JessN: Auburn wrap-up: Another miracle finish, because Alabama couldn’t finish

[CrimsonEyeshade]

I don't think anybody would argue that we didn't finish well, RTR, but some of us disagree that our failure in this game or 2010 or 2009 indicates we are approaching the game with inadequate passion or preparation. Sometimes, if you'll pardon the expression, football happens!

My boss always talks about Auburn being an emotional team. He talks about how they run on emotion; shut them up, and they quit.

Alabama had several opportunities to shut Auburn up.

First drive of the game: missed field goal after TJ took the opening hand off for a big gain.

Bama gets the ball at its own one yard line, goes 83 yards, and misses a field goal.

The defense held Auburn after the 99 yard bomb to Coop and got the ball back for the offense. What happened next? Bama got stoned on 4th and 1. Think Auburn would have been in the game if Bama scores? Fans would have left the stadium knowing the game was over.

Auburn takes over but does nothing. Bama gets the ball back. After running the ball and getting negative two yards, Cade has his kick blocked. Like the previous Alabama drive, Auburn was not taken out of the game. Rather, they got more emotional and excited.

The rest is history.

Jess' point in his post nails the four drives I mentioned above. Alabama didn't finish the drives. Alabama didn't take Auburn out of the game.

The same happened in 2009. Alabama missed one field goal and turned the ball over on downs after withstanding Auburn's emotional run early.

In 2010, Alabama goes up 21-0. On the next drive, Ingram has ball knocked out of his arms and go 20 yards into the endzone. Auburn has to punt on the following drive. Alabama goes 48 yards to the Auburn 2 before kicking a field goal. Auburn responds with a touchdown drive to cut the lead to 24-7. Alabama responds with a drive going all the way to the Auburn 8 yard line before Greg McElroy gets sacked and fumbles the ball.

Jess' overall point holds true - Alabama didn't finish drives in 2009, 2010 or 2013. In two of those seasons, Auburn made Alabama pay for it. Against Auburn, Alabama needs to put them away early. Gus said last week "If the score is close going into the fourth, I feel good." Why? Because Alabama wouldn't have killed their emotions and hope.

 

[GrayTide]

I don't completely buy this, at least the width of the gap.

Alabama was probably overrated and AU was underrated by quite a bit.

In the case of Alabama, the Oline has only played a couple of good games this year.

I tend to agree with this statement. I also think our defense was not as good as last year's either. I guess it makes for good discussion, but auburn as a team progressed and got better as the year went on, we peaked in the LSU game. We wallowed around against an undermanned MSU which should have been a tip off that this team was not at the top of its game. We made mistakes, but that is part of the game you cannot use that to justify the loss, auburn was ready for this game and we were not for whatever reason.

 

[TIDEnGA]

I'll admit I haven't read all 24 pages on this topic. I just can't. It's still too difficult to process all that went wrong Sat.

Maybe someone has posed this question before but does anyone else feel like LSU gets all the coaching staff's energy and enthusiasm? Is it because Saban was there and thinks this is the true rivalry to him personally? Like Jess said Saban stood in front of everyone when he was hired and stated it was his goal to dominate this state 365 days a year (paraphrased I know). Was that really his goal? Because if so he has fallen short.

Then again if it was his goal to dominate LSU well he's done a better job there in every aspect. Just wondering about someone else's take on it.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

That's what happened to our defense, I'm certain. Auburn's offense may be simple to understand, but it's not simple to defend. And our offense simply made errors in execution and I believe errors in coaching decisions. That's not a indication of a lack of "passion," IMO.

Yep. That type offense test every players' discipline. Discipline is something most people (athlete or not) struggle with in every area of their life.

 

[davefrat]

Yep. That type offense test every players' discipline. Discipline is something most people (athlete or not) struggle with in every area of their life.

including but not limited to that huge bag of chips, fritos and Cheetos we have in the pantry for the kids' lunch boxes.

 

[WishIwasInBama]

I'll admit I haven't read all 24 pages on this topic. I just can't. It's still too difficult to process all that went wrong Sat.

Maybe someone has posed this question before but does anyone else feel like LSU gets all the coaching staff's energy and enthusiasm? Is it because Saban was there and thinks this is the true rivalry to him personally? Like Jess said Saban stood in front of everyone when he was hired and stated it was his goal to dominate this state 365 days a year (paraphrased I know). Was that really his goal? Because if so he has fallen short.

Then again if it was his goal to dominate LSU well he's done a better job there in every aspect. Just wondering about someone else's take on it.

I have thought about that a lot also. Remember how Saban ran out and jumped on AJ after the LSU win? I am not sure if it is just the coaches either, I told my wife that it seems like the players do not view Auburn the same way I do. I would love for the team to refer to them as west Georgia or something like that. I remember a few years back I was watching a insider type show and while weight lifting the Alabama team always did an Auburn rep, I am not sure if they still do or not but it seems like the business like approach applies to Auburn which I think may be the problem. There is far too much passion in this state for that. I am all for it most weeks but the passion of college football is why I prefer it over the NFL. I guess the proof is in the pudding on how Saban does it but I would just like to see every Alabama/Auburn game played in the same intensity as the Bama/LSU games of the past few years and Bama/UF before that. It just seemed like the players were not “up” for this game. I may be way wrong as I judge from my couch but that is how it feels.

 

[RTR91]

Yep. That type offense test every players' discipline. Discipline is something most people (athlete or not) struggle with in every area of their life.

On Auburn's game tying touchdown, Cyrus left Coates when saw Marshall begin running. Coates had been blocking him. Put one and one together, and Cyrus expects Marshall to run. I can't fault him for that. Coach says the players have to be discipline and stay with their man. However, how many times are they taught to come help on run support?

 

[crimbru]

There is nothing wrong with Alabama's passion, their offense or their defense. It was a What if game. You do not panic as a player or coach, when you lose a What If game. You might lose some sleep, but panic or change is not called for by any means. Since the listless Utah performance, we have only lost a few What If games and won our fair share of them. We have not been beaten or dominated or made to quit, which is phenomenal and a testament to the coaches, players and the system they buy into!

 

[Atl Joe]

Passion and energy do not equal "wanting it more" or determination.

OK, then explain what it does mean then......

True enough the defense did not play as well as they could have but there were enough bad passes, dropped passes, missed kicks, missed blocks, missed tackles, missed FG's in that game to fill a whole season. If that is not a lack of focus then what is?

I am sure Alabama did not want to lose the game but it seemed like they had something else on their minds. If they had the same mental disposition as AU last Saturday, Bama wins easily.

 

[B1GTide]

On Auburn's game tying touchdown, Cyrus left Coates when saw Marshall begin running. Coates had been blocking him. Put one and one together, and Cyrus expects Marshall to run. I can't fault him for that. Coach says the players have to be discipline and stay with their man. However, how many times are they taught to come help on run support?

I won't pick on Jones, but he is not "allowed" to come up in run support. He has no run support responsibilities on that play because there was a safety on that side of the field. Jones simply forgot his job in his enthusiasm to make a play. He made the same mistake on the play before the TD play, but Marshall did not throw the ball. He did not notice it in time. They ran the exact same play because Marshall saw it, knew what Jones would do, and Jones did it again. Two plays in a row.

When I heard this, I immediately asked myself why the coaches didn't call a time out and get that corrected. Maybe they didn't see it the first time. I don't know.

 

[TideEngineer08]

OK, then explain what it does mean then......

I explained it in the rest of my post.

 

[pigsinspace]

On Auburn's game tying touchdown, Cyrus left Coates when saw Marshall begin running. Coates had been blocking him. Put one and one together, and Cyrus expects Marshall to run. I can't fault him for that. Coach says the players have to be discipline and stay with their man. However, how many times are they taught to come help on run support?

Therein lies the problem with defending this offense. Players are coached to do one thing, and then Auburn comes along running an offense that requires everyone to do something else. The theory on defending the HUNH is easy. The only thing hard about it is making the mental adjustments needed to play assignment defense when you never have to do it in your other games.
One more thing. Ha-Ha had Marshall. Jones should have played coverage, but that is one of those mental mistakes that can happen when you are playing outside of your comfort zone.

 

[Atl Joe]

I explained it in the rest of my post.

Actually, you made an assumption.
If your team is physically beating the stew out of the other team, they don't execute what and how they want. It is disruption and dictation.

"Passion and energy do not equal "wanting it more" or determination".
I guess you have never hear of Ray Lewis before..........