and yet no one is crowing about how they were wrong by totally blasting Aaron Suttles for his observation yet.
Last edited:
Game Thread: OFFICIAL BAMA vs. WKU PostGame Thread...
- Thread starter TIDE-HSV
- Start date
Yeah, Dieter and OJ. OL had a hand full of passes called back too. Easily could have scored 60 points but mistakes killed a lot of things.
That's encouraging though if they can get those things cleaned up, LOOK OUT!
Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk
Of course not. They were quick to make a big deal about Suttles sounding butt hurt and laughing at everyone else. Funny how that works.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From where I was sitting, I basically had an All-22 view of the game. It gave me a good idea of just how Hurts was fitting passes in there. This kid is CONFIDENT in his arm. He is making throws that take trust in one's ability to even attempt...stuff that goes right over top the underneath defender into the window in the defense. At the same time, this is exactly what caused his only INT so far this season against USC. He is so confident in his ability to drop it over guys that he opens himself up to interceptions against more athletic guys in coverage. It is rare to see this kind of ability in young quarterbacks, so I find it encouraging if not a bit scary heading into the SEC schedule. Another thing to like about Hurts is that his short throws to the outside from the LOS to the sticks do not lack giddy up. He gets it out there quick enough with accuracy to give his receiver a chance to make a play. Those kind of throws are a big component of what Kiffin likes to do in the passing game, so everything I saw was encouraging from Hurts on that front.
Now for the bad stuff: what we've seen from the run game has been incredibly basic from a blocking perspective and I'm unimpressed with our interior offensive line. We haven't ran many of those split zone plays - used to great effect with Henry - where the H-Back pulls across the LOS to chip a defender and establish a crease. Everything has looked to be vanilla inside and outside zone runs. WKU did a good job of nullifying the inside zone double team blocks by putting a hat on a hat on the interior OL. Can't double team block when everyone is being engaged at the snap. We've got to diversify the run game if we hope to have success in SEC play.
Now for the bad stuff: what we've seen from the run game has been incredibly basic from a blocking perspective and I'm unimpressed with our interior offensive line. We haven't ran many of those split zone plays - used to great effect with Henry - where the H-Back pulls across the LOS to chip a defender and establish a crease. Everything has looked to be vanilla inside and outside zone runs. WKU did a good job of nullifying the inside zone double team blocks by putting a hat on a hat on the interior OL. Can't double team block when everyone is being engaged at the snap. We've got to diversify the run game if we hope to have success in SEC play.
^^^
Loads of things to agree with in this.
There is the real probability that our coaches thought we had enough hosses to out talent USCw and WKU. Stayed basic against the Trojans because of inexperienced QBs and against Hilltoppers because we are simply more talented. Points against USCw were almost too easy for the longer term good of the team.
Something concerning is that the addition of another OL coach has not produced stellar results so far. That needs significant improvement in a hurry.
Even with the not-great execution of the plays we HAVE seen so far, I expect a different Alabama next week. Think we'll beat the RebBears convincingly. No concrete reasons for it . . . Only a feeling that we are sneaky good and that it shows this week.
Loads of things to agree with in this.
There is the real probability that our coaches thought we had enough hosses to out talent USCw and WKU. Stayed basic against the Trojans because of inexperienced QBs and against Hilltoppers because we are simply more talented. Points against USCw were almost too easy for the longer term good of the team.
Something concerning is that the addition of another OL coach has not produced stellar results so far. That needs significant improvement in a hurry.
Even with the not-great execution of the plays we HAVE seen so far, I expect a different Alabama next week. Think we'll beat the RebBears convincingly. No concrete reasons for it . . . Only a feeling that we are sneaky good and that it shows this week.
Last edited:
There is a good possibility that we have left some things on the play sheet with the run game. I'm not talking about Shula-era "real playbook" talk that extended in November in topics on here (to much hilarity and also despair), but simply that there are things we have to play off the basic zone runs that we haven't felt compelled to use so far. I say this because I know we have some of these plays based on what we've seen the last two years but the counters and wham-block runs just haven't been seen much.
I see all these comments about not showing too much of the playbook, etc. Our offense is basically the same over the last 3 years if anything I think you could go back to when Sims was QB and get a pretty good idea how we are going to attack on offense. I think virtually every opponent has a pretty good idea of what we are going to do. That being said I think our gameplans center around trying to execute the core plays that we are going to use against everyone which I dont believe we have not done very well yet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
Yeah, but I do think there are things in the playbook that we really haven't tried out too much if at all especially in the run game. We've been more open with the passing game than the running game which makes a ton of sense considering our two main QB options coming into the season are freshmen.
I thought we were incredibly base with our runs in 2014 though and if that is the template we're gonna use then we're going to struggle to establish the run at times this season. I'm a bit scared about that because as dynamic as Hurts can be, he's still a freshman and I'd like to see a dominant, varied run game for him to crutch on.
I thought we were incredibly base with our runs in 2014 though and if that is the template we're gonna use then we're going to struggle to establish the run at times this season. I'm a bit scared about that because as dynamic as Hurts can be, he's still a freshman and I'd like to see a dominant, varied run game for him to crutch on.
We take what the defense gives us. There's a saying Saban says to his qb's. I've heard McElroy and McCarron refer to it a few times over the years. Something like "If you take what the defense gives you they'll give you the game."
I debated over whether to write this, but, at times, I've thought of the 2010 team. Insanely talented individually, but, in the end, a group of individuals and not a team. I think, from his remarks, Saban is afraid of that also. I hope this weekend is the game which proves that hypothesis to be wrong...
I've had the same unpleasant thoughts. I believe it comes down to not having strong leadership from upperclassmen.
Yeah, that is an interesting and understandable analogue but I think there are some key differences. I think that team had the problem where too many guys were putting one eye on the draft even if they were trying to avoid that mindset. Julio Jones' work ethic is unquestionable but I don't know if all of that class of 2008 core was setting the example around the facilities.
Most of the guys who could be thinking about the draft on this team are on the defense and I haven't seen anything to suggest that they're coasting at all. We're surprisingly young on the offensive side of the ball. Perhaps younger than any offense we've had under Saban. Even the 2008 team with Julio and Mark Ingram had a core of veteran o-linemen, senior TEs, and a senior QB. This team is just flat out young on offense. The biggest star is a true Sophomore (Ridley), the tailbacks are Sophomores or younger, the starting QB is a true freshman, practically a completely reworked OL other than CamRob.
I think our problem is mostly youth and arrogance...really talented but young and probably a bit too confident due to their lack of seasoning in this SEC business.
Most of the guys who could be thinking about the draft on this team are on the defense and I haven't seen anything to suggest that they're coasting at all. We're surprisingly young on the offensive side of the ball. Perhaps younger than any offense we've had under Saban. Even the 2008 team with Julio and Mark Ingram had a core of veteran o-linemen, senior TEs, and a senior QB. This team is just flat out young on offense. The biggest star is a true Sophomore (Ridley), the tailbacks are Sophomores or younger, the starting QB is a true freshman, practically a completely reworked OL other than CamRob.
I think our problem is mostly youth and arrogance...really talented but young and probably a bit too confident due to their lack of seasoning in this SEC business.
Our offense really lacks an upperclassman with the kind of personality to be a leader. The leadership is gonna have to come from a 2 or 3 year player...
At this point I wouldn't mind seeing Eddie Jackson displaying some more leadership.......with the Offensive players.....especially the O-Line.
The Defense is handling it's business. I see no complacency on that side of the ball.
The Defense is handling it's business. I see no complacency on that side of the ball.
It is the main reason I was hoping Bateman could step up and be the guy. It seems all the leadership on offense will have to come from the sideline.
The leadership at the top may not be bad but it may the younger ones choosing not to follow the leaders. I can't really imagine Allen and Jackson being bad leaders. We have a bunch of young guys being thrust into critical roles who may not appreciate the level of commitment to play winning football yet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
Leadership is about examples as much as talking...there was this article about Julio during the offseason about how he came in and set an example as a true freshman. It made everyone work harder because they saw him getting after it as a fresh-outta-high-school guy. He inspired the older guys to work for their play time because they felt the pressure from the class of 2008 freshmen. He didn't seek it out but his work ethic was a form of leadership on the team.
It is often the veterans who lead but it isn't always that way...and it doesn't have to be rah-rah.
It is often the veterans who lead but it isn't always that way...and it doesn't have to be rah-rah.
Latest threads
-
Maybe aTm's Pockets Aren't So Bottomless After All -- Layoffs In The Athletic Department
- Started by 4Q Basket Case
- Replies: 0
-
Time to un-vacate 2005-2007 on field victories and un-forfeit the 1993 season?
- Started by CmdrThor
- Replies: 6
-
-
-
SIAP there was an article that Joe K interviewed for assistant coach
- Started by mlingerfelt31
- Replies: 11
-
Final Home Midweek for Alabama Brings Samford to The Joe- Started by Diamond Tide
- Replies: 0