Crimson Red Sports

A&M vs Bama

First congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the big win vs A&M on Saturday.     It was a very good performance against a quality team. 

OFFFENSE:  The Bama offense had 481 yards of total offense.  This is broken down into 164 yards passing and 287 yards rushing.  They had 7 running plays of 10+ yards and 6 pass plays for 10+ yards.  As far as negatives, Bama only had 1 three and out.  They also had 3 sacks, 12 tackles for losses, 1 fumble which wasn’t loss, and 2 interceptions.  They got into the red zone 5 times.  Here they scored 2 field goals and 2 touchdowns and had one missed field goal.  They could have put this game away early with by putting the ball in the end zone early.  Bama also scored one time from outside the red zone.  You could say Bama possibly left numerous points on the field because of not putting the ball in the end zone as well as the missed field goal.

QB:  Even though Hurts threw 2 interceptions I thought he played well.  Again, he made big plays with his legs.  The long touchdown run was a scramble and made people miss and set up his blocks with the run.   I thought he threw the ball better in this game.  His did miss some passes but they were not underthrown as much or off target as much.  Again, if this part of his game improves he will be even more of a weapon.

RB:  They ran hard and made tough yardage.  I also noticed they did a pretty good job pass blocking.  I honestly think Bama has 3 legitimate running backs.

Rec:  Howard had a pretty big day.  They did a good job blocking downfield and allowed the running backs to gain extra yards. 

OL:   Even with the negative plays I think they played well.  Some of the negative plays were outside the box where the OL wasn’t involved.  The sacks were more coverage sacks as opposed to missed blocks.  I thought they sustained their blocks and got to the second level several times.  They opened holes for the running backs to get thru.

Defense:  The defense played well.  They gave up 278 total yard which included 164 passing and 114 rushing.  If the stat I saw was correct A&M had 150 yards at half time, much which came on their last drive before half time.  This means they were held to 128 yards the second half.  As for negative plays, they had 5 sacks, 11 tackles for losses, caused 2 fumble and had an interception.  Again, the defense scored as one of the fumbles was returned for a touchdown.   Bama’s defense had 2 three and outs.  As far as plays of 10+ yards there were 8 runs and 7 passes.  The Bama defense made Knight’s day very uncomfortable in the pocket.  I didn’t count, but he was hurried or flushed several times.  I have A&M getting into the red zone once and they scored a touchdown.  A major contribution to this was when the defense lost contain on a scramble and allowed Knight to run 27 yards right before half time.  The other touchdown came from outside the red zone.  I will say that A&M got away with a chop block on the Bama player who was blitzing. 

DL:    They played very well except for a few times they lost contain.  I say they played a good game because of all the pressure they put on Knight.

LB:  This is a solid group.  Every week they play well.  This was another game plan where they had to be ready for the run pass options. 

DB:  I thought they played well again.  There were very many throws that weren’t contested.  Sometimes the QB puts the ball in the correct place.  I did see, I think it was Averett, going for the ball on a taller rec where he should have been going for the arm.  I also think the A&M’s players foot came down on the line and the catch should have been negated.  I thought Jones played pretty well as it looked like Bama played with 6 defensive backs a lot of the day.

Special Teams:    Another missed field goal.  This one was very makeable.  Most of the special teams were good.  There was good coverage on the kickoffs except for one but it wasn’t a huge return. 

Penalties:   Bama had 7 penalties for 44 yards.  The biggest one was declined because the offense continued to play when they caught Bama offsides.   The D line stopped instead of continuing the play which allowed for a 33 yard completion.
 
Finally:  Bama continues to improve and played thru and extremely tough stretch.  However there season is not finished.  They still have two extremely tough opponents coming up with LSU and Auburn.  Both seemed to have turned their seasons around.  There is still work to be done on both sides of the ball.  Also, you now have to find a replacement for Jackson.

Feel free to comment:

16 and Counting

Good stuff, coach!  Thanks.  Re: three running backs.  We haven't seen much of him lately but I thought Emmons looked good early in the season so, maybe 4 backs?  Any idea what the problem is with Griffith and field goals?  ROLL TIDE!!!

I agree with you about Emmons.  Half the time it looks like alignment problems or not following thru.

Coach, thanks for great comments.  One question:  Did you think aTm was playing a little dirty?  I mean chop blocks, the PI call where the guy really went after JH's face mask, several non-PI calls where the aTm guy was holding our rec's jersey, and just general in-your-face kind of attitude (which may be OK at times.)

I was surprised at them.

BTW...on JA's highlight sack...he said he knew a chop block was coming and went airborne to get over it.

The chop block on the TD pass I don't think was intentional.  The d lineman beat the o lineman and reached back to get him as the back was coming to cut him.  I don't think it was a chop block on Allen on the sack just a cut block by the running back.  As far as the facemask on JH this is seen many times in games as d linemen go up to block the pass and their hands come down on the facemask.  There are questionable calls that can go either way.  As far as flat out dirty play, in my opinion, no.

Well done hscoach. Thanks as always for the insight that pretty much spells out any questions. I do have a couple thought now, who do you think will replace at Returner Specialist? Also, will Hootie be the next guy up in Eddie's place at DB and can he do the job? RTR!

I don't know for sure, but Laurence Jones is listed on the depth chart behind, him.  Hootie Jones I guess could be a possibility.  As far as return they have used  Diggs and Marks.

I thought Cam Robinson did a great job handling Miles Garret.  I was a little concerned about that matchup considering how Cam was a little off early in the year.  Jonah Williams did a great job on the other side too.

I agree. I thought the OL played well especially with the challenge they posed with Garrett and Hall.

The one thing I noticed about both of these guys was, they looked tired toward the end of the game. I think they got hit so much they finally run out of the high pitch fever they had at the beginning of the game. Did yall notice any of that? RTR!

I did notice that.  They looked pretty beat down mentally toward the end of the game.

What happened to us in the red zone in the 1st half?  We need to get better there before the playoffs.

I don't know if they gave some different looks or just overplayed the run and expected the rush to get to Hurts.  I do know there was one where they probably should have been a timeout call, but went ahead and ran the play anyway.  They were ready for the Hurts runs in the red zone.

For some reason I have come to expect the Hurts runs in the Red Zone. We've been doing it all year and now you can just about tell when it is coming. We are going to have to break that monotony of the play calling. RTR!

The first 2 times in the red zone, we were playing fast pace and were very successful with the run, but slowed the pace way down and went to passing the ball. It gave A&M time to catch up to the speed of the game. That's why we ended up with FGs instead of TDs.

Bama's fast pace had the Aggies reeling.  Unfortunately, that fast pace can also cause mistakes on offense, and that seemed to happen with Bama's first drives.  Players were out of position and confused.  Should have called a timeout to regroup.

True, and we were doing everything right until we got to the red zone. I think a simple handoff up the middle, Darby style, would have produced better results.

Memo to CLK:  If it ain't broke...don't fix it.

 #+, well said McBaman. RTR!

Heard a discussion via Sirius Radio yesterday.  They were explaining that coaches spend many hours looking at defenses and defensive tendencies the week preceding a game, so the coaches have a list of plays that work in the red zone.  The defense also has plays to counter this, and A&M had 2 weeks to prepare for our tendencies.

ALL of us expected Hurts to run the ball in the red zone.  So did A&M.  But NONE of us knows the complexity of what else Kiffin had among his plans, what the defense did differently, how the refs allowed/didn't allow hand checking, and such. 

When the Aggie defense moved another player up to show a 5-6 man line in the red zone, we shifted to a series of pass options and outside runs.  It's not as simple as we'd like to think.   :dunno:

(https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/739/33/1033739.jpg)

Looks pretty simple to me.  :lol2:

I have to say it looked simple to me but I am outside looking in so I don't know all these factors you mention. I know between the 25 yard line each way we moved the ball and Damien got caught a couple of times when I thought he could have out run the defender. I then read what CNS said, that he had some leg injuries so that could have slowed him. RTR!

This is true.  However it is done the days before practice for the week because they have to put the game plan in.  Let me just give you some things to think about.  As a defensive coach you look at the formations of the opposition.  You then have to look at which ones they run the most because you may not have to work on every one of them.  You look at what plays they run on each down out of those formations.  You also have to consider the down and distance.  It is usually divided up into 1st and long, 2nd and long, medium, and short, 3rd and long, medium and short.  The coaches also have to consider which hash they are on as well as which part of the field they are on.  You have to develop the game plan and practice against the top formations and plays. 
On offense you do basically the same thing.  How is the defense going to line up against certain formations.  Which downs do they blitz on?  Do they play field or hash?  What coverages do they run against each formation?  How does the defense change in different parts of the field, defensive 1/3, middle 1/3, and red zone.  You also have to look  at substitution packages.  Do they do certain thing with those packages.

The good thing is that is done by computer now.

Good job coach. One question: on the third down play before the Ags first TD when Knight had the big run on the read option, who blew that assignment? Was it Eddie Jackson? Looks like he got sucked into the fake and that caused the hole to open up pretty big.

Not know what their rules are according to coverage I really don't know.  My thoughts are this.  First the DL went to far down inside before making sure the ball did not go wide.  Second I would bet Jackson had the ally to take care of if they broke contain.  Hope this makes sense.

First trip in the red zone at around the 10.  On first down A&M has the box loaded and they are ready for the QB run.  Bama actually lost about a 1/2 yard.  Second down, On second down, Bama has confusion, again the box is loaded and numbers tell you a pass play should be the call.  Third down they are trying to run a screen but it is sniffed out by Garrett.  The announcers call it a QB draw but it is supposed to be a screen.

Second trip:  first down on the 9 6 in the box with the safety rolled up short pass play to Howard with a loss on the play.  Second down from the 11 with basically 7 in the box, one is responsible for Howard.  QB run stretched out for basically no gain  Third and goal from the 11  It looks like man free.  It ends up being straight man with a spy on Hurts.  Harris ends up having to block Garrett and doesn't cut him and he rushes the throw. 

Third trip: First down on about the 15 and Bama puts trips into the boundary and A&M leaves 5 in the box.  This dictates run which Bama does with the QB.  Second and 1 A&M has 6 1/2 in the box but one is responsible for the rec.  Again this dictates run and Bama does getting a first down.  Now first and 5 at the 5.  TD pass to Howard off of play action.  Defensive formation has 7 1/2 in the box and this would dictate pass.

HS Coach:  Do you know who we have to thank for being the first SEC HC to use a computer to break down opposing teams tendencies?  Hint: goes back to the late 60's.

 #+  Excellent, coach.  I enjoyed seeing this analysis as much as the overall.  It's a real chess match for Kiffin on these plays.

Honestly, I don't.  Was it the Bear?

Thanks for the analysis.   Enjoyed it.  #+   


As an aside, we do have to give the Aggies' defense credit -- they play very good goal line defense (as seen v. Arky).  So Bama had to execute to get in the end zone.

I think the goal line stands they had against Arkansas probably factored in to our play calling when we got inside the 10.

HS Coach:  It was none other than Bill Battle who used a computer when he was the HC at (ugh!) UT back in the late 60's early 70's..I remember reading a news article on how he was doing it..Bill had some pretty good teams there, even beat us 3-4 years running. But his luck ran out and the UT fans were screaming for Johnny Majors. I think Johnny was at Pitt before he came back home to UT.

After grad, wife and I spent the years from 1967 to `1972 in Chattanooga, and it was pure hell, because If I have it right, we lost to those snotgobblers for 5 years running,, some of Bear's worst years.

Caveat:  I won't say Bill was the FIRST HC to use a computer to help strategize game plans, but I do think he was the first in the SEC.

Always enjoy and appreciate your insights.

Just a side note from my Old days...we had 2 guys from our HS team go to Bama, and they came home one spring weekend telling about this "yankee" QB from PA they had that was a real "*sshole" and troublemaker..said he would never last. well, they didn't..but the QB did..name?  Joe Willie Namath!

Glad you like them and thanks for sharing your stories with us.

Fortunately the streak ended at 4 games (in 1971).

1967  UT 24-13
1968  UT 10-9
1969  UT 41-14
1970  UT 24-0
1971  ALABAMA 32-15 (starting our own streak of 11-straight wins)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Saturday_in_October

I think that 10-9 game was at Legion Field in the rain..Kenny threw the ball OOB on 3rd down, thought it was 2nd.

Scott Hunter was the QB in 1968.
Kenny threw the ball OB on 4th down in 1965.  Tie game that year 7-7.   :(

Wow I gotta say everybody just reading these scores and some of the highlights brings back some really good memories of my high school days. We had 2 teachers at Ranburne one went to Alabama and one to auburn. They would make towels and hang in each other's classroom when the team would loose. It was funny as one could draw beautiful and the other couldn't draw a circle. So, he just wrote the score and hung it on the blackboard.  :lol2: :lol2:, RTR!