Things I Think I Saw: AU vs UAT

twilli13 · December 1, 2019

Welcome back JMR! Great insight....had been missing this last few weeks. War Eagle sir!!

around4ever · December 1, 2019

Welcome back Coach. I really missed your insight. As always, I feel like you were spot on with your observations.

abw0004 · December 1, 2019

@JMR, how did you think Troxell did at center?

fishepa · December 1, 2019

Welcome back!

Auctoritas · December 1, 2019

2 hours ago, JMR said:

I saw holding on pretty much every Alabama offensive snap. I didn't keep track, but I believe it was called ONCE.

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!!

A new record!

TitanTiger · December 1, 2019

2 hours 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!!

Welcome back, JMR.

Sizzle · December 1, 2019

I’m proud of everybody but I’m probably most proud of Anders. He struggled this whole season but in the biggest game of the year he had ice in his veins the whole game. He was automatic. He even got hit and still made one.

Good job by the oline too, 180 yards rushing and no sacks allowed

AuMarine · December 1, 2019

Welcome back @JMR. Thanks for your insight on the game. Love it.

doc4aday · December 2, 2019

As always, you are dead on right with your assessment of the game. You break things down very well for football novices such as me! I look forward to your bowl game assessment of which I know will be dead on accurate. I hope will win the bowl game and have our 2nd 10 win season in 2 out of 3 past seasons. To win 8 to 10 games next season will require a lot of discipline and dedication from the coaches and players.

Thanks & WDE

Doc

WarTim · December 2, 2019

Thanks Coach. Great work as always. God Bless and War Eagle!!!

provibe · December 2, 2019

Thanks Coach! Great to have you back!

tigerman1186 · December 2, 2019

Great to have you back....I know you mentioned Driscoll, but have to give a big shout out to the whole line...no sacks allowed...1st time they haven't had a sack since last year's game v. Clemson...

aucanucktiger · December 2, 2019

My favorite Mac Jones stat is the fact Auburn players gained almost as many yards off his throws as from Nix. 😂

Warbird82 · December 2, 2019

Coach, I would add to the scout team practicing holding on our guys with this...I hope our receivers practiced all week with someone hanging all over them. I guess I do not know what pass interference is any more. You would have thought we were playing a game in Central Park in NY with all the mugging going on. This has to be corrected with regards to the refs. The NFL solved it by not allowing the DBs to touch the receivers after 5 yards...do we need a rule change to help the refs? SMH...

Edited December 2, 2019 by Warbird82

RunInRed · December 2, 2019

Welcome Back, Coach!

Viper · December 2, 2019

7 hours ago, AUloggerhead said:

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.

I made mention of it in a thread last week...I've noticed throughout this season the refs have refused to call holding. On that one critical holding call that negated their TD, the only reason holding was called was because Coe was taken to the ground by the front of his neck collar. Had Coe somehow maintained his balance, I have zero doubts no flag would have been thrown.

aubiefifty · December 2, 2019

the legend is back! thanx for sharing the love with your auburn brothers and sisters..........

Cardin Drake · December 2, 2019

8 hours ago, Warbird82 said:

Coach, I would add to the scout team practicing holding on our guys with this...I hope our receivers practiced all week with someone hanging all over them. I guess I do not know what pass interference is any more. You would have thought we were playing a game in Central Park in NY with all the mugging going on. This has to be corrected with regards to the refs. The NFL solved it by not allowing the DBs to touch the receivers after 5 yards...do we need a rule change to help the refs? SMH...

Agreed, when Seth made that great 1 handed catch, it was because the db had a firm grip on his other wrist, and he couldn't use the other arm on the catch. I hate the arbitrary way it is called now.

oracle79 · December 2, 2019

20 hours ago, JMR said:

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.

Noticed that too, and glad to see Kodi not being a "yes" man there.

Slammer1 · December 2, 2019

22 hours 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!!

Glad you're back Coach but I know why you left. Great analysis of the Iron Bowl! I pretty much saw the same things in the game , especially the same old holding by bama. You and your family have a great Christmas and last but not least Semper Fi Marine!!

Slammer

tbone4jc · December 2, 2019

YES, YES, YES, YES!!! Welcome back Coach!!!

AUMASTERS · December 2, 2019

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

AU-24 · December 2, 2019

So glad you are back! I hope you are treated well! 😃

WarNole · December 3, 2019

I always enjoy your comments about the game. Betters my understanding of what to look for.

:wareagle:

WDE427 · December 3, 2019

Thank you!!!! I don’t know how long you have been back, but I am glad to read your work again. War Damn Eagle

Sign In

Things I Think I Saw: AU vs UAT

Recommended Posts

twilli13 600

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

JMR

aucanucktiger

AuJoe

Posted Images

around4ever 4,139

Link to comment

Share on other sites

abw0004 10,125

Link to comment

Share on other sites

fishepa 1,904

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Auctoritas 2,828

Link to comment

Share on other sites

TitanTiger 20,499

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Sizzle 3,916

Link to comment

Share on other sites

AuMarine 1,372

Link to comment

Share on other sites

doc4aday 1,887

Link to comment

Share on other sites

WarTim 3,456

Link to comment

Share on other sites

provibe 261

Link to comment

Share on other sites

tigerman1186 537

Link to comment

Share on other sites

aucanucktiger 1,794

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Warbird82 160

Link to comment

Share on other sites

RunInRed 16,430

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Viper 3,132

Link to comment

Share on other sites

aubiefifty 16,807

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Cardin Drake 1,834

Link to comment

Share on other sites

oracle79 3,569

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Slammer1 409

Link to comment

Share on other sites

tbone4jc 2,241

Link to comment

Share on other sites

AUMASTERS 555

Link to comment

Share on other sites

AU-24 3,102

Link to comment