QB Pressure

[LPTiger 5,262]

I wrote yesterday about us not having a go to #1, #2 or #3 receiver based on catch stats and noted we are behind each of Vandy, Missou and Kentucky in receiver catches and yards.  The truth is I can't think of any stat category (other than Simpson and ints) where we have a players/players who have better than just average stats.  

One area that I has consistently been a struggle for us for years, is having a player or players who can consistently get pressure on the QB.   It seems to have been a rare occasion for us to need a big third down stop and we have 2 or 3 guys meeting at the QB. Think about UGA's last 3 possessions, all of which ended up as scores.   If we get one sack, we beat the number 1 team in the country and break their what 23 game win streak.   But, we couldn't get home (and as I recall we were rushing 3 a lot of the time😩, and we lost.  

Our offense, IMO, looks a lot like Alabama's.  The difference in our record and their's is that teams that get in 3rd and long against Bama have a real uphill climb. In that scenario Bama gets after the QB and, at a minimum, forces a quick throw.  Arky would have beaten them at BD last Saturday but for Bama's pressure on the QB.  

I couldn't find SEC stats on QB hits so the only stat I can find on QB pressure is sacks.    Our sack leader, Asante, is 18th in the conference.  8 teams (Bama, ATM, UT, MS St, Arky, Missou, UK, OM) have 2 players with more sacks than Asante's 3.    No one is better in the conference than Dallas Turner who has 7 sacks.   And even when he isn't getting sacks, he is forcing a quick throw. Bama's number 2 sack leader has 5.   The 2 of them have the same number of sacks as our team.

If we had either Turner or Bama's number 2, I think we would have beaten UGA.   The coaches thought McCleod would be that type of player.  Our other players talked about how explosive he was, couldn't be blocked, etc.   He has .5 sacks.   Some of that is no doubt related to his early game injuries.  Maybe Faulk will become that type of player.   He isn't right now.

In today's game, in order to be elite, you have to have 1 or more elite pass rushers.   Yesterday, Saban talked about their place kicker's NIL deal being the reason the kicker returned to Bama (and broke Carlson's scoring record).  If their kicker has a nice NIL deal, I wonder what Turner's must look like.

[AUApostle 7,665]

Nevermind, just read your post from yesterday.

Edited October 17, 2023 by AUApostle

[EastAl_Tiger 228]

Don't forget the Safety type blitzes as well.  Auburn correctly blocks them once in a blue moon. and executes one almost as often.  Scheme? Personnel? I saw what I think was a LB or S blitz by AU last week and on cue, he runs into the blocker/scrum instead of finding a weak point and attacking.    

[WillMunny 1,445]

I don't have stats to offer, but my 7-year-old grandson can completely spell "Mississippi" before we touch the QB.  We give him all day to throw. 

And opposing offenses must get real confident when they reach 3rd down against us.  Conversion seems almost automatic, no matter the distance.

CHF has a lot of recruiting to do before these things will get appreciably better.  It's a minimum 3-year plan, whether we like it or not.

[ArgoEagle 1,968]

Great post LP.  Some of us "arm chair QB's seem to be able to spot the causes of our ineptness on pass defense.  Our DB's are more than adequate in coverage, but when the opposing QB has 5-10 seconds to throw with 0 pressure on him; we get picked apart & the DB can't seriously be expected to hang with highly talented receivers for that long. It's killing us!

Edited October 17, 2023 by ArgoEagle

[Mims44 1,958]

5 hours ago, WillMunny said:

I don't have stats to offer, but my 7-year-old grandson can completely spell "Mississippi" before we touch the QB.  We give him all day to throw. 

And opposing offenses must get real confident when they reach 3rd down against us.  Conversion seems almost automatic, no matter the distance.

CHF has a lot of recruiting to do before these things will get appreciably better.  It's a minimum 3-year plan, whether we like it or not.

I love the idea of timing things by how quickly my youngest kids can spell words