Things I Think I Saw: AU vs UAT

[akillshot 294]

Just want to add my appreciation for you taking time to do this. Been missing seeing this each week. Great write up as usual. War Eagle!

 

[ChltteTiger 649]

JMR Please come back for the bowl game review in January!

[ChltteTiger 649]

3 hours ago, AUMASTERS said:

Thanks for the analysis Coach, we definitely appreciate it; and there hasn't been a( Kojak (Kochack) or whatever his user name was) sighting since he ran you off.

It was Kolchak..like the character in the TV series Night Stalker (old school stuff)

[Auburn02 130]

On 12/1/2019 at 2:06 PM, JMR said:

I thought backup QB Mac Jones played very well, save two pick sixes, one of which was not his fault.

Love your analysis, curious about this statement though - I presume the 100 yard McClain return is the one you're referring to, but why?

[JMR 2,118]

I felt like Jones put the ball ON his receiver. The fact that Harris wasn’t ready for it was caused by a huge rush from Big Kat Bryant, not by anything Jones did wrong. Just an opinion. 

[AU64 10,122]

Just curious but seems that nobody giving Jones any credit for what the did with his legs to keep drives alive.  Jones was tough enough and stood in there under a pretty good rush and if I recall, made a couple first downs when had them third and long.  Tua would never have done that.....been gimpy all year and only a handful of yards rushing and I've seen him sacked a few times too.   JMO but AU would have sacked Tua more than they were able to get to MJ. 

[AuJoe 79]

Holy frijoles Batman! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a JMR sighting...no it's more (so much more) than that, it's a JMR post! Now my week is complete. Record scoring on Bama! Shivers trucks and decapitates a guy (helmet) for a TD! O-line with no sacks allowed and opening holes for runs. Bo making the throws we always knew he could make! Boobie making the runs we always knew he could make on Bama and...well he's Boobie so he does the other thing he does also (ugh). Anders is the kicker we always knew he was and then some! 2 pick-sixes with one for 100 yards! Another one second play that goes against Bama. (Priceless) Saban blows a gasket (actually a few gaskets) and I'm not sure what could be better to see on your TV than that when you couple it with an Auburn win! Fans rushing the field and getting stuck in the hedges! Gus out-coaching the coaching legend himself. A boat load of high star recruits to witness it all. And the icing on the cake...a postgame presser watching Saban lament how "unfair" it was that he was not allowed to substitute for a second time after he realized he was out-foxed! This IB is the gift that will keep on giving 364 more days and then in legend after that!

With all seriousness JMR, THANKS FOR THE POST! Appreciate the insight. That did it for me. Forever grateful and forever WAR DAM EAGLE!!!

[MrMC 3]

On 11/14/2019 at 4:31 PM, Beenjammin said:

100% CORRECT

Great insight coach. enjoyed you input of the game.

War Eagle!!

[japantiger 4,051]

On 12/1/2019 at 2:22 PM, wde21 said:

Thank you! Always enjoy your insight! I was at the game and it can’t be overstated how loud Jordan Hare was from start to finish!  It really seemed to rattle Alabama. And I am like you- really looking forward to a bammerless playoff! Since I live in Birmingham also looking to 364 days of peace and quiet from the unwashed masses!😂

It sure seemed that way on TV...anyone at the '89 game?  Kick Six game? and this game that can give an "in stadium" comparison?   

[japantiger 4,051]

On 12/1/2019 at 2:06 PM, JMR said:

 

• I don't recall ever seeing the kids play harder from start to finish.  
• I recall during Tommy Tuberville's time as coach, the scout team was instructed to hold on every play during the week leading up to the game. The intent was to prepare the defensive players for the holding Alabama has been known for in the past. I don't know if that took place in practice this week, but I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap.  I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.
• Yet another awesome game from Derrick Brown.  I believe the big guy had 7 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has been a joy to watch, and he has set the bar extremely high for the defensive linemen that come to Auburn after him.
• I can't say enough about Marlon Davidson.  He plays all-out on every down, regardless of the score or the circumstance. Little wonder that he was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times this season.
• I might be being a little generous here, but I thought the Auburn secondary played pretty well, given the quality of the Alabama wide receivers. Our guys were aggressive and tackled well in space.  They got beaten a few times, but I haven't seen any secondary not struggle to stay with those guys.
• I was a little surprised at the somewhat successful AU running game.  
• Bo Nix had a fairly typical game for him this season.  He missed a few, and bailed early on the pocket a few times.  But he seemed to make good decisions and good throws when we most needed them.  He was also very good in the run game, adding critical yards when most needed.
• Speaking of field goals, hats off to Anders Carlson.  He got his mojo back just in time, 
• How about Shaun Shivers' TD on the jet sweep!  At 175 lbs, Shivers ran OVER one of Alabama's best tacklers, knocking his helmet off in the process.  Reminded me for all the world of the time Ronnie Brown trucked the Tennessee safety.
• Lastly, I need to tip my hat to Gus.  He had a solid plan, had his team well-prepared, and kept his composure throughout the game. And he's beaten Saban two out of the last three.

 

First a little reminder:  This thing is so-named because of the fact that it's virtually impossible to see everything on a play or series of plays without watching over and over and over. Being unwilling to invest that much time, I just watch the game, make little mental notes, and then jot down what I THINK I saw. So, if you saw it differently, that's fine; you may well have seen it correctly and I did not.

Auburn just beat Alabama for the second time in the past three games. Not many programs can say that. Yes, Alabama was without their outstanding quarterback. That's truly unfortunate, but we'll never know how the game may have gone had he been available. I thought backup QB Mac Jones played very well, save two pick sixes, one of which was not his fault.

Lots of things impressed me about Auburn in this game. I don't recall ever seeing the kids play harder from start to finish. It was an incredible effort, against a very talented opponent, and every bit of that effort was required to win the game. I thought the coaches did a great job of preparation. As is the case in most any game against a quality opponent, I'm sure there are some things they would choose to do differently, like kickoffs. But altogether, I thought it was a very well-planned and well-schemed game. Enough of my thoughts on the game overall; here are some things I think I saw......

• I recall during Tommy Tuberville's time as coach, the scout team was instructed to hold on every play during the week leading up to the game. The intent was to prepare the defensive players for the holding Alabama has been known for in the past. I don't know if that took place in practice this week, but I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap. I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.
• Yet another awesome game from Derrick Brown. I believe the big guy had 7 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has been a joy to watch, and he has set the bar extremely high for the defensive linemen that come to Auburn after him.
• I can't say enough about Marlon Davidson. He plays all-out on every down, regardless of the score or the circumstance. Little wonder that he was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times this season.
• Losing Anthony Schwartz on the very first play of the game was a huge setback to the AU offense. I have to think the staff had plans to utilize his outstanding speed, and having that possibility disappear right out of the gate had to be disappointing.
• With Schwartz injured, Eli Stove got more snaps than he has in a while, and he did not disappoint. It was good to see Stove on the field and making plays.
• No look-back at this game would be complete without recognizing the contribution of the Auburn crowd.  Watching Bama get five false start penalties reminded me of our struggles with the noise at Florida Field earlier this season. Great to be on the other side of that factor.
• I might be being a little generous here, but I thought the Auburn secondary played pretty well, given the quality of the Alabama wide receivers. Our guys were aggressive and tackled well in space. They got beaten a few times, but I haven't seen any secondary not struggle to stay with those guys.
• I was a little surprised at the somewhat successful AU running game. It was a long way from great, but it was enough to keep our offense from being one-dimensional. The counter with the backside guard and tackle leading was executed a couple of times really well, and good yardage came from those.
• Bo Nix had a fairly typical game for him this season. He missed a few, and bailed early on the pocket a few times. But he seemed to make good decisions and good throws when we most needed them. He was also very good in the run game, adding critical yards when most needed.
• Bo got some great help from his wide receivers in this one. There was one series, with AU down 24-17 the last few minutes of the first half, where THREE wide receivers make outstanding plays to keep that scoring drive alive. Seth Williams pulled in a one-handed catch with the Bama DB hanging on his other arm (not called), Will Hastings snatched a throwaway ball out of the air at the sideline, and Sal Cannella made an awesome tightrope catch for the score. Gus and Kodi Burns were having some kind of argument on the sideline during that drive, and I have no idea who was "right", but I'm gonna side with Kodi as long as his guys are making those kind of plays.
• Shedrick Jackson got a lot of snaps in this one, as he is considered our best-blocking wide receiver. Because he was hustling to make a block on the first snap of the game, Shed was in position to recover Anthony Schwartz' fumble.  He also ran a nice route and made a tough catch on the two-point conversion following Auburn's last TD.
• Kudos to everyone involved...players and coaches....on executing the successful field goal on the last play of the first half. To get the kick off with only one second on the clock required discipline and prior rehearsal. Very well done!
• Speaking of field goals, hats off to Anders Carlson. He got his mojo back just in time, going five-for-five on field goal attempts, all over 40 yards. Only four of the five counted, as Gus chose to accept an offsides penalty on Carlson's 55-yarder. Pretty unusual decision there, as the old coaching axiom goes, "Never take points off the board". 
• Was great to see Big Kat Bryant get instant pressure on the Bama QB on Zacoby McClain's 100-yard interception return. I have been looking for that kind of edge rush from Big Kat all season, and it finally arrived, at a critical time.
• Exceptional job this week by offensive tackle Jack Driscoll. He had some key blocks in the run game. Driscoll's transfer from UMass was a good get for us.
• How about Shaun Shivers' TD on the jet sweep!  At 175 lbs, Shivers ran OVER one of Alabama's best tacklers, knocking his helmet off in the process. Reminded me for all the world of the time Ronnie Brown trucked the Tennessee safety.
• Now that the regular season is over, I hope Coach Cadillac will spend time working with Boobee Whitlow on ball security. I don't remember Caddy having problems with ball security, but Boobee is as sloppy with the ball as I've seen in a while. I've been surprised this season when he's back in the game after a fumble. We can all recall a time when a fumble put a running back in Gus' doghouse for weeks at a time.
• Lastly, I need to tip my hat to Gus. He had a solid plan, had his team well-prepared, and kept his composure throughout the game. And he's beaten Saban two out of the last three.

Big win, and I'm happy for the coaches and players, especially the seniors. I'm also happy for the thousands of Auburn fans and alumni who now have a full year ahead without having their neighbors looking down their nose at them. I am more looking forward to this year's college football playoff than any since the playoff began.  WAR EAGLE!!

First a little reminder:  This thing is so-named because of the fact that it's virtually impossible to see everything on a play or series of plays without watching over and over and over. Being unwilling to invest that much time, I just watch the game, make little mental notes, and then jot down what I THINK I saw. So, if you saw it differently, that's fine; you may well have seen it correctly and I did not.

Auburn just beat Alabama for the second time in the past three games. Not many programs can say that. Yes, Alabama was without their outstanding quarterback. That's truly unfortunate, but we'll never know how the game may have gone had he been available. I thought backup QB Mac Jones played very well, save two pick sixes, one of which was not his fault.

Lots of things impressed me about Auburn in this game. I don't recall ever seeing the kids play harder from start to finish. It was an incredible effort, against a very talented opponent, and every bit of that effort was required to win the game. I thought the coaches did a great job of preparation. As is the case in most any game against a quality opponent, I'm sure there are some things they would choose to do differently, like kickoffs. But altogether, I thought it was a very well-planned and well-schemed game. Enough of my thoughts on the game overall; here are some things I think I saw......

• I recall during Tommy Tuberville's time as coach, the scout team was instructed to hold on every play during the week leading up to the game. The intent was to prepare the defensive players for the holding Alabama has been known for in the past. I don't know if that took place in practice this week, but I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap. I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.
• Yet another awesome game from Derrick Brown. I believe the big guy had 7 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has been a joy to watch, and he has set the bar extremely high for the defensive linemen that come to Auburn after him.
• I can't say enough about Marlon Davidson. He plays all-out on every down, regardless of the score or the circumstance. Little wonder that he was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times this season.
• Losing Anthony Schwartz on the very first play of the game was a huge setback to the AU offense. I have to think the staff had plans to utilize his outstanding speed, and having that possibility disappear right out of the gate had to be disappointing.
• With Schwartz injured, Eli Stove got more snaps than he has in a while, and he did not disappoint. It was good to see Stove on the field and making plays.
• No look-back at this game would be complete without recognizing the contribution of the Auburn crowd.  Watching Bama get five false start penalties reminded me of our struggles with the noise at Florida Field earlier this season. Great to be on the other side of that factor.
• I might be being a little generous here, but I thought the Auburn secondary played pretty well, given the quality of the Alabama wide receivers. Our guys were aggressive and tackled well in space. They got beaten a few times, but I haven't seen any secondary not struggle to stay with those guys.
• I was a little surprised at the somewhat successful AU running game. It was a long way from great, but it was enough to keep our offense from being one-dimensional. The counter with the backside guard and tackle leading was executed a couple of times really well, and good yardage came from those.
• Bo Nix had a fairly typical game for him this season. He missed a few, and bailed early on the pocket a few times. But he seemed to make good decisions and good throws when we most needed them. He was also very good in the run game, adding critical yards when most needed.
• Bo got some great help from his wide receivers in this one. There was one series, with AU down 24-17 the last few minutes of the first half, where THREE wide receivers make outstanding plays to keep that scoring drive alive. Seth Williams pulled in a one-handed catch with the Bama DB hanging on his other arm (not called), Will Hastings snatched a throwaway ball out of the air at the sideline, and Sal Cannella made an awesome tightrope catch for the score. Gus and Kodi Burns were having some kind of argument on the sideline during that drive, and I have no idea who was "right", but I'm gonna side with Kodi as long as his guys are making those kind of plays.
• Shedrick Jackson got a lot of snaps in this one, as he is considered our best-blocking wide receiver. Because he was hustling to make a block on the first snap of the game, Shed was in position to recover Anthony Schwartz' fumble.  He also ran a nice route and made a tough catch on the two-point conversion following Auburn's last TD.
• Kudos to everyone involved...players and coaches....on executing the successful field goal on the last play of the first half. To get the kick off with only one second on the clock required discipline and prior rehearsal. Very well done!
• Speaking of field goals, hats off to Anders Carlson. He got his mojo back just in time, going five-for-five on field goal attempts, all over 40 yards. Only four of the five counted, as Gus chose to accept an offsides penalty on Carlson's 55-yarder. Pretty unusual decision there, as the old coaching axiom goes, "Never take points off the board". 
• Was great to see Big Kat Bryant get instant pressure on the Bama QB on Zacoby McClain's 100-yard interception return. I have been looking for that kind of edge rush from Big Kat all season, and it finally arrived, at a critical time.
• Exceptional job this week by offensive tackle Jack Driscoll. He had some key blocks in the run game. Driscoll's transfer from UMass was a good get for us.
• How about Shaun Shivers' TD on the jet sweep!  At 175 lbs, Shivers ran OVER one of Alabama's best tacklers, knocking his helmet off in the process. Reminded me for all the world of the time Ronnie Brown trucked the Tennessee safety.
• Now that the regular season is over, I hope Coach Cadillac will spend time working with Boobee Whitlow on ball security. I don't remember Caddy having problems with ball security, but Boobee is as sloppy with the ball as I've seen in a while. I've been surprised this season when he's back in the game after a fumble. We can all recall a time when a fumble put a running back in Gus' doghouse for weeks at a time.
• Lastly, I need to tip my hat to Gus. He had a solid plan, had his team well-prepared, and kept his composure throughout the game. And he's beaten Saban two out of the last three.

Big win, and I'm happy for the coaches and players, especially the seniors. I'm also happy for the thousands of Auburn fans and alumni who now have a full year ahead without having their neighbors looking down their nose at them. I am more looking forward to this year's college football playoff than any since the playoff began.  WAR EAGLE!!

First a little reminder:  This thing is so-named because of the fact that it's virtually impossible to see everything on a play or series of plays without watching over and over and over. Being unwilling to invest that much time, I just watch the game, make little mental notes, and then jot down what I THINK I saw. So, if you saw it differently, that's fine; you may well have seen it correctly and I did not.

Auburn just beat Alabama for the second time in the past three games. Not many programs can say that. Yes, Alabama was without their outstanding quarterback. That's truly unfortunate, but we'll never know how the game may have gone had he been available. I thought backup QB Mac Jones played very well, save two pick sixes, one of which was not his fault.

Lots of things impressed me about Auburn in this game. I don't recall ever seeing the kids play harder from start to finish. It was an incredible effort, against a very talented opponent, and every bit of that effort was required to win the game. I thought the coaches did a great job of preparation. As is the case in most any game against a quality opponent, I'm sure there are some things they would choose to do differently, like kickoffs. But altogether, I thought it was a very well-planned and well-schemed game. Enough of my thoughts on the game overall; here are some things I think I saw......

• I recall during Tommy Tuberville's time as coach, the scout team was instructed to hold on every play during the week leading up to the game. The intent was to prepare the defensive players for the holding Alabama has been known for in the past. I don't know if that took place in practice this week, but I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap. I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.
• Yet another awesome game from Derrick Brown. I believe the big guy had 7 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has been a joy to watch, and he has set the bar extremely high for the defensive linemen that come to Auburn after him.
• I can't say enough about Marlon Davidson. He plays all-out on every down, regardless of the score or the circumstance. Little wonder that he was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times this season.
• Losing Anthony Schwartz on the very first play of the game was a huge setback to the AU offense. I have to think the staff had plans to utilize his outstanding speed, and having that possibility disappear right out of the gate had to be disappointing.
• With Schwartz injured, Eli Stove got more snaps than he has in a while, and he did not disappoint. It was good to see Stove on the field and making plays.
• No look-back at this game would be complete without recognizing the contribution of the Auburn crowd.  Watching Bama get five false start penalties reminded me of our struggles with the noise at Florida Field earlier this season. Great to be on the other side of that factor.
• I might be being a little generous here, but I thought the Auburn secondary played pretty well, given the quality of the Alabama wide receivers. Our guys were aggressive and tackled well in space. They got beaten a few times, but I haven't seen any secondary not struggle to stay with those guys.
• I was a little surprised at the somewhat successful AU running game. It was a long way from great, but it was enough to keep our offense from being one-dimensional. The counter with the backside guard and tackle leading was executed a couple of times really well, and good yardage came from those.
• Bo Nix had a fairly typical game for him this season. He missed a few, and bailed early on the pocket a few times. But he seemed to make good decisions and good throws when we most needed them. He was also very good in the run game, adding critical yards when most needed.
• Bo got some great help from his wide receivers in this one. There was one series, with AU down 24-17 the last few minutes of the first half, where THREE wide receivers make outstanding plays to keep that scoring drive alive. Seth Williams pulled in a one-handed catch with the Bama DB hanging on his other arm (not called), Will Hastings snatched a throwaway ball out of the air at the sideline, and Sal Cannella made an awesome tightrope catch for the score. Gus and Kodi Burns were having some kind of argument on the sideline during that drive, and I have no idea who was "right", but I'm gonna side with Kodi as long as his guys are making those kind of plays.
• Shedrick Jackson got a lot of snaps in this one, as he is considered our best-blocking wide receiver. Because he was hustling to make a block on the first snap of the game, Shed was in position to recover Anthony Schwartz' fumble.  He also ran a nice route and made a tough catch on the two-point conversion following Auburn's last TD.
• Kudos to everyone involved...players and coaches....on executing the successful field goal on the last play of the first half. To get the kick off with only one second on the clock required discipline and prior rehearsal. Very well done!
• Speaking of field goals, hats off to Anders Carlson. He got his mojo back just in time, going five-for-five on field goal attempts, all over 40 yards. Only four of the five counted, as Gus chose to accept an offsides penalty on Carlson's 55-yarder. Pretty unusual decision there, as the old coaching axiom goes, "Never take points off the board". 
• Was great to see Big Kat Bryant get instant pressure on the Bama QB on Zacoby McClain's 100-yard interception return. I have been looking for that kind of edge rush from Big Kat all season, and it finally arrived, at a critical time.
• Exceptional job this week by offensive tackle Jack Driscoll. He had some key blocks in the run game. Driscoll's transfer from UMass was a good get for us.
• How about Shaun Shivers' TD on the jet sweep!  At 175 lbs, Shivers ran OVER one of Alabama's best tacklers, knocking his helmet off in the process. Reminded me for all the world of the time Ronnie Brown trucked the Tennessee safety.
• Now that the regular season is over, I hope Coach Cadillac will spend time working with Boobee Whitlow on ball security. I don't remember Caddy having problems with ball security, but Boobee is as sloppy with the ball as I've seen in a while. I've been surprised this season when he's back in the game after a fumble. We can all recall a time when a fumble put a running back in Gus' doghouse for weeks at a time.
• Lastly, I need to tip my hat to Gus. He had a solid plan, had his team well-prepared, and kept his composure throughout the game. And he's beaten Saban two out of the last three.

Big win, and I'm happy for the coaches and players, especially the seniors. I'm also happy for the thousands of Auburn fans and alumni who now have a full year ahead without having their neighbors looking down their nose at them. I am more looking forward to this year's college football playoff than any since the playoff began.  WAR EAGLE!!

First a little reminder:  This thing is so-named because of the fact that it's virtually impossible to see everything on a play or series of plays without watching over and over and over. Being unwilling to invest that much time, I just watch the game, make little mental notes, and then jot down what I THINK I saw. So, if you saw it differently, that's fine; you may well have seen it correctly and I did not.

Auburn just beat Alabama for the second time in the past three games. Not many programs can say that. Yes, Alabama was without their outstanding quarterback. That's truly unfortunate, but we'll never know how the game may have gone had he been available. I thought backup QB Mac Jones played very well, save two pick sixes, one of which was not his fault.

Lots of things impressed me about Auburn in this game. I don't recall ever seeing the kids play harder from start to finish. It was an incredible effort, against a very talented opponent, and every bit of that effort was required to win the game. I thought the coaches did a great job of preparation. As is the case in most any game against a quality opponent, I'm sure there are some things they would choose to do differently, like kickoffs. But altogether, I thought it was a very well-planned and well-schemed game. Enough of my thoughts on the game overall; here are some things I think I saw......

• I recall during Tommy Tuberville's time as coach, the scout team was instructed to hold on every play during the week leading up to the game. The intent was to prepare the defensive players for the holding Alabama has been known for in the past. I don't know if that took place in practice this week, but I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap. I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.
• Yet another awesome game from Derrick Brown. I believe the big guy had 7 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He has been a joy to watch, and he has set the bar extremely high for the defensive linemen that come to Auburn after him.
• I can't say enough about Marlon Davidson. He plays all-out on every down, regardless of the score or the circumstance. Little wonder that he was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week four times this season.
• Losing Anthony Schwartz on the very first play of the game was a huge setback to the AU offense. I have to think the staff had plans to utilize his outstanding speed, and having that possibility disappear right out of the gate had to be disappointing.
• With Schwartz injured, Eli Stove got more snaps than he has in a while, and he did not disappoint. It was good to see Stove on the field and making plays.
• No look-back at this game would be complete without recognizing the contribution of the Auburn crowd.  Watching Bama get five false start penalties reminded me of our struggles with the noise at Florida Field earlier this season. Great to be on the other side of that factor.
• I might be being a little generous here, but I thought the Auburn secondary played pretty well, given the quality of the Alabama wide receivers. Our guys were aggressive and tackled well in space. They got beaten a few times, but I haven't seen any secondary not struggle to stay with those guys.
• I was a little surprised at the somewhat successful AU running game. It was a long way from great, but it was enough to keep our offense from being one-dimensional. The counter with the backside guard and tackle leading was executed a couple of times really well, and good yardage came from those.
• Bo Nix had a fairly typical game for him this season. He missed a few, and bailed early on the pocket a few times. But he seemed to make good decisions and good throws when we most needed them. He was also very good in the run game, adding critical yards when most needed.
• Bo got some great help from his wide receivers in this one. There was one series, with AU down 24-17 the last few minutes of the first half, where THREE wide receivers make outstanding plays to keep that scoring drive alive. Seth Williams pulled in a one-handed catch with the Bama DB hanging on his other arm (not called), Will Hastings snatched a throwaway ball out of the air at the sideline, and Sal Cannella made an awesome tightrope catch for the score. Gus and Kodi Burns were having some kind of argument on the sideline during that drive, and I have no idea who was "right", but I'm gonna side with Kodi as long as his guys are making those kind of plays.
• Shedrick Jackson got a lot of snaps in this one, as he is considered our best-blocking wide receiver. Because he was hustling to make a block on the first snap of the game, Shed was in position to recover Anthony Schwartz' fumble.  He also ran a nice route and made a tough catch on the two-point conversion following Auburn's last TD.
• Kudos to everyone involved...players and coaches....on executing the successful field goal on the last play of the first half. To get the kick off with only one second on the clock required discipline and prior rehearsal. Very well done!
• Speaking of field goals, hats off to Anders Carlson. He got his mojo back just in time, going five-for-five on field goal attempts, all over 40 yards. Only four of the five counted, as Gus chose to accept an offsides penalty on Carlson's 55-yarder. Pretty unusual decision there, as the old coaching axiom goes, "Never take points off the board". 
• Was great to see Big Kat Bryant get instant pressure on the Bama QB on Zacoby McClain's 100-yard interception return. I have been looking for that kind of edge rush from Big Kat all season, and it finally arrived, at a critical time.
• Exceptional job this week by offensive tackle Jack Driscoll. He had some key blocks in the run game. Driscoll's transfer from UMass was a good get for us.
• How about Shaun Shivers' TD on the jet sweep!  At 175 lbs, Shivers ran OVER one of Alabama's best tacklers, knocking his helmet off in the process. Reminded me for all the world of the time Ronnie Brown trucked the Tennessee safety.
• Now that the regular season is over, I hope Coach Cadillac will spend time working with Boobee Whitlow on ball security. I don't remember Caddy having problems with ball security, but Boobee is as sloppy with the ball as I've seen in a while. I've been surprised this season when he's back in the game after a fumble. We can all recall a time when a fumble put a running back in Gus' doghouse for weeks at a time.
• Lastly, I need to tip my hat to Gus. He had a solid plan, had his team well-prepared, and kept his composure throughout the game. And he's beaten Saban two out of the last three.

Big win, and I'm happy for the coaches and players, especially the seniors. I'm also happy for the thousands of Auburn fans and alumni who now have a full year ahead without having their neighbors looking down their nose at them. I am more looking forward to this year's college football playoff than any since the playoff began.  WAR EAGLE!!

As usual, good points Coach.

• That game was knock-down-drag-out right from the beginning.  Great hits passed on both sides.  Felt like an old-fashioned game; expect for the 93 points of course. 🙂
• Holding in college football is out of control.  Olinemen can just grab outside the pads now at will and pull people to the ground.  Anyone else can grab handfuls of jersey while players run past them and get away with it.  As some on here pointed out; the great catch by Williams was a have-to-one-handed-catch...his other hand was being held down.  Also one of the passes at the pylon the UAT DB had a handful of our receivers jersey so he couldn't turn to the ball.  There needs to be a substantial reset on the rules...just change them and say "anything goes" or actually call it the way the rule says.  Tubberville had it right either way; Bama is always going to get away with mugging.
• Those two guys are on the Dline are forces of nature.  Such a joy to watch play ball. Steele has done a great job; they are great talents; and they seem like good ambassadors for Auburn.  
• I agree on the secondary.  Covering 4 NFL wideouts is a chore for anyone.  They are all so-damn-fast.  On those slants; if you dont close immediately close and hit them; they are off to the races.  That is about the only critique for those guys.  Nobody had success against that speed this year (Bama put up 41 on LSU).  Schematically, I wonder sometimes how they created that much space; but most of those plays we had guys within a couple of yards of the ball.
• I am still shocked Boobie ran for so many yards.  Still doesn't look healthy...nice job creating holes by the line; and he is very good at being patient and hitting the hole that's made.  That made a huge difference as most of his yds came in the 2H; which is also where Nix completion % improved significantly.  Not a coincidence.  Nix finished at 50% Comp% for the game when he was in the low 40's in the 3rd qtr.   It will be interesting to see how he changes in this month of bowl prep.  
• Shivers...gotta love the little man knocking the head off of one of those guys.  He was possessed on that play.  If that is any indication of what he can consistently do; he has to get more than 1 carry per game.  
• Yes, Gus put together a pretty good plan; as big a critic as I usually am of Gus for poor prep, poor execution, etc., he had the team ready to play; they overcame big momentum swings, created momentum swings and he intervened a couple of times that made the difference.  Would love to see this Gus every week...and let's face it; anyone that can get Saban to whine that  mcuh, deserves a big salute.  Salute Gus!  It will be nice to watch this game during workouts for the next year. 

 

Let's hope we can carry some of this momentum into the bowl prep and game.  

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by japantiger

[I_M4_AU 7,772]

1 hour ago, japantiger said:

It will be nice to watch this game during workouts for the next year. 

The last touch down especially.  The adrenaline would be pumping.

[wde21 344]

4 hours ago, japantiger said:

It sure seemed that way on TV...anyone at the '89 game?  Kick Six game? and this game that can give an "in stadium" comparison?   

I was at all three! The 89 game was on a different level than the other two. Nearly a feeling of euphoria before the game even started. I thought the Kick Six was the loudest on that play and the Sammie Coates Td but this game was loud all game! If that makes any sense. The best part to me is the  crowd always seems to get to bama when the game is tight. I thought the false starts in the 4th quarter were a direct result of the crowd noise! It was a great day made even better by all the whining from their coach and fans!

[80Tiger 899]

52 minutes ago, wde21 said:

I was at all three! The 89 game was on a different level than the other two. Nearly a feeling of euphoria before the game even started. I thought the Kick Six was the loudest on that play and the Sammie Coates Td but this game was loud all game! If that makes any sense. The best part to me is the  crowd always seems to get to bama when the game is tight. I thought the false starts in the 4th quarter were a direct result of the crowd noise! It was a great day made even better by all the whining from their coach and fans!

Good description. I was at all 3 also. 89 was euphoric and I think fans and team knew we were going to win. As a fan I was highly confident of victory. I am not a better, but I bet any bammer at work that I could. Most did not pay in the end. You are right about 2013 and 2019 also. Very loud for the big plays, but this game last Saturday the crowd had a hand in.

[toddc 13,194]

Things saban thought he saw!

[japantiger 4,051]

On 12/4/2019 at 2:38 PM, 80Tiger said:

Good description. I was at all 3 also. 89 was euphoric and I think fans and team knew we were going to win. As a fan I was highly confident of victory. I am not a better, but I bet any bammer at work that I could. Most did not pay in the end. You are right about 2013 and 2019 also. Very loud for the big plays, but this game last Saturday the crowd had a hand in.

The '89 game was loud at breakfast that morning....the campus was crowded and loud as the sun came up.  This game seemed loud the whole time (well, with the exception of the time right after their kick return after the 1st pic-six).  It was great watching it.  The wife and I have made a commit now to get back to all these games in the future.  Another great thing about retirement!

[weagl1 1,781]

Thanks coach!  Good to see you back!  Drawing the penalty to ice the game was the one highlight you didn’t mention.  Gus out coached Alabama staff with some high school stuff.  Who in the world seriously thought Auburn might go for it on 4th down and take a chance on giving them the ball already in field goal range with a minute to try to get it in the end zone and win it?  They panicked when they saw Bo in the game with the kicker split out wide and gave the away their last chance in all the confusion. Hilarious!  

[WarNole 138]

On 12/13/2019 at 8:19 PM, weagl1 said:

Thanks coach!  Good to see you back!  Drawing the penalty to ice the game was the one highlight you didn’t mention.  Gus out coached Alabama staff with some high school stuff.  Who in the world seriously thought Auburn might go for it on 4th down and take a chance on giving them the ball already in field goal range with a minute to try to get it in the end zone and win it?  They panicked when they saw Bo in the game with the kicker split out wide and gave the away their last chance in all the confusion. Hilarious!  

This was truly the icing on the cake!   The 'greatest' coach of all time out foxed by a high school coach.  The bama fans will have to suffer all year!