Crimson Red Sports

Around Campus => The Quad => Topic started by: hscoach on November 17, 2018, 10:41:06 PM



Title: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: hscoach on November 17, 2018, 10:41:06 PM
                                                                         The Citadel vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama coaches and players on a their victory.  I thought the first part of the game the Bama team wasn’t focused on their task.  There were busted assignments and poor technique on both sides of the ball, especially on defense.  I do know that it is extremely difficult to prepare for a team that runs their offense.

OFFFENSE:   Bama had a total of 561 yards of total offense, which included 370 passing and 190 rushing.  Most of these yards came in the 2nd half as Bama was limited 4 possessions in the first half.  For negative plays, Bama had 2 tackles for losses, and 2 fumbles.  One of these fumbles came on special teams.  They were fortunate that The Citadel missed the field goal that would have given them the lead in the 2nd half.  I have Bama with one 3 and out but also fumbled on play 2 of a drive which mean they had a 2 and out.  Bama was credited with 13 pass plays of 10+ yards and 4 running plays of 10+ yards.  Too me, it was disappointing that Bama could only have 4 running plays over 10 yards when they were playing an undermanned defensive front.  Bama got into the red zone 5 times scoring 4 touchdowns and kicking one field goal.  Two touchdowns were scored from outside the red zone and one touchdown came from the defense.

QB:   Tua had a good day, which should have been expected again, against and undermanned team.  It was good to see Hurts get into the game and do well.  I thought it was a good sign when Hurts scrambled and threw a touchdown pass instead of running the ball.  He also went from one side to the other for the throw.

RB:   They quietly ran for 155 of the rushing yards.  They averaged 8.6 yards per carry, but most of these yards came from the 73-yard run by D Harris and a 32-yard run by N Harris.  The running backs only had 18 carries.  This means on 16 of the carries they only averaged a little over 3 yards.  I really expected the  running backs to have a big day.

Rec:  Three different receivers had 6 catches today.  I Smith had one, but it was a big one, 68 yards for a touchdown.  D Smith also had one catch and it was for a touchdown. 

OL:  I really can’t say they played that well, but probably played better than I am giving them credit for.  There were only 2 tackles for losses, but as I said I expected them to dominate the undersized D line of The Citadel. 

Def:  The defense made good adjustment the second half however, they still played poor technique/assignment football on a couple of long runs that resulted in touchdowns.  Bama gave up a total of 275 yards of total offense and all of it was on the ground.  For negative plays, I credit Bama with 7 tackles for losses, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery which was returned for a touchdown.  As for 3 and outs, Bama had 1 in the first half and 4 in the second half.  One was huge as it came right after Bama fumbled the kickoff and forced them to kick a field goal which they missed.  There was also a 1 and out because of a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown.  For plays that covered 10+ yards, they had 5 running plays during the game.  Two were 40 plus yards that went for touchdowns.  Both times they were to the defense’s left side.  This is were techniques and assignments were missed.  Both touchdowns came from outside the red zone as did the field goal.   Bama had their defense all within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage because of the offense The Citadel ran. 

DL:  This is the type game the D linemen hate as they are getting cut a lot of the day.  I did notice part of that cutting techniques was grabbing the leg of the defender by the OL.   Jennings and Williams played pretty well, but again this was a game I expected them to dominate no matter what offense they were running because they just don’t get the athletes Bama does.

LB:  They played well and should have since the DL was keeping the OL occupied and all of the cut blocks that were being used. 

DB:  The good news is they gave up no yards passing.  However, they are the ones who busted assignment on the touchdown runs.  First, they didn’t take the pitch guy on the option when other players were responsible for the QB.  Two, the angles taken to get to the runner was not good especially on the plays that went for touchdowns.  Three, the DB’s gave up their outside shoulder and allowed themselves to be pinned inside on the touchdown runs.  Finally, they didn’t get off the blocks.  This may be because they tried to go underneath the block and got pinned inside. 

Special Teams:  Broken record here, there were some missed extra points.  Also, there were some missed tackles on the long kick-off return.

Penalties:  Bama had 6 penalties for 68 yards, many which could have been avoided.  The one positive, I saw was Q Williams getting on a younger player which shows leadership. 

Finally, this game could be costly with the injuries.  I had hope the OL would have dominated the DL.  There were points left on the field because of a fumble, inability to convert in the red zone once, and the missed extra points. 

Feel free to comment:

17and Counting



Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: lstephen on November 17, 2018, 11:12:58 PM
Thanks for the analysis coach.  Much appreciated as always.

Pretty pedestrian performance by our guys but I'll take the win.  On to the Iron Bowl and ROLL TIDE!!!!


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: Chechem on November 18, 2018, 06:13:51 AM
Thanks, coach.   :worship:

Just a game that we'll forget.  The Citadel left the field happy, Saban was pissed, and we had a few unnecessary injuries.

On to the Iron Bowl.   :clap:


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: 2Stater on November 18, 2018, 07:16:44 AM
Thanks Coach. Pretty much sums it up. Seems like the cupcake game before the Iron Bowl is a letdown game like this, more often than not. The Georgia Southern game in 2011 really sticks out to me. Seems like we did ok the rest of that year.

 8)


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: ricky023 on November 18, 2018, 08:56:30 AM
I have learned when it comes to college football I could not pick my nose right. RTR!


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: Marshal Dillon on November 18, 2018, 11:10:05 AM
                                                                        The Citadel vs Bama

First, congrats to the Bama coaches and players on a their victory.  I thought the first part of the game the Bama team wasn’t focused on their task.  There were busted assignments and poor technique on both sides of the ball, especially on defense.  I do know that it is extremely difficult to prepare for a team that runs their offense.

OFFFENSE:   Bama had a total of 561 yards of total offense, which included 370 passing and 190 rushing.  Most of these yards came in the 2nd half as Bama was limited 4 possessions in the first half.  For negative plays, Bama had 2 tackles for losses, and 2 fumbles.  One of these fumbles came on special teams.  They were fortunate that The Citadel missed the field goal that would have given them the lead in the 2nd half.  I have Bama with one 3 and out but also fumbled on play 2 of a drive which mean they had a 2 and out.  Bama was credited with 13 pass plays of 10+ yards and 4 running plays of 10+ yards.  Too me, it was disappointing that Bama could only have 4 running plays over 10 yards when they were playing an undermanned defensive front.  Bama got into the red zone 5 times scoring 4 touchdowns and kicking one field goal.  Two touchdowns were scored from outside the red zone and one touchdown came from the defense.

QB:   Tua had a good day, which should have been expected again, against and undermanned team.  It was good to see Hurts get into the game and do well.  I thought it was a good sign when Hurts scrambled and threw a touchdown pass instead of running the ball.  He also went from one side to the other for the throw.

RB:   They quietly ran for 155 of the rushing yards.  They averaged 8.6 yards per carry, but most of these yards came from the 73-yard run by D Harris and a 32-yard run by N Harris.  The running backs only had 18 carries.  This means on 16 of the carries they only averaged a little over 3 yards.  I really expected the  running backs to have a big day.

Rec:  Three different receivers had 6 catches today.  I Smith had one, but it was a big one, 68 yards for a touchdown.  D Smith also had one catch and it was for a touchdown.  

OL:  I really can’t say they played that well, but probably played better than I am giving them credit for.  There were only 2 tackles for losses, but as I said I expected them to dominate the undersized D line of The Citadel.  

Def:  The defense made good adjustment the second half however, they still played poor technique/assignment football on a couple of long runs that resulted in touchdowns.  Bama gave up a total of 275 yards of total offense and all of it was on the ground.  For negative plays, I credit Bama with 7 tackles for losses, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery which was returned for a touchdown.  As for 3 and outs, Bama had 1 in the first half and 4 in the second half.  One was huge as it came right after Bama fumbled the kickoff and forced them to kick a field goal which they missed.  There was also a 1 and out because of a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown.  For plays that covered 10+ yards, they had 5 running plays during the game.  Two were 40 plus yards that went for touchdowns.  Both times they were to the defense’s left side.  This is were techniques and assignments were missed.  Both touchdowns came from outside the red zone as did the field goal.   Bama had their defense all within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage because of the offense The Citadel ran.  

DL:  This is the type game the D linemen hate as they are getting cut a lot of the day.  I did notice part of that cutting techniques was grabbing the leg of the defender by the OL.   Jennings and Williams played pretty well, but again this was a game I expected them to dominate no matter what offense they were running because they just don’t get the athletes Bama does.

LB:  They played well and should have since the DL was keeping the OL occupied and all of the cut blocks that were being used.  

DB: The good news is they gave up no yards passing.  However, they are the ones who busted assignment on the touchdown runs.  First, they didn’t take the pitch guy on the option when other players were responsible for the QB.  Two, the angles taken to get to the runner was not good especially on the plays that went for touchdowns.  Three, the DB’s gave up their outside shoulder and allowed themselves to be pinned inside on the touchdown runs.  Finally, they didn’t get off the blocks.  This may be because they tried to go underneath the block and got pinned inside.  

Special Teams:  Broken record here, there were some missed extra points.  Also, there were some missed tackles on the long kick-off return.

Penalties:  Bama had 6 penalties for 68 yards, many which could have been avoided.  The one positive, I saw was Q Williams getting on a younger player which shows leadership.  

Finally, this game could be costly with the injuries.  I had hope the OL would have dominated the DL.  There were points left on the field because of a fumble, inability to convert in the red zone once, and the missed extra points.  

Feel free to comment:

17and Counting





Citadel attempted only 1 pass, which might be the reason for no passing yards. What injuries are you referring too besides D Harris?


 ???







Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: McBaman on November 18, 2018, 12:43:16 PM
Coach -- Thanks for your game notes from all season.  Always insightful.

Injuries per CNS post game presser: [1] Damien has a "mild concussion."  I think he is probably in a concussion protocol and to some degree doubtful for IB.  [2] Deonte T has a "bruised knee".  He was hit by a cut block near the end of the game. (da#@ those cut blocks.)  [3] Alex Leatherwood has a "twisted ankle" (whatever that means.) He did not play in the 2nd half which was part of the OL's problems.

CNS didn't think any of the injuries were serious.  But we'll see....

I hate these cupcake games.  There is no upside to them.  There ought to be a better alternative but I don't know what it is.


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: 2Stater on November 18, 2018, 12:46:15 PM
Coach -- Thanks for your game notes from all season.  Always insightful.

Injuries per CNS post game presser: [1] Damien has a "mild concussion."  I think he is probably in a concussion protocol and to some degree doubtful for IB.  [2] Deonte T has a "bruised knee".  He was hit by a cut block near the end of the game. (da#@ those cut blocks.)  [3] Alex Leatherwood has a "twisted ankle" (whatever that means.) He did not play in the 2nd half which was part of the OL's problems.

CNS didn't think any of the injuries were serious.  But we'll see....

I hate these cupcake games.  There is no upside to them.  There ought to be a better alternative but I don't know what it is.


I know. We could schedule Ohio State in this slot and come out with fewer injuries.


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: N.AL-Tider on November 18, 2018, 07:44:12 PM
Coach -- Thanks for your game notes from all season.  Always insightful.

Injuries per CNS post game presser: [1] Damien has a "mild concussion."  I think he is probably in a concussion protocol and to some degree doubtful for IB.  [2] Deonte T has a "bruised knee".  He was hit by a cut block near the end of the game. (da#@ those cut blocks.)  [3] Alex Leatherwood has a "twisted ankle" (whatever that means.) He did not play in the 2nd half which was part of the OL's problems.

CNS didn't think any of the injuries were serious.  But we'll see....

I hate these cupcake games.  There is no upside to them.  There ought to be a better alternative but I don't know what it is.


I know. We could schedule Ohio State in this slot and come out with fewer injuries.
Totally agree with both you and McB.  I was wondering about DH's injury as I never did hear during the game.  I mentioned before this game that I hate the gimme games because of the possible injuries...


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: Marshal Dillon on November 18, 2018, 09:16:26 PM
Coach -- Thanks for your game notes from all season.  Always insightful.

Injuries per CNS post game presser: [1] Damien has a "mild concussion."  I think he is probably in a concussion protocol and to some degree doubtful for IB.  [2] Deonte T has a "bruised knee".  He was hit by a cut block near the end of the game. (da#@ those cut blocks.)  [3] Alex Leatherwood has a "twisted ankle" (whatever that means.) He did not play in the 2nd half which was part of the OL's problems.

CNS didn't think any of the injuries were serious.  But we'll see....

I hate these cupcake games.  There is no upside to them.  There ought to be a better alternative but I don't know what it is.



Thanks for injury info. I didn't know about Leatherwood, even though I saw Cotton on the field. I was on the road part of the game & listened on radio.

 :wave:









Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: Hannibal Lecter, MD on November 20, 2018, 11:23:07 AM
Coach - thanks for your analysis.  The most concerning part of the game to me was a lack of push by the OL, as you mentioned.  The line play (or at least our success running since I don't break down film) really seems to drop off when Brown is replaced by Cotton.  They don't seem to communicate and play as well together as a unit, which is odd considering Cotton has started more games with the rest of the lineman than Brown has.  Do you think it's just lack of ability, or are you seeing the same thing that I am in that there seems to be communicate/assignment breakdowns when Cotton is in.  Maybe lack of trust?

Also, I saw someone else mention that playing a team like The Citadel right before Auburn could have some benefits for the defense.  Mainly, and this goes to what Coach Saban said in his pre-game interview with Eli, is that the most important aspect of defending their style of offense is the D having good eye discipline.  Don't get distracted, follow the ball, play your assignment.  While Auburn doesn't run the triple option, their offense is designed to fool the defense.  Try to get the D to lose the ball long enough that they're out of position.  What do you think?


Title: Re: Game notes: The Citadel vs Bama
Post by: hscoach on November 21, 2018, 12:34:38 PM
Coach - thanks for your analysis.  The most concerning part of the game to me was a lack of push by the OL, as you mentioned.  The line play (or at least our success running since I don't break down film) really seems to drop off when Brown is replaced by Cotton.  They don't seem to communicate and play as well together as a unit, which is odd considering Cotton has started more games with the rest of the lineman than Brown has.  Do you think it's just lack of ability, or are you seeing the same thing that I am in that there seems to be communicate/assignment breakdowns when Cotton is in.  Maybe lack of trust?

Also, I saw someone else mention that playing a team like The Citadel right before Auburn could have some benefits for the defense.  Mainly, and this goes to what Coach Saban said in his pre-game interview with Eli, is that the most important aspect of defending their style of offense is the D having good eye discipline.  Don't get distracted, follow the ball, play your assignment.  While Auburn doesn't run the triple option, their offense is designed to fool the defense.  Try to get the D to lose the ball long enough that they're out of position.  What do you think?

I think there is a drop off when Cotton is in.  However, against a team like The Citadel it should not have mattered as much as it did.  It is really tough to determine who messed up when you don't know their rules for each running play.  I know if we had a certain running play called and the defense lined up in certain techniques, calls were made to change some of the blocking schemes.  I do agree with you about The Citadel does offer some eye candy which could be beneficial to the defense.  Hopefully, the film sessions could help point out several mistakes.  It almost looked as if, in the first half, Bama was playing tentative as not to get hurt or expecting someone else to make the play before it got to them.