News Article: First-half report card: Tide doesn’t get straight A’s, but does make the honor roll

JessN

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First-half report card: Tide doesn’t get straight A’s, but does make the honor roll
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-in-Chief
Oct. 6, 2008

As Alabama reaches the halfway point in its regular season, it’s time to take a look back at the first half and see where the 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide team in the football “classroom.”

For the full story, click here.
 
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rolltidescott

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Thanks Jess. If Saturday's kick/punt coverage is an indication of the remainder of the year, that "C" will improve in your end-of-the-season grades.
 

Bamafan78

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Outstanding job Jess! This team is truly special, and has put Alabama football back on the map. The foundation is being laid that many great teams will be built off of, and these teams will be scary! The coaches, and players have done an excellent job.
 

Bamabuzzard

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What is going on with the other receivers Jess? It's like they're not even on the field. Are they getting blanketed that bad on every play? We're beginning to look a lot like the DJ Hall/JPW combination where no one else gets a look even it means throwing to Julio when he is smothered.

Earl Alexander is 6'4" and Maze is lightning fast and quick. CJM said in the offseason that you put the ball in your playmakers' hands any way possible. We've got more playmakers in the passing game than Julio Jones. I wonder if we're going to start seeing bubble screens and other plays that are created to get the ball out to other receivers and let them make plays? We definitely need to be more than the Julio/JPW show when we go into Baton Rouge.
 

bayoutider

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Great analysis Jess and the best part is there is no evidence that the Tide has peaked. With huge game still on our dance card we will have to reach down and get that extra little bit we have been lacking.
 

markenk

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Jess, I think you are giving too much credit to our LB corps and not enough to our DL. Any LB in the SEC would love to play behind our line. It just makes their job so much easier.
 

TideWatcher

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That is a great analysis. The tricky parts for Alabama to win a championship are: #1 Health (lose key OL or WR and team changes) 2# JPW to improve on hitting the big plays when they are there (like Maze in Ky game). #3 Find another go to WR who is consistently an option.

Alabama is physical enough to play with anybody. The physical teams like LSU and Auburn will give opportunities for big plays, but we have to be able to connect.
 

uafan4life

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Jess,
I found one little error in your analysis. You said that Javier fumbled two punts and lost one. The punt that they recovered wasn't touched by Javier, but by the man blocking the gunner. You could say, I suppose, that it is Javier's responsibility to tell him to get out of the way, but he may have been calling him off and he just didn't hear. We don't know the case their.

Nevertheless, Javier never touched it, so how could he have fumbled it?

All in all, though, spot on analysis.
 

Jref

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I disagree with your analysis of Kareem Jackson, Jess. There are just too many plays where he doesn't realize that the ball is coming, when he should be able to turn and make a knock-down.

Also, was it just the KY game, or are we actually getting receivers open underneath and JPW isn't finding them? Seems like I saw several uncovered receivers on 10-15 yd out patterns on Saturday. I know the coaches don't want him to lose games, but he seems to be "locked on" to one receiver on down-the-field plays.
 

Alanbama27

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Great analysis Jess! One thing that was noted is how we haven't trailed yet and that's both good and bad...good because of our planning and execusion...especially in the first half and bad because we don't know how we'll respond in that situation.

I would actually disagree with the "bad" mention because of this. No, we haven't trailed, but there have been several times so far where we've been playing really great and will lose "MO" and our "O" will re-take control of the game by using one of our now patented 8 minute, 80 yard drives for a TD. This has happened in almost every game...INCLUDING KENTUCKY when we settled for a field goal that put the game out of reach. We could have, I'm sure run the ball and gotten the first but given the game I think Coach Saban made the right call!

Anyway, it's a bit nitpicky but I truly believe we've seen exactly how this team reacts to adversity and saw it in spades against UGA!
 

JessN

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Thanks Jess. If Saturday's kick/punt coverage is an indication of the remainder of the year, that "C" will improve in your end-of-the-season grades.
I'm counting on it. The addition of Prince Hall and Chris Jordan to the KO units this past weekend really seemed to help. Hall actually beat a lot of UA's speed guys down the field on coverage, and I saw a Kentucky guy actually move to avoid him on one return. It was as if the UK guy had told his returner, "You know that one guy you're supposed to make miss? There he is."

I think they were going to try to hold back Jordan and maybe go after a medical exemption redshirt (he played against Clemson and may have gotten dinged), but his size and speed are too valuable on KOs right now.
 

JessN

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What is going on with the other receivers Jess? It's like they're not even on the field. Are they getting blanketed that bad on every play? We're beginning to look a lot like the DJ Hall/JPW combination where no one else gets a look even it means throwing to Julio when he is smothered.

Earl Alexander is 6'4" and Maze is lightning fast and quick. CJM said in the offseason that you put the ball in your playmakers' hands any way possible. We've got more playmakers in the passing game than Julio Jones. I wonder if we're going to start seeing bubble screens and other plays that are created to get the ball out to other receivers and let them make plays? We definitely need to be more than the Julio/JPW show when we go into Baton Rouge.
I don't have the answer for it, really. A couple of our DBs will openly tell you they don't like going against Alexander in practice, because he's physical and downright nasty when he's blocking for a RB. So far, though, just about every catch he's made at UA has been a sideline route. I haven't seen him be able to get separation and then make a move inside.

Maze's big problem on the fly routes is that the deep fly is Wilson's weakness. He just doesn't have the arm strength to throw it very well, and if he puts enough air under the ball to get it down, it gives the DB time to recover back to the ball. Maze can't get free on the underneath stuff yet. Neither could Prothro as a freshman, though, so let's see how Maze does after a year.
 

JessN

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Also, was it just the KY game, or are we actually getting receivers open underneath and JPW isn't finding them? Seems like I saw several uncovered receivers on 10-15 yd out patterns on Saturday. I know the coaches don't want him to lose games, but he seems to be "locked on" to one receiver on down-the-field plays.
When I mention Wilson approaching the max of his physical abilities, I think he also might be approaching the max of his other abilities. I noticed him working a progression a time or two Saturday but he doesn't do it frequently enough. A contributing problem is the weakness of the right side to pass block without a TE or RB in the game as a QB protector, so he's got about 2 seconds, tops, in a lot of situations before the ball has to start coming out.

He seems to work progressions OK when Alexander/Maze/McCoy/Stover is the primary and Jones is the secondary. He seems eager to get the ball over to Jones if possible (and I don't necessarily blame him). He has a problem, however, working it backwards. He'll want to stay with Jones too long.
 

IMALOYAL1

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JPW may be peaking as you have said. I see a different Confidence level when he has plenty of time, and if his first read is open he 's much better. I want to win it all this year but as long as we improve like we have I'm happy. We have some good QB's in line that will compete for the job. I see nothing but good days ahead.

Great job by Coach Saban to snag Cody. I like getting the high school guys over a JUCO unless there is a true difference maker at a position of high need. Coach Saban is the best at building a team that's been around in a long time. In a few years we will be the team ESPN will be on their knees to.

Alabama has again set the standard for going after the coach they need, using their resources to get him and other teams will follow their lead as best they can.


:BigA:
 

phfinder

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ok jess.....i'm not going to jump on the band wagon and say "great job". In fact it shows a lack of understanding the game of football. your assessment is like getting 100 on an exam and getting a "b" because of the bad handwriting.
take j.p. for instance, he can be no better than his supporting staff. is this not the first year he has a supporting staff? and is he not undefeated? come on jess, perfection is not possible in football.
one last item. you gave the coaches an "a" but it should be a "b". the second half downfall to the is contributed to the coaches not the team. these kids have to run the plays that the coaches call. in the second half they have call a more conservative game. they also do not want to show any more than they have to to the other teams they have yet to play.
keep trying jess, you'll get it right one day.
 

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