Crimson Red Sports

Arkansas vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the win.   They didn’t play a complete game in my opinion, but they did improve in some areas.

OFFFENSE:   Even with what seemed to be a lapse in focus in the second quarter Bama still put together 496 yards of total offense.  They had 308 yards rushing and 188 passing.  As far as positive plays of 10 plus yards, Bama had 8 passes and 11 runs that met that criteria.  As far as the negative for the offense, they had 2 sacks, 3 tackles for losses, and the first interception of the year.  I have Bama credited with 2 three and outs.  Bama reached the red zone 5 times and scored 4 touchdowns while kicking 1 field goal.  The also scored a touchdown from outside the red zone and kicked a field goal from outside the red zone.  The Bama offense showed signs of being dominant in portions of this game, but then, on certain plays busted some assignments.

QB:   I thought Hurts played pretty well.  He was 12 for 19 with at least 1 drop of a catchable ball.  He did throw his first interception and looked as if he just didn’t put enough on the ball as well as throwing the ball a little behind the receiver.  There were times he was pressured quickly and really didn’t have a chance to get thru his reads.  He was also hurt on a route conversion that didn’t happen by Foster.  Tua came in and did a good job.  I know he only threw 2 passes, but one was on target and the other was thrown, going to his right after being forced out of the pocket, to a place where only his receiver could make the catch.  It happened in the red zone so Bama was able to convert it to points instead of having a turnover.

RB:   D Harris had another great game.  I actually saw in this game the difference between the vision of Harris and Bo.  I saw Bo have some runs that I think Harris would have made different cuts to make for bigger plays.  Jacobs again looks to be healthy and is being utilized in the 2 running back system.  N Harris came in and ran hard when he got the opportunity.  The negative for the running backs was their pass blocking at times.  I know Bo got blown up on one play that didn’t allow the Hurts time to throw the ball.    Three different backs had receptions in this game.

Rec:  Five different receivers had catches, with Ridley being the main target once again.  Some of the catches were made in tight coverage.  Foster didn’t have a catch and I think he missed the route adjustment on one play which could have been a big play.  He should have converted to a fade.  Another time, and I can’t remember which receiver, I think it was Sims, and I am going by the announcer, he should have converted to the fade but didn’t and led to an incompletion.  The one thing that I am questioning is that it seemed like Ridley was not happy at sometimes when he went to the sideline and said something to the coaches.

OL:  I thought this was the Jekyll and Hyde part of the game.  At times they looked outstanding.  They pushed the D line back and made hole for the backs.   Then you have plays where there is a 2nd and 1 and the right guard and tackle get blown up for a 1-yard loss.  You have other times where they do an outstanding job pass blocking but then again you have the left guard helping on the outside guy pass rushing and the linebacker comes right thru his gap.  I don’t know if it was a call bust or a RB bust on who the were supposed to pick up.  There were times when, this is just my opinion, that maybe they were giving away whether it was a run or pass play. 

Defense:   The defense played well and actually saved Bama from giving up point from when there was a turnover.  Bama gave up 227 yards of total offense.  This breaks down into 200 passing and 27 rushing. The 27 yards are very impressive against a team that prides itself in running the ball.  I have the defense credited with 5 sacks, 4 tackles for losses, an interception, and 1 fumble which was recovered by Ark.  Bama is also credited with 7 three and outs, one which was the result of an interception.  For plays that covered 10 plus yards, I have Arkansas with 9 passes and 2 runs that cover that distance.  They got into the red zone 3 times and got one touchdown, against the back-ups and a field goal.  They were stopped on downs on their other trip.  There were a few times when the defense lost contain and allowed the play to be extended.

DL:  They played well.  I mean what can you say, they gave up 27 yards rushing.  Davis stood out and Buggs again had another solid game.  The DL did a great job keeping the OL of the LB’s allowing them to make the plays.

LB: They played well and made many plays.  The LB’s were involved with more blitzes in this game than they have been in the past.  This could be because they were playing a new quarterback who had never started a college game.  I think both Hamilton and Evans had good games.  My question is where was Holcombe?  I saw him on the sideline, but don’t remember him in the game. 

DB:  They also played well.  Most of the catches were inside.  There was one deep ball where Averett was beaten, however he should have had help over the top with Jones being in a two-safety look.  Jones was looking at the inside route that was shallower.  Harrison played a good game as he was forced to play coverage and come up and fill the running lanes.

Special Teams:  The punt return left a little to be desired.  They fumbled three times and lost one.  The defense bailed them out after giving Arkansas great field position.  The punts were good.  Kickoff coverage was very good again and the only thing that hurt was a penalty that gave Arkansas their best field position on the return.  You can just about expect Wright to have a big hit on a kickoff.  I really thing the problem with the returns is they are wanting to make a play so bad they aren’t making the best decisions.  I also want to mention, again, that the return men on kickoffs have to take in consideration the height and depth of a kickoff when deciding if they are going to attempt a return. 

Penalties:   Bama had 6 penalties for 66 yards.  Three of these penalties were on the final drive and accounted for 39 of the 75 yards on the touchdown drive.  The other three were when Wilson had an unsportsmanlike conduct on a kickoff return, a false start, and a block in the back on a punt.  The bad thing about the false start is that it turned a 3rd and 6 into a 3rd and 11. 

Finally:  This game could have really gotten out of hand very early if the Bama team had continued their strong start.  They were not threatened by any means but could have really put the nail in the coffin in the first half.  Part of this, in my opinion, is on the OL which had breakdowns at certain points in the game. 

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting

Great job hscoach. The only thing I have in the way of question is how can we start so fast and them crumble somewhat toward the end of the half and the start of the 3rd Qtr.? RTR!

I really don't know except maybe a loss of focus for a while when they thought everything was under control.  I would love for Bama, in the situations where they are ahead early, to insert a different lineman one at a time to get them work with the first team.  It sends a message, if you aren't doing your job we have someone who will.  Also, it gives some incentive for those backups to work a little harder and push for that starting job.

I really like this idea.  :clap:

Anybody who knows anything about FB knows our OL has problems and some changes need to be made.  But none are being made.  I hope after the break the OL will get some zip back in their legs and maybe that will help. 

We have some tough games coming up and I worry about how this OL will perform in them.

Thanks Coach for your insights.

A few comments after reading another very detailed and spot on recap from HSC.

Phil Savage said on the post game show that D Harris has separated himself from the other backs. That agrees with what HSC said and what many of us are thinking.

We had three freshman receivers that I thought played well. Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith. Foster started the game but did not play much after the first two series. He did not record a stat. Besides making plays the young guys are blocking which is a must.

Our OL is struggling in pass protection. Hurts does not have much time. However, they are making some big holes in the running game.

Our defensive front is nasty. It is hard to run on this bunch.

We have to find a dependable punt returner. Our guys are having trouble just catching the ball. Fans were applauding late in the game every time we did not muff a punt.

I wonder if our return guys might be taking their eyes off the ball to try and see how close the defenders are...Might explain why they dropped what should have been three easy catches...

I agree with the pass blocking needs improving.  I hope they don't give up on Foster because he is a talent.  One thing these young players have to learn, especially in the return game, sometimes making a play means not making a mistake.  I honestly believe they want to make a play so bad this is causing the mistakes.

 #+

Excellent, hscoach. 

I'm hoping we get some insight about the O-line from CNS.  Seems Bozeman had a problem that kept him from practice last week, but we never heard why.  Something is up.  Those guys want to play regardless of their health; may be affecting their effectiveness.

Arky's defensive line played well at times.  They had a good scheme against our running game, and pressured Hurts often.  Give them credit too.

E-cred for coach.  :worship:

Excellent as always coach.  Thanks!

I noticed Ridley's unhappiness, too.  Looked like he was yapping at CNS.  Probably not his best course of action!

ROLL TIDE!!!