JessN: TEXAS A&M GAME WRAP-UP: Defense had a mixed day, but Bama’s air game is next level

[JessN]

Texas A&M wrap-up: Defense had a mixed day, but Bama’s air game is next level
By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief | October 3, 2020

Any time Texas A&M and Alabama get together, there will be Gene Stallings references either in the pregame, on the television broadcast, or both.

Stallings is beloved by both schools, and for good reason. He coached at both places and coached the same way at both places. Stallings loved to run the football, control the clock, and the only thing wrong with beating someone 17-7 was that they scored 7.

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ADMIN NOTE: LINK FIXED!

 

[BamaNation]

Fixed the link.

 

[GrayTide]

Good one, Jess. It seems to my untrained eye that our running plays with Najee take forever to develop and forces him to try to juke outside. Punting is going to bite us at some point. Let the other two have their turn. From what I have seen so far, Ole Miss's offense is going to give us fits.

 

[Bamaro]

I haven't heard much from Moses. Is everything ok there?

 

[BamaMoon]

Good one, Jess. It seems to my untrained eye that our running plays with Najee take forever to develop and forces him to try to juke outside. Punting is going to bite us at some point. Let the other two have their turn. From what I have seen so far, Ole Miss's offense is going to give us fits.

I thought the same about Najee. There were a few times I thought he juked outside instead of turning upfield. He needs to get north and south sooner rather than later.

On the punting, I can only figure that SJ is outkicking the other guys in practice or else we'd see one of them.

 

[DrollTide]

This is all next-level take what they are giving. If they cram the line to stop Najee, then all 3 wideouts can take the top off the defense. Pick your poison.

 

[78Alum]

Thanks, Jess. Excellent analysis as always!

 

[4Q Basket Case]

With a day to think about it, I’ve modified my position on the running game against aTm.

They were stacked to stop Najee, and they did it. Trouble is, that took 8-9 men. Even at the game, it was so obvious a rank amateur [blush] could, and did, call play-action pass over the top on multiple occasions. Didn’t take Steve Sarkisian to recognize that vulnerability, and it’s a classic case of, “taking what the defense gives.”

So if you’re OK giving up 450 yards in the air and a passer rating of 200+ in order to stop the run, be my guest, Jimbo. Missouri tried to do the same thing, but just didn’t have the front 7 that aTm has, and we were able to make some hay running on the Zoos despite the stack.

Given two games of tape on Smith, Waddle, Metchie and Mac, I doubt we see that much more. Which should open up the running game at least a bit.

I fully expect us to put 50+ on Ole Miss. Kiffin might be a questionable human being. But he’s a good coach, and they will get their points. They won’t get as many as we will.

Just saw where we opened as a 23 point favorite, and at 9:30 Sunday night, it’s already 24.5. That’s a big number, and I’m not sure we’ll cover. But it will take some injuries and/or COVID infections at key positions for us to be seriously threatened.

Mac gets 400+ or Najee gets 150+. Take your pick.

 

[B1GTide]

With a day to think about it, I’ve modified my position on the running game against aTm.

They were stacked to stop Najee, and they did it. Trouble is, that took 8-9 men. Even at the game, it was so obvious a rank amateur [blush] could, and did, call play-action pass over the top on multiple occasions. Didn’t take Steve Sarkisian to recognize that vulnerability, and it’s a classic case of, “taking what the defense gives.”

So if you’re OK giving up 450 yards in the air and a passer rating of 200+ in order to stop the run, be my guest, Jimbo. Missouri tried to do the same thing, but just didn’t have the front 7 that aTm has, and we were able to make some hay running on the Zoos despite the stack.

Given two games of tape on Smith, Waddle, Metchie and Mac, I doubt we see that much more. Which should open up the running game at least a bit.

I fully expect us to put 50+ on Ole Miss. Kiffin might be a questionable human being. But he’s a good coach, and they will get their points. They won’t get as many as we will.

Just saw where we opened as a 23 point favorite, and at 9:30 Sunday night, it’s already 24.5. That’s a big number, and I’m not sure we’ll cover. But it will take some injuries and/or COVID infections at key positions for us to be seriously threatened.

Mac gets 400+ or Najee gets 150+. Take your pick.

Ole Miss has a TERRIBLE run defense this year. I expect Alabama to run, run, run. And, when they load the box, run some more.

 

[teamplayer]

With a day to think about it, I’ve modified my position on the running game against aTm.

They were stacked to stop Najee, and they did it. Trouble is, that took 8-9 men. Even at the game, it was so obvious a rank amateur [blush] could, and did, call play-action pass over the top on multiple occasions. Didn’t take Steve Sarkisian to recognize that vulnerability, and it’s a classic case of, “taking what the defense gives.”

So if you’re OK giving up 450 yards in the air and a passer rating of 200+ in order to stop the run, be my guest, Jimbo. Missouri tried to do the same thing, but just didn’t have the front 7 that aTm has, and we were able to make some hay running on the Zoos despite the stack.

Given two games of tape on Smith, Waddle, Metchie and Mac, I doubt we see that much more. Which should open up the running game at least a bit.

I fully expect us to put 50+ on Ole Miss. Kiffin might be a questionable human being. But he’s a good coach, and they will get their points. They won’t get as many as we will.

Just saw where we opened as a 23 point favorite, and at 9:30 Sunday night, it’s already 24.5. That’s a big number, and I’m not sure we’ll cover. But it will take some injuries and/or COVID infections at key positions for us to be seriously threatened.

Mac gets 400+ or Najee gets 150+. Take your pick.

Against their defense, I'll pick both.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

For another off season we were "going back to running the ball" and yet for another season we cannot sustain a long drive (against a good defense) by running the ball. This was our downfall last year, IMO. I am not planning on going to the playoffs without a top 20 running attack. Currently Bama ranks 64th in Rushing Offence. Just saying.