Popular Post JMR 2,118 Posted September 26, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted September 26, 2016 Things I Think I Saw: Auburn vs LSU…. These are a few of the things I *think* I saw when watching the game. I haven’t gone back and watched it again, or even watched certain plays a second time. That means I may very well have seen some things wrong, and likely did, so if you saw it differently, that’s fine. I was expecting a very physical game, and that’s pretty much what we got. Neither team is finely tuned and polished, especially the offenses. But the players and coaches for both teams wanted the game badly, and the effort that was shown on both sides is proof of that. Both defenses are pretty salty, especially this early in the season, when almost all players are available at or near full strength. The most obvious problem Auburn had in this game (other than dealing with Leonard Fournette, of course) was red zone offense. I don’t have access to an Auburn playbook, but I thought some blocking assignments were missed, both in the red zone and outside it. To get physically whipped by an opponent is understandable, and in this league, it is going to happen. But the first key to successful execution of a play is every player knowing his assignment beyond question. There were times when a back was assigned to help the offensive guard and tackle on pass protection, especially when there were three defenders vs those two blockers. Sometimes the back blocked one of the three, and other times he flared around the outside rusher and set up as a receiver. I saw that scheme twice against Arden Key. Both times the back flared outside Key; once Sean White was sacked, and once he got the throw off to the back for a good gain. The reason I mention this is that Austin Golson would typically be blamed for the sack by Key, but in this instance, he was occupied with a different defender. There were a handful of times when only one Auburn defensive player had a chance to make a tackle and prevent a huge LSU play. Every one of those times, that last defender made the play. Sometimes it was not a pretty tackle, but the job got done. It takes great effort to make those plays, or to even have a chance of making it. Tray Matthews had a couple of those, Rudy Ford had at least a couple, and T.J. Neal had one. Every time a player is able to make one of those key plays, he is encouraged to give the effort to make one again the next time it presents itself. I thought the officiating crew was unusually weak. They missed numerous holding calls, called Auburn defensive linemen twice for offsides when they were back out of the neutral zone before the snap, and allowed LSU to run plays without wide receivers being set before the snap. I don’t like to complain about officials in a loss, but in a win, they’re fair game IMO. I thought overall, Sean White played well. He missed a couple of deep throws, but was under pressure at the time. Tony Stevens dropped a couple of passes that would have made Auburn’s red zone offense look a lot better. Kerryon Johnson matured a bit during the first half of the game. He was quite a bit more of a “man” in the second half. On the subject of KJ, I hope AU will use some reserve backs more in this week’s game vs LaMo. I’m a little concerned about the wear and tear KJ and Bubba are absorbing, and would love to see them get some rest when possible. Robert Leff continues to improve, in both run blocking and pass protection. He’s not real pretty doing it, but he gets after people and is steadily becoming more effective. Marlon Davidson is a highly-developed defensive lineman for a true freshman. He’s got great body position, good use of his hands, proper pursuit angles, etc. Either he was extremely well coached in high school, or he’s a really fast learner, cause he’s way ahead of the learning curve. Saw Byron Cowart read down with the offensive tackle on a play, and do it really well. He’s not as quick as most of us hoped, but he’s coming along now. I won’t be surprised if he ends up moving to DT this spring. Terrific play by the safeties and the nickel this week. Tray Matthews and Rudy Ford atoned for their missed opportunities last year vs LSU. Nick Ruffin made some plays as well. Lining up Mon Adams at nose paid off big-time for Kevin Steele and Rodney Garner. The LSU center, at 6-7, 305, is expected to be a high draft pick, and Adams absolutely took his lunch like the school bully. Adams was a major factor in disrupting LSU’s inside running game. Didn’t try to watch him a lot individually, but I thought Dontavious Russell played his best game of the season. There was an Andrew Williams sighting as well, as he made a play inside. The quality of our DL is pulling those younger guys up, which is a great thing. Was surprised there wasn’t a drop-off in the defensive performance following the Tre Williams ejection. DeShaun Davis came up big again. His physical, attacking style of play is fun to watch and I believe helps set the tone for our defense. Darrell Williams is making the occasional rookie mistake, but he’s playing very well and looks like a future leader of the defense. Chandler Cox appears to be struggling with the “block in space” assignment that’s such a key part of Malzahn’s offense with the H-back. For those that have done it, there’s kind of an “art” to blocking in space, where you run hard to get there, but then have to come under control as you arrive at the target, and then explode into the block. Chandler seems to be still running wide open when he throws his block, and missing more than he hits. I hope he gets it soon, as that is a critical part of the Malzahn offense that we are sorely missing right now. Ryan Davis seems to be moving into a more involved role with the offense. He has good hands, but is definitely not the ideal size. He had a reputation as a big-play guy in high school down here in Tampa Bay, and I’m expecting him to shake loose and take a short pass all the way at some point. Darius Slayton keeps catching my eye as a blocking wide receiver, and not in a good way. He does seem to be trying, but either misses or gets man-handled often. Hope I don’t jinx him, but Marcus Davis looks very confident and comfortable handling punts. So far, he’s shown good judgment back there. Darius James, the 330-lb transfer offensive lineman from Texas, got some playing time this week on running plays. I mostly liked what I saw from him. Big, powerful guy. With Louisiana Monroe coming up, it’s time now for Auburn to focus on Auburn. What needs to be changed? What’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be kept or discarded.? What are we doing that helps our opponents anticipate our play? Lots to be done, and this is a good time to start tweaking. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Things I Think I Saw: Auburn vs LSU…. These are a few of the things I *think* I saw when watching the game. I haven’t gone back and watched it again, or even watched certain plays a second time. That means I may very well have seen some things wrong, and likely did, so if you saw it differently, that’s fine. I was expecting a very physical game, and that’s pretty much what we got. Neither team is finely tuned and polished, especially the offenses. But the players and coaches for both teams wanted the game badly, and the effort that was shown on both sides is proof of that. Both defenses are pretty salty, especially this early in the season, when almost all players are available at or near full strength. The most obvious problem Auburn had in this game (other than dealing with Leonard Fournette, of course) was red zone offense. I don’t have access to an Auburn playbook, but I thought some blocking assignments were missed, both in the red zone and outside it. To get physically whipped by an opponent is understandable, and in this league, it is going to happen. But the first key to successful execution of a play is every player knowing his assignment beyond question. There were times when a back was assigned to help the offensive guard and tackle on pass protection, especially when there were three defenders vs those two blockers. Sometimes the back blocked one of the three, and other times he flared around the outside rusher and set up as a receiver. I saw that scheme twice against Arden Key. Both times the back flared outside Key; once Sean White was sacked, and once he got the throw off to the back for a good gain. The reason I mention this is that Austin Golson would typically be blamed for the sack by Key, but in this instance, he was occupied with a different defender. There were a handful of times when only one Auburn defensive player had a chance to make a tackle and prevent a huge LSU play. Every one of those times, that last defender made the play. Sometimes it was not a pretty tackle, but the job got done. It takes great effort to make those plays, or to even have a chance of making it. Tray Matthews had a couple of those, Rudy Ford had at least a couple, and T.J. Neal had one. Every time a player is able to make one of those key plays, he is encouraged to give the effort to make one again the next time it presents itself. I thought the officiating crew was unusually weak. They missed numerous holding calls, called Auburn defensive linemen twice for offsides when they were back out of the neutral zone before the snap, and allowed LSU to run plays without wide receivers being set before the snap. I don’t like to complain about officials in a loss, but in a win, they’re fair game IMO. I thought overall, Sean White played well. He missed a couple of deep throws, but was under pressure at the time. Tony Stevens dropped a couple of passes that would have made Auburn’s red zone offense look a lot better. Kerryon Johnson matured a bit during the first half of the game. He was quite a bit more of a “man” in the second half. On the subject of KJ, I hope AU will use some reserve backs more in this week’s game vs LaMo. I’m a little concerned about the wear and tear KJ and Bubba are absorbing, and would love to see them get some rest when possible. Robert Leff continues to improve, in both run blocking and pass protection. He’s not real pretty doing it, but he gets after people and is steadily becoming more effective. Marlon Davidson is a highly-developed defensive lineman for a true freshman. He’s got great body position, good use of his hands, proper pursuit angles, etc. Either he was extremely well coached in high school, or he’s a really fast learner, cause he’s way ahead of the learning curve. Saw Byron Cowart read down with the offensive tackle on a play, and do it really well. He’s not as quick as most of us hoped, but he’s coming along now. I won’t be surprised if he ends up moving to DT this spring. Terrific play by the safeties and the nickel this week. Tray Matthews and Rudy Ford atoned for their missed opportunities last year vs LSU. Nick Ruffin made some plays as well. Lining up Mon Adams at nose paid off big-time for Kevin Steele and Rodney Garner. The LSU center, at 6-7, 305, is expected to be a high draft pick, and Adams absolutely took his lunch like the school bully. Adams was a major factor in disrupting LSU’s inside running game. Didn’t try to watch him a lot individually, but I thought Dontavious Russell played his best game of the season. There was an Andrew Williams sighting as well, as he made a play inside. The quality of our DL is pulling those younger guys up, which is a great thing. Was surprised there wasn’t a drop-off in the defensive performance following the Tre Williams ejection. DeShaun Davis came up big again. His physical, attacking style of play is fun to watch and I believe helps set the tone for our defense. Darrell Williams is making the occasional rookie mistake, but he’s playing very well and looks like a future leader of the defense. Chandler Cox appears to be struggling with the “block in space” assignment that’s such a key part of Malzahn’s offense with the H-back. For those that have done it, there’s kind of an “art” to blocking in space, where you run hard to get there, but then have to come under control as you arrive at the target, and then explode into the block. Chandler seems to be still running wide open when he throws his block, and missing more than he hits. I hope he gets it soon, as that is a critical part of the Malzahn offense that we are sorely missing right now. Ryan Davis seems to be moving into a more involved role with the offense. He has good hands, but is definitely not the ideal size. He had a reputation as a big-play guy in high school down here in Tampa Bay, and I’m expecting him to shake loose and take a short pass all the way at some point. Darius Slayton keeps catching my eye as a blocking wide receiver, and not in a good way. He does seem to be trying, but either misses or gets man-handled often. Hope I don’t jinx him, but Marcus Davis looks very confident and comfortable handling punts. So far, he’s shown good judgment back there. Darius James, the 330-lb transfer offensive lineman from Texas, got some playing time this week on running plays. I mostly liked what I saw from him. Big, powerful guy. With Louisiana Monroe coming up, it’s time now for Auburn to focus on Auburn. What needs to be changed? What’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be kept or discarded.? What are we doing that helps our opponents anticipate our play? Lots to be done, and this is a good time to start tweaking.
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Thanks again for writing each week, @JMR. I've been waiting for this. Question for you. You seem to really be someone who knows his D, especially the line. To what do you attribute the few big gains that seem to make it through our D each week? There aren't a ton of them, but as good as we are, it's just concerning to me that we can't bottle them up better once they break through. I do agree that it's a positive that we are running them down and making tackles before they make it to the end zone in most cases. Anyway, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JwgreDeux 1,279 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Most of the big runs have been because a linebacker or safety missed a run fit. This week in particular, I saw Neal miss a run fit badly, he wasn't blocked at all, did not fill a hole and Fornette went for 20 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 16,162 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Interesting about Cowart possibly moving inside ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger 8,757 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Love these writeups, JMR. Surprised to see Slayton get so much playing time if he's a minus blocker. He's come up with some big plays for us and although I haven't paid much attention to his blocking ability I like him catching passes. Hopefully his blocking improves as the season goes on. He's one of our biggest WRs at 6'2 I believe so his size should help him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgufcm 4,092 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I thought it was the best game of Monty Adams' career. The standard criticism on him is that his motor doesn't stay revved. He can dominate and disappear, but he was 100% in this one. He was dominant start to finish, and it made a huge difference. He's also making lots of money by consistently pressuring off the edge when they shift him to DE. Looks like he could handle playing 3-4 DE. That versatility has a lot of value on the next level. Up until Saturday, I would've said Russell has been our best lineman on either side of the ball. Now, it's open for debate based on the consistency Adams just showed. If those two can play like that each week, this defense will take another big step forward. I'm with Coach on this one, I loved the bursts of productivity we saw from Andrew Williams and Derrick Brown. That interior line can be really, really good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
api1957 1,783 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Glad you pointed out Cox. I noticed a few missed assignments from him the past 2 weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Plainsman 948 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Adams had by far his best game of his career. Slayton,. He is just so smooth as a receiver and I love his hands,. He gains yardage in chunks too... I have yet to notice his blocking however. I think we need to try Truitt more often too,. L I see big play in him with high energy and low center of gravity. He has quicks and is chunky in a good way. The late Lawson sack was huge,. Forcing LSU to spend it's final T.O which in hind site won the game for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linayus 676 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Really liking what I've seen of the defense as a whole, minus the few broken plays that result in some bigger gains. It's great seeing those young men playing with fire and knowing they can compete with anyone on that side of the ball. I hate to criticize Chandler Cox but yeah, he's been very spotty as a blocker in space. He has even missed some blocks while trying to make holes in the defense. He has plenty of drive and is probably harder on himself than his coaches are, but it'd be nice to see him adjust and correct his issues. He's a difference maker on the offense and we need him desperately. Glad to have that W though. The LSU game is my second biggest rivalry game outside the Iron Bowl. War Eagle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyspano 40 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 On the next to last play LSU completed a pass to the 3 yard line which was brought back because of a penalty but there was no penalty assessed. They just ran another play from the same line of scrimmage. What did I miss here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleCoTiger 1,957 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Thanks for this writeup, coach! Always worth the time. Saw nothing in what you said that I can disagree with at all. Between you and StatTiger, AUFamily has two of the most knowledgeable folks I've ever come across when it comes to AU football (and just the game of college football itself) sharing with us unwashed masses and I think we're dang lucky for that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUsince72 11,084 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 7 minutes ago, mickeyspano said: On the next to last play LSU completed a pass to the 3 yard line which was brought back because of a penalty but there was no penalty assessed. They just ran another play from the same line of scrimmage. What did I miss here? That whole ending was a mess and about 2 or 3 "judgements" were going against AU in those last 2 plays: no 10 sec run-off (should a been, I think), WR's AGAIN not set on the last snap, etc. Luckily for the AU family they DID get the most important call right. :00! War Eagle! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMR 2,118 Posted September 26, 2016 Author Share Posted September 26, 2016 1 hour ago, lionheartkc said: Thanks again for writing each week, @JMR. I've been waiting for this. Question for you. You seem to really be someone who knows his D, especially the line. To what do you attribute the few big gains that seem to make it through our D each week? There aren't a ton of them, but as good as we are, it's just concerning to me that we can't bottle them up better once they break through. I do agree that it's a positive that we are running them down and making tackles before they make it to the end zone in most cases. Anyway, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Lion, I'm no linebacker coach, but I see ours taking a step (and sometimes two or three steps) in the wrong direction now and then. I'm not gonna criticize 'em.....I love their enthusiasm AND their play.....but they're mis-fitting running plays now and then, and when they do, especially with our defensive tackles playing on the offensive side of the ball (love that, too), it's a good gain for the offense. I'm only guessing, but I think sometimes they are ignoring their keys because they think they see the ball and where it's going. But they're playing well, and getting better. Obvious to me that they are getting excellent coaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMR 2,118 Posted September 26, 2016 Author Share Posted September 26, 2016 16 minutes ago, CleCoTiger said: Thanks for this writeup, coach! Always worth the time. Saw nothing in what you said that I can disagree with at all. Between you and StatTiger, AUFamily has two of the most knowledgeable folks I've ever come across when it comes to AU football (and just the game of college football itself) sharing with us unwashed masses and I think we're dang lucky for that. Thanks, Ox. I absolutely agree about Stat Tiger. I read his stuff after every game, without fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleCoTiger 1,957 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 7 minutes ago, JMR said: Thanks, Ox. I absolutely agree about Stat Tiger. I read his stuff after every game, without fail. Man, it feels good to be called Ox again. I grinned big when I saw that. Mind if I just go back to calling you JR like the old, old days of The Bunker? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKEEL75 2,566 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 26 minutes ago, AUsince72 said: That whole ending was a mess and about 2 or 3 "judgements" were going against AU in those last 2 plays: no 10 sec run-off (should a been, I think), WR's AGAIN not set on the last snap, etc. Luckily for the AU family they DID get the most important call right. :00! War Eagle! I think the penalty was from the spot of the ball not from the previous spot. I also wondered why there would not have been a 10 second run off. I thought the SEC put that in just for LSU when they beat (UT?) a few years ago on a false start at the end of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUsince72 11,084 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 1 minute ago, lkeel75 said: I think the penalty was from the spot of the ball not from the previous spot. I also wondered why there would not have been a 10 second run off. I thought the SEC put that in just for LSU when they beat (UT?) a few years ago on a false start at the end of the game. I can't remember what triggered the rule but it seems to have applied in this case. I guess had they got the play off in time we'd be in the midst of the Okie St vs Cent Mich argument. Imagine, 2 games involving Pow 5 teams ending in such a way in the same year?? Can you say NCAA Nuclear Meltdown?!?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeagleAU 594 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 3 hours ago, JMR said: I thought the officiating crew was unusually weak. They missed numerous holding calls, called Auburn defensive linemen twice for offsides when they were back out of the neutral zone before the snap, and allowed LSU to run plays without wide receivers being set before the snap. I don’t like to complain about officials in a loss, but in a win, they’re fair game IMO. Totally agree about the officiating. It has been awful this year. I thought the officiating was supposed to get better as the year goes on, giving them time to correct their mistakes. Doesn't the SEC office review the mistakes weekly? How come they continue to make the same bad calls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
au701948 983 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 3 hours ago, api1957 said: Glad you pointed out Cox. I noticed a few missed assignments from him the past 2 weeks. Yes..am hoping that the coaches spend some serous time helping Cox, and either the other backs/receivers or lineman that are just plain missing assignments. Our last drive in the Red Zone could easily have sealed the game if their play would remain consistent. By the way, somewhere I read that LSU should have been called for a "false start" on that last 1-second play. Of course it doesn't matter now due to the final outcome. Was just wondering if I read the article correctly. This being LSU, I will take it anyway we can get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
au701948 983 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 2 hours ago, AUsince72 said: That whole ending was a mess and about 2 or 3 "judgements" were going against AU in those last 2 plays: no 10 sec run-off (should a been, I think), WR's AGAIN not set on the last snap, etc. Luckily for the AU family they DID get the most important call right. :00! War Eagle! I agree AU... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDE Matty 30 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Great insight JMR. Spot on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eibua12 81 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 3 hours ago, AUsince72 said: I can't remember what triggered the rule but it seems to have applied in this case. I guess had they got the play off in time we'd be in the midst of the Okie St vs Cent Mich argument. Imagine, 2 games involving Pow 5 teams ending in such a way in the same year?? Can you say NCAA Nuclear Meltdown?!?! The penalty should have been from the LOS and I believe it was as the new LOS was the 20 yard line. as for the runoff the answer is no, and yes it was put in because of LSU " 3. Only those fouls that cause the clock to stop are affected by this rule. There is some confusion on this point, which sometimes arises out of not understanding the difference between a foul and a penalty. For example, if a team commits a false start, the officials shut the play down; this is a foul that stops the clock. But if a team snaps the ball when it has five players in the backfield—an illegal formation—the play continues: this is not a foul that stops the clock. Of course once the ball is dead the clock is stopped, but this is to administer the penalty; the clock is not stopped because of the foul itself. " 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn2Eugene 2,317 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 It could just be me... But I really hope we don't move Cowart to DL. I still think he can be a game changer at DE. He could be a manager next season. Especially since we moved Tega from DE... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarTiger 3,861 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 15 hours ago, mickeyspano said: On the next to last play LSU completed a pass to the 3 yard line which was brought back because of a penalty but there was no penalty assessed. They just ran another play from the same line of scrimmage. What did I miss here? Yes there was. The play with the completion and illegal shift was snapped at the 10. The next play (last of the game) was snapped at the 15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarTiger 3,861 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 14 hours ago, lkeel75 said: I think the penalty was from the spot of the ball not from the previous spot. I also wondered why there would not have been a 10 second run off. I thought the SEC put that in just for LSU when they beat (UT?) a few years ago on a false start at the end of the game. This has been mentioned in several threads, but the 10 second run off rule only applies if the foul causes the clock to stop immediately. It has to be a deadball foul (false start for instance) to stop the clock immediately. An illegal shift is a live ball foul and isn't part of the criteria for a 10 second run off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now