Memo to Hugh Nall

[metafour 4,969]

Please ignore my inablility to properly quote. I didn't want to keep quoting response after response so I tried to delete some of them, and apparantly screwed it up.

Not trying to argue with you guys or anything, but I have a question for both of you since you guys mentioned dropping weight for a spread and how a spread line should play. How do you explain Texas Tech's line? They are by average the biggest in the country, and they must be very agile and athletic. I can't think of a team that passes more than they do, at least not one playing at their level. Most of the time they are coming out of the two point stance too, yet they rarely give up sacks. I realize they usually dump the ball off quick, but we tried that too and it didn't work. Their line doesn't get dominated very often like ours does (I'm looking at you Ziemba). They also manage to run block pretty well, I know that their threat of a devastating passing game loosens up the running lanes, but they still manage to blow people off the line down near the end zone. I'd just like some other opinions on this issue since the O Line problems have been very troubling this year and there seem to be vastly different opinions on the cause and solution of/to the problems. As an additional note, I don't claim to know enough about their recruiting classes, but I'd venture a guess that we are able to recruit better linemen than Texas Tech.

Any "spread blocking" excuse is pure garbage. I've seen countless posts about how the "meerkat" blocking scheme is the reason we cant block, or "you cant block out of the 2 point stance"....funny, every other successful spread offense blocks this way and they do it really well. "You cant run when you block like that" -- see West Virginia throwing up 250+ yards and blowing holes through us. The problem is that right now our line play is very bad, people think that if we just blocked like we used to that we'd be all good: what happened against Vandy and WVU when we tried to run 4 straight times at the goal line out of a power-running formation? We got nowhere. The weight-drop excuse is bogus too. I've seen lines chock-full of 340+lb guys that couldn't pass OR run block (see Buffalo Bills over the past few years), then I see the Denver Broncos turn any RB into a 1000+ yard rusher with 290-300lb linemen. The New England Patriots used the same blocking scheme with smaller guys and had the scariest offense possibly of all time. Right now the guys are playing very bad, and to me that should be put on Nall because he is the coach and I know for a fact that he wasn't in favor of this type of offense. Either he doesn't know how to coach blocking for a spread or he did a piss-poor job of doing it, either way he should be fired.

[autigeremt 6,792]

Muhahahahahaha!!!!!

What are you laughing at? I mean, your boys had to fight tooth and nail to beat us, and then you give up 50+ to Florida and UGA....

[subterranean_jack 112]

Please ignore my inablility to properly quote. I didn't want to keep quoting response after response so I tried to delete some of them, and apparantly screwed it up.

Not trying to argue with you guys or anything, but I have a question for both of you since you guys mentioned dropping weight for a spread and how a spread line should play. How do you explain Texas Tech's line? They are by average the biggest in the country, and they must be very agile and athletic. I can't think of a team that passes more than they do, at least not one playing at their level. Most of the time they are coming out of the two point stance too, yet they rarely give up sacks. I realize they usually dump the ball off quick, but we tried that too and it didn't work. Their line doesn't get dominated very often like ours does (I'm looking at you Ziemba). They also manage to run block pretty well, I know that their threat of a devastating passing game loosens up the running lanes, but they still manage to blow people off the line down near the end zone. I'd just like some other opinions on this issue since the O Line problems have been very troubling this year and there seem to be vastly different opinions on the cause and solution of/to the problems. As an additional note, I don't claim to know enough about their recruiting classes, but I'd venture a guess that we are able to recruit better linemen than Texas Tech.

Any "spread blocking" excuse is pure garbage. I've seen countless posts about how the "meerkat" blocking scheme is the reason we cant block, or "you cant block out of the 2 point stance"....funny, every other successful spread offense blocks this way and they do it really well. "You cant run when you block like that" -- see West Virginia throwing up 250+ yards and blowing holes through us. The problem is that right now our line play is very bad, people think that if we just blocked like we used to that we'd be all good: what happened against Vandy and WVU when we tried to run 4 straight times at the goal line out of a power-running formation? We got nowhere. The weight-drop excuse is bogus too. I've seen lines chock-full of 340+lb guys that couldn't pass OR run block (see Buffalo Bills over the past few years), then I see the Denver Broncos turn any RB into a 1000+ yard rusher with 290-300lb linemen. The New England Patriots used the same blocking scheme with smaller guys and had the scariest offense possibly of all time. Right now the guys are playing very bad, and to me that should be put on Nall because he is the coach and I know for a fact that he wasn't in favor of this type of offense. Either he doesn't know how to coach blocking for a spread or he did a piss-poor job of doing it, either way he should be fired.

Totally, totally agree. Nall should have been let go 2-3 years ago.

[mattd 3]

The problem usually comes down to QB and WR play. You can't take 5 guys and block 7 for very long. Your WR's have to get free and your QB needs to make good quick decisions...2 things that have plagued us for a few yrs...not line play.

[mattd 3]

One other thing..I have cousins that play college football and know alot of college coaches and former players. Nall is considered one of the best. He has been approached by NFL teams consistently and turned them down. So who should I believe 1 SEC coach, a CUSA coach, 2 SoCon coaches, 2 former NFL players or some guys on a message board?

[mcgufcm 4,107]

As for the guys Nall has put in the pros: McNeil and Grubbs were both first day draft picks (still have no earthly idea how Marcus slipped from the first round but the rest of the league saw how big a mistake that was when he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie). Duckworth and Reddick were rostered at one point. Green is going to get drafted fairly high this year (he is consistently listed as one of the top 3-5 OGs in the draft). Those are the only guys I could come up with.

[subterranean_jack 112]

The OL has underperformed for 3 consecutive seasons. You can blame the WRs for the passing game, but the OL has not opened holes for the RBs to run through. I don't know if the problem is recruiting or coaching, but Nall is responsible for both. He used to be a great coach, but he hasn't been getting the job done for years now.

[AU Mom 0]

This whole "Fire everybody" thing has jumped the shark. Enough already.

If we don't allow folks to make mistakes and fail magnificently, we will never try anything new.

These are 18-21 year old boys playing out there... and coaches they respect and are trying to follow. What does this tell them? That we only want the best there is? Winning is great. Character (ours) is more important.

It's a ballgame for crying out loud. My net worth or the happiness that I have with my family is not vitally changed but whether or not Auburn wins o Saturday. I love it when we do. I look forward to football season all year. I start every Saturday with Game Day and probably watch 3 games a week so I am not disinterested. I am merely disgusted by the tantrums thrown by children masquerading as adult fans.

[rtftiger 40]

As for the guys Nall has put in the pros: McNeil and Grubbs were both first day draft picks (still have no earthly idea how Marcus slipped from the first round but the rest of the league saw how big a mistake that was when he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie). Duckworth and Reddick were rostered at one point. Green is going to get drafted fairly high this year (he is consistently listed as one of the top 3-5 OGs in the draft). Those are the only guys I could come up with.

Kendall Simmons is a starter for Pittsburgh. Cole Cubelic was on a roster for a couple of years.

[Ryan Sanders 123]

I don't care who he has put in the NFL in the past.. for the past few years.. our QBs have not had time to throw and our running backs have no had holes to run through.

Spin it any way that you want.. but its the truth. His time is overdue at Auburn. I don't know if it is the players he has to work with (highly doubt!)... or his coaching. I think its the coaching.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Can't believe I forgot Kendall! The pride of Ripley, MS. Plus he was a fellow Biggin Hall alum (although he was fine art).

Ryan, I wasn't spinning anything. I just answered a question. Our line was pretty good last year. We didn't have an identity. Nall made a huge shift. We found one, and we were pretty good on the line the rest of the year.

[mattd 3]

I don't care who he has put in the NFL in the past.. for the past few years.. our QBs have not had time to throw and our running backs have no had holes to run through.

Spin it any way that you want.. but its the truth. His time is overdue at Auburn. I don't know if it is the players he has to work with (highly doubt!)... or his coaching. I think its the coaching.

Spin it? So I guess you guys do know more than ex NFL linemen and current college coaches. C'mon it's getting ridiculous on here. You guys don't have a clue. yes, the line has underperformed this year, but Nall is a heck of a coach. if he wasn't 3 NFL teams wouldn't have approached him over the last 5 years.

[aubie316 76]

This whole "Fire everybody" thing has jumped the shark. Enough already.

If we don't allow folks to make mistakes and fail magnificently, we will never try anything new.

These are 18-21 year old boys playing out there... and coaches they respect and are trying to follow. What does this tell them? That we only want the best there is? Winning is great. Character (ours) is more important.

It's a ballgame for crying out loud. My net worth or the happiness that I have with my family is not vitally changed but whether or not Auburn wins o Saturday. I love it when we do. I look forward to football season all year. I start every Saturday with Game Day and probably watch 3 games a week so I am not disinterested. I am merely disgusted by the tantrums thrown by children masquerading as adult fans.

I totally disagree...If it is just a ballgame then why are we paying our coaches so much and why are these

18-21 year old kids getting a free ride to one of the best colleges in the nation?

And I am disgusted by fans like you who come on here and try to keep people from expessing their

opinions! This is a football forum, if you don't like people who don't sunshine pump then don't come on

here and read the post! Then you want be disgusted!

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

This whole "Fire everybody" thing has jumped the shark. Enough already.

If we don't allow folks to make mistakes and fail magnificently, we will never try anything new.

These are 18-21 year old boys playing out there... and coaches they respect and are trying to follow. What does this tell them? That we only want the best there is? Winning is great. Character (ours) is more important.

It's a ballgame for crying out loud. My net worth or the happiness that I have with my family is not vitally changed but whether or not Auburn wins o Saturday. I love it when we do. I look forward to football season all year. I start every Saturday with Game Day and probably watch 3 games a week so I am not disinterested. I am merely disgusted by the tantrums thrown by children masquerading as adult fans.

I totally disagree...If it is just a ballgame then why are we paying our coaches so much and why are these

18-21 year old kids getting a free ride to one of the best colleges in the nation?

And I am disgusted by fans like you who come on here and try to keep people from expessing their

opinions! This is a football forum, if you don't like people who don't sunshine pump then don't come on

here and read the post! Then you want be disgusted!

Works both ways dude. She was just expressing her opinion and you get your panties in a wad. And that same dor is open to you too. Just MY opinion.