Things I Think I Saw: AU vs UAT

[JMR 2,118]

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!!

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!!

[Mr Bad Example 126]

thank you sir and enjoy your reads welcome back

[Grumps 3,704]

Thanks Coach!!! Great as always! War Eagle!!!

[fredst 9,064]

Thanks for coming to post coach! Love seeing your insights!

[I_M4_AU 7,858]

Thanks for coming back with your thoughts, much appreciated. 

[doug3020 842]

Glad to see you back. 

[WVR 818]

Thanks Coach for your insight. Always look forward to your post.

Edited December 1, 2019 by WVR

[wde21 344]

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!😂

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

Great post . Thank you Sir 

[BJCrawford 1,568]

So glad you’re back! Thank you and war Eagle!

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

Great post! Glad to have you back for your insights on this game.  

[AURealist 2,185]

Thanks for the post.   Always a good read.  

[AUloggerhead 2,238]

Welcome back Coach!  About the holding calls -- I was absolutely floored that uat was called for that in the 1st qtr!  Seems to me that when an OL places both arms outside the frame of the DL, well that should be a no-brainer holding call.  But that's apparently not the case any more.  It's all subjective now.  

Great to see you back.  WDE Coach.  

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Thanks for this. Coach!  Always a treat to read about things you thought you saw.  War Eagle!

[ChltteTiger 649]

Very enjoyable reading your game takes this season thank you!

[Tigger1985 809]

Look forward to your post.

[Sully to Beasley 643]

Glad you are back sir. I always have enjoyed your insight into Auburn football.

[saminbama 740]

Welcome back Coach.  We've really missed your insight.  Please never pay attention to idiots.  You could tell the defensive lineman were gassed, but they sucked it up and kept going.  The crowd really helped us and the Worm was AUsome on his touchdown run.  Knocking 15's helmet off helped on the 2 point conversion.  You tell they were confused on the coverage.   Carlson came out of his slump with a huge bang.  It was truly a total team win.  Again, welcome back.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

Thanks for the post. Great read . Agree with everything . Shauns TD run as soon as it happened I thought I haven’t seen that kind of explosion since Bo trucked Heath . The DB and Heath both had the same expression on their face like “ WTH just happened”. 😂

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, JMR said:

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!!

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!!

Thanks for the report.....appreciate seeing you back on the board.   AND per your comment....Boobee is a huge mixed  blessing to this team...catch passes, drop passes, get needless penalties, rip off some good runs and break tackles.     Coaches probably lose sleep over what to do with him. 

[musicitytiger 281]

About the holding........do you think refs are no longer going to call it?  Or does the sec just need to cut this crew and bring in new blood?

[PigskinPat 2,579]

Thank you, @JMR!!!! MANY of us have been hoping you would return to writing these posts and you didn’t disappoint. Well done, sir!

[drsteve87 91]

Thanks Coach. Always enjoy reading your insight and listening to your podcasts. It is educational for us non-coaches to get your rational perspective.

[AidiAU 1,270]

Aghhhhh! Seeing you back finished off an AUsome weekend. So glad to read your thoughts. You were missed. 

[abw0004 10,125]

Welcome back!!