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Season afterthoughts
2Stater
Written by 2Stater
Comments: 46
Posted under: The Quad
What a year, huh?

I would think this is probably Saban's most satisfying year as a football coach. Never have I seen as much adversity on any team, much less one that just won a National Championship. Including last night, if my count is right, Bama had 24 injuries during the season. That is unprecedented. The first half last night, was a microcosm of the entire season. We were outplayed on offense, we were outplayed on defense and we were outplayed on special teams. In addition to that, we had players jumping teammates, coaches melting down, and the majority of a fan base thinking it was over.

But Saban and this team persevered through all this adversity. Tua came on and completed one of the most epic comebacks in college football history. And he didn't do it alone. 6 freshman played out of their minds, stepping in with near flawless execution, to keep us in the game. The defense was revived and took control when they had to, to give Tua and the offense the opportunity to win the game. I'm just glad the team redeemed Pappy so he didn't have to be compared to Greg Gantt for the rest of his life.

When Saban came off the field saying it was the happiest moment of his life, you could see it in his face, that he was telling the truth.

Some things did concern me though. I will never understand why Mekhi Brown was not kicked off the team, much less being allowed to see the field again. That was a bad look for us.

We played dirty at times. I know they want to be known as a nasty defense, but there was no excuse in Mack Wilson shoving Fromm's head after a tackle for example, or Crazy Tony Brown being Crazy Tony Brown. We need to show more class than that.

And let's face it, the refs were very generous to us. Maybe karma from last years bad no calls that gave Clemson the title. But the truth is, it's part of the game, but we were very fortunate there.

But, I can't help but being very proud of this team. This may be my most satisfying Natty of the modern era, considering the monumental obstacles this team faced and overcame.

Tua made some freshman mistakes, but none of them phased him. He is a very confident (not arrogant) player and he came through in spades. Can't wait to watch him next year. He is an instant legend at Alabama and the game is an instant classic.

Anyway, here's to #17 and with the cast we have coming back next year, most likely with Tua at the helm, I very much like our chances to repeat.

Dilly Dilly!!!  Toast 4

Game notes: Clemson vs Bama
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 17
Posted under: The Quad
                                                                                                  Clemson vs Bama

First congrats to the Bama coaches and players on a great victory with give you a chance for another National Championship.  In my opinion, the defense and special teams won this game.  It was a game where the defense played great assignment football with very few mistakes.

OFFFENSE:   The offense was held to 261 yards of total offense.  This included 120 passing and 141 rushing.  They had several opportunities because of short fields, however they were playing against a very strong Clemson team.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 2 sacks, 3 tackles for losses and 1 fumble which led to 3 points for Clemson.  Bama was credited with 3 three and outs and 1 one and out because of a fumble.  For the positive, Bama had 6 pass plays and 4 running plays that covered that distance.  Bama got into the red zone and 4 times.  They got two touchdowns and 1 field goal while they missed 1 field goal which relates to being points left on the field.

QB:   Hurts didn’t have the best game, but he wasn’t horrible.  I do think he was responsible for the fumble which led to points.  The balls he threw were not always perfect, however there were at least 2 or 3 that were catchable.  He did underthrow the deep ball that should have been a touchdown.  I will say he was under pressure several times and kept from losing yards.  He even kept his eyes downfield when he threw the touchdown to Ridley on the scramble.  Ridley was open earlier on the routes, but I don’t remember if he was flushed early or what.

RB: They ran hard.  There were times they were on routes when the OL was outnumbered on the LOS.  I guess this was called routes instead of checks for blocking and releasing.  I thought Harris was the better running back yesterday.  He made a hell of a play on the 4th and 1.  They all made catches where some turned into big plays.

Rec:   Four different receivers had catches with Ridley again being the main target.  A couple of catches were very good catches because of where the ball was thrown.  There also was a couple of drops.  The balls weren’t perfect, but they were catchable. 

OL:   They did have a stalemate and created wholes more often than not.  However, there were still mistakes.  There were whiffs by both the left guard and tackle on separate plays.  If I remember correctly they both led to negative plays.  It seemed to me that they stayed on combo blocks a while too long which allowed the LB’s to come up and make quick plays.  Maybe there should have been a fold block, or you need to come off earlier to the next level.  There were a few times when the OL was outnumbered and there was no back to pick up the extra man.  I guess Bama thought they could control the blitz with the backs in the routes.

Defense:  This is where the game was won.  Bama gave up a total of 188 yards, 124 passing and 64 rushing.  You also must understand 75 of those yards were on the last drive of Clemson when Bama was more of less playing a bit of a prevent defense.  Clemson had 73 total yards in the first half.  In the 2nd half, up until the last drive Bama held Clemson to 40 total yards.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 6 sacks, 5 tackles for losses, and 2 interceptions.  One of the interceptions set up a touchdown and the other was returned for a touchdown which means they were responsible for 24 of the 24 points.  For three and outs, I have Clemson 4 official three and outs.  There was a 1 and out because of the interception and it isn’t counted as a three and out because Clemson kicked a field goal but the stop after the fumble was huge because they basically had the ball in the red zone ready to tie up the game.  For the plays of 10 plus yards, Clemson had 5 pass plays and 1 run which was the result of a scramble where the rushers got too far up the field and opened running lanes.  They did get into the red zone 3 times.  They kicked a field goal on one, they were pushed back outside the red zone where they kicked a field goal, and then they turned it over on downs.  The biggest positive on the defense was how well they played assignment/technique football.  There were few breakdowns that led to big plays.  I guess the most notable was the scramble which led to the only 10 plus yard run.   

DL:   They played a hell of a game.  All who played contributed in a positive way.  They allowed the LB to run and make plays since they kept the OL from getting to the 2nd level.  They were also able to get a lot of pressure on the QB without the blitz.

LB: They played extremely well. Evans led the team with tackles and Wilson made the interception for the touchdown.  If you really watch the interception for the touchdown, you see Wilson see the QB looking to Wilson’s left, he starts to shade that way.  On the release of the ball, Wilson starts heading that way and puts himself in a position to make the interception or be ready to help make the tackle if necessary.

DB:  They played well.  They jammed players on the goal line on one play with kept him from getting off the LOS which could have cause a pick situation if given a free release.  Several players had PBU’s as well as made open field tackles.  I thought Thompson played extremely well especially being his first start.   

Special Teams:  This is the other area where Bama won the game.  The kick-off coverage team kept Clemson pinned in on the kick off.  The best return they had was when they took a knee.  The punting team kept them pinned back and made for a long field just like the kick-off coverage team.  They also put a big hit on the return.  The only negative was the missed field goal which left points on the field.
Penalties:  Bama only had 3 penalties but only 2 were enforced.  They had an illegal formation and a delay of game.  The most harm was done by the lineman downfield which wasn’t enforced because there was also a PI on Clemson.  If it had only been a PI call it would have given Bama first down with a better chance of scoring before the half.

Finally, this game shows how well a nearly healthy Bama can play on defense.  Remember they are still without Hamilton and Jones.  Also, Wilson probably has to play more snaps with Moses and Hamilton out.  They have a chance to bring home another National Championship.  Hopefully, this will happen Monday night.

Feel free to comment:

Update on Jesse (article)
2Stater
Written by 2Stater
Comments: 7
Posted under: The Quad
Click here for link

Quote
"None of us indigenous kids had ever heard about American football being played by Australians, but here was this Brisbane boy going to the States and doing so well in college and then going on to the NFL," she said.

"To me, it made dreams seem possible. If he can do that, I can do that as well. He's really an inspiration to all of us."

Quote
"I would never have the opportunity to create a huge facility if I hadn't had to face the adversity I have and come out on top," he said. "I think I'll be more successful in reaching people. I speak with more conviction in my voice when I talk about adversity because I've had so much of it. It has more weight when I talk to people."

His goal is to help more Australians follow the path he took toward American athletics, particularly earning college scholarships and enjoying the life-changing experiences those can bring. His work is mentorship as much as coaching, he said, stressing the value of education. He stands as the example, having received his degree in human sciences from Alabama.

Good to see he is doing well, both with his health and his business.

Game notes: Bama vs AU
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 36
Posted under: The Quad
AU vs Bama

This is one I didn’t want to write.  It was a game where yac’s were important.  The first yac was the yardage after the catch for AU.  The 2nd yac was yards after contact which mean missed tackles.  It was also a game where AU made open field tackles at crucial times.  Probably some of the most important plays were penalties called on AU.  The first pass interference probably saved a touchdown and most definitely kept Bama out of the red zone.  Bama ended up punting on this drive.  The 2nd pass interference call probably saved a touchdown and it was a drive that ended with a missed field goal.  AU had an outstanding game plan for Bama and executed it to perfection.  I know some people question the game plan, but I don’t know what was seen in film. 

OFFFENSE:   The offense put together 377 yards of total offense, but it is a bit misleading because 65 came on the final play of the game.    Bama only had 128 yards in the first half and 248 in the second half, but again 65 of that came on the final play.  They had 209 rushing and 168 passing.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 2 sacks, 3 tackles for losses, and 3 fumbles, one which was lost.  One sack could have been avoided if Hurts had thrown the ball away.  I credit Bama with 3 three and outs Bama only got in the red zone and missed the field goal on a bad snap.  The two touchdowns came from outside the red zone.   For play over 10 yards, Bama had 4 passes and 6 runs.   AU looked more physical on the LOS and attacking lead blocks by the backs on Hurts runs. 

QB:   Hurts had and up and down game.  He made some good throw on the plays where the pass interference was called.  He made a bad decision when he didn’t get rid of the ball and ran out of bounds for a sack.  Hurts also fumbled when he didn’t secure the ball on a scramble when flushed out of the pocket. He was extremely lucky there wasn’t an interception when he threw the ball across his body trying to make a play.  I wonder if his height is one reason he leaves the pocket so soon.  I do know he was flush many times and the receivers didn’t get separation. 

RB: As a group, the backs averaged 6.77 yards per carry.  They did well running on the edge and catching the ball.   They were blown up a couple of times when they were the lead blocker for Hurts.  Also they missed some chip shots on pass blocking assignments. 

Rec:   From the angle on TV it looked like the receiver didn’t get a lot of separation during the night.  They did on the PI plays I mentioned above.  Foster didn’t get enough yard to keep a drive alive on the 4th down play which is a mental mistake.  Also, Ridley, since he is a top receiver, should have made the catch on 3rd down on one 3 and out which would have kept the drive alive.  It probably would have allowed Bama to keep the ball long enough where AU would not have been able to kick a field goal right before half.  It also seems that the receivers didn’t do a very good job with the scramble drill. 

OL:  Again, they had an up and down game.  They were attacked by the DL of AU and beat many times.  However, the did a good job, at times, pulling on the counter plays.  Pass blocking was a problem as many got beat.  AU was also able to put pressure on the QB with only 4 rushing.  This is a big game where they needed to have a huge game. 

Defense:  There were many mistakes here especially with missing tackles and taking blocks on with the wrong shoulder.  Here are some very important stats.  First on balls thrown 0 to 5 yards from the LOS the AU quarterback was 14 for 14.  What is bad here is the yards made after the catch.  I didn’t chart the total yards here, but I know some of them went for over 10 yards and some went for over 20 yards. They were willing to settle for positive plays on these passes.  However, the did better than that.    On passes between 5 and 10 yards, he was 6 for 8, again the yards after the catch hurt.  On passes of over 10 yards, he was 1 for 8.  The AU QB also made some big runs because of mistakes made by Bama.  They missed at least one sack and left their rushing lanes and allowed him to make good yardage.  The defense gave up a total of 477 yards which included 168 rushing and 237 passing.  They only averaged 3.4 yards per rush.  They averaged about 10.4 yards per completion but again they were thrown underneath and it was the yards after the catch that hurt.  They had 11 pass plays that went for over 10 yards and 6 running plays that covered that distance.  As far as negatives, they 1 sack, 5 tackles for losses and lost a fumble.  The fumble was huge since it was inside the 10 yards line.  They got into the red zone 5 times scoring 3 touchdowns, kicking a field goal, and fumbling which Bama recovered.  They kicked one field goal from outside the red zone. 

DL:   They played well most of the time.  The problem was AU was getting rid of the ball quickly.  When they did take a deeper drop they were able to get some pressure, but the missed a couple of sack opportunities and got out of their rushing lanes which allowed AU’s QB to escape and make big positive yardage.  Sometimes they rushed too far up the field and allowed him to step up to escape. 

LB:  They led the team with tackles, but they also made mistakes.  Evans probably should have had the rec on the jump pass as there probably should have been a switch off with the corner since someone went to the outside at the corner.  Evans also got pinned on one big run by not keeping his outside shoulder free.  Moses led the team with tackles and missed a couple.  I know they missed, or wasn’t in a position to hit the crossing receivers on the short routes which help them move the chains several times.  It seemed they showed their blitzes too early and some of those routes were probably hot reads by the receiver. 

DB:  As far as deep balls they only connected on one and it was more in the middle of the field if my memory serves me right.  They had to chase receivers across the field which is extremely tough.  If you are going to do that it is better if you can jam him and keep him from going inside to what is usually and easier throw.  The DB’s had to play the short wide receiver screen game.  Some tackles were made and some weren’t. 

Special Teams:  Scott punted and kicked off pretty well as there were no real issues.  The bad snap on the field goal attempt was something that took points off the board for Bama.  The kick-off return team set Bama up in great field position. At this point Bama was trailing 20-14 and was in position to score since Diggs returned the kick-off 55 yards to the AU 40.  This is also where the PI call help AU.

Penalties:  Bama had 8 penalties for 60 yards and they came at the most inopportune time for Bama.  A nice gain on a screen was negated by a block/clip by Williams on a screen to Bo.  They went from a 2nd and 8 to a first and 23.  This is the drive Hurts fumbled on.  An illegal substitution by Bama gave AU a 1s and 5 instead of a 2nd and 10 on the drive they kicked a field goal what made the score 14-13.  A delay of game in the red zone pushed Bama back from a 3rd and 4 to a 3rd and nine on the drive they missed the field goal.  On 4th and 3 Bama jumps offside on the punt to allow AU to use more clock towards the end of the game.  These were huge penalties.

Finally, this was a game where mistakes were magnified.  It was a game where the OL needed to come up big and didn’t.  It was a game where Bama may not have run the ball enough.  It was also, a game where AU made plays both on offense and defense. 

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting


Re: *** OFFICIAL Alabama vs. Booger Eaters In-Game Thread ***
SUPERCOACH
Written by SUPERCOACH
Comments: 104
Posted under: The Quad


Don't worry, Bear is up in heaven and has mapped out a plan for us to still get in and win this thing.

Game notes: Mercer vs Bama
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 5
Posted under: The Quad
Mercer vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the win.   Not do down-play the game, but this was a glorified scrimmage.  It was a game where Bama could work on techniques and execution.  Also, it was a game where Bama wanted and needed to stay healthy.

OFFFENSE:   The offense put together 530 yards of total offense.  This is as balanced as you can get as they had 265 passing and 265 rushing.  All of it was spread around with the use of numerous players throughout the game.   As far as negative plays, Bama had 1 tackle for a loss and 2 fumbles.  They also had only 2 three and outs.  There were a couple others, but they scored touchdowns so I don’t count those.  For the positives, Bama had 9 pass plays that covered 10 plus yards and 7 runs that covered that distance.  Bama got into the red zone 7 times and scored 7 touchdowns.  The also scored 1 touchdown from outside the red zone.  One thing I noticed was Bama seemed to use more two back sets, maybe to give AU a little more to prepare for.  They have also been using the jet sweep more along with the fake jet sweep. 

QB:   Hurts played well, I mean he was 7 for 7 for 180 yards. He averaged 25.7 yards per completion.  Not all balls were perfectly thrown but they were thrown well enough for the rec to make the catch.  Tua played well, but he did miss some open receivers on underneath routes when he had time to look deeper downfield.  Probably his best throw was the slant to Sims in the red zone or to get in the red zone.  Tua also didn’t see the LB drop into the throwing lane which could have been an interception.

RB:  The running backs averaged 6.5 yards per carry with is what you would expect with an outmanned DL.  As you saw there was only 1 tackle for a loss which went to Tua.  I am not counting the kneel-down by Johnson. 

Rec:  Ten different players had catches, one being Jacobs the running back.  They averaged 18.3 yards per catch.  The only negative was the fumble after the reception by Ruggs.  Six different receptions went for touchdowns. 

OL:  The OL played well and should have against and undermanned DL.  They were able to work on combination blocks as well as pass protection.  However, Mercer didn’t bring the stunts the other teams have thrown against Bama.  I really wanted to concentrate on Hassenauer to see how he filled in at LG.  I thought he played pretty well and Bama didn’t lose a step.  Again, they were playing a lesser team.  I had just put a note down about this would be a good game to put a back-up in with the starters to get some good quality reps when they did.  I thought it was very interesting to put the starting left tackle, Willams, at guard and putting Leatherwood in at left tackle. 

Defense:  They played well, again against and undermanned team.  The defense gave up 161 yards of total offense which included 54 yards passing and 107 rushing.  I have Bama credited with 9 tackles for losses and three interceptions.  Officially, I have no sacks for Bama.  Bama had 1 one and out because of an interception and 4 three and outs.  As far as plays that covered 10 plus yards, Mercer had 3 passes and 2 runs.  They did get into the red zone once and threw an interception.  Again, this tea was outmanned.  The defense did miss a few tackles that should have been made. 

DL:   They played ok for except for a couple of plays.  Jennings went for the inside zone and allowed the QB to keep the ball and get to the outside. 

LB:  This was a game to get Moses experience and they did.  I thought he played well most of the game.  There was a time on the long run where he got pancaked.  I say this, but it looked like the DL was slanting to the left and it left the left tackle with a straight kill shot to the LB.  I also saw Evans take a bad angle, basically over pursued the play and he didn’t keep his outside should free and got pinned when the running back cut back.  Those two plays went for 21 yards and 12 yards.  With all that being said, Moses was involved in 4 of the 9 tackles for losses. 

DB:  There were only 7 receptions by Mercer which means they weren’t challenged that often.  Mercer did hit a back shoulder throw early and actually missed an open receiver in the game.

Special Teams:  Two times the kickoff return team missed tackles and allowed big returns.  Scotts kickoffs were deep sometimes and short others.  I am not sure what the wind, if any, was doing.  On his punts he pinned one around the 10 and then boomed the other into the end zone.  One thing that impressed me about one of Scott’s punts was he hit it so high the cover guys were there if the ball hadn’t been kicked in the end zone.  There were a couple of good punt returns by Marks which shows if he has a chance he can make people miss.  I don’t know why Pappanastos wasn’t kicking the extra points. 

Penalties:  Bama had one penalty for 5 yards and was an offsides call on Brown when he attempted to time the snap on a blitz.

Finally, this was a good game to work on correcting mistakes.  I wish Mercer had thrown more blitzes at the OL.  It was a game, as I said, to get the defense techniques down.  This is a huge preparation week to make sure all is good for the AU game.

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting


Game notes: Bama vs MSU
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 11
Posted under: The Quad
MSU vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the win.   The was a hell of a game for Bama to win.  They had to fight back with a banged-up defense and a well-disciplined, tough MSU team that had a very good game plan with they executed.  Part of this game plan was to slow the game down and work the clock to keep the ball away from Bama’s offense.  They did it and it shows since they had a 17:52 minute advantage with time of possession.
OFFFENSE:   The offense put together crucial drives when needed. There were some problems with the overloaded blitzes that MSU was bringing.  Even though MSU had the large advantage, over a full quarter, Bama still led with total offense.  The offense put together 446 yards of total offense which included 242 passing yards and 202 rushing yards.  The negatives were Bama had 5 sacks and 2 tackles for losses.  They also had 3 three and outs.  For the positives, they had 7 pass plays that covered 10+ yards and 10 running plays that covered 10+ yards.  The important part here is most of these were in the 2nd half.  Bama got into the red zone 5 times. They scored 3 touchdowns and kicked a field goal.  The other time they were sacked and missed the field goal from right outside the red zone.  They also scored from outside the red zone with the touchdown that won the game.  I hate to say this because it sounds negative, but Bama’s first couple of scoring drives happened so quickly they put the defense back on the field.  Three of Bama’s scoring drives, not counting the last one, were 1:54, 1:13, and2:19.  Bama’s offense was hindered a few times with the poor field position early in the game.  At this point of the season Bama is perfect going for it on 4th down.  I think they are 10 for 10 or 11 for 11.

QB:   I thought Hurts played very well.  I do think he made a couple of mistakes on the zone read but he protected the football and made big throws on scrambles
which means he kept his eyes downfield.  He made some big plays especially in the 2nd half with the game on the line.  He averaged 24.2 yards per completion, and completed over 50 percent of his passes.

RB:  They all had good games running the ball.  Bo and Jacobs both averaged over 6 yards a carry while Harris averaged over 11.  Jacobs also had 2 receptions.  I do have a missed block, and don’t remember which back, on one of the sacks.   One thing I really want to point out was the hustle Bo displayed on the long reception to Ridley.  He did a heck of a job getting downfield to get a block on the play.

Rec:  Ridley had a hell of a game.  Even the catch that didn’t count was a very good play.  He had 5 catches and averaged over 34 yards per catch and part of this was the adjustment he made on the scramble by Hurts. The one catch by Smith was huge and made a good run after the catch.

OL:  The OL created holes for the running backs.  As far as pass protection they did well when they didn’t have the overloaded blitz.  I do know the left guard was beat once for a sack.  Also, the right tackle was beat on a tackle for loss.  With all the noise in the stadium they did a pretty good job not creating false starts.  In the running game they pretty much controlled the LOS except for a couple of plays. They will have to clean up the overload blitz. 

Defense:  They made mistakes, along with missed tackles, that allowed MSU to continue drives.  I will say MSU’s game plan was excellent, but also as I said helped by Bama.  The defense was on the field for 73 plays. They did give up 330 yards of total offense.  MSU had 158 passing yards and 172 rushing yards.   Bama’s defense is credited with 1 sack and 4 tackles for losses.  Bama is only credited with 1 three and out and it came in the 4th quarter at a crucial time.  They could have had 2 more but penalties prolonged the drives.  For plays over 10+ yards, MSU had 5 passes and 5 runs that covered that distance.  They got into the red zone 4 times and scored 3 touchdowns and kicked a field goal.  Bama was fortunate that MSU missed on a couple of pass plays that could have gone for big plays even touchdowns.  MSU even converted on 8 out of 15 third downs. 

DL:   They had a tough game.  The biggest point here was the lost edge by the edge players.  I notice Jennings and Buggs both closing on the running back and the QB keeping the ball therefore Bama loses the edge.  I also notice on a stunt where the inside down linemen went outside, and the outside player went inside that the player going outside didn’t get there which means they lost the edge again.  Many times, the running back wasn’t brought down with the initial contact.  The OL also got by the DL and got to the second level.

LB:  They missed tackles and the OL got to them several times.  Watching Evans, he didn’t seem to be full speed.  I just didn’t see that burst he seems to have at time.  I know he hurt an ankle last game and maybe it was bothering him.  Holcombe played ok, but also missed tackles and one time was cut by an OL that ran a fold block.  You can tell the team was different without Hamilton and Wilson.

DB:  They were beat a couple of times.   Most of the completions were short and turned into big plays. They were caught peaking in the backfield a couple of times and then beat by receivers. That is what the running game does and makes the play action better.  On the first play of the game Bama was lucky not to have had a big play or touchdown because of the overthrow.

Special Teams:  The 2 big problems here was the fumble on the punt which fortunately was recovered by Bama and the penalty that kept the first drive alive.  There was another time when the kickoff return player was told to take a knee and the decided to return the ball.  This play cost Bama 8 yards of field position.

Penalties:  The two big penalties were the leaping call on the first punt and the holding call on a 3rd down pass play.  Both of these allowed MSU to continue drives which could have been three and out.  Another penalty of notice was the unsportsman like conduct call on Leatherwood who left the bench with his helmet off to celebrate the tying touchdown.  I will say, I could see the leaping penalty not being called because he jumped up and the MSU player blocked him which made it look a little worse than it was.

Finally, this was a tough physical game that can be learned from.  Bama sees they can come from behind.  The DL edge players can see how they hurt the team by not taking care of their assignment.  Tackling needs to improve and the team needs to get healthier.  Hopefully this next game Bama can improve in these areas.

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting


Game notes: LSU vs Bama
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 33
Posted under: The Quad
LSU vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the win.   This game was, like all LSU/Bama games big boy football.  It was a game where many will be spending a lot of time getting those ice baths.

OFFFENSE:   Bama’s offense put together 299 yards of total offense, well below what they have been averaging.   This yardage included 183 yards passing and 116 rushing.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 4 sacks and 3 tackles for losses.  Bama also had 6 three and outs.  For the positive side of the game, Bama had 8 pass plays for 10 plus yards and 5 running plays for 10 plus yards.  Bama got into the red zone 4 times and scored 3 touchdowns while the other was a kneel-down to end the game.  The other scored was a field goal from outside the red zone.  It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.   There were some things that I will mention later that could have helped out and improved this offensive production.

QB:   I thought Hurts played a very good game.  His passing stat was 11 for 24 but I saw at least three balls that were dropped or should have been caught.  The knock I have is that Hurts must learn to throw the ball away instead of taking the sack.  He threw a deep ball that was complete and right on the money even though I thought it could have been interference.  Again, he threw good ball that could have been a touchdown, but the official missed the early contact on the play.   His running got Bama out of a couple of situations and made plays when they could have been huge losses.  I think Hurts proved that if he has time he can throw the ball.  He made a heck of a throw on the scramble for a first down which was between the defenders.

RB:  They ran the ball hard as the yards were tough to get.  They averaged a little over 3.5 yards an attempt.  I do think they missed some blocking assignment in the passing game.  Part of this was the problem with Hurts getting flushed.

Rec:  Six different receivers caught passes.  I was good to not only see the ball spread around but the big catches in crucial situations.   I am glad Foster made a couple of catches after his last few rough games.  Hopefully, it will help him regain a little confidence.  I know Smith had a drop possibly 2 and an I think Jeudy also had one.  These are some of the plays that could have improved the offensive stats.  Jeudy did make a heck of a catch on the deep ball where it looked like the DB knew he was beat and was grabbing for him early.

OL:  I think here LSU defense caused a stalemate with the OL a lot of the game.  There were times that they did an outstanding job but other times they were beat off the snap even though they know when the ball is being snapped.  There was one play where 3 offensive linemen were beat on a pass play which led to a sack.  Cotton was beat more than once and stayed on the combo block too long instead of coming off.  There was one play where Cotton had help from Harris and they both were beat.  What amazes me is that he, as well as others, make outstanding blocks other times.    I know you can get beat every once in a while, but this seems to happen at crucial times.

Defense:   Since Bama’s offense was credited with 6 3 and outs, the defense had to be on the field longer than normal.  Because of this I thought they played well except for a couple of plays.  They gave up a total of 306 yards of total offense.  This included 155 passing and 151 rushing.  Thirty-one yards of the passing stats came on a 31-yard pass that looked like a thrown-up prayer.  As far as the rushing game, 54-yards came on a run where the linebacker got pinned inside and the backside DL went too far inside.  Take those 2 plays out and that leaves LSU with 221 yards of total offense.  Bama is credited for 7 sacks, 5 tackles for losses, and an interception which lead to a touchdown.  LSU had only 2 three and outs but also the interception was on first down which means a one and out.  For plays that covered 10 plus yards, LSU had 5 pass plays and 2 running plays.   They got into the red zone twice and scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal.  The field goal could have been avoided if Averett had come up with the interception he had a chance to make.  A couple of the pass plays that covered 10 plus yard were a result of Bama allowing the QB to get outside the pocket.  With all this being said Bama was fortunate when a couple of receivers were open on deep balls but the QB didn’t make the play.

DL:   They played well.  They played the inside game and allowed the LB and DB’s to play the outside run game, jet-sweeps.  The only problem I saw was the loss of contain on pass plays.  It was hard to get pressure in the passing game with 4 because LSU did a lot of max protection.

LB:  They again played well.  Evans had numerous tackles while having to concentrate on the inside running game but still make tackles on the edge. 

DB:  They played well versus the running game and got beat a couple of times in the passing game.  The good think is that LSU didn’t complete the deep balls they had open.  They did complete a couple of balls where there was good coverage, there were just good throws and catches.  They had a huge responsibility with the jet sweep because you can also play-action off of that motion.

Special Teams:  This may have won the game for Bama.  Scott continually pinned LSU back and didn’t allow returns.  The kick-off coverage was solid, as was the extra point and field goal teams.

Penalties:  Here Bama was outstanding.  They had one holding call which cost Bama a huge passing play.  However, Hurts made a couple of big throws that allowed them to overcome and continue the touchdown drive.

Finally, the Bama/LSU game has become a tough rivalry the last few years.  You can throw the records out.  You know it is going to be a battle for the entire time.  Hopefully, Bama can clean up the OL and continue their march for another National Championship. 

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting


Alabama's biggest fan, great story:
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 5
Posted under: The Quad

Game notes: UT vs Bama
hscoach
Written by hscoach
Comments: 8
Posted under: The Quad
UT vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the win.   This game was a little misleading.  Even though Bama controlled the game from the beginning it seemed the offense wasn’t clicking early in the game.  What I mean here, they had a good first drive but then seemed to not finish a couple of plays which stalled a couple of drives.  However, two scoring drives, one right before the half seemed to turn the offense around.

OFFFENSE:   Bama quietly put together 604 yards of total offense.  This included 332 passing and 272 rushing.  What is interesting here is that Bama had 352 yards of total offense in the second half. For plays over 10 plus yards, they had 14 passing plays and 11 running plays.  Bama only had 1 three and out all day.  As far as negative plays, they had 2 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss, and an interception.  This interception took potential points off the board and allowed Tennessee to score.  Bama reached the red zone 6 times.  Of these six times they scored 4 touchdowns and kicked one field goal.  The other trip was the interception.  Bama did score two touchdowns from outside the red zone.  Another observation was, and I put this note down before the announcer said anything, where the inside routes with route combinations in the first half.  It seemed like all throws were to the outside, except for a couple, and they seemed to be a combination of short and deep.  I did notice, especially in the second half, there were more options in the middle of the field and Bama was successful in this area.   There were a couple of possessions where Bama wasted good field position and came away with no points.  Bama is also going to have to be ready for more teams bringing pressure from the short edge.

QB:   Hurts had a good game.  I thought he missed a couple of throws.  One was to Ridley on the outside which could have been picked but Ridley got a hand on it to deflect it.  I also thought he could have taken a deep shot to Ridley on the throw that Sims got hurt on.  The ball would have had to be placed in the proper spot, but Ridley had a step and inside leverage to the field which allowed him to be open.  I do think he takes the safest throws instead of throwing deeper at times. I do wonder why there weren’t any real run calls for Jalen.   Tua came in and played well.  I know he threw the pick, but over-all he made very good decisions and put the ball on the money.  He also showed he can run the ball well enough to be a factor.

RB:  They all played well and ran the ball well. No running back lost yards on running plays.  I do want to give UT some defensive credit, especially early in the game, because they hit the running backs often and hard.  As Bama utilized the 2 back system, especially with Jacob, he showed what a force he could be blocking.  I expect a play action off this play down the road where he fakes the block and continues for the pass.

Rec:  Eight different players caught the ball and 6 of them were wide receivers or tight ends.  Ridley again led the receiver with 8 catches.  He joined the 200-reception club with this game.   He a made great catch to keep the first touchdown drive alive.  I know most of them are young, but I thought they could have done a little better job blocking a couple of times.  They also show both quickness and speed.  It was also nice to see the offense utilize the tight ends.

OL:  I thought they played a lot better this game.  There were only two sacks and one tackle for a loss which was the result of a high snap.  They did a better job pass protecting.  Early on I didn’t think they were getting to the second level on the running plays, but they did especially as the game went on.  There were a couple of times when I thought they stayed on the combo block a little too long but again the running back rarely, if ever, had contact behind the line of scrimmage.  Hopefully, they will continue to improve here.

Defense:   They played well all day.  The defense gave up a total of 108 yards of total offense.  This includes 64 rushing yards and 44 passing yards.  Bama only gave up 52 yards in the second half.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 4 sacks, 6 tackles for a loss, and an interception.  They also are credited with forcing UT into 5 three and outs.  For plays covering 10 plus yards, Tennessee only had 1 pass and 2 runs.  They did get into the red zone once but threw an interception which kept them off the scoreboard.  This was after a fumble on a punt return that set them up close to the red zone.  It looked like UT wanted to utilize the short passing game early but wasn’t very effective.  One thing I really want to point out here is that Bama didn’t seem to be out of position and also lined up where they needed to be most of the time.

DL:  They played well.  Buggs is distinguishing himself as a player, that a defense must account for.  The DL has a whole played well.  The only problem was a couple of times they may have gotten the pass rush too far up the field and may have lost contain once or twice.

LB:  They had another good game.  Evans look like he doesn’t want to just hit someone, but to actually cause them physical pain.  I actually saw this a couple of other times from other players.  Wilson seems to be the same type of player.  Again, I notice Holcombe was not on the field defensively very much.

DB:  They weren’t tested very often.  This has a lot to do with the pass rush, but they were in position most of the time when the ball was thrown.  The longest reception was 12 yards and it was a slant that was early in the game.  I think Averett does a good job using his body and forcing receivers to the sideline.
Special Teams:  The big take away here was the fumble on the punt return which the defense bailed them out.  Kick coverage was good.  Marks did have a good return but was called back because of a block in the back.  This was a bad call.  However, it cost Bama about 42 yards.  Other than the fumble, special teams were good this game.

Penalties:  This may be the first game that the opponent had more penalties than Bama.  Two of the penalties gave UT first downs.  So, 2 of their 7 first downs were gifts.  One big penalty was a holding call which cost Bama 20 yards because of the 10-yard run that was negated.  The other big penalty was a roughing the passer after a loss on the play.  On the other side, Bama benefitted from the timing of penalties that were called on UT.

Finally, Bama showed improvement.  Maybe we are a little spoiled and expect them to score on every drive.  However, it did seem early on, the offense wasn’t clicking as well as we expected.  Also, I like the way Bama got Tua in early and allowed him to play with the first team as well as getting extended playing time for the back-ups.

Feel free to comment:

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