Microcosm of the Season: Bama's Last Drive and OT against UM

[BamaMoon]

I've mentioned in a couple of posts how inconsistent our offensive productivity was this year and against UM and I think our last drive in AND OT against UM illustrates how limited we were: Here's a recount of the last 11 plays we ran from scrimmage this year:

Last Drive of Regulation:

1:34: 1st and 10 from our 25: JM drops back then scrambles for 7 yards - At least one receiver in ESPN broadcast preview was open (#81 Dippre) dragging across the middle but Jalen ran instead. Kinda recurring issue all year, but we can count this as a positive play at least.

1:18: 2nd and 3: JM hits Jace M. on short route out of back field to pick up 1st down. Positive play to gain 1st. Not a bad start!

1:11: 1st and 10 from out 37: JM drops back and throws across the middle but VERY LATE to a wide open Kobe Prentice at UM's 45 yard line. Two things went wrong on this play: JM failed to climb pocket while getting mild pressure from this right side and starts falling back. But the more egregious error is he fails to hit KP on time when he's literally wide open. Kirk Herbsteit comments about how the ball should have come out earlier. If this pass is on time, KP has his man beat and he catches around midfield and likely advances the ball to the UM 35-40 yard line which gets us into FG range with over a minute still to play.

1:06: 2nd and 10 from our 37: JM drops and gets ball out pretty fast but pass is no where close to a receiver in right flats. JM acts as if the receiver (Benson #11) ran wrong route. Wasted play.

1:01: 3rd and 10 from our 37: JM hits Jace M. for a 6 yard gain (same play as 2nd down play that gained the 1st at 1:18. This play falls 4 yards short of 1st down marker. Once again, KH notes JM failed to read the defense correctly thinking UM was showing "man" but dropped to "zone." If JM reads right he's got #3 Burton streaking wide open for at least a 20+ yard gain, but JM immediately gets duped into throwing short and Jace M is stopped short of the line to gain.

:52: 4th and 4: PUNT

If we just stop right here and consider that the offense had 1:35 seconds to advance the ball 40 yards to get into WR's range but we only manage to advance to our 43. Made 18 yards on 5 plays.

IMO, THIS IS WHERE THE GAME IS LOST! Not winning in regulation sends us to OT where we are tactically at a disadvantage to a less mistake-prone team.

ON TO OT:
UM POSSESSION: UM runs two running plays and scores.

BAMA OT POSSESSION:

1st play: 1st and 10 from the 25: JM throws a 0 yard pass to Kendrick Law into boundary side. Terrible 1st down play! Don't know what CTR saw here OR if the play is just defeated by excellent coverage. The timing seemed very off to say the least. UM had this route covered perfectly with 3 guys in position to make a tackle. The official mark is at the 24 for a 1 yard gain.

2nd play: 2nd and 9 from 24: JM runs to the 9. This was our best play. Straight QB counter with pulling guard and tackle. No hesitation/decision to make here but run up behind the pullers. JM at his best running downhill!

3rd play: 1st down Goal from 9: JM hands to JM for NO gain. Snap was terrible, but hand off was clean. UM blows up play. Pretty much a wasted play.

4th play: 2nd and Goal from 9: THIS IS WHERE IT ALL FALLS APART. We run a RPO and the handoff is given to Jace M. running parallel to the LOS. Booker is beaten badly by his man and the tackle is for a 5 yard loss. The play is likely unsuccessful even the call is for JM to keep (remember his not "reading" the ROP give/take but even if he takes the play is likely defended pretty well because of a corner blizter crashing in. IF JM keeps there is likely some positive yards but JM gives and we lose 5 yards back to the 14.

5th play: 3rd and Goal from 14: JM throws to #3 Burton at UM 3 yard line and is immediately tackled. ESPN purview shows Dippre dragging across the middle at about the 7 yard line with his defender on his back hip. Might have been a TD if JM gets the ball to him in rhythm. Hard to see if other receivers are open from TV viewing angle.

6th play: 4th and Goal from 3: You know what happens.

So to review: in the last drive of regulation and in OT we ran a total of 11 plays (not counting the Burnip punt). In the last possession in regulation we ran 5 plays and only 2 of them were successful. In the OT we ran 6 plays and only 2 of them were successful (counter QB and pass to Burton). 4 out of 11 plays were unsuccessful/unproductive.

I'd say this is probably indicative of most of the year. No wonder this offense was frustrating to watch.

 

[Tidewater]

Sad thing is we have invested a year's worth of starts in JM and played the other QBs only sparingly, so the player who obviously has his limitations will have a leg up on the competition in spring and in August. If we had started one of the other QBs, who it would seem have higher ceilings, they would have that year's worth of experience. As it is, we are generally exactly where we were one year ago. Yes, JM has become better, but he is still not on the verge of becoming Tua, Mac, or Bryce or even AJ McCarron (who was competent but not stunningly talented).

Microcosm = "micro" meaning very small and "cosmos" meaning world.

 

[TideEngineer08]

We were broken at every level. I said it way back after the Texas game. JM is getting the lion's share of the criticism but that OL was atrocious in that game.

No leverage. Just getting shoved out of the way like they were children facing giants. THAT, more than anything else, must change or it will not matter who is behind center.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Sad thing is we have invested a year's worth of starts in JM and played the other QBs only sparingly, so the player who obviously has his limitations will have a leg up on the competition in spring and in August. If we had started one of the other QBs, who it would seem have higher ceilings, they would have that year's worth of experience. As it is, we are generally exactly where we were one year ago. Yes, JM has become better, but he is still not on the verge of becoming Tua, Mac, or Bryce or even AJ McCarron (who was competent but not stunningly talented).

Microcosm = "micro" meaning very small and "cosmos" meaning world.

Unfortunately, coaching philosophies have changed regarding how QB's are treated. We have zero issues rotating other positional players to ensure they get quality game reps. But that isn't the case with quarterbacks anymore. There was a time when a team had two very talented quarterbacks or there truly wasn't a clear-cut QB1, coaches ensured that both got "X" amount of series during each game. You just don't see that much anymore and it isn't just unique to Saban.

 

[BamaMoon]

Sad thing is we have invested a year's worth of starts in JM and played the other QBs only sparingly, so the player who obviously has his limitations will have a leg up on the competition in spring and in August. If we had started one of the other QBs, who it would seem have higher ceilings, they would have that year's worth of experience. As it is, we are generally exactly where we were one year ago. Yes, JM has become better, but he is still not on the verge of becoming Tua, Mac, or Bryce or even AJ McCarron (who was competent but not stunningly talented).

Microcosm = "micro" meaning very small and "cosmos" meaning world.

I understand that mindset, but it depends on how JM might react to the "failure." As CNS says, "Never waste a failure" as he implies how failure should help you get better.

If JM turns his shortcomings and weaknesses into motivation to improve (and there's tons of work to do we all agree) then something amazing could transpire.

To me it comes down to two questions:

#1: How motivated is JM to improve to get past what he can do right now? Does he think his current talent covers his deficiencies? Does he take more pride in 4th and Milroe than he laments 4th and 3? That kinda stuff.

#2: If he truly believes massive changes/adjustments need to be made, is there "time enough" before fall camp to make these changes? He's got 7 months (a little less now) to make those changes before fall camp starts around Aug. 1.

 

[Ledsteplin]

We were broken at every level. I said it way back after the Texas game. JM is getting the lion's share of the criticism but that OL was atrocious in that game.

No leverage. Just getting shoved out of the way like they were children facing giants. THAT, more than anything else, must change or it will not matter who is behind center.

That seemed to have started last year, with Bryce having to scramble so much trying to make a play. He got sacked a good bit.

 

[BamaMoon]

We were broken at every level. I said it way back after the Texas game. JM is getting the lion's share of the criticism but that OL was atrocious in that game.

No leverage. Just getting shoved out of the way like they were children facing giants. THAT, more than anything else, must change or it will not matter who is behind center.

Not that I disagree, but how do we explain how we manhandled Georgia in the SECCG???

Jalen didn't play exceptionally well, but the OL had their very best game of the season and it wasn't even close. Seems the "ability" was there to be that team, but it only showed up in one game all year long. So frustrating!

 

[TideEngineer08]

Not that I disagree, but how do we explain how we manhandled Georgia in the SECCG???

Jalen didn't play exceptionally well, but the OL had their very best game of the season and it wasn't even close. Seems the "ability" was there to be that team, but it only showed up in one game all year long. So frustrating!

Then I should say what needs to be fixed on the OL is playing with consistency. But I would honestly like to go back and watch that Georgia game again.

Even in many of our wins, I was not overwhelmed with the OL. And it has been a constant theme over the last few years. Bryce was so good at scrambling and creating, it covered a lot of sins. But what we saw in the Rose Bowl was horrendous. I couldn't believe it, honestly.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I understand that mindset, but it depends on how JM might react to the "failure." As CNS says, "Never waste a failure" as he implies how failure should help you get better.

If JM turns his shortcomings and weaknesses into motivation to improve (and there's tons of work to do we all agree) then something amazing could transpire.

To me it comes down to two questions:

#1: How motivated is JM to improve to get past what he can do right now? Does he think his current talent covers his deficiencies? Does he take more pride in 4th and Milroe than he laments 4th and 3? That kinda stuff.

#2: If he truly believes massive changes/adjustments need to be made, is there "time enough" before fall camp to make these changes? He's got 7 months (a little less now) to make those changes before fall camp starts around Aug. 1.

I'm sure Saban knows this, but to "test" whether JM has improved on his blindspots, like reading defenses, seeing the field better, making the right reads, etc. He is going to have to put him in those situations during practices and scrimmages. Get Steele to run defenses that Texas and Michigan ran against him and see if he can move the offense. We cannot wait until the regular season to see if he's improved in those aspects. But again, I know Saban knows this and probably one of the reasons Ty Simpson decided not to transfer. Because I still think there will be a legit open QB competition for QB1 and they both will know about it.

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

Microcosm = "micro" meaning very small and "cosmos" meaning world.

Microcasm might be an appropriate neologism for this season: we were so close, and yet there were still significant, yawning gaps versus the Alabama standard...

 

[Tidewater]

Microcasm might be an appropriate neologism for this season: we were so close, and yet there were still significant, yawning gaps versus the Alabama standard...

"Microcasm" sounded like, uh, something else.

 

[Coach D]

Uga

Not that I disagree, but how do we explain how we manhandled Georgia in the SECCG???

Jalen didn't play exceptionally well, but the OL had their very best game of the season and it wasn't even close. Seems the "ability" was there to be that team, but it only showed up in one game all year long. So frustrating!

I don’t think uga dline is as good as Michigans. Uga didn’t pressure near as much either. Different team and plan. Milroe had good to great plays but overall avg game and probably poor game as a passer in uga game and overall poor as a passer in UM game. Uga played into our hands and we out coached them vs UM where we got out coached most of the game. Team win and pretty much team loss.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

"Microcasm" sounded like, uh, something else.

After a certain age that is an appropriate word...

 

[cbi1972]

In an accurate microcosm, we would have squeaked out the win and thought Washington had no chance.

 

[BamaMoon]

If "microcosm" is used appropriately here I'm sorry.

I used the word to suggest "a situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger." IOW, "a small sample representing a bigger picture."

That's the point I was trying to make, which I think the list of plays supports that about half or more of our plays this year didn't yield their intended result, which left us playing behind the chains most all the year.

 

[squib]

#1: How motivated is JM to improve to get past what he can do right now? Does he think his current talent covers his deficiencies? Does he take more pride in 4th and Milroe than he laments 4th and 3? That kinda stuff.

This LANK bs is not gonna help the cause. LANK implies that the critics/naysayers are wrong. All is great--the naysayers just don't know it.

 

[Tidelines]

Uga


I don’t think uga dline is as good as Michigans. Uga didn’t pressure near as much either. Different team and plan. Milroe had good to great plays but overall avg game and probably poor game as a passer in uga game and overall poor as a passer in UM game. Uga played into our hands and we out coached them vs UM where we got out coached most of the game. Team win and pretty much team loss.

Pretty much covers it.

 

[denver]

The OP breakdown is eye opening but not surprising. It shows that we need a QB with better vision and timing. I dont think thats JMs strength. It was a winnable game for sure but also an overachievement to even be there.

 

[Cruloc]

 

[Tidewater]

If "microcosm" is used appropriately here I'm sorry.

I used the word to suggest "a situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger." IOW, "a small sample representing a bigger picture."

That's the point I was trying to make, which I think the list of plays supports that about half or more of our plays this year didn't yield their intended result, which left us playing behind the chains most all the year.

I think your analysis was spot and helpful.
By season's end, this was a good Bama team, but not a great one.