Things I Think I Saw (AU vs Georgia).....

[JMR 2,118]

Sometimes these little things are fun to write; sometimes they're not. And every now and then, they are a LOT of fun to write. Auburn finally exorcising their uga demons has given me an incredibly pleasant weekend.

Going into the game, I hoped the pressure of being ranked Number One would weigh on Georgia, and Auburn would come out pressure-free and have a good time playing football. That appeared to be the case.

I held some hope for the win based on the fact that Georgia hadn't really played anybody, and it was a certainty that the AU defense was the best they had seen. But I also thought going in that Georgia was better than they turned out to be. Auburn dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage, but the domination by the Auburn defensive line was beyond anything I imagined. To. A. Man., Georgia's offensive front was whipped play after play.  And I don't mean whipped in the eyes of some imaginary "judge." I mean just flat-out WHIPPED. Over and over and over.

Now that I've wasted your time re-hashing my feelings on the game, here are some things I think I saw.....

• The top rushing offense in the SEC had 21 running plays for 19 yards in the first half. As a player, that kind of domination by your opponent gets into your head. You know that something is not as it should be, but you get frustrated trying to figure out what it is and how to fix it.
   
• Chandler Cox has been dominant the past two weeks. An exceptional athlete, Cox has struggled with the technique of blocking in space since his arrival at Auburn and his subsequent assignment as THE H-back. Blocking in space requires getting there in a hurry, but coming under control just before contact, so that you don't miss.....then accelerating into the contact at the last instant to generate the necessary force to knock or drive somebody out of the way. Cox appears to have figured that out, and his blocking has been a major factor in Auburn's recent success in the running game. He is fun to watch.
   
• Darius Slayton is rapidly becoming a big-time wide receiver. He's dropped a few passes over the course of the season, but he's caught some good ones, and made lots of plays. His TD catch was a thing of beauty, both in terms of body control, and understanding what had to be done to keep the defensive back's hands away from the ball. Slayton actually pulled his own arms and the ball out of the way as he caught the ball, so the DB had no chance to rake the ball out. And Slayton had a key block on Jarrett Stidham's touchdown on a zone read play. A wide receiver who has speed, can catch the ball in traffic, and can block is a genuine treasure. And Slayton is only going to get better with age and experience.
   
• Georgia fooled our secondary a couple of times.....three times, actually. But they were only able to execute once.. The flea-flicker they ran was open for a touchdown, but there was enough pressure from the AU front that Fromm couldn't get the pass off and ended up taking a sack. Still, there were at least three busted coverages in the Auburn secondary, and that's too many.
   
• Linebacker Darrell Williams stood out to me as making a number of big plays. Williams has impressed me with his knowledge since arriving at Auburn, and did so again yesterday.
   
• The call (by Jarrett Stiham, or the sideline) on the screen play to Ryan Davis for a TD was beautifully done. As Alabama has done for years, Georgia showed a blitz from the wide side of the field. The first time they ran it, Stidham ended up keeping the ball for a small loss. The second time, he chose the pass part of the play, and got the ball to Davis, who took it in for a TD.
   
• No way I will be able to cover all the defensive players who had an outstanding game this week. One who surprised me, as I hadn't seen a lot from him recently, was Dontavius Russell. He was a brute at defensive tackle, throwing blockers aside and making plays on the Georgia running backs. He was also a factor in the fierce Auburn pass rush. Kudos to that Georgia kid for stepping up against his home--state school.
   
• Marlon Davidson was outstanding, but that is the norm for him.
   
• Jeff Holland is no doubt in Jake Fromm's dreams. He was, as he has been all season, a constant in the Georgia backfield.
   
• Speaking of Georgia kids shining against opponents from their home state, how about Derrick Brown? He stepped up his already formidable game this week, and refused to be blocked by what had appeared to be a decent uga offensive line.
   
• Due to dependency on the network TV crews (in this case, CBS), it's tough to get much of a look at the sidelines. But I did catch a shot of two uga players shoving each other near their bench, and the sideline reporter observed that "the Georgia players are fighting among themselves." When it gets to that point, you know you are dominating the game.
   
• Once again, Mike Horton was unavailable at left guard, and also once again, Darius James had to leave the game. I think at this point in the season, Auburn's best offensive line includes Tega at left tackle, Dunn at center, Golson at right tackle, and Harrell at left guard. Harrell has improved a great deal over these last three weeks, and Tega has improved well beyond what I'd consider reasonable expectations. He is incredibly quick and athletic, and once he truly knows what to do, he is going to be a genuine stud left tackle. I'm impressed with what he's accomplished since moving to OL.
   
• Braden Smith is just a beast. I don't really know how we ended up getting a highly-regarded kid from Kansas, but I'm sure glad we did. He just mauls people like no one else we have.
   
• Noticed that we stole a punt return technique from Texas A&M, who ran it against us last week. Two return men back, and one *pretends* he is running to catch the ball on one side of the field, while the other casually positions himself to actually field the punt. Covering a punt is difficult, because you are not certain where the ball is, or where it's going. The easiest way to get yourself to the right place is to watch the return man until the ball comes into your peripheral vision. With the little scheme that aTm ran (and we stole), you are running to the wrong place. I noticed aTm do that last week, and no less than FIVE of the guys covering the punt for Auburn went to the wrong return man. Anyway, AU ran that play yesterday, and Ryan Davis got a 26-yard return out of it. A personal foul penalty on Sony Michel added another 15 yards, so the net was 41 yards.....a big play in any football game.
   
• Eli Stove has become a huge factor in Auburn's running game. Credit to Chip Lindsey for finding multiple ways to get Stove the ball on the perimeter. I love a running back with great speed, and that's essentially what Stove provides us. Last I checked, he is averaging around ten yards per carry.
   
• How could anybody talk about "what I saw" without mentioning Kerryon Johnson? When he was being recruited as a high school kid, I thought KJ was going to make us an excellent all-around back. He is a LOT more than that. The patience he has in waiting for blocks to fall into place, and the burst he attacks the hole with are both remarkable. What an incredible football player!
   
• I'm reminded every week of what a gift we got when Casey Dunn transferred to Auburn. He is not a road-grader, and he is not going to move any buildings, but he is a football player, and having him to take over the center position, allowing Austin Golson to go wherever he is needed has been huge for Auburn's offense.
   
• Noticed little Jeremiah Dinson making plays yesterday. Great to see that his skinny body has recovered from the horrendous injury he suffered two years ago. He is the consummate dime back, and is always willing to sacrifice his body to make a play. Love that kid.
   
• Auburn played a lot of the time yesterday with a single safety, although they often made it appear they were using two. Playing a lot of press man with a single safety, Kevin Steele used Stephen Roberts as an extra run-support guy. Roberts did it very well, lining up as a safety, and drifting toward the box as the snap was about to come.
   
• Tray Matthews had to be happy with the game he had. He got some big-time licks in against his former team, and made some key plays. Thank goodness he is back in the lineup in time for Amen Corner.
   
• Noticed young T.D. Moultry a couple of times yesterday. He looks really natural and instinctive. Good things to come for that young man.
   
• Our QB is getting better every week. Stidham sold the throwback screen to KJ perfectly, never looking back until he was ready to throw the ball. A brilliantly conceived play, it was executed to perfection. I'd be willing to bet Chip Lindsey has watched it a hundred times already and will watch it a hundred more this week.

In a great game like this one, I'm sure I've left out things that should have been mentioned. For that, I apologize. This was a gigantic win, for reasons Auburn people don't need reminding of. I felt like if we couldn't beat Texas A&M, we probably couldn't beat Georgia. Well, we did, and we did. I have also felt like if we could beat Georgia, we could beat Alabama. None of that has any logic or substance to it, but I like the way it sounds. If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time, and WAR EAGLE!!

[WDavE 332]

Thanks I look forward to your posts every game week.

I was really impressed by the LB play this week sideline to sideline. They all seemed to cover their gaps correctly and didn't over run anything.

 

 

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

Love it, Coach! Great observations.

[fredst 9,064]

WDE Coach! I love reading your assessment of the game each week, especially after solid win. I think this is the best win the program has had (meaning, dominant performance against a good team) since the 2004 UGA win. Have watched Bammer the last two weeks and they are very “gettable”, especially if we bring it like we did yesterday. Thanks for sharing your insights every week!

[GoAU 1,599]

The overall energy, urgency, and enthusiasm was absolutely awesome. We need that harnessed again in a couple of weeks and I love our chances! 

[caleb1633 1,418]

I think we can beat Bama by a healthy margin for multiple reasons:

1- Confidence

2- Jordan Hare Stadium, which boosts our confidence. We haven't looked beatable at JHS all year.

3- Our offensive strengths match up well with their defensive weaknesses

4- Our defense can stop their offense. 

Biggest thing though, is that the battle will be won in the trenches. If we can do that, I like our chances to beat Bama.

[corchjay 5,311]

6 minutes ago, caleb1633 said:

I think we can beat Bama by a healthy margin for multiple reasons:

1- Confidence

2- Jordan Hare Stadium, which boosts our confidence. We haven't looked beatable at JHS all year.

3- Our offensive strengths match up well with their defensive weaknesses

4- Our defense can stop their offense. 

Biggest thing though, is that the battle will be won in the trenches. If we can do that, I like our chances to beat Bama.

I don’t want to jump to far ahead but for me it will come down to tackling and how well D. Williams and Paw-paw Atkinson does in spying Hurts.  We can stop the run then let hurt run off 15-20 yards when we are playing good defense.  

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

"Our QB is getting better every week. Stidham sold the throwback screen to KJ perfectly, never looking back until he was ready to throw the ball. A brilliantly conceived play, it was executed to perfection. I'd be willing to bet Chip Lindsey has watched it a hundred times already and will watch it a hundred more this week." 

 

The little pat on the ball right before he turned around was pretty cool I thought. Allowed him to really gather it. Seemed like he learned from what I believe was the earlier missed screen to KJ where he threw it a little too far out. Stidham next year could be something interesting if the OL gets it together early and we find a comparable replacement for KD (Matthew Hill????????????????) 

[JMR 2,118]

1 hour ago, WDavE said:

Thanks I look forward to your posts every game week.

I was really impressed by the LB play this week sideline to sideline. They all seemed to cover their gaps correctly and didn't over run anything.

 

 

Great point, Dave. We have been over-running plays and leaving the cutback lanes open. Didn't see that at all this week, and only saw one play over-run, and that was by Stephen Roberts.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

27 minutes ago, JMR said:

Great point, Dave. We have been over-running plays and leaving the cutback lanes open. Didn't see that at all this week, and only saw one play over-run, and that was by Stephen Roberts.

Thanks for your insight coach. I watched some defensive plays today in slow motion that were showing our defense in action. They were picture perfect with the d- line man setting the opposing OLs In A position and allowing the LBs and safety crash the gaps for big stops. Is this something that Tre does better than most in calling the setups ?  Also I think KJ is absolutely the best RB in the Country. He brings it all. Speed, shifty,power (especially with his arms) determination and vision. He has it all. Watching Asa Martin’s film clip I can see some similarities. Hopefully down the road we will have another one also. 

Edited November 13, 2017 by Eagle Eye 7

[caleb1633 1,418]

1 hour ago, corchjay said:

I don’t want to jump to far ahead but for me it will come down to tackling and how well D. Williams and Paw-paw Atkinson does in spying Hurts.  We can stop the run then let hurt run off 15-20 yards when we are playing good defense.  

I'd be more of a proponent of Roberts and Dinson spying. They can match the speed of Hurts and tackle really well in the open field. If we can stop their conventional running attack, and Carlton Davis can minimize Ridley's effectiveness, I think that would be a good blueprint for stopping their offense.

[alexava 6,973]

Coach highlighted Chandler Cox. I agree he makes good plays. But during the game I usually notice the bad ones. Disclaimer: I am a fan who never coached or played at a high level. He seems to miss or actually looks confused and doesn't attempt a block at certain times. He allowed one big sack in this game and in a span of 3 plays didn't block on a run play. I like the pass to him. He is tough as they get. Maybe he'll get some carries vs ulm. We need to rest KJ in the second half. 

[JMR 2,118]

10 hours ago, alexava said:

Coach highlighted Chandler Cox. I agree he makes good plays. But during the game I usually notice the bad ones. Disclaimer: I am a fan who never coached or played at a high level. He seems to miss or actually looks confused and doesn't attempt a block at certain times. He allowed one big sack in this game and in a span of 3 plays didn't block on a run play. I like the pass to him. He is tough as they get. Maybe he'll get some carries vs ulm. We need to rest KJ in the second half. 

Alexava, you may be "more right" than I am on your opinion of Cox. I typically just watch the game and "report" what I thought I saw. I'm sure I'm right some and wrong some. In his defense, Cox might have the toughest job on the offense, other than quarterback. It is tough to block good athletes in open space; sometimes you're gonna win, and sometimes the other guy is gonna win. In any event, kudos to you for voicing your take. On your point about resting KJ in the second half this week....I'm not sure I wouldn't hold him out of the game altogether unless he is needed. He has taken some major pounding in recent weeks.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Miss State for all that they're worth had a good game plan for Bama, and if not for some poor tackling and poor play calling towards the end would have beaten Bama by at least 3. With that said Auburn is much better than State and also has the home field advantage. I expect Bama to come in prepared as they always do but for the first time this season and in a long time I feel like Auburn is going to do something special against the mullets! WDE!

[Indy 166]

Absolutely love these recaps...many thx for taking the time to put them together.

I have really grown to love Slayton this season, especially after watching pass-after-pass clank off of receivers hand in 2016.  That catch he made for the long TD ... the sports bar we were watching it in up here just erupted.  And his downfield blocking has certainly been key in turning some of those dump off or screen passes into much more than they would have been.  Was worried when he got nicked a bit early on,  but thankfully that didn't keep him off the field.

 

I think the three KEY plays in this game were as follows:

1. The 3rd-and-1 stop from the AU 44, with the score at 9-7.  Ensuing drive leads to the Slayton score

2. The Flea-Flicker sack.  Fromm gets that ball off it's most likely 16-14 and who knows what that swing might do.

3. The Muffed Punt.  That guy had been tearing us up on special teams.  That turnover leads to Stidham's TD run and numerous shots of Hardman with his head down on the bench.

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by Indy

[homersapien 11,354]

14 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

"Our QB is getting better every week. Stidham sold the throwback screen to KJ perfectly, never looking back until he was ready to throw the ball. A brilliantly conceived play, it was executed to perfection. I'd be willing to bet Chip Lindsey has watched it a hundred times already and will watch it a hundred more this week." 

 

The little pat on the ball right before he turned around was pretty cool I thought. Allowed him to really gather it. Seemed like he learned from what I believe was the earlier missed screen to KJ where he threw it a little too far out. Stidham next year could be something interesting if the OL gets it together early and we find a comparable replacement for KD (Matthew Hill????????????????) 

That was a very difficult pass and Stidham was perfect.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Thanks again, Coach.

[Linayus 676]

Having to watch this game on TV gave me an opportunity to notice specific individuals more so than from in the stadium and I have to say Braden Smith was a pure dominating force in this game, as I'm sure he has been often in his career). We are going to miss him!!

[casatiger 513]

13 minutes ago, Linayus said:

Having to watch this game on TV gave me an opportunity to notice specific individuals more so than from in the stadium and I have to say Braden Smith was a pure dominating force in this game, as I'm sure he has been often in his career). We are going to miss him!!

I wish there was a video compilation of some of his blocks this year.  He just dominates the opponent unlike anyone I have seen in a while.  They spotlight him occasionally, but not enough.  

[mustache eagle 2,389]

9 hours ago, JMR said:

... On your point about resting KJ in the second half this week....I'm not sure I wouldn't hold him out of the game altogether unless he is needed. He has taken some major pounding in recent weeks.

i hope KJ stays in his pajamas at the house.  we have a stable of running backs that need to be run.

i also hope they let stidham throw the ball about 40 times.  let some of these WR's get the ball in their hands and have some fun.  lets go full air raid this weekend!  I'd like to see malik throw the ball about 10-15 times starting mid way through the 3rd quarter.

i fully believe the malik rpo pass against GA (whether intended or not) will cause alabama some consternation.  you know we will pull out the malik rpo package against bama.  now they will have to make sure to keep a safety back to cover coates ... i mean slayton ...

[The Plainsman 948]

Nice call on Dinson.   He is really really retiring to the form we anticipated.  

My one call out I would add was our overall tackling... I am not so sure we have tackled that well in a long long time.   

[AUbritt 611]

I think we will beat Bama.

It's not often I go into that game feeling that way. But I do now. That's a big change from right after the LSU game. We finally played the way I feel like we could. Now I feel like we should play that way.

[Slammer1 409]

We had a great win over the Dawgs but I don't want us to fall into the same attitude I think GA had. I think they fell in love with their press clippings and would run all over us. Well, as everyone knows, that didn't happen. I am sure saban will have bama more than prepared  for us, however I do think we  have the talent to beat him.  I just don't want us to get over confident with  the GA win. It's been my experience that when you play with a little fear of your opponent you tend  to perform  at a higher level. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. JMO

WDE

[AidiAU 1,270]

On 11/14/2017 at 7:54 AM, Slammer1 said:

We had a great win over the Dawgs but I don't want us to fall into the same attitude I think GA had. I think they fell in love with their press clippings and would run all over us. Well, as everyone knows, that didn't happen. I am sure saban will have bama more than prepared  for us, however I do think we  have the talent to beat him.  I just don't want us to get over confident with  the GA win. It's been my experience that when you play with a little fear of your opponent you tend  to perform  at a higher level. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. JMO

WDE

Love everything about this post. 

I’m not sure how good uga actually was since their schedule is so weak (IMO).

That being said, our team was on fire - I swear that was one of the best played, coached, etc. AU games that I have ever seen. Let’s keep playing with a chip on our shoulder while having fun. Proud of our team no matter what! One game at a time...

[oldaufeller 367]

2 hours ago, AidiAU said:

Love everything about this post. 

I’m not sure how good uga actually was since their schedule is so weak (IMO).

That being said, our team was on fire - I swear that was one of the best played, coached, etc. AU games that I have ever seen. Let’s keep playing with a chip on our shoulder while having fun. Proud of our team no matter what! One game at a time...

When Saban shows up they're here to "take care of business."  I assure you they have this game circled and will be well prepared.  I am expecting a slugfest.  I absolutely believe we can slug faster, harder, better and smarter.  Cute is not part of that recipe.  Spy on Hurts and remain stout up front.  It's time for the fans to bring the Auburn version of the "earthquake" game.