't putting the D in bad positions and he continues to progress forward and look a little better each week. He is becoming a game manager.....heh....
Running Game gets going....sorta
I preface this because this is the thing I wanted other eyes on. Not because they ran the ball better, it is Arkansas and they gash to anyone. I wanted it because I wanted someone else to tell me that I wasn't seeing things. For 3 weeks, it has been a lot of passive plays- traps, delayed hand offs, zone reads- and not a lot of downhill helmet on helmet play. The biggest upgrade to Bama's run game was that they went more power with counters and more to the tackles plays. That goes more into the style that I am more comfortable with because it gets the OL in the game and gets them motivated, and it also wears down the defense when they are always having to hold their ground. It was the interior's best game of the year and it also was one that probably asked a lot less of them. There were more runs outside, and more quick pass plays to keep them from getting in trouble. That's a good thing when it works.
Richardson is starting to get in his zone
It is always a football truth that a great running back can make any offensive line look good. Richardson's awakening has also improved the look of the line. Richardson loves to kill Arkansas, they hate to tackle and he dares you to. Richardson and Lacy are really stepping up to carry the load and take the pressure off everyone else. With the short passes, and both backs getting yards in bunches now, it makes the game more one on one where Bama should win that battle most times. The biggest change in Richardson is that he's getting patient and he's seeing the gaps a little better because he is patient with the play.
Having Hanks back is good for business
Darius won't catch your eye on the stat lines, but he is in there. He is sealing corners on screens, sealing running lanes to the outside for Richardson and Lacy, and clearing out zone covers to get a matchup for Maze. Does it show up on the stat line? No. Does it win ball games? Yes. Hanks is a big part of this offense and the 2 weeks without him exposed that. He will do all the things that the team needs to get first downs and touchdowns. Perhaps they should line him up on goal line at TE....
More looks for opponents to digest
Bama again used the Wildcat with McCarron at QB. They used a lot of trips this week and used a host of player packages that will make life fun for the scouts. Bama used the pistol after scrapping it some earlier. Bama used a lot more pulling guard plays this past week than in the last 3. As I mentioned earlier, they were going outside the tackles more now and it seemed to work better than trying to maul it over the middle. My favorite play of Saturday's game was the Wildcat screen. It was the 2nd TD pass that Richardson took to the house. The play started with WR motion to the wide side and drew the D to the right, they slipped Richardson off a block and set the screen up and the rest was just Trent being Trent.
The Bad....
Play Calling left a lot to be desired
Don't bother telling me that the team had however many yards or scored 38 points. That is all well and good, but Bama didn't score an offensive touchdown until the 3rd quarter. In fact, the special teams almost beat the offense in scoring (17-14, Defense 7). The issue I had with the calls were that they didn't have any flow or plan to them. You start out running and it goes well to start the game, then you start throwing and kill the momentum. That got lost because Williams is still running with the ball, but it doesn't go unnoticed that they continue to stall. The goal line series was just junk. 3 plays, nothing that had a shot of working, and a field goal. It took a good while before the offense got hitting, and once it did, it was a run away, but it wasn't great for a while. Bama's first 5 drives stalled and out of those only 2 had more than 4 plays.
Here's an example. Bama in the 2nd was driving down the field. Lacy and Richardson were taking up chunks of yards running outside the tackles. Bama gets to the 9 and they decide on 2nd and 7 to run trips right with a TE to the strong side along with Richardson. The TE is Smelley who has yet to block a soul all 4 years. The play is designed to rub him off a defender after he initiates a block and slides off and Richardson is to pick him up. Smelley misses and the defender is downhill so fast that Richardson cannot get to him before he's blown the play up and flushed AJ out. Now, pre-snap, Arkansas puts 6 on the line and only 1 deep safety (his foot is on the goal line), this is a sure fire blitz package. It is goal line and they aren't worried about White, Maze or Hanks. They were right. The play call wasn't right with what was working. I will say that AJ should have caught this pre snap and called timeout or audibled to get to a play that was better suited like the slip screens they had ran with success or the HB dump passes.
The Ugly...
Les Miles eats inches of grass better than Bama's goal line offense does
Ok, Bama has 2nd and 7 that is the sack described above. They dump it to TR and get to the 1. So it is first and goal. The play gets reviewed so you are getitng a free timeout to make a play call. Bama runs a QB sneak with a 180 pound QB.... I do agree that you should trust your All Conference Center to make that couple of inches he needs, but Vlachos hasn't blown away anybody in a while. Also, someone needs to take time to teach the linemen to get lower and take the legs out. First down the snap is exchanged and you can see a ton of red jerseys as McCarron is trying to wedge forward. Second down, they go with the muscle. I agree with the play call but would have liked it better on 1st down. Bama again is too high and loses the battle up front allowing a surge back to Fowler who had no chance once because Steen and Fluker never got down on their blocks. Vlachos did get down on his and had made a lane, but because the right side was peeled back so, it vanished by the time AJ handed the ball off. Third and goal is just ugly folks. They have their power to the left with Williams, Jones, and Underwood. They run a counter right with Steen and from LG to RT you can see their numbers when snapped. If Vlachos gets lower, he holds his ground in the middle and the linebacker never gets to Richardson, but because he is too high for goal line blocking he is moved right and because Warmack also is getting taken out by a lower drive, there is about a 2 and half shoulder to shoulder gap between C and LG. Now, it may be that Underwood didn't slide in for his block. It may be that they were slide right and Fowler misses his block because he doesn't know blocking-he knows running and tackling. Between the counter, the defeat up front, and the missed fullback lead, when Richardson gets the handoff a Hawg LB is 1 yard from him. The play lost 3 yards.
Some will bitch that I took time to talk about that in detail, but you think LSU hasn't noticed???? Florida is bound to be feeling good that they can man up.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Maze goes and goes and goes
He had a few good returns before this one, but Arkansas made 2 mistakes that cost them. First, they out kicked the coverage. Second, there were at least 2 that got out of their lanes and were too far inside. As such, when you do that with an athlete as gifted as Maze has become, you have given him all he needs to break a big play. Sunseri made his weekly big play by sealing a block late in the play.
Upshaw jaws and Menzie reaps the reward
Menzie is one of those guys that we are just now seeing how talented he is because he's healthy finally. On his TD, the play before Upshaw and Wilson start to bark. Arkansas called time to regroup. It didn't work. The pass was off and Menzie makes a great play by keeping it alive and getting it for the score. The more enjoyable part is that Upshaw hunted Wilson to get him some blockin......linebackers love to block QBs.
Hightower is well....that damn good
I don't know where he will be at the end of his career in relation to the greats. I do know that he deserves to be mentioned in their breath. I thought this was his best game in a long time. The 3rd down tackle on a ARK WR coming across the field was shades of his form pre-injury. He is a rare player too. McClain could cover and manage, but he couldn't rush as well. Hightower can cover, he manages things, and he is the teams best rush specialist. I just can't believe that he has come this far after injury, but he's been special since he hit the campus.
A year later, the McCarron special teams pass works
Last year, the fake was just as obvious, but it just wasn't a good play for a player who had maybe 15 snaps total. This year, it was obvious they weren't kicking. The scouting report tells you Bama isn't good from beyond 43 yards or so. However, they did something that was better than last year- they stood AJ up. Getting him upright and seeing how Arkansas reacted to the play helped him decide who his read was. It also was interesting they ran a slip wheel route with Williams across the formation to get him loose. It was probably the best play of the season to date.
Lots of individual performers step up
Dre Kirkpatrick had talked a lot this week. He wanted this game. He had a sub-par game last year against them and it was motivating him. I thought he did a superb job of shutting his side down and making a lot of key tackles. I also thought Hubbard had a good game filling in for Mosley. Jesse Williams was getting into a lot of plays and was a silent reason why Arkansas was zilch for running most of the day. Ed Stinson also had a solid day in reserve.
The Bad...
Arkansas 1st score
Bama had the momentum but didn't keep it. They allowed Arkansas to march them down for a 12 play 5 and a half minute drive. While they did a good job all day of keeping Arkansas from making big passes, they did let ARK get too many 3rd down conversions on this drive. ARK converted a 3rd and 12, allowed a a slip screen to go more like a reverse and make a 1st, after a 2nd and 20- ARK was allowed to convert 3rd and 11, and the worst play of the series was the TD play where about 4 players lost their composure and were out of position and it was an easy score. Half of Arkansas 3rd down conversions came in this drive.
The Ugly....
Is it really called punting when they just go a minimal distance?
When you average 37 a punt, you aren't getting it done. Now, last week his average was 35 or so and that got them inside the 20. This week wasn't one of those moments. They also weren't all coverage kicks because only half were fair caught. Bama has been fortunate because they aren't returning them. How can they? The thing doesn't go far enough to out kick the coverage. The issue isn't just distance, it is consistency and the fact it isn't a weapon to use for this team. If they had a good punter, imagine how much more dominating the defense would be? Putting them back farther and flipping the field is a great weapon to use when you know you can. It takes the pressure off the offense somewhat and keeps the defense from having to defend short fields.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The Internets thinks Les Miles is stupid. It is a Sith Lord Mind Trick....
Folks have predicted the end of Miles for years. First it was that he couldn't last after Saban's players left. Then it was that the SEC would pass him by and he wouldn't meet the standard. Then it was the game management would be the end of him. Now it is that they are good but not that good. Don't fool yourself about LSU folks. They are good and well deserving of the number 1 ranking. Their defense is as good as Bama's and has been road tested well. Their offense is not flashy or exciting, but they are like Bama and improving each week. Jarrett Lee isn't that guy we remember any more. Gone is the guy who couldn't control himself enough to keep from making mistakes and in his place is a confident winner. He isn't going to win any games on his arm, but when he plays smart, they can win on his decision making now. Did you think that was possible 3 years ago? I didn't. For all the "neaner neaner" that comes with fandom, the reality is that Miles is a master at distraction. He wants you to think and talk about him and his quirks and quotes. I love me some Les Miles quotes just as much as anyone. However, he isn't as dumb as folks think. He's crazy, but crazy has been known to win. So, when you are going around telling folks you don't think much of LSU, beware. You are falling into the trap that Miles sets up year after year.
Clemson is overrated
They beat Auburn and Florida State. Auburn is in rebuild mode and has survived on luck. Their luck ran out when they went to Death Valley. Florida State was overrated all year. They gave OU a run for their money, but they aren't ready for primetime. Clemson goes to Va Tech this week. Don't be surprised if you don't see them fall back to earth Saturday. Dabo has coached well in the 2 games, for the most part, but this is still the team that had to play 3 quarters to remove Wofford from the game. The Clempson faithful will try to talk up their team, and they have a right and resume (sorta) to do that. However, this is another one of your Daddy's Clempson Tigers that underachieve in the end. Now, if you want to see a team in the ACC that isn't overrated, visit GA Tech. They aren't a BCS contender and they weren't talked about being one, but they are good enough to beat most on their schedule.
The potential loss of Mosley will not be as big an impact as some think
The Tide has to find CJ's replacement fast because this is a week they needed him most. However, I don't buy into the impact that some have said. Bama has played so much dime and nickel this year that a few adjustments in schemes will cover his loss fairly well. I don't think they intend or want to move Hightower back to replace CJ, but they can and put Hubbard/Stinson in his place. When they play as much dime as they do, they can slide Barron up and ask him to fill that role. DePriest and Hubbard both looked suitable in short duty replacing him. Harris did fill in the role as well, and looked ok, but his track record scares me with the better half of the schedule coming up. If it was Barron or Hightower, I would probably worry a lot more. The bottom line is that Bama has a lot of options to work with to replace Mosley if needed, so it will be interesting to see if they experiment or just move a player over for his role in the passing situations.
September 18, 2011
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- North Texas
The annual scrimmage that counts before the Arkansas game has now came and went, and Bama came out pretty well all things considered. I agree with many that we (the fans) won't know the potential of this team until next week, but this week was a good week because they could empty the depth chart, show some new looks, and work on some things (like the offensive line) without any major issue.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Arkansas will be drinking from a fire hose when doing film study
Bama flung a lot of looks both in formations, plays, and personnel. Some may have missed it, but the following did occur during the game Saturday.....
I know as I type this, some of you will piss your drawers and wet my leg along with it. While it was good for the team to see itself make plays, it was one of the worst D's against the run in the nation. But, like I said, they needed to see themselves make the blocks and see the runners make the plays. It took a while and a few adjustments in how they ran the ball- lots more stretch runs and getting outside the tackles than the 1st 2 weeks- but once they did make the adjustments, the offense looked much improved.
AJ continues to make strides
I don't care what his stat line says. That isn't the end all be all. What I did see was better reads, and a better control of the offense from week to week to week. You don't see any confusion in the formation, or shuffling around pre-snap. You see a group that seems to have a little more focus now and while I am sure this will not please some, he is checking down better. That was one of the biggest complaints about AJ was that he tunneled in and wanted to zip it.
WR Core getting better
Get over the Carter stuff, he wasn't going to contribute if he hadn't played by now. The return of Hanks did a lot this week. He was solid on his routes and always catches the ball. The bigger upgrade he brings is that he's a very good blocking WR. Maze had a better game this week, but he missed one really big pass early in the game. Jones has the work ethic, and he plays the game well. I am really surprised at how well he's adapted to his role. Bell had his best game and will provide some time in some 4 and 5 wide sets. Norwood played well last week but was missing this week, however he will play a lot. Gibson will play a lot, but he's gotta work on separating better. His blocking is solid though.
Good to see Richardson and Lacy get big plays
Both young men are running neck and neck in about all categories. Both have a shade over 300 yards rushing. If you missed it, Lacy is second in rec. yards and has been over 90 yards in all three games in all purpose yards. Even more important, they aren't having to do anything real exotic. Lacy's first TD was all him. It was a shitty snap, McCarron did a good job reeling it in, and Lacy made one cut and was gone.
Always good to see the 4th stringers find the field.
This is one of 3 games that Bama has that you expect to see the walkons and forgotten few. Needless to say, the participation chart for this one was pretty long. That's always a good thing for the good guys because it never hurts to see the future and build experience.
The Bad....
Enough with the rotating door at QB
I like Sims, but the momentum is killed every time they have done the switch. I will disclaim that I do not like 2 QB systems and never will. With that said, once they finished with the exercise, McCarron was cold and out of rhythm. I get why they want to throw Sims in early, but keep in mind, AJ hasn't had that many reps on the field either. I guess it would be different if Sims was playing better than he has, but he has yet to show he can motor the team to the endzone really.
Too many misses up front again....
North Texas D Line was small and really flaccid. Yet, they did create pressure and sacked the QB 2 times. The individual struggles have been documented here enough that you know where it is. The constant shuffling that will make teams pay attention, wasn't exactly bona fide when you get down to it. Granted, I know the genius that looks like Captain Kangaroo will say I'm just picking on things because they had 300 plus yards rushing. They did, and North Texas swallows as well as suck. It wasn't a terrible performance, or a horrible or really bad performance, but there were just too many misses and it took way too long to establish themselves to be a good performance. If you need validation minus my lack of insider status, denote the total of 5 different sets of linemen lineups. They weren't experimenting, they were searching.
The Ugly....
1 TD in the redzone
1 for 5 in the redzone touchdown ratio, 3 for 5 overall thanks to 2 missed kicks and 4 stalled drives. If this were Arkansas, I probably don't point to it, but this was North Texas and they didn't have Sinbad at DT. Just as seeing Bama run with purpose was good for the team to see for growth, this is one of those things they need to do better because teams like Arkansas, Florida, and LSU will capitalize on these kinda issues.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good.....
Mandell finally hit a good punt!
He totalled 35 yards but it was inside the 5 which is more than ok.
Third and punt
Bama's D had a very solid showing in that even if it was a bad team and an overhyped tailback, they still took care of the business and for the most part didn't let NT breathe. Giving up only 5 3rd or 4th down conversions for the night is what you want to see, especially in these games. It keeps them off the field, and keeps the offense building, and it ensures that you can keep the ears pinned back and play your game.
Tarnishing the Doak Contender
Dunbar probably looks good in the Sun Belt world. In the real world, he was not real impressive and the Bama defense was a big reason for that. As Auburn and Ole Miss can tell you, if you give a team life, they can make plays- see Utah State and Jax State- but when you defeat them mentally and physically early, things are easy.
Don't just make their ass quit...make them say OH SHIT
If you haven't payed attention, or watched the telecast, there is one of the more amusing moments in this game. Williams broke free on a rush and had a free shot at the QB. It was like watching Unneccesary Roughness where the backup is screaming blow the whistle, but the mic picked up the Quarterback as he looked up and yelled "oh shit!"
Nice look at the future
I am still very pleased to see guys like Hubbard and Dickson step up and play meaningful minutes. They both have looked good in their moments and I really like both. Trey DePriest is a starter in a lot of schools. He sees the field well and while he will make some freshmen mistakes, he is well ahead of where he should be. Vinnie Sunseri makes a big play every week it seems and with time, he will be a full time player. He had 2 great plays- one sprung Maze, the other saved a score.
The Bad...
Missed FGs
Shelley has a slight case of the shanks starting up. Nothing gets in Saban's nose worse than blowing scoring opportunities. He already is pissed because they didn't score a touchdown, but to miss the field goals to boot......I wouldn't answer my phone on Sunday if I were Shelley.....
Still not creating turnovers
3 and outs are great, don't misconstrue this as a complaint but it is an issue that I know the staff is on them about, but 0 turnovers against a lousy offense and very few turnovers created year to date will keep the staff barking. Maybe that is a good thing.
The Ugly....
NONE
Random Thoughts.....
I would love to have a heart to heart with the 2 percent of voters who said Darby was the Tide's best running back.
While I won't say he sucked or anything to that degree, I wouldn't have even put him in the conversation with great runners like Musso, Humphrey, Alexander, or Ingram. Heck, I would probably take Circle Button or Trent over him. My vote went to Humphrey by the way. My dad voted Musso.
SEC Expansion and the Super Conferences start to shape.....
I was guessing 2 weeks ago when I posted my thoughts on expansion. So far, so good minus I never thought the ACC would charge 20 big stacks to leave. Most fans are gonna be disappointed in the way this thing shakes out for the SEC. They've set their mouth on FSU or OU, or some great football school. That isn't the SEC to begin with and history says they won't go looking for big fish but more diamonds in the rough that round out the big diamond. Remember back to 91 when they were expanding before, Arkansas was more of a basketball school at that point with Nolan's 60 minutes of Hell and a football team that was rich in history but short on wins over the last few years. USCar was a middle of the road football program at the time too. So, if you are expecting more than the West Virginias, Texas A&Ms, Missouris, and more than likely South Florida (if they will up their academic standards) or Louisville, well Santa ain't bringing any ponies for Christmas folks.
I personally like getting a program with more upside to it than one that is going downhill like a Penn State or Notre Dame would be. Speaking of the last dancer on the dance floor, Notre Dame is probably gonna have to join the Big 10.2 to stay alive. They will have to model the Pac12's pact with Texas. That or NBC can work a deal with the Big10.2.
I will probably always wonder what life would have been like if Menzie was healthy for 2 years instead of 1.
It probably would have changed the outcome of at least one of the 3 losses.
More Offensive Line Thoughts....
They looked their best when they stretched the field and worked into more zone block schemes (which most of you know I don't prefer) but continued to struggle when asked to grind between the tackles. Right now, if it wasn't for Lacy and his mix of power and ability to get real small at the box, they really would be a net neutral between the tackles.
To be fair, they are pass blocking better. That seems to be the line that they recruited is a pass block/finesse style of line. Yet, they want to still maul it out and ground and pound. It is kinda like asking your Honda Accord to 4 wheel like a F150 or Silverado. I get the feeling that we will see more 2 TE sets and more back to basics as the SEC schedule wears on because that is really the only way they will establish the line is keeping Williams and Underwood/Smelley in to block. Jones and Fluker will need support throughout the season too as Jones is overperforming out of position and Fluker just lacks the first step to catch rush ends. The "When will Cyrus Start?" threads will start to slowly dominated message boards now that the "Carter Update" threads should be about over. I don't know that anyone knows that answer yet. I think fans have a bit of an unrealistic opinion about CyKo because of Andre Smith. They want to see him do what Smith did, but this isn't Shula at the helm and Smith was a natural left tackle and CyKo is learning how to be a LT.
I like that on the eve of SEC play, they had their best showing, but I really would have liked to have seen the O Line leaning forward more and asserting themselves more. I also know that I hope to never see Jones at RT again. If he has practiced it, it was 2 years ago because that is how he played it.....
There are just so many things that are confusing about how this Offensive Line plays and how/where it should be. Granted, the death of Douglas and lack of progression by various other LT candidates have forced longer looks at less than ideal candidates, it shouldn't be this hard to run and enforce will on defenses. Not having Jones at guard has proven to be a bigger issue than anticipated, but that is just part 1 of the issue really. Warmack and Steen are 3rd year players. Warmack has enough starts under his belt and enough PT to be a leader on the line. Steen has not played as much, but he has practiced enough to know how to play and know the plays. I had hoped that Steen would use the Auburn game to grow and progress from, but he continues to miss an assignment here there and yonder and against PSU, there were a lot of heres. He is in shape, but is very slow off the snap. For the record, while on the subject, the reason I know Warmack is out of shape (without being an insider) is that for starts he's been seen puking on the sideline this year, and he looks and acts winded during long series. Stoutland has a lot of work to do and no time to do it in now. He will earn his paycheck this year.
Before you start.....
Last week, I read a lot of comments directed at me that put a lot of assumption or injected comments that I haven't said...ever. Folks, this blog shouldn't be viewed as me being better than you or whatever stupid ass idea some of you get. The blog is my vehicle to actually say what I want without having to overfilter. It isn't even my choice to be honest. However, if you click on it, that is a personal choice. So, I know some of you out there will always click because you want to find something to complain about or argue about. I get that. I do get to see who and how many of you read. It isn't hard to figure out.
However, for the record, I have never said or believed that:
This Bama team is mediocre
This Bama team is not a BCS level team
This Bama team is below standard
Just because I talk about parts of the game that were bad or ugly, which is more theme than harshness more often than not, doesn't mean the world is ending. It means there are areas of the week's game that needed work. I can guarantee that as I type this that when I post it Monday that some will say that I was too negative in light of a shutout. That would probably be a true statement if Bama beat Arkansas 41-0, but really, it is what it is folks.
In all honesty, the culture of many boards has become less about real discussion and more about how great things are and if you can't say so, piss is coming for you. Now, I do go back and read most boards on Sunday and Monday to see what was said Saturday, and some things that are said are pretty off the wall. I would lie if I said I hadn't said a thing or two over 10 years that was over the line, but just as much as we talk about improvement for our favorite team, I apply that and try to work on improving what I produce each week too. Hey, it's free, enjoy that, but don't mistake that this is just opinion and it says so at the very top of the page you read each day. It also is an opinion versed in experience and practice and has a better track record than most of your betting percentages. The fact that we have to have this discussion really says a lot about the culture these days...don't it?
OFFENSE
The Good....
Arkansas will be drinking from a fire hose when doing film study
Bama flung a lot of looks both in formations, plays, and personnel. Some may have missed it, but the following did occur during the game Saturday.....
- Bama ran the Wildcat. AJ's handoff to Maze was the same set and personnel, but they kept AJ at QB instead of lining him up in the slot.
- Chris Jones played at WR and HBack once. His first catch came as he lined up behind Smelley in a 2 TE set.
- Bama used a slew of shotgun formations that will be hard to read. Bama flashed a counter shotgun play that was used as playaction to Maze.
- They used about 5 different WR/TE sets in the shotgun.
- They highlighted Smelley and how they can use him. Last week it was Williams.
- They reminded folks they have 2 running backs that can carry the mail.
- Bama flashed a zone read option early on.
- Bama again introduced Brandon Lewis and his road blocking fullback skill
- They displayed about 3 different OL sets with the starters and key reserves.
- Jones/Warmack/Vlachos/Steen/Fluker
- CyKo/Warmack/Jones/Steen/Fluker
- CyKo/Warmack/Vlachos/Steen/Jones
I know as I type this, some of you will piss your drawers and wet my leg along with it. While it was good for the team to see itself make plays, it was one of the worst D's against the run in the nation. But, like I said, they needed to see themselves make the blocks and see the runners make the plays. It took a while and a few adjustments in how they ran the ball- lots more stretch runs and getting outside the tackles than the 1st 2 weeks- but once they did make the adjustments, the offense looked much improved.
AJ continues to make strides
I don't care what his stat line says. That isn't the end all be all. What I did see was better reads, and a better control of the offense from week to week to week. You don't see any confusion in the formation, or shuffling around pre-snap. You see a group that seems to have a little more focus now and while I am sure this will not please some, he is checking down better. That was one of the biggest complaints about AJ was that he tunneled in and wanted to zip it.
WR Core getting better
Get over the Carter stuff, he wasn't going to contribute if he hadn't played by now. The return of Hanks did a lot this week. He was solid on his routes and always catches the ball. The bigger upgrade he brings is that he's a very good blocking WR. Maze had a better game this week, but he missed one really big pass early in the game. Jones has the work ethic, and he plays the game well. I am really surprised at how well he's adapted to his role. Bell had his best game and will provide some time in some 4 and 5 wide sets. Norwood played well last week but was missing this week, however he will play a lot. Gibson will play a lot, but he's gotta work on separating better. His blocking is solid though.
Good to see Richardson and Lacy get big plays
Both young men are running neck and neck in about all categories. Both have a shade over 300 yards rushing. If you missed it, Lacy is second in rec. yards and has been over 90 yards in all three games in all purpose yards. Even more important, they aren't having to do anything real exotic. Lacy's first TD was all him. It was a shitty snap, McCarron did a good job reeling it in, and Lacy made one cut and was gone.
Always good to see the 4th stringers find the field.
This is one of 3 games that Bama has that you expect to see the walkons and forgotten few. Needless to say, the participation chart for this one was pretty long. That's always a good thing for the good guys because it never hurts to see the future and build experience.
The Bad....
Enough with the rotating door at QB
I like Sims, but the momentum is killed every time they have done the switch. I will disclaim that I do not like 2 QB systems and never will. With that said, once they finished with the exercise, McCarron was cold and out of rhythm. I get why they want to throw Sims in early, but keep in mind, AJ hasn't had that many reps on the field either. I guess it would be different if Sims was playing better than he has, but he has yet to show he can motor the team to the endzone really.
Too many misses up front again....
North Texas D Line was small and really flaccid. Yet, they did create pressure and sacked the QB 2 times. The individual struggles have been documented here enough that you know where it is. The constant shuffling that will make teams pay attention, wasn't exactly bona fide when you get down to it. Granted, I know the genius that looks like Captain Kangaroo will say I'm just picking on things because they had 300 plus yards rushing. They did, and North Texas swallows as well as suck. It wasn't a terrible performance, or a horrible or really bad performance, but there were just too many misses and it took way too long to establish themselves to be a good performance. If you need validation minus my lack of insider status, denote the total of 5 different sets of linemen lineups. They weren't experimenting, they were searching.
The Ugly....
1 TD in the redzone
1 for 5 in the redzone touchdown ratio, 3 for 5 overall thanks to 2 missed kicks and 4 stalled drives. If this were Arkansas, I probably don't point to it, but this was North Texas and they didn't have Sinbad at DT. Just as seeing Bama run with purpose was good for the team to see for growth, this is one of those things they need to do better because teams like Arkansas, Florida, and LSU will capitalize on these kinda issues.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good.....
Mandell finally hit a good punt!
He totalled 35 yards but it was inside the 5 which is more than ok.
Third and punt
Bama's D had a very solid showing in that even if it was a bad team and an overhyped tailback, they still took care of the business and for the most part didn't let NT breathe. Giving up only 5 3rd or 4th down conversions for the night is what you want to see, especially in these games. It keeps them off the field, and keeps the offense building, and it ensures that you can keep the ears pinned back and play your game.
Tarnishing the Doak Contender
Dunbar probably looks good in the Sun Belt world. In the real world, he was not real impressive and the Bama defense was a big reason for that. As Auburn and Ole Miss can tell you, if you give a team life, they can make plays- see Utah State and Jax State- but when you defeat them mentally and physically early, things are easy.
Don't just make their ass quit...make them say OH SHIT
If you haven't payed attention, or watched the telecast, there is one of the more amusing moments in this game. Williams broke free on a rush and had a free shot at the QB. It was like watching Unneccesary Roughness where the backup is screaming blow the whistle, but the mic picked up the Quarterback as he looked up and yelled "oh shit!"
Nice look at the future
I am still very pleased to see guys like Hubbard and Dickson step up and play meaningful minutes. They both have looked good in their moments and I really like both. Trey DePriest is a starter in a lot of schools. He sees the field well and while he will make some freshmen mistakes, he is well ahead of where he should be. Vinnie Sunseri makes a big play every week it seems and with time, he will be a full time player. He had 2 great plays- one sprung Maze, the other saved a score.
The Bad...
Missed FGs
Shelley has a slight case of the shanks starting up. Nothing gets in Saban's nose worse than blowing scoring opportunities. He already is pissed because they didn't score a touchdown, but to miss the field goals to boot......I wouldn't answer my phone on Sunday if I were Shelley.....
Still not creating turnovers
3 and outs are great, don't misconstrue this as a complaint but it is an issue that I know the staff is on them about, but 0 turnovers against a lousy offense and very few turnovers created year to date will keep the staff barking. Maybe that is a good thing.
The Ugly....
NONE
Random Thoughts.....
I would love to have a heart to heart with the 2 percent of voters who said Darby was the Tide's best running back.
While I won't say he sucked or anything to that degree, I wouldn't have even put him in the conversation with great runners like Musso, Humphrey, Alexander, or Ingram. Heck, I would probably take Circle Button or Trent over him. My vote went to Humphrey by the way. My dad voted Musso.
SEC Expansion and the Super Conferences start to shape.....
I was guessing 2 weeks ago when I posted my thoughts on expansion. So far, so good minus I never thought the ACC would charge 20 big stacks to leave. Most fans are gonna be disappointed in the way this thing shakes out for the SEC. They've set their mouth on FSU or OU, or some great football school. That isn't the SEC to begin with and history says they won't go looking for big fish but more diamonds in the rough that round out the big diamond. Remember back to 91 when they were expanding before, Arkansas was more of a basketball school at that point with Nolan's 60 minutes of Hell and a football team that was rich in history but short on wins over the last few years. USCar was a middle of the road football program at the time too. So, if you are expecting more than the West Virginias, Texas A&Ms, Missouris, and more than likely South Florida (if they will up their academic standards) or Louisville, well Santa ain't bringing any ponies for Christmas folks.
I personally like getting a program with more upside to it than one that is going downhill like a Penn State or Notre Dame would be. Speaking of the last dancer on the dance floor, Notre Dame is probably gonna have to join the Big 10.2 to stay alive. They will have to model the Pac12's pact with Texas. That or NBC can work a deal with the Big10.2.
I will probably always wonder what life would have been like if Menzie was healthy for 2 years instead of 1.
It probably would have changed the outcome of at least one of the 3 losses.
More Offensive Line Thoughts....
They looked their best when they stretched the field and worked into more zone block schemes (which most of you know I don't prefer) but continued to struggle when asked to grind between the tackles. Right now, if it wasn't for Lacy and his mix of power and ability to get real small at the box, they really would be a net neutral between the tackles.
To be fair, they are pass blocking better. That seems to be the line that they recruited is a pass block/finesse style of line. Yet, they want to still maul it out and ground and pound. It is kinda like asking your Honda Accord to 4 wheel like a F150 or Silverado. I get the feeling that we will see more 2 TE sets and more back to basics as the SEC schedule wears on because that is really the only way they will establish the line is keeping Williams and Underwood/Smelley in to block. Jones and Fluker will need support throughout the season too as Jones is overperforming out of position and Fluker just lacks the first step to catch rush ends. The "When will Cyrus Start?" threads will start to slowly dominated message boards now that the "Carter Update" threads should be about over. I don't know that anyone knows that answer yet. I think fans have a bit of an unrealistic opinion about CyKo because of Andre Smith. They want to see him do what Smith did, but this isn't Shula at the helm and Smith was a natural left tackle and CyKo is learning how to be a LT.
I like that on the eve of SEC play, they had their best showing, but I really would have liked to have seen the O Line leaning forward more and asserting themselves more. I also know that I hope to never see Jones at RT again. If he has practiced it, it was 2 years ago because that is how he played it.....
There are just so many things that are confusing about how this Offensive Line plays and how/where it should be. Granted, the death of Douglas and lack of progression by various other LT candidates have forced longer looks at less than ideal candidates, it shouldn't be this hard to run and enforce will on defenses. Not having Jones at guard has proven to be a bigger issue than anticipated, but that is just part 1 of the issue really. Warmack and Steen are 3rd year players. Warmack has enough starts under his belt and enough PT to be a leader on the line. Steen has not played as much, but he has practiced enough to know how to play and know the plays. I had hoped that Steen would use the Auburn game to grow and progress from, but he continues to miss an assignment here there and yonder and against PSU, there were a lot of heres. He is in shape, but is very slow off the snap. For the record, while on the subject, the reason I know Warmack is out of shape (without being an insider) is that for starts he's been seen puking on the sideline this year, and he looks and acts winded during long series. Stoutland has a lot of work to do and no time to do it in now. He will earn his paycheck this year.
Before you start.....
Last week, I read a lot of comments directed at me that put a lot of assumption or injected comments that I haven't said...ever. Folks, this blog shouldn't be viewed as me being better than you or whatever stupid ass idea some of you get. The blog is my vehicle to actually say what I want without having to overfilter. It isn't even my choice to be honest. However, if you click on it, that is a personal choice. So, I know some of you out there will always click because you want to find something to complain about or argue about. I get that. I do get to see who and how many of you read. It isn't hard to figure out.
However, for the record, I have never said or believed that:
This Bama team is mediocre
This Bama team is not a BCS level team
This Bama team is below standard
Just because I talk about parts of the game that were bad or ugly, which is more theme than harshness more often than not, doesn't mean the world is ending. It means there are areas of the week's game that needed work. I can guarantee that as I type this that when I post it Monday that some will say that I was too negative in light of a shutout. That would probably be a true statement if Bama beat Arkansas 41-0, but really, it is what it is folks.
In all honesty, the culture of many boards has become less about real discussion and more about how great things are and if you can't say so, piss is coming for you. Now, I do go back and read most boards on Sunday and Monday to see what was said Saturday, and some things that are said are pretty off the wall. I would lie if I said I hadn't said a thing or two over 10 years that was over the line, but just as much as we talk about improvement for our favorite team, I apply that and try to work on improving what I produce each week too. Hey, it's free, enjoy that, but don't mistake that this is just opinion and it says so at the very top of the page you read each day. It also is an opinion versed in experience and practice and has a better track record than most of your betting percentages. The fact that we have to have this discussion really says a lot about the culture these days...don't it?
September 12, 2011
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Penn State
Well, it was the first road test for the Tide in 2011, and it didn't start out very well, but once the team as a whole got its legs under it, they began to slowly take the game over and finally put away PSU. From the staff's perspective, they have to be pleased because it had enough positives and negatives to build upon.
THE OFFENSE
The Good...
AJ gets adjusted
Despite all the hand wringing about AJ and Phillip, the bottom line thus far is that one has actual PT and the other has none. On the road, against 100,000 white outed, loud, Nits, there was one choice and it was McCarron to start. The difference in week one and this week was that AJ had reserved himself to the fact that he wasn't going to hesitate and he would let it fly. The results were much improved. While there were some passes that he will get scolded about in film and practice, most of them were on point. As a whole, he had better touch when he needed it, and better zip when he needed to press it. He also was a lot calmer in the pocket than he was a week ago, and at A Day, as he seemed to not let everything get to him as much.
Trent plugs away and finally gets his 100
While the OL does have issues, Richardson played much better and made a lot better cuts than he did in week one. They needed to just prove they could run with authority against an ok Penn State team. 2 bad weeks of running would have sent red flags across the BCS that would have had everyone stacking the line and daring Bama to throw.
Bama gets Hanks back!!!!
They needed him sooner, but it is what it is. While the WR play wasn't terrible, they have missed his ability to find the bubble in the defense and gives 2 young QBs a real steady and solid option to use. The other big upgrade is that Hanks is a very solid blocker on the outside. The run game has missed having him there to seal the outside.
Michael Williams has his breakout game....
A week after he was a bit of a goat for the muff, he stepped up and made probably the best catch of his career in the 3rd quarter. It was nice to see them dedicate to working him into the actual game plan. While he probably won't be as much if they get Hanks and Carter (more on that later), because they will take snags from him, but in the meantime I hope to see him showcased some more because he is a big weapon to use. Williams gives them a large target to drag over the middle to create mismatches with smaller DBs and LBs.
All the little things that I like....
I like seeing things like Lewis at fullback because Fowler has not shown he can lead block with any effectiveness, neither has Smelley. I liked seeing more stretch formations to create one on one mismatches. I liked seeing the counter used, but I would have liked to have seen the backside covered more. I liked seeing the use of pre-snap motion to get the defense confused and out of position more, not to mention show the QB what they were doing. One thing PSU did that I thought was good, just for reference, was when the backup QB faked the snap to get Bama to show their hand pre-snap. It is the little things in a game that make me happy sometimes....
The Bad...
There are liars, damn liars, and statisticians....
Mark Twain knew football apparently. To listen to some, you would think this was a glorious victory that will be a Daniel Moore painting overnight. What if I said to you that Bama only went 2 for 7 in the second half on 3rd down? Or that Bama again struggled to put the ball in the endzone when in the redzone? They were 3 of 5 with 2 FGs. While they did almost amass 200 yards rushing, they had 102 yards and averaged less than 5 per carry. If you take out Lacy exposing a worn out D, it wasn't quite as awesome as some are trying to spin it. Remember, a great running back can make a mediocre offensive line look good. Shaun Alexander and Bobby Humphrey both did.
See it is easy to point to stats and do what you want with them. The bottom line is that Bama was just physically better than PSU. Penn State isn't the Penn State that many of us remember as kids, and they sure aren't a major victory given they are probably another mid-tier Big whatever they are now member. The team Bama out-manned is probably at best a 7 win team.
Lots of MIAs....
While the comment about White is a bit confusing and concerning, he wasn't the only one who was lost in transition. While the Internets wants to fight about Phillip Sims, his lack of PT doesn't worry me as much, nor do his tweets by the way, as Brad Smelley's blocking going MIA....again....or Steen's run blocking going MIA, or Warmack's cardio plan going MIA, CyKo's PT was a bit surprising especially as many issues as they were having during the game.
The Ugly...
Offensive Line regressions
While some want to have a fight over who should be where and what not, it isn't one player. It would be easy to target Steen, and some of it is painfully obvious, it isn't just him. Warmack isn't playing great either. Vlachos should be an anchor but the signs that he's only as good as his bookends are there. In 2009, he had Jones and Johnson that could cover for him. In 2010, he didn't have Johnson, and this year he doesn't have a Johnson or a Jones to bookend him. Now, he's on his own and he's struggled at times. Vlachos was lineman of the week for the team, which is good, but was there a runner up? You'd be hard pressed to name one with as many misses and gaffes as they had through the course of the game.
Alabama has a lot of work to do if any level of championship is going to be in sight. I think there is a little false optimism about pass blocking because PSU didn't really do that much, outside of the world record for swatted passes, and using them as a litmus test is dangerous. Remember, last year Bama trounced them and folks were sky high, but in the end, it was false optimism. Until this OL shows it can be both consistent and dominant, I don't believe in them enough to say they can win the West at this point. More thoughts on the Line and speculation by folks to come....
THE DEFENSE
The Good....
The White Stuff....
After the first 8 or so minutes of play, the Defense started to pretty well enforce its will upon Penn State and their mis-managed offense. Once they took Penn State's best shot, they pretty well took various angles to return the favor. Penn couldn't take the same shot, and Bama's defense feasted on poor QB play and having a physically advanced defense that over matched and overwhelmed a slower offense.
Great LB play
I thought most of the LBs played very well against a team that is built to run and grind on the LBs over time. Mosley, Johnson, and Hightower in particular had very good games even if their individual stat lines don't exactly say it. See, stats don't tell you everything. Anyways, the objective was pretty clear up front, don't let them behind you, and as a result, they didn't blitz as much, but they confused Penn State enough that they never were in trouble until the end of the game when it looked like Bama's defense was thinking about the bus.
Creating opportunities
I thought Dre had his best game in a while as he locked his guy down for the most part and created 2 fumbles. The rest of the secondary had a lot of chances as well. I think Lester now leads the nation in trapped interceptions and Menzie and Dre lead in Interceptions though the fingers. While at some point, they do need to get more picks, the fact they are getting on the ball better is a positive sign.
Good depth showing
Dial, Hubbard, Gentry, and others had a fairly good showing as reserves. I thought the defense looked its best when Dial subbed for Williams. He created more pressure and was collapsing the pocket consistently. I won't be surprised when he beats out Williams. I thought Hubbard gave them some good minutes while Upshaw was injured. I won't be surprised if he isn't used more down the road. Gentry is just one of those guys who puts in the work and gets the best of what time he gets it seems. I would almost call him a starter in the nickel right now. He gets better push than guys much bigger than him and seems to always be in the play.
8 drives of 5 plays or less
This is one of those things I look for. How many 3 and outs and how many less than 6 and outs. Last year, Bama gave up too many 3rd and make its. This year, the success of the team and the defense alike will be dictated by how often they can get off the field before 2 sets of downs. It keeps them fresh and keeps the offense on the field. Both are very good things if you like winning.
The Bad...
First drive is a dud
The game, unfortunately for the D, was bookended by bad drives for the D. The good in this is that Saban and Smart now have something to chew on them all week about. The first drive was just one of those things that seem to creep up with this team where they come out flatter than a 3 week old Coke and leave about the same aftertaste. The tackling was less than stellar in the first drive, and the next couple weren't much better, and it allowed State to get confidence and momentum for a brief period. It took Bama the whole drive to get its legs under it and actually make adjustments to stop Penn State.
The Last One stunk worse....
After a 14 play, slow bleeding drive to start the game, they ended the game with a 16 play slower bleed. They allowed Bolden to get confidence and lost their focus as they let Bolden get a first down on the first play, on third and long they let him get 15. From there it was just one after another and another. They got a holding penalty, and it should have broken PSU, but instead they beat Millner and Lowery in the corner and set up a TD.
The Ugly....
None
SPECIAL TEAMS
It was another good week for specialists like Sunseri and Depriest. Dix also joined in the hit parade and made his first big play of his career. Maze had another good punt return that flipped the field. Now, on to the part y'all give a shit about apparently....
While I prefer to see the ball sail in the endzone and force starts at the 20, I get what they are doing on kickoffs. Foster is still the same erratic kicker he's always been. So, they've taken him off his driver and put him with his 5 wood. Everyone hits their 5 good. So, he's putting it about 10 or so yards shorter than what he would, but the height on the kicks is allowing Vinni and Trey to swarm in and keep things inside the 30. If he could kick it out with consistency, they'd ask him to do that. He can't, so they don't ask.
Punting is a different matter. There is a lot of work that needs to be done here. Mandell is still the same up and down punter he was last year. He can kill one or get one to turn over and bounce 20 yards from time to time, but most are short, off the side of his foot, or just flat off. They need him to flip the field and a 30someodd average isn't it. If he gets enough height on the kicks and the hang time works into the coverage team's range, that helps some and has thus far worked, but they haven't faced a good return man yet.
RANDOM THOUGHTS....
Georgia has an E-Richt-ile Dysfunction
This is my quote and copyrighted by rlb002 circa 2011. Deal with it. Anyways, all preseason, you heard the following lies form Dawg fans:
Every defense is better in year two, Bama's was, ours will be too!
The D knows the plays now, it will be better!
They have so much talent to not be good!
Yes folks, Georgia fans are Bama fans around the Shula and Dubose years. That's who they have now is a Shula/Dubose kinda coach. For a guy hyped as a great coach, Todd Grantham isn't earning the 401K distribution much less the paycheck. When you get down to it, watching Georgia was like watching Rudy. You know they want to, but they just can't, and eventually they will make 1 play and everyone will be all happy for nothing. Richt will get some time to let the heat die down as Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss are not going to threaten them much...I don't think anyways....but then comes a 6 game stretch that will determine his fate.
vs. MSU- despite their loss, they have a lot more speed and stamina that UGA
@ UT- meet the SEC dark horse, and UGA will validate them
@ Vandy- who has always baffled Georgia for some reason.
vs. UF- Probably the one that he MUST win
vs. New Mexico State- Tough game for UGA coming off Florida and the emotions of a probable lost season
vs. Auburn- that golden horseshoe up their butt will strangle UGA right now
So they have a real possibility of going 4-6 into Kentucky and Tech. A losing record, even 6-7 won't save Richt now.....
Kill the in-fighting
I like a good argument as long as it has a productive fight in it. However, when I read stupid shit that goes like this:
"Saban was testing Sims"
"You are a fill in the blank fan"
I can say that neither are worth while. Now, have I refrained from name calling in my times? No. I'll freely let you know if you are a dumbass. And, yes I get my fair share of complaints because I dare say something negative about "My Beloved Crimson Tide" (that's a classic Bama Mag line that is just nauseating). However, when you intend to just go after someone because you don't like their opinion, that doesn't make you worthwhile.
Remember, the mass bulk of these folks who try to do the whole "how dare you" routine were the same during Shula. They didn't want to say or think that there was ever something needing improvement. Occasionally, they would hint there was, but they'd try to spin the issue as doing the best with what they have- like that ever made it better.
Folks, there are issues on this team, none that are as deadly or as corrosive as what Shula allowed to fester, but they are issues that can have Bama back in the Capital One Bowl. That, by the way, is not where this team needs to be in January and a trip there is a disappointment for all, or at least should be. Talking- whether complaining or applauding- about what it takes to be a BCS team should be what we all are after and sometimes it takes pointing flaws and pointing to successes to get there. My biggest fear is that the fans will allow themselves to have another 2000 creep into their culture. To think that they were greater than they remotely were and have to spend a whole year asking how and why is something that I hope to never experience again. Yes, Captain Obvious, I know Saban isn't Dubose or Shula or Fran or Bryant or Stallings or Ears Whitworth.
Offensive Line Observations.........
Ok, on to the meat and potatoes. For yet another week, the O line continues to have issues with establishing itself. The pass blocking was improved from week one, but I didn't think PSU was all that good on defense to begin with. They had one good player (71), but outside of him, they were predominately slow. I think the test for Bama and how good they can/will be is 2 weeks away when they play the Hawgs.
The issue isn't the lack of play for CyKo. It isn't Jones at LT. It is the middle three and their lack of cohesion. Warmack is out of shape, that isn't a guess, that's a reality. Steen is young, but he also isn't progressing. Vlachos plays ok for the most part, but there are times where he's either overwhelmed because he's not sure who to help between the guards or gets exposed for his lack of mobility. Fluker isn't nearly in the trouble that the guards are, but there have been times where he's been flat footed and abused by much lesser players.
For what it is worth, I don't really think it is the coach. I actually think he's done a good job with what he had to work with. Keep in mind, there are some bad habits that he's gotta work through breaking. They don't just break because he's there. He doesn't have a LT that is ready. The one they wanted to be the LT this fall is dead. Cyrus is getting the playbook and the speed adjustment as best he can, but fans need to quit expecting every week to be that week where he jumps in. He's not ready. Just like DJ wasn't as a true Frosh, and 99 percent of all linemen aren't as freshmen. That isn't a knock against him, but it is a knock against fans who expect more than they should and spend hours lobbying to empty boxes for them to play.
Eventually, CyKo is their LT, is that this year? Time will tell and really only Saban, McElwain and Stoutland can dictate that. I do think that when he does start, if this year, Steen is the odd man out. He is a tough practice guy, but he's limited in where he can go as a lineman. Warmack, if he ever gets in shape, is a much better guard. I won't be surprised if they don't start looking at McCullough at RG at some point or Boswell if they want to keep AMC tuning to the left.
What will force the staff to make a change? Heh, I think we all know a horrible showing against an SEC opponent seems to force their hand better than anything. Do I want that? No. I would like to see them work on the right side a little more, or leave a TE/HBack in to assist with the blocking but I don't care to see much fruit basket turnover after September. I think they (the staff) have made their bed and are content to sleep in it as far as who the five are based on what they see in practice and what they review in study.
Next year, I think they have more changes to make. If Jones stays, he probably plays center. Neither "backup" has done well or won the staff's confidence. I won't be surprised if they don't look for a JuCo guard or to convert Arie or another backup tackle to guard. I don't think, at this time, either guard's job is safe going into the future unless they see the light.
THE OFFENSE
The Good...
AJ gets adjusted
Despite all the hand wringing about AJ and Phillip, the bottom line thus far is that one has actual PT and the other has none. On the road, against 100,000 white outed, loud, Nits, there was one choice and it was McCarron to start. The difference in week one and this week was that AJ had reserved himself to the fact that he wasn't going to hesitate and he would let it fly. The results were much improved. While there were some passes that he will get scolded about in film and practice, most of them were on point. As a whole, he had better touch when he needed it, and better zip when he needed to press it. He also was a lot calmer in the pocket than he was a week ago, and at A Day, as he seemed to not let everything get to him as much.
Trent plugs away and finally gets his 100
While the OL does have issues, Richardson played much better and made a lot better cuts than he did in week one. They needed to just prove they could run with authority against an ok Penn State team. 2 bad weeks of running would have sent red flags across the BCS that would have had everyone stacking the line and daring Bama to throw.
Bama gets Hanks back!!!!
They needed him sooner, but it is what it is. While the WR play wasn't terrible, they have missed his ability to find the bubble in the defense and gives 2 young QBs a real steady and solid option to use. The other big upgrade is that Hanks is a very solid blocker on the outside. The run game has missed having him there to seal the outside.
Michael Williams has his breakout game....
A week after he was a bit of a goat for the muff, he stepped up and made probably the best catch of his career in the 3rd quarter. It was nice to see them dedicate to working him into the actual game plan. While he probably won't be as much if they get Hanks and Carter (more on that later), because they will take snags from him, but in the meantime I hope to see him showcased some more because he is a big weapon to use. Williams gives them a large target to drag over the middle to create mismatches with smaller DBs and LBs.
All the little things that I like....
I like seeing things like Lewis at fullback because Fowler has not shown he can lead block with any effectiveness, neither has Smelley. I liked seeing more stretch formations to create one on one mismatches. I liked seeing the counter used, but I would have liked to have seen the backside covered more. I liked seeing the use of pre-snap motion to get the defense confused and out of position more, not to mention show the QB what they were doing. One thing PSU did that I thought was good, just for reference, was when the backup QB faked the snap to get Bama to show their hand pre-snap. It is the little things in a game that make me happy sometimes....
The Bad...
There are liars, damn liars, and statisticians....
Mark Twain knew football apparently. To listen to some, you would think this was a glorious victory that will be a Daniel Moore painting overnight. What if I said to you that Bama only went 2 for 7 in the second half on 3rd down? Or that Bama again struggled to put the ball in the endzone when in the redzone? They were 3 of 5 with 2 FGs. While they did almost amass 200 yards rushing, they had 102 yards and averaged less than 5 per carry. If you take out Lacy exposing a worn out D, it wasn't quite as awesome as some are trying to spin it. Remember, a great running back can make a mediocre offensive line look good. Shaun Alexander and Bobby Humphrey both did.
See it is easy to point to stats and do what you want with them. The bottom line is that Bama was just physically better than PSU. Penn State isn't the Penn State that many of us remember as kids, and they sure aren't a major victory given they are probably another mid-tier Big whatever they are now member. The team Bama out-manned is probably at best a 7 win team.
Lots of MIAs....
While the comment about White is a bit confusing and concerning, he wasn't the only one who was lost in transition. While the Internets wants to fight about Phillip Sims, his lack of PT doesn't worry me as much, nor do his tweets by the way, as Brad Smelley's blocking going MIA....again....or Steen's run blocking going MIA, or Warmack's cardio plan going MIA, CyKo's PT was a bit surprising especially as many issues as they were having during the game.
The Ugly...
Offensive Line regressions
While some want to have a fight over who should be where and what not, it isn't one player. It would be easy to target Steen, and some of it is painfully obvious, it isn't just him. Warmack isn't playing great either. Vlachos should be an anchor but the signs that he's only as good as his bookends are there. In 2009, he had Jones and Johnson that could cover for him. In 2010, he didn't have Johnson, and this year he doesn't have a Johnson or a Jones to bookend him. Now, he's on his own and he's struggled at times. Vlachos was lineman of the week for the team, which is good, but was there a runner up? You'd be hard pressed to name one with as many misses and gaffes as they had through the course of the game.
Alabama has a lot of work to do if any level of championship is going to be in sight. I think there is a little false optimism about pass blocking because PSU didn't really do that much, outside of the world record for swatted passes, and using them as a litmus test is dangerous. Remember, last year Bama trounced them and folks were sky high, but in the end, it was false optimism. Until this OL shows it can be both consistent and dominant, I don't believe in them enough to say they can win the West at this point. More thoughts on the Line and speculation by folks to come....
THE DEFENSE
The Good....
The White Stuff....
After the first 8 or so minutes of play, the Defense started to pretty well enforce its will upon Penn State and their mis-managed offense. Once they took Penn State's best shot, they pretty well took various angles to return the favor. Penn couldn't take the same shot, and Bama's defense feasted on poor QB play and having a physically advanced defense that over matched and overwhelmed a slower offense.
Great LB play
I thought most of the LBs played very well against a team that is built to run and grind on the LBs over time. Mosley, Johnson, and Hightower in particular had very good games even if their individual stat lines don't exactly say it. See, stats don't tell you everything. Anyways, the objective was pretty clear up front, don't let them behind you, and as a result, they didn't blitz as much, but they confused Penn State enough that they never were in trouble until the end of the game when it looked like Bama's defense was thinking about the bus.
Creating opportunities
I thought Dre had his best game in a while as he locked his guy down for the most part and created 2 fumbles. The rest of the secondary had a lot of chances as well. I think Lester now leads the nation in trapped interceptions and Menzie and Dre lead in Interceptions though the fingers. While at some point, they do need to get more picks, the fact they are getting on the ball better is a positive sign.
Good depth showing
Dial, Hubbard, Gentry, and others had a fairly good showing as reserves. I thought the defense looked its best when Dial subbed for Williams. He created more pressure and was collapsing the pocket consistently. I won't be surprised when he beats out Williams. I thought Hubbard gave them some good minutes while Upshaw was injured. I won't be surprised if he isn't used more down the road. Gentry is just one of those guys who puts in the work and gets the best of what time he gets it seems. I would almost call him a starter in the nickel right now. He gets better push than guys much bigger than him and seems to always be in the play.
8 drives of 5 plays or less
This is one of those things I look for. How many 3 and outs and how many less than 6 and outs. Last year, Bama gave up too many 3rd and make its. This year, the success of the team and the defense alike will be dictated by how often they can get off the field before 2 sets of downs. It keeps them fresh and keeps the offense on the field. Both are very good things if you like winning.
The Bad...
First drive is a dud
The game, unfortunately for the D, was bookended by bad drives for the D. The good in this is that Saban and Smart now have something to chew on them all week about. The first drive was just one of those things that seem to creep up with this team where they come out flatter than a 3 week old Coke and leave about the same aftertaste. The tackling was less than stellar in the first drive, and the next couple weren't much better, and it allowed State to get confidence and momentum for a brief period. It took Bama the whole drive to get its legs under it and actually make adjustments to stop Penn State.
The Last One stunk worse....
After a 14 play, slow bleeding drive to start the game, they ended the game with a 16 play slower bleed. They allowed Bolden to get confidence and lost their focus as they let Bolden get a first down on the first play, on third and long they let him get 15. From there it was just one after another and another. They got a holding penalty, and it should have broken PSU, but instead they beat Millner and Lowery in the corner and set up a TD.
The Ugly....
None
SPECIAL TEAMS
It was another good week for specialists like Sunseri and Depriest. Dix also joined in the hit parade and made his first big play of his career. Maze had another good punt return that flipped the field. Now, on to the part y'all give a shit about apparently....
While I prefer to see the ball sail in the endzone and force starts at the 20, I get what they are doing on kickoffs. Foster is still the same erratic kicker he's always been. So, they've taken him off his driver and put him with his 5 wood. Everyone hits their 5 good. So, he's putting it about 10 or so yards shorter than what he would, but the height on the kicks is allowing Vinni and Trey to swarm in and keep things inside the 30. If he could kick it out with consistency, they'd ask him to do that. He can't, so they don't ask.
Punting is a different matter. There is a lot of work that needs to be done here. Mandell is still the same up and down punter he was last year. He can kill one or get one to turn over and bounce 20 yards from time to time, but most are short, off the side of his foot, or just flat off. They need him to flip the field and a 30someodd average isn't it. If he gets enough height on the kicks and the hang time works into the coverage team's range, that helps some and has thus far worked, but they haven't faced a good return man yet.
RANDOM THOUGHTS....
Georgia has an E-Richt-ile Dysfunction
This is my quote and copyrighted by rlb002 circa 2011. Deal with it. Anyways, all preseason, you heard the following lies form Dawg fans:
Every defense is better in year two, Bama's was, ours will be too!
The D knows the plays now, it will be better!
They have so much talent to not be good!
Yes folks, Georgia fans are Bama fans around the Shula and Dubose years. That's who they have now is a Shula/Dubose kinda coach. For a guy hyped as a great coach, Todd Grantham isn't earning the 401K distribution much less the paycheck. When you get down to it, watching Georgia was like watching Rudy. You know they want to, but they just can't, and eventually they will make 1 play and everyone will be all happy for nothing. Richt will get some time to let the heat die down as Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss are not going to threaten them much...I don't think anyways....but then comes a 6 game stretch that will determine his fate.
vs. MSU- despite their loss, they have a lot more speed and stamina that UGA
@ UT- meet the SEC dark horse, and UGA will validate them
@ Vandy- who has always baffled Georgia for some reason.
vs. UF- Probably the one that he MUST win
vs. New Mexico State- Tough game for UGA coming off Florida and the emotions of a probable lost season
vs. Auburn- that golden horseshoe up their butt will strangle UGA right now
So they have a real possibility of going 4-6 into Kentucky and Tech. A losing record, even 6-7 won't save Richt now.....
Kill the in-fighting
I like a good argument as long as it has a productive fight in it. However, when I read stupid shit that goes like this:
"Saban was testing Sims"
"You are a fill in the blank fan"
I can say that neither are worth while. Now, have I refrained from name calling in my times? No. I'll freely let you know if you are a dumbass. And, yes I get my fair share of complaints because I dare say something negative about "My Beloved Crimson Tide" (that's a classic Bama Mag line that is just nauseating). However, when you intend to just go after someone because you don't like their opinion, that doesn't make you worthwhile.
Remember, the mass bulk of these folks who try to do the whole "how dare you" routine were the same during Shula. They didn't want to say or think that there was ever something needing improvement. Occasionally, they would hint there was, but they'd try to spin the issue as doing the best with what they have- like that ever made it better.
Folks, there are issues on this team, none that are as deadly or as corrosive as what Shula allowed to fester, but they are issues that can have Bama back in the Capital One Bowl. That, by the way, is not where this team needs to be in January and a trip there is a disappointment for all, or at least should be. Talking- whether complaining or applauding- about what it takes to be a BCS team should be what we all are after and sometimes it takes pointing flaws and pointing to successes to get there. My biggest fear is that the fans will allow themselves to have another 2000 creep into their culture. To think that they were greater than they remotely were and have to spend a whole year asking how and why is something that I hope to never experience again. Yes, Captain Obvious, I know Saban isn't Dubose or Shula or Fran or Bryant or Stallings or Ears Whitworth.
Offensive Line Observations.........
Ok, on to the meat and potatoes. For yet another week, the O line continues to have issues with establishing itself. The pass blocking was improved from week one, but I didn't think PSU was all that good on defense to begin with. They had one good player (71), but outside of him, they were predominately slow. I think the test for Bama and how good they can/will be is 2 weeks away when they play the Hawgs.
The issue isn't the lack of play for CyKo. It isn't Jones at LT. It is the middle three and their lack of cohesion. Warmack is out of shape, that isn't a guess, that's a reality. Steen is young, but he also isn't progressing. Vlachos plays ok for the most part, but there are times where he's either overwhelmed because he's not sure who to help between the guards or gets exposed for his lack of mobility. Fluker isn't nearly in the trouble that the guards are, but there have been times where he's been flat footed and abused by much lesser players.
For what it is worth, I don't really think it is the coach. I actually think he's done a good job with what he had to work with. Keep in mind, there are some bad habits that he's gotta work through breaking. They don't just break because he's there. He doesn't have a LT that is ready. The one they wanted to be the LT this fall is dead. Cyrus is getting the playbook and the speed adjustment as best he can, but fans need to quit expecting every week to be that week where he jumps in. He's not ready. Just like DJ wasn't as a true Frosh, and 99 percent of all linemen aren't as freshmen. That isn't a knock against him, but it is a knock against fans who expect more than they should and spend hours lobbying to empty boxes for them to play.
Eventually, CyKo is their LT, is that this year? Time will tell and really only Saban, McElwain and Stoutland can dictate that. I do think that when he does start, if this year, Steen is the odd man out. He is a tough practice guy, but he's limited in where he can go as a lineman. Warmack, if he ever gets in shape, is a much better guard. I won't be surprised if they don't start looking at McCullough at RG at some point or Boswell if they want to keep AMC tuning to the left.
What will force the staff to make a change? Heh, I think we all know a horrible showing against an SEC opponent seems to force their hand better than anything. Do I want that? No. I would like to see them work on the right side a little more, or leave a TE/HBack in to assist with the blocking but I don't care to see much fruit basket turnover after September. I think they (the staff) have made their bed and are content to sleep in it as far as who the five are based on what they see in practice and what they review in study.
Next year, I think they have more changes to make. If Jones stays, he probably plays center. Neither "backup" has done well or won the staff's confidence. I won't be surprised if they don't look for a JuCo guard or to convert Arie or another backup tackle to guard. I don't think, at this time, either guard's job is safe going into the future unless they see the light.
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