Commit To The Run, and We Win

[CrimsonTut]

I really don't think our backs had any gas left.

Lacy only had 16 carries and Yeldon had 10. If that's the case we need a new SC coach.

 

[Leeroy]

I think we need to pass to win at times, but I still believe in this quote by General Robert Neyland :“When you throw the ball, three things can happen—and two of them are bad”. Odds said we get the bad, and we did. I think the coaches are rolling the dice too often. Dance with who brung ya.




Roll Tide

 

[Ldlane]

Lacy only had 16 carries and Yeldon had 10. If that's the case we need a new SC coach.

I was actually thinking more along the lines from over the past 2 weeks, but as someone pointed out we still had Drake. I forget about him with everyone else playing.

 

[gmoney]

The last 2 games we have been a throw first, run second team. Running the ball successfully has won us 2 championships in the last 3 years. Why abandon the run now? I just dont understand why we've become a pass first team.


CDN is learning that this not the pac10, they are a pass 1st league we are not, thinking he will learn to pound the rock or will find a new home.

 

[gmoney]

Not sure why, but I think our running game is hurting. Our starter is banged up and TJ is fumble prone.

Tj has fumbled once lately that he was responsible for, the LSU game was AJ's fault

 

[CapstoneTider]

The offense not feeding off of the defense coupled with longer periods of time on the bench might have contributed to their lack of sync. Seems like the offense plays better after the defense does something positive that past couple of weeks.

 

[lincoln_osiris]

We've had other games (1/09/12) when we had to use the 1st down pass to loosen up the run game. Today, we dropped that philosophy. Once we established the run game, we instantly abandoned it. I understand the late long passes and they got us back in the game, but I think we threw away a lot of opportunities with the run game without even trying to exploit them. I'm afraid this is mostly on the offensive staff and the OC...

How much input does the head coach have on play calling during the game?

 

[Al A Bama]

We live by the run and died by bad play calling, execution, and turn overs. Four power runs with a loaded backfield would have punched it in for us. That's how you give away games and titles.

I would have run the ball on 1st down with Lacey. If he didn't get in I would have sent Yeldon to redeem himself on 2nd down for the earlier fumble when many Aggies were grabbing to pull out the ball from his grasp. He didn't get a chance to redeem himself and that's bad. He did last week and came through. The announcers said that he fumbled two consecutive weeks. Last week that was AJ's fumble not Yeldon's. Yeldon never had the ball last week on that supposed hand-off from AJ. I may have sent #54 J. Williams in to block.

On 3rd down I would have sent in Lacey again if needed and on 4th down back to Yeldon for Run or pass but probably run. With 3 consecutive runs, I don't believe there would have been a 4th down needed.

 

[Bear Disciple]

I don't see a problem with the playcalls yesterday. Sure, we didn't score from the 6 and we lost, but look what happened when we ran and they were expecting the run on 2nd and Goal, stuffed. Not saying running it four times wouldn't have worked, but I still prefer the calls we made, passing got us down the field two drives in a row and I thought we were getting into a rhythm offensively with the pass. They stepped up and stopped us, but that doesn't mean they were terrible calls. I understand the tendency to want to do things over in key situations that are unsuccessful like the 1st and Goal, but sometimes there's not much else we can do. AJ had all day on 3rd, but they played great D, on all 4 downs for that matter. Just wasn't meant to be...

 

[Chukker Veteran]

I keep telling myself the staff knows better than I do...

but good grief, inside the seven with first and goal. Run it. With the best offensive line around, if we can manage two yards per down we win.

 

[CrimsonTut]

I was actually thinking more along the lines from over the past 2 weeks, but as someone pointed out we still had Drake. I forget about him with everyone else playing.

Gotcha

 

[rgw]

The problem with the playcalling was the "by the book"-ness of it all...making it easier for the defense in the process. First down is a pretty standard pass down in goal to go, second down is usually a pretty standard run down, third down is usually a pretty standard pass down. The problem is that they could have probably made a decent run gain on first down and set the whole goal to go series up...we had four downs too, so the decision to pass on third down seemed a little dumb to me too.

 

[silentsam74]

Maybe the coaches were shying away from running. Lacy got his bell rung and may not have been totally able. Yeldon had already fumbled on a crucial drive. We have a heisman trophy caliber qb, a great group of receivers, and a great o-line that had protected good all day so maybe thats why they were choosing to pass.

I do agree about wanting to run the ball down their throat though, but coaches may have not felt to confident at the time is all I'm saying.

At the time? Maybe. No one knows for sure. But, what about the rest of the game? There is certainly more than just the last series to complain about. Its sad when Gary is trying to call the offense each time the O trots out on the field. 'Bama should pound them here, Ags looking a little tired.' And like clockwork, 3 passes and punt.

And while we are complaining about the offense, is there some problem I haven't noticed that keeps AJ from being able to line up under center? Is the offense trying to transition to the Air Raid? I mean, its enough to make a person yell at the television. The shotgun has to go. I'm so sick of it now I really dont care if they ban it for the rest of the year. If there just has to be a 'firearm' offense then use the pistol. The QB can stand back a bit and see the field fine, while the RBs still have the opportunity to get downhill before they get the ball.

 

[CoolBreeze]

WHY go away from it on first and goal from the 6?

No way they stop us, or come back after we score

I just got home from Church and Amen to that Brother.

 

[Crimson-Blitz]

I think we could not use Lacy to pound it. He was concussed earlier in the game. Frankly, I was shocked to see him in the game at all. I think we put him on the field more as a decoy to set up those throws.

Having said that I still think we should have run it in. One criticism I have of Saban is that he doesn't go into his bench enough. I would have put Jalston Fowler in to open up some room for Yeldon and Drake and just pounded it four times.

 

[silentsam74]

Having said that I still think we should have run it in. One criticism I have of Saban is that he doesn't go into his bench enough. I would have put Jalston Fowler in to open up some room for Yeldon and Drake and just pounded it four times.

Sarcasm??? :conf2:

 

[TIDE-HSV]

How much input does the head coach have on play calling during the game?

The correct answer is "as much as he wants." He's said in the past "All calls go through me." That's obviously not the truth. I think he intervenes sometimes in critical situations - the final TD against AU in '09 comes to mind - but it's normally from the OC in the booth the sideline and in. Sometimes, I wish he intervened more. I don't think he would have called that failed series at the goal line...

 

[Crimson-Blitz]

Sarcasm??? :conf2:

Nope. Bad memory. I forgot he was hurt. Maybe stick Williams in there like we used to use Cody.:redface:

 

[silentsam74]

The correct answer is "as much as he wants." He's said in the past "All calls go through me." That's obviously not the truth. I think he intervenes sometimes in critical situations - the final TD against AU in '09 comes to mind - but it's normally from the OC in the booth the sideline and in. Sometimes, I wish he intervened more. I don't think he would have called that failed series at the goal line...

Well, the next question would be, what has changed? Not that long ago everyone was complaining about the offense being prone to helping allow comebacks by going into a shell with a lead. IIRC, everyone was in agreement that it was CNS's decision and input to Coach Mac that caused that result. There was a quote from CNS not too long ago about his input into the in-game offensive play calling. I think he said he doesn't call the plays but he'll say something like 'If you want to pass it, this is the down.' I can't imagine he tells CDN to pass it every play. Something just doesn't click in my mind here. I had a thought yesterday that it kind of reminds me of Applewhite's year as OC but with much better players and a much better defense to bail them out of some tough situations. Much of the time I can't really tell what the plan is. I don't see any plays that set something else up later. I'm not a coach though... :conf2:

 

[BamaMoon]

The correct answer is "as much as he wants." He's said in the past "All calls go through me." That's obviously not the truth. I think he intervenes sometimes in critical situations - the final TD against AU in '09 comes to mind - but it's normally from the OC in the booth the sideline and in. Sometimes, I wish he intervened more. I don't think he would have called that failed series at the goal line...

In his post game comments to Eli last night he said that he knew about the 4 and 2 play and thought it was a good call. He gave props to the TAM db who jumped the rout for the INT.

I thought CNS should have called a time out after the first down play or before the 4th down play.