Kenyan Drake fumble at goal line

He's not defenseless as a runner. That's why they wear helmets.

He fumbled when he tried to put the ball in his other hand, not because of the hit.

Kenyan fumbled because he was changing position of the ball at the point of contact.
Positioning the ball to extend it over the Goal Line...

Ancient history...
In the 60s Receivers and Running backs put what was called 'Stickum' on their hands. (now it's banned)
It was a tacky sticky substance used to help you hold onto a slick football.
A lot of names you are familiar with used it... and a bunch of no-names too.

We could have used some of that on that play... Might have helped.

BamainBoston said:

If that was a penalty you might as well stop playing the game.

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Yep, the rules have become ridiculous. It wouldn't surprise me to see the powers that be try to turn it into flag football one day.

Also, all the fumbling on the goal line from both of our top running backs has been unsettling. It could cost us a big game at some point. I trust Coach Saban, the coaching staff and our running backs to correct the problem in our remaining games.

Both of them need to stop reaching the ball, and power it in instead.

scrodz said:

Both of them need to stop reaching the ball, and power it in instead.

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That's absolutely right. I have seen this so many times, both at the college level and the NFL, where the running back tries to make something happen. More often than not, if they fumble, it rolls out of bounds for a touchback. Tennessee lost to Georgia this year, in part because of a similar play. The running back coaches need to start teaching the runners to stop doing this. Unless it's fourth down, it makes no sense.

Ole Man Dan said:

Kenyan fumbled because he was changing position of the ball at the point of contact.
Positioning the ball to extend it over the Goal Line...

Ancient history...
In the 60s Receivers and Running backs put what was called 'Stickum' on their hands. (now it's banned)
It was a tacky sticky substance used to help you hold onto a slick football.
A lot of names you are familiar with used it... and a bunch of no-names too.

We could have used some of that on that play... Might have helped.

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Just a nitpick, but stickum came during the 70s and was banned in 1981. The Raiders were notorious for using it. Someone said about the ban, that Lester Hayes would still get interceptions, he just wouldn't be catching them with his elbows anymore.

H2H was there, yes but doesn't matter in this case ( as another poster brought it up...) running back knows what he's getting into and unless it's BLATANT unnecessary roughness, it won't get called.

CrimsonSEC said:

Just a nitpick, but stickum came during the 70s and was banned in 1981. The Raiders were notorious for using it. Someone said about the ban, that Lester Hayes would still get interceptions, he just wouldn't be catching them with his elbows anymore.

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yeah, hayes wore that stuff up to his armpits it seemed.

crimsonaudio said:

Gary said it best, "you score with your hips."

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Indeed. I tell ya, Kenyan and TJ have both been outstanding but they both are putting the ball on the ground too much.

Alasippi said:

Indeed. I tell ya, Kenyan and TJ have both been outstanding but they both are putting the ball on the ground too much.

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I agree. Mark and Trent did not fumble as much in their entire careers as much as TJ and Kenyan have in the first 8 games of this year. I love both guys but they have to hold on to the football better.

Most of the fumbles has been errors on fundamentals too. That's got to drive the coachs nuts.

The coaches need to drive home the idea that 1st and goal from the 1 is infinitely better than a touchback. I get it that the RB wants to score, not just set up the touchdown, but ball security needs to be paramount.

MN-Tide said:

That's absolutely right. I have seen this so many times, both at the college level and the NFL, where the running back tries to make something happen. More often than not, if they fumble, it rolls out of bounds for a touchback. Tennessee lost to Georgia this year, in part because of a similar play. The running back coaches need to start teaching the runners to stop doing this. Unless it's fourth down, it makes no sense.

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Stop trying to extend the ball, we don't have to do it, have u seen our OL?

It was a a freak fumble. I think Drake did the right thing reaching for the goal. He'll score 999 times out of a 1000 and drop the ball the other time.

When you don't want to reach is when you're in traffic and it's not 4th down.

socalbamafan123 said:

Stop trying to extend the ball, we don't have to do it, have u seen our OL?

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I think you're touching on THE point. Not sure why this goal line fumblitis has hit epidemic proportions, but it looks like a trend. Pig Howard cost Tennessee the biggest game changing situation of the season. For Howard what was to gain that wouldn't have been available the very next play? Certainly the same was true of Drake. Why risk a turnover in that situation, especially given the fact he has spent considerable time in Saban's doghouse basement for such inattentive behavior. The next play they rush the ball and Drake scores. At some point, unless it's 4th down, you have to know ahead of time what is the smart thing to do. But you think about those things ahead of time.

colbysullivan said:

He fumbled when he tried to put the ball in his other hand, not because of the hit.

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Wasn't really helmet to helmet. It was all on him getting ready to stretch out he lost grip while switching hands. Like CS stated, it wasn't because of the hit.


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TiderJ said:

I agree. Mark and Trent did not fumble as much in their entire careers as much as TJ and Kenyan have in the first 8 games of this year. I love both guys but they have to hold on to the football better.

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Coffee, Ingram and Richardson all tucked the ball up high and hardly ever fumbled (I have blocked from memory Ingram's fumble agains Auburn). I don't see Drake or Yeldon carry the ball this way. I am assuming this was something the staff was teaching at one point, but don't seem to be doing it any longer.