We need a new OL coach!!!!

[Alanbama27]

Please explain to us the regression in the offensive line in 03 and 04 that contained 3 guys now in the NFL.

I'll gladly explain it. I'll start with the fact that only 1 of those guys has actually made a real squad...the other two are on developmental squads. The second thing is that Wesley Britt only played in 5 games in '03 and he was never the same after his injury, which is why he was drafted so low and eventually dropped by San Diego before being picked up for a developmental squad elsewhere.

Also, if we were so bad...why is it that we had one of the best rushing offenses in the nation last year? Finally, comparing how a line does without your starting QB, fullback, tailback and others makes no sense at all. All of those items affected how the line "looked" or performed in your words! It is amazing how a great surrounding cast can make up for an injury to a key player...however, you can't make up for injuries to multiple players like we lost!

NEXT QUESTION!

 

[fundytide]

They play some serious D in the PAC 10

One year of offensive stats from the PAC 10 doesn't mean much to me.

I doubt that the OL talent Connelly is working with here is less than what he had at Pullman. If you're wondering where Pullman is, you're not alone; so does the vast majority of good high school football talent on the West Coast. I don't believe for an instant that Connelly had better players in Pullman- I repeat, Pullman- than in Tuscaloosa- I repeat, Tuscaloosa.

Connelly may not be working with the best of talent, but if he's a good coach, he should have the players playing better by the end of the season than they were at the beginning. After all, coaching is teaching.

A great coach once said, "I don't coach football, I coach people". Guess who?

 

[Dixiedawg]

We need to put this right next to the threads that

say we need a new Defensive Coordinator 2003; We need a new Offensive Coordinator 2004. We really need to place it next to the thread about having patience.

 

[Alanbama27]

Nor does it mean you know what you're talking about when you're being critical of fans/posters either.QUOTE]

Actually Trenda I have a lot of football knowledge! I'm not somebody who never played the game or hasn't studied the game for the better part of my 44 years on earth! I'll gladly put my knowledge up against most of the idiots on here who are making the comments they are!

Now, as for the Francis line...THAT WAS HILARIOUS! Stripes was one of my favorite movies! :biggrin:

 

[trenda]

I have no problem with his blocking scheme in the offense Wash. St was running. That is what it was designed for. But it is a very hard technique to learn and get used to. Power rushers who like to bull rush can in a lot of cases give this blocking scheme fits. I've never seen it run with the I formation or pro set on the college level. If it can be done the I'm all for it.

Bingo! I agree. I'm not sure that certain people are looking at it in that regard. They're too busy telling others how stupid they are.

Replacing CBC may not be as necessary as adjusting the technique we use to the style of offense we are running - not to mention to the ability of the talent on hand. That said, it probably boils down to 1)whether CMS is willing to ride things out until the talent level improves, or 2)whether or not he's willing to insist on a change in style/technique.

 

[wisten]

You know... being a public U and all, we could fire all of them then have the fans vote on the plays and players for each down. If a certain group of fans votes in a bonehead play, then we could make them play the next down, becuase surely the other fans would know how to "coach" the difference in talent much better than the first set.

 

[rolltide1106]

Ddidnt auburn start the game with a backup center???...and i didnt see our def line blowing through the line untouched!!!!

 

[bamapeppy]

I have read both sides of this arguement for a while and still have not come to a conclusion. Part of me says patience and part of me says something needs fixin. Can't argue with somethin needs fixin but do we need to change some parts or fix what we got. Changin parts is the easy way out but you never know if the part you replace the old part with is any better than the part you throw away. And if you are just a parts changer you aint no mechanic. Anyone can change enough parts and get it right sometime. Maybe we need a little more patience and fix what we got or leave it up to our master mechanic Coach Shula.

 

[Boclive]

I do know that Justin Smiley and Wesley Britt eventually started as RS Freshmen and they didn't seem to have the problems our young guys have now.

I thought they both struggled in '03 and Britt again in '04.

What might we deduce from that? :conf2:

 

[bamaslammer]

I guess many of you are forgetting that Bob Connelly came from Washington State with Mike Price and "His offensive line helped Washington State average 436.8 yards per game in 2002, the 11th-best mark in NCAA stats." By the way you genius's...that was an offense that passed 65% of the time! I think the man knows how to coach when you've got the players to do it!

Your post may be accurate, but holding out Pac 10 defensive ends are an entirely different animal from holding out SEC defenses. Around the nation they love to dog the SEC, but when it comes to defense, they all freely admit we have the best and the fastest year in year out. and the NFL knows where to get their D players. I don't think any one is surprised the line struggled this year, but the last two weeks are collectively the worst trainwreck any of us have ever seen from an Alabama line, and trust me when I say we had some BAD lines in the 80's when I was in school. but nothing that looked like this. The last two weeks have re-defined my understanding of the word bad. I've had to invent words for what I've witnessed because the regular english cuss words don't do it justice. And I don't think I am alone in that feeling. My guess is people with influence feel that way too, People who know how to push buttons. If Conelly is a good coach and he does get fired, it won't be the first or last time a good coach gets axed for lack of production. Cutcliff tried to "do the right thing" last year, and got canned himself. Now he's out there begging for another head coaching position, something he had but lost because he is stubborn and didn't understand how this thing works, Now it looks like he'll have to go crawling back to Fat boy for a job.

 

[trenda]

Nor does it mean you know what you're talking about when you're being critical of fans/posters either.QUOTE]

Actually Trenda I have a lot of football knowledge! I'm not somebody who never played the game or hasn't studied the game for the better part of my 44 years on earth! I'll gladly put my knowledge up against most of the idiots on here who are making the comments they are!

Now, as for the Francis line...THAT WAS HILARIOUS! Stripes was one of my favorite movies! :biggrin:

Whether any of us has a lot of football "knowledge" is always debatable. That's why many of us are on these boards. And, don't get me wrong, you are correct in your assumption of most of the comments you've commented on (is that correct grammar? ) However, having a little respect for people sometimes goes a long way. I've learned that lesson myself from time to time.

I'm not trying to be holier than thou or anything like that; but, you don't normally post in the manner that I've seen today. You're normally a bit more respectful when disagreeing with someone/something.

Regarding the Francis line . . . glad I could make you smile. Thought you might need it!!! Since you're a "Stripes" fan, I'll close with this, "you look like a sensitive, intelligent guy. Don't make me shoot you.”

 

[Willis]

I thought they both struggled in '03 and Britt again in '04.

What might we deduce from that? :conf2:

there is a difference between struggling and being blown past or knocked down on virtually every other play.

 

[trenda]

Well, I can clearly see we have a few idiots on this forum! I guess many of you are forgetting that Bob Connelly came from Washington State with Mike Price and "His offensive line helped Washington State average 436.8 yards per game in 2002, the 11th-best mark in NCAA stats." By the way you genius's...that was an offense that passed 65% of the time! I think the man knows how to coach when you've got the players to do it!

Here's a stat for everyone:

Mike Price's current team, UTEP averages 436.3 yards per game this year to rank 20th in the NCAA. They've passed on 52% of their plays.

So, Price's offense puts up the same exact numbers at UTEP, without CBC. I could be wrong; but I'd like to think that Bama recruits higher caliber players than WSU or UTEP.

Moral of the story . . . Price has his system down pat, no matter who's coaching with him or the talent level and what CBC did at WSU really has no bearing on his performance at UA.

 

[jthomas666]

One year of offensive stats from the PAC 10 doesn't mean much to me.

I doubt that the OL talent Connelly is working with here is less than what he had at Pullman. If you're wondering where Pullman is, you're not alone; so does the vast majority of good high school football talent on the West Coast. I don't believe for an instant that Connelly had better players in Pullman- I repeat, Pullman- than in Tuscaloosa- I repeat, Tuscaloosa.

Connelly may not be working with the best of talent, but if he's a good coach, he should have the players playing better by the end of the season than they were at the beginning. After all, coaching is teaching.

A great coach once said, "I don't coach football, I coach people". Guess who?

Excellent post. Connelly has had a good chance to show that he could get the job done. Time to move on.

 

[thunderz7]

The day after "Signing Day",
send Connelly on an all expense paid "vacation" to the U of Minnesota, with instructions not to come back until he can coach power drive blocking.

Remember how everyone was in such awe of the MINN. O-line after last years bowl game?
They graduated some O-linemen and are still running the ball down peoples throats! (yea they could stand to throw better)

This is not Pro football.
This is not Pac 10 football (Mike Price would not be close to 9-2 at Bama)
Ask Urban M if fancy O-techniques and schemes can be brought into the SEC and work without changes.

If you can't run and stop the run you don't win in the SEC.
The Price/Connelly hinge, flatfooted, read and react is not good for a running attack, even a 50/50 attack.
This technique is why we see KD having to make his first move 2 to 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage insted of at or past the line.

All finnesse and no power just don't win in the SEC, or anywhere east of the Mississippi for that matter.

T7

 

[formersoldier71]

Also, if we were so bad...why is it that we had one of the best rushing offenses in the nation last year?

Darby, Hudson, etc. did it the same way Darby has gotten most of his yards this year, mainly on their own.

 

[rightwinger]

The current left tackle was signed by Price and Connelly because of his perceived pass-blocking abilities. Should Bama have a coach who misjudges talent that or much?

 

[ihatefulmer]

i havent seen any improving or changes in schemes on the OL in the last 3 or 4 games...our offensive linemen look lost on alot of plays..yes they are some fast Def Ends, but still their is technique involved in pass protection and run blocking and our guys just look lost....Tired of hearing that they will be ok they are just young!!!...i see sophmores and freshmen on lots of other teams on the OL!!!!!

My favorite quote of coach Bryants was "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken chit." I don't enough about football to say if we need a new O-line coach or not but I promise you after getting sacked 11 times agasint Auburn what I was smelling Saturday sure as hell wasn't chicken salad.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Actually...

Auburn didn't start their second string center, as we did. They started their third string center - his first start ever. Both second string and third string were originally walkons. Sounds pretty hopeless for them against Bama's defense, right? Oops! Some of the comparisons being offered are basically misleading. After our front three RBs went down last year, the OL, and our rushing offense, didn't look so great. Next, when I start guaging our offensive production against Pac 10 (and that competition), I'll give it up...

 

[BeenwiththeBear]

Connelly came with Price from Washington State, another reason to get rid of him.

You can give every excuse but there is no justification for Saturday's line performance.