Popular Post JMR 2,118 Posted November 27, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted November 27, 2017 For whatever reason, there are details about almost every Iron Bowl that seem to stick in our minds forever. I hear fans talk about "Bo over the top," or "Wrong Way Bo," "throwing deep to Ace Wright," "the Tillman Reverse," and on and on. This from people who can't remember whether they ate breakfast this morning, much less what they might have had. I won't belabor the point by guessing which plays from this year's Iron Bowl will become recognizable for decades, but suffice to say, at least from an Auburn standpoint, it's one we will remember very well and very fondly. I've been a college football fan for nearly the whole of a fairly long life, and don't recall ever having seen any team beat the number one-ranked team twice in a season, much less twice in a 14-day period. Yeah, I'll remember this one, for as long as I'm around to enjoy it. In the meantime, here are some of the things I think I saw in Iron Bowl #82, Auburn 26, Alabama 14..... Auburn opened the game with a variety of offensive formations. Not totally "new," but with little twists and tweaks that had to have caused Alabama some concern. Five wide, stacks to both sides, wide splits for the wide receivers, staggered splits, etc. Those things are small, of course, but have a surprising effect on an opponent's preparation and "tendencies" that have been drilled into players' head in the weeks leading up to the game. Saw one WR stack with H-back Chandler Cox lined up to block for a WR screen. Cox has lined up at WR before, and has even caught a pass out there, but him as a lead blocker for a guy like Ryan Davis is an exciting idea. Noticed that AU went nearly the entire game with Austin Golson at left tackle, Marquell Harrell at left guard, Dunn at center, and Braden Smith and Darius James at right guard and tackle respectively. Not sure why that combination was chosen, as I've thought Tega has been much improved in recent weeks, especially on pass protection. It may well have been because Harrell has improved to the point of being one of our "best five." On the subject of the AU offensive line, I was relatively happy with their play as a group this week. Yes, almost every one of them lost some battles.....that is going to happen when you are going against great competition.....but they all won more battles than they lost, which is pretty good considering the opponent. I thought the pass protection was, for the most part, very good. The growth of Jarrett Stidham over the course of the season has been remarkable. Sure, he had a great arm when he arrived, but he is a much, much better quarterback today than in September. He sees the pressure, recognizes the coverages, gets rid of the ball, etc. Early this season, I had my doubts about Chip Lindsey's reputation as a developer of quarterbacks, but he has earned my respect in that vein. Going into the season, we all recognized the potential in our defensive line. Those guys have certainly not disappointed, and their play vs Georgia and Alabama has been huge. They are tremendously talented, and they are very well-coached. It caught my eye once in the Iron Bowl when all four defensive linemen recognized an Alabama screen pass at the same time, and reacted accordingly. That's great coaching. Dontavious Russell, Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, Andrew Williams, Jeff Holland, and Nick Coe have ALL stepped up their game here in Amen Corner, and both individually and as a group, they've been instrumental in AU reaching the heights they currently enjoy. Jeff Holland didn't pile up stats in this game, but he was unquestionably a factor in Alabama's disappointing offensive numbers. Holland played a very intelligent game, using his speed and leverage to keep Jalen Hurts from escaping the pocket. Late in the game, when Auburn's pass rushers were nearly spent, Nick Coe made a couple of big plays. Reminded me that Coe was a national champion wrestler in high school. Anyone who has ever wrestled competitively knows how exhausting that sport can be. Coe pushed through the fatigue in the game and made a couple of key plays on a late Alabama drive. There's an old expression that goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same". Although Gus Malzahn credited Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt with "changing" the Alabama defense, they still brought the same two-man blitz from the wide side of the field that they were bringing in 2010. And as Gus pointed out on an ESPN show in 2010, there are ways to attack that scheme. Those were effective then, and were effective again in 2017. I've noticed Auburn freshman TD Moultry getting more and more playing time late this season, including in big games. Saw the youngster make a couple of excellent plays in this one, and, as is probably appropriate for a freshman stud, saw him get absolutely steamrolled by Alabama's Josh Jacobs on a kickoff return. He learned from the experience, though, as he nailed Jacobs on the next kick return. Experience is a tough teacher, but there's nothing better. Since Auburn won the game (and rather comfortably), I consider it ok to address the officiating. In short, I wasn't impressed. I don't have a problem at all with hard-nosed football, but I thought Alabama's Rashaan Evans should have been ejected for ripping off Stidham's helmet. Evans took a couple of other cheap shots that weren't called. I also don't mind "physical" pass coverage, but if you're going to allow it for one team, allow it for both. Seems like everyone's favorite football topic these days is "play calling." Fans talk about it, TV "experts" talk about it; even coaches talk about it. For my part, I thought Auburn's "play calling" this week was outstanding. With all their five-star players, the Alabama defense was slightly off-balance almost the entire game. The early Auburn onslaught on the perimeter had its desired effect, and the knot in the middle became looser and looser, allowing just enough room for AU to produce an "adequate" running game. Kudos to the Auburn secondary for limiting Bama WR Calvin Ridley to 3 receptions for 38 yards. There were mistakes made, but it's important to remember: when you are competing against a really good (can't bring myself to describe them as "great") opponent, you are going to lose a battle now and then. I thought the secondary played very well. Carlton Davis gets most of the credit for taking Ridley out of the bama offense, but I saw true freshman Jordyn Peters deny Ridley a critical catch once. Thought it was impressive that the youngster was trusted enough to be put in that position. Gotta give some credit to the Auburn crowd at the game. Made me proud when Saban told the CBS sideline reporter during his halftime interview, "I can't hear what you're asking me." I thought Chandler Cox played his tail off again. As I keep saying, when you go against real competition, you don't win every play. But Cox was a factor once again, and had a direct impact on the game. Did not like the fact that we chose to run the "tackle-not-really-eligible" play on the two-point conversion attempt. That trick play has been done to death, and fools nobody anymore. Time to retire that one permanently. Please. Kudos to little Aiden Marshall for putting the ball down inside the Alabama five twice. And to the punt coverage players that were down there to down the ball. On Alabama's 55-yard kick return, I have no way of knowing, but I *think* the ball was supposed to be kicked to the left side, and it actually went to the right, which gave the return team a ready-made angle on the coverage. Thanks to the AU defense, no real harm came of that gaffe. Tremendous open-field tackle by Stephen Roberts on bama's Bo Scarborough on a key third down attempt. Roberts is around 185 pounds with his pads on, and Scarborough is a good 230. Not a form tackle for sure, but a tough one and one not everybody can make. Kerryon Johnson is a man. Enough said. I wasn't really sure what to think when Gus hired Kevin Steele as DC. Steele has been around forever, and I've always thought he was a little underrated. But let's face it, he's getting up there in years, and I wondered if he still had the fires. Well, he's been a fantastic addition to the AU football program. Alabama could not convert third downs, and could not keep their offense on the field. When Steele played lots of youngsters throughout the season, it hurt Auburn's defensive stats. But it built quality depth across the board, and that depth is paying huge dividends here at the end of the season. I'll be very disappointed if Steele doesn't win the Broyles Award this year. What can I say about Ryan Davis? 11 targets, 11 catches. I can remember lots of fans complaining about the WR screens last year. But with an athlete like Davis, those plays are dynamic. And it helps to have a QB who can put the ball on the money and get it out there quick. Davis, a former high school QB, is electric with the ball in his hands and a little open space. I could go on and on about this game, and I'm sure it's one we'll all talk about for a long time. I was impressed with Auburn's preparation, at both the micro and macro levels. I was impressed with the players, playing with great emotion and passion, but keeping it under control. The game plan, in all three phases, was well thought out, and well taught. Bottom line, we have the players...and the coaches....to compete with anybody in college football. If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time, and WAR EAGLE!!!! 22 19 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
For whatever reason, there are details about almost every Iron Bowl that seem to stick in our minds forever. I hear fans talk about "Bo over the top," or "Wrong Way Bo," "throwing deep to Ace Wright," "the Tillman Reverse," and on and on. This from people who can't remember whether they ate breakfast this morning, much less what they might have had. I won't belabor the point by guessing which plays from this year's Iron Bowl will become recognizable for decades, but suffice to say, at least from an Auburn standpoint, it's one we will remember very well and very fondly. I've been a college football fan for nearly the whole of a fairly long life, and don't recall ever having seen any team beat the number one-ranked team twice in a season, much less twice in a 14-day period. Yeah, I'll remember this one, for as long as I'm around to enjoy it. In the meantime, here are some of the things I think I saw in Iron Bowl #82, Auburn 26, Alabama 14..... Auburn opened the game with a variety of offensive formations. Not totally "new," but with little twists and tweaks that had to have caused Alabama some concern. Five wide, stacks to both sides, wide splits for the wide receivers, staggered splits, etc. Those things are small, of course, but have a surprising effect on an opponent's preparation and "tendencies" that have been drilled into players' head in the weeks leading up to the game. Saw one WR stack with H-back Chandler Cox lined up to block for a WR screen. Cox has lined up at WR before, and has even caught a pass out there, but him as a lead blocker for a guy like Ryan Davis is an exciting idea. Noticed that AU went nearly the entire game with Austin Golson at left tackle, Marquell Harrell at left guard, Dunn at center, and Braden Smith and Darius James at right guard and tackle respectively. Not sure why that combination was chosen, as I've thought Tega has been much improved in recent weeks, especially on pass protection. It may well have been because Harrell has improved to the point of being one of our "best five." On the subject of the AU offensive line, I was relatively happy with their play as a group this week. Yes, almost every one of them lost some battles.....that is going to happen when you are going against great competition.....but they all won more battles than they lost, which is pretty good considering the opponent. I thought the pass protection was, for the most part, very good. The growth of Jarrett Stidham over the course of the season has been remarkable. Sure, he had a great arm when he arrived, but he is a much, much better quarterback today than in September. He sees the pressure, recognizes the coverages, gets rid of the ball, etc. Early this season, I had my doubts about Chip Lindsey's reputation as a developer of quarterbacks, but he has earned my respect in that vein. Going into the season, we all recognized the potential in our defensive line. Those guys have certainly not disappointed, and their play vs Georgia and Alabama has been huge. They are tremendously talented, and they are very well-coached. It caught my eye once in the Iron Bowl when all four defensive linemen recognized an Alabama screen pass at the same time, and reacted accordingly. That's great coaching. Dontavious Russell, Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, Andrew Williams, Jeff Holland, and Nick Coe have ALL stepped up their game here in Amen Corner, and both individually and as a group, they've been instrumental in AU reaching the heights they currently enjoy. Jeff Holland didn't pile up stats in this game, but he was unquestionably a factor in Alabama's disappointing offensive numbers. Holland played a very intelligent game, using his speed and leverage to keep Jalen Hurts from escaping the pocket. Late in the game, when Auburn's pass rushers were nearly spent, Nick Coe made a couple of big plays. Reminded me that Coe was a national champion wrestler in high school. Anyone who has ever wrestled competitively knows how exhausting that sport can be. Coe pushed through the fatigue in the game and made a couple of key plays on a late Alabama drive. There's an old expression that goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same". Although Gus Malzahn credited Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt with "changing" the Alabama defense, they still brought the same two-man blitz from the wide side of the field that they were bringing in 2010. And as Gus pointed out on an ESPN show in 2010, there are ways to attack that scheme. Those were effective then, and were effective again in 2017. I've noticed Auburn freshman TD Moultry getting more and more playing time late this season, including in big games. Saw the youngster make a couple of excellent plays in this one, and, as is probably appropriate for a freshman stud, saw him get absolutely steamrolled by Alabama's Josh Jacobs on a kickoff return. He learned from the experience, though, as he nailed Jacobs on the next kick return. Experience is a tough teacher, but there's nothing better. Since Auburn won the game (and rather comfortably), I consider it ok to address the officiating. In short, I wasn't impressed. I don't have a problem at all with hard-nosed football, but I thought Alabama's Rashaan Evans should have been ejected for ripping off Stidham's helmet. Evans took a couple of other cheap shots that weren't called. I also don't mind "physical" pass coverage, but if you're going to allow it for one team, allow it for both. Seems like everyone's favorite football topic these days is "play calling." Fans talk about it, TV "experts" talk about it; even coaches talk about it. For my part, I thought Auburn's "play calling" this week was outstanding. With all their five-star players, the Alabama defense was slightly off-balance almost the entire game. The early Auburn onslaught on the perimeter had its desired effect, and the knot in the middle became looser and looser, allowing just enough room for AU to produce an "adequate" running game. Kudos to the Auburn secondary for limiting Bama WR Calvin Ridley to 3 receptions for 38 yards. There were mistakes made, but it's important to remember: when you are competing against a really good (can't bring myself to describe them as "great") opponent, you are going to lose a battle now and then. I thought the secondary played very well. Carlton Davis gets most of the credit for taking Ridley out of the bama offense, but I saw true freshman Jordyn Peters deny Ridley a critical catch once. Thought it was impressive that the youngster was trusted enough to be put in that position. Gotta give some credit to the Auburn crowd at the game. Made me proud when Saban told the CBS sideline reporter during his halftime interview, "I can't hear what you're asking me." I thought Chandler Cox played his tail off again. As I keep saying, when you go against real competition, you don't win every play. But Cox was a factor once again, and had a direct impact on the game. Did not like the fact that we chose to run the "tackle-not-really-eligible" play on the two-point conversion attempt. That trick play has been done to death, and fools nobody anymore. Time to retire that one permanently. Please. Kudos to little Aiden Marshall for putting the ball down inside the Alabama five twice. And to the punt coverage players that were down there to down the ball. On Alabama's 55-yard kick return, I have no way of knowing, but I *think* the ball was supposed to be kicked to the left side, and it actually went to the right, which gave the return team a ready-made angle on the coverage. Thanks to the AU defense, no real harm came of that gaffe. Tremendous open-field tackle by Stephen Roberts on bama's Bo Scarborough on a key third down attempt. Roberts is around 185 pounds with his pads on, and Scarborough is a good 230. Not a form tackle for sure, but a tough one and one not everybody can make. Kerryon Johnson is a man. Enough said. I wasn't really sure what to think when Gus hired Kevin Steele as DC. Steele has been around forever, and I've always thought he was a little underrated. But let's face it, he's getting up there in years, and I wondered if he still had the fires. Well, he's been a fantastic addition to the AU football program. Alabama could not convert third downs, and could not keep their offense on the field. When Steele played lots of youngsters throughout the season, it hurt Auburn's defensive stats. But it built quality depth across the board, and that depth is paying huge dividends here at the end of the season. I'll be very disappointed if Steele doesn't win the Broyles Award this year. What can I say about Ryan Davis? 11 targets, 11 catches. I can remember lots of fans complaining about the WR screens last year. But with an athlete like Davis, those plays are dynamic. And it helps to have a QB who can put the ball on the money and get it out there quick. Davis, a former high school QB, is electric with the ball in his hands and a little open space. I could go on and on about this game, and I'm sure it's one we'll all talk about for a long time. I was impressed with Auburn's preparation, at both the micro and macro levels. I was impressed with the players, playing with great emotion and passion, but keeping it under control. The game plan, in all three phases, was well thought out, and well taught. Bottom line, we have the players...and the coaches....to compete with anybody in college football. If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time, and WAR EAGLE!!!!
WDG 109 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Great Read and IMO it was the first game this year that Jaylon H realized it was not flag football WDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mcgufcm 4,096 Posted November 27, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted November 27, 2017 Thanks Coach. Two quick thoughts. First, stats or no stats, Carlton Davis was a monster on Saturday. He moved with Ridley into the slot or either side of the field for big chunks of that game. Ridley was a complete non-factor until the catch over the middle against a zone look. Monster performance. Second, the best complement I can give Moultry is, he doesn’t stand out, good or bad. On the best DL at Auburn in a long time, the true freshman just looks like one of the guys. He’s already very good. He’s going to be another of Garner’s monsters in the very near future. Credit to TD for his steady improvement all season. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDavE 332 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Sir, As always I enjoy reading your synopsis of our games. I thought one of the things that the UAT offensive line did and got away with for the most part was engaging the defensive guys and clasping the outside postion of the shoulder pads. I thought you had to keep you hands to the inside if you grabbed the player. A lot of times our player got steered and taken out of the play our held some before being let go. Isn't that something you would have to teach? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTigersfan89 256 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 When you look at the big picture of this game...Auburn dominated apart from their two scoring drives. Their early second half TD didn't phase our team at all. The offense went out there and got points. You'll see Bama fans talk about how bad of a game they played as they did the same in 2010 and 2013. They should realize it's no coincidence that they have 'bad games' when they lose to us. Their miscues on the botched FG, early snaps, and dumb penalties aren't isolated incidents to only their team—they let the game get to their head. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMR 2,118 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 59 minutes ago, WDavE said: Sir, As always I enjoy reading your synopsis of our games. I thought one of the things that the UAT offensive line did and got away with for the most part was engaging the defensive guys and clasping the outside postion of the shoulder pads. I thought you had to keep you hands to the inside if you grabbed the player. A lot of times our player got steered and taken out of the play our held some before being let go. Isn't that something you would have to teach? Yes, it is taught. Nobody else gets away with it consistently. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JGLEATON 1,244 Posted November 27, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted November 27, 2017 6 hours ago, WDavE said: I thought one of the things that the UAT offensive line did and got away with for the most part was engaging the defensive guys and clasping the outside postion of the shoulder pads. I thought you had to keep you hands to the inside if you grabbed the player. A lot of times our player got steered and taken out of the play our held some before being let go. ^^^^^^ THIS was BLATANT and i posted in the game thread, the only way they could contain Holland without double teaming him the WHOLE game!! and NEVER called... Holland had a HUGE Impact on them even though the stats don't show it, HE controlled THEM even with the TE getting away with holding. Great pic by our new Photographer here... 13 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredst 9,064 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Thanks Coach. Love your thoughts every week. The thing that excites me the most, whatever happens this coming weekend, is that Gus seems to have taken that LSU debacle as a real slap in the face and woken up to be the coach we all hoped he could be: aggressive, willing and able to make adjustments that make a difference (also prone to “cute” play calls like the weird 2-point try). Very proud of this team and staff- WDE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeagleAU 594 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, WDavE said: Sir, As always I enjoy reading your synopsis of our games. I thought one of the things that the UAT offensive line did and got away with for the most part was engaging the defensive guys and clasping the outside postion of the shoulder pads. I thought you had to keep you hands to the inside if you grabbed the player. A lot of times our player got steered and taken out of the play our held some before being let go. Isn't that something you would have to teach? Yep, I saw this too. Bammer has been getting away with this for years. THis is what pisses me off about SEC officiating being so bammer biased. I hardly see bammer being called for holding, but they sure like to call everybody else for it. Edited November 27, 2017 by WeagleAU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDavE 332 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, JGLEATON said: ^^^^^^ THIS was BLATANT and i posted in the game thread, the only way they could contain Holland without double teaming him the WHOLE game!! and NEVER called... HUGE Impact on them even though the stats don't show it HE controlled THEM. Great pic by our new Photographer here... Nice example..... I use to warn players about letting this happen to them. The offensive guy after gaining this grip can steer you in the direction he wants to take you and it makes it really hard to disengage. The UAT receivers blocking on the outside did this also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUApostle 7,648 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 (edited) A few things: 1. We're doing a fantastic job of containing scrambling QB's. The last 4 or 5 defenses were notorious for being over aggressive and giving up huge running lanes to mobile QBs. Saturday's pass rush was beautiful to watch our linemen work in tandem to contain Hurts and force out-of bounds throws. 2. We have sucked at throwing any type of screen for what seems like 2 decades... Ryan is a great athlete, Jarrett is a great QB, but most importantly, it appears we spend a ton of practice time working on those...the timing and ball placement is huge. Glad to see it become a strength. 3. Short slants...finally. Edited November 27, 2017 by AUDevil 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCeagle 16 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Evans speared Stidham right in the chin on a late hit that was not penalized or even mentioned on the broadcast. *Looking at you Gary*. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamB 2 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I saw the difference between UGA game and the UA game was Minkah (sp?) Fitzpatrick. He single handedly kept our offense from big plays and anytime they made a good play, there was 29. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linayus 676 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 It's frustrating to watch Bama's offense get away with hold after hold after hold. But it's also satisfying that it didn't help them in the least bit. I had to laugh when a Bama fan actually complained about the officiating in that game. Some people... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 33 minutes ago, AdamB said: I saw the difference between UGA game and the UA game was Minkah (sp?) Fitzpatrick. He single handedly kept our offense from big plays and anytime they made a good play, there was 29. That dude is the truth. Love to see Moultry mentioned. Talk about living up to the hype. And there's no one single play that defines this game and that's the best thing about it. We won this game from the first whistle to the last. We are the better football team, by no small margin. Gus is right. This one was different. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcrosson 203 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Big tip of the hat to Coach Garner for his outstanding recruiting and coaching. Our D line is consistently good under him, and phenomenal this year. How do you lose Lawson and Adams and actually get better? That's coaching and effort of the beasts we've had waiting in the wings. Huge kudos. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuburnNTexas 7,127 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 4 hours ago, JGLEATON said: ^^^^^^ THIS was BLATANT and i posted in the game thread, the only way they could contain Holland without double teaming him the WHOLE game!! and NEVER called... Holland had a HUGE Impact on them even though the stats don't show it, HE controlled THEM even with the TE getting away with holding. Great pic by our new Photographer here... We should send this and multiple other pictures like it to SEC Officiating Officials for review and send the same pictures to Gary Danielson after his smart a## remark about Georgia sending in pictures to SEC Officiating Officials. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyeCampAlum 335 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Splendid, Coach! A few thoughts I had. In addition to agreeing with or learning from everything you said. When Cox lined up wide, I told my wife to expect a quick pass there. Bama killed our receivers in those one on one blocking matchups on the quick WR screen, so that play was big. Just the same, it's a tell -- unless we have a complementary play. (Bama deserves credit for the quality of their corner play all night. Dang, they were tough.) Our coaches really helped the OL by keeping 7 in to pass protect and by throwing those crossing routes. We've been calling for those things all season. We'll need them this Saturday too. I've hated the Wildcat this year, even when it's worked. Johnson has never handed off. Well, he jump passed AND handed off. When you multiply the threat, the Wildcat is all the more deadly. I nearly wet myself when Roberts made that tackle. You could tell Scarborough thought he'd go right through it and was surprised to go down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinder 39 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 There is no way that Bama’s TE is the best blocker Holland has faced all year. He was clearly holding throughout the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autigeremt 6,560 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 "Anyone who has ever wrestled competitively knows how exhausting that sport can be." Damn straight! The only thing I ever did in life that comes close was when I was deployed in the Army. Wrestling is an exhausting sport. You literally expend every ounce of your energy every round....unless you aren't prepared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autigeremt 6,560 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 31 minutes ago, Grinder said: There is no way that Bama’s TE is the best blocker Holland has faced all year. He was clearly holding throughout the game. That's what bama has been doing for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 16,354 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 8 hours ago, JMR said: Jeff Holland didn't pile up stats in this game, but he was unquestionably a factor in Alabama's disappointing offensive numbers. Holland played a very intelligent game, using his speed and leverage to keep Jalen Hurts from escaping the pocket. This is such a good point ... Holland didn't hit the stat line but I noticed the same. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttott 18 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 As for the name of the game, I'm following Charles Barkley's proclamation on the ESPN pre-game show: this game will be known to me as the "Kick Ass" game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUloggerhead 2,225 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Great observations (as always) Coach. Love to read them every week and I hope you continue to do so as long as you're able. You are spot on about the development of Stidham from the beginning of the season until now. I've been impressed with his maturity and the way he handles interviews as well. A couple of comments for you: on the 2-point try, I was also wondering who (besides clueless announcers) is ever going to be fooled by the interior lineman split wide who raises his hands as if he is an eligible receiver? It's just maddening. And I disagree with you about the long KO return -- this has been a recurring problem all season long. Kick coverage has been turrible. This is an area that needs immediate attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDavE 332 Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 As someone who is goofy enough to record the game and then go back and look at plays in slo-motion. I would like to give a shout out to a player who do a lot of dirty work and doesn't get much in the way of publicity. Dontavius Russell I enjoy watching him play.... 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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