I'd really like your serious take on the second half. I know it's hard for you, but let's have a real football discussion here. Most of us admire your knowledge of football but your personality can be so off-putting most of the time we just wish you would die in a fire.
3rd QTR Nice work by OL, Davis Pierce and, yes, EJ. He is feeling pressure better and he is a run first QB. As strange as it is for me to say that's, bc you know I want the passes flying around everywhere, a run team is just what we have to be. EJ throws better on the run, too. Our skillset right now is run, run, run and we are pretty unimpressive at TE and WR. Just run.
I really like what Pierce has become. He is a load in short yardage. Davis has the hands we knew he did and seems to have the burst he has lacked since his freshman year and that injury. Sometimes it takes a while post injury. Nayquon flashed too.
I didnt watch closely, the way I used to do. Not really sure what Trailerbammer did defensively in the second half. They have a 4-3 look although I think one's a Jack/Buck DE/LB and the other is a safety backer hybrid. It should be enough numbers but they are small for an Alabama team. Good for us.
Honestly I'd like to see us with more of seven in the box rather than six, and playing a star who was better vs the run.
Those few throws to the tight ends seem to have softened them up a little.
There's no way around it we just don't play well on the first quarter. We haven't under Mullenz usually, especially in games vs decent teams. In many ways it's the exact opposite of Sharky, who would have a few good scripted plays at first and then be terrible the rest of the game.
We undoubtedly are better after halftime most games. This does mean good coaching responses in the lockerroom, I must admit.
I just wish we were prepared at the start of the game and didn't keep falling so far behind vs Bammer and Ugly. I don't really know what causes that, what part of preparation we're not getting right. Or is it just motivation, I don't know. maybe we stick by the game plan no matter what and prefer to not make changes until halftime? It is hard to know.
Defense. DL in general showed up. It was no longer just effortless movement for their offense. Again I didnt watch slowly and see what each position was doing like I used to. I didnt take a lot of notes on defense. in general safety play is not completely garbage like it was the last 2 years. I like what I see out of 22, 16, 27 and even how 24 has developed since his poor start.
Moon covers a LOT of ground. He is a liability inside but his ability to cover the flat is huge. We have been missing that.
They were moving the ball but it's still not just too damn easy like it was in first QTR. Everything worked for them innthe 1st Qtr and was effortless.
Our edge defense on goal line is crap. I dont know why our jumbo package has a safety playing LB instead of you know a LB especially since we have a dozen little fast LBs. We looked bad versus USF I think on their last play and we look no different today. It was 4th down on Alabama's first scoring drive in the third quarter. To me that is just lack of preparation like that could have changed the final score. It's not happenstance that they ran the exact same formation that USF did.
Weston, the Mullen special, it hard to believe we can't find someone to catch kickoff without letting the ball get into his pads.
The 99 yard drive seem to take a couple years off Saban. he looked gray.
The 2 pt play...... wouldnt it have been nice to have a big fullback style QB battering that in? If only we had one. And a power RB, like you know, Pierce.
Watching that 2 pt play again, from the other angles they showed at the end of the game. Im not sure that EJ didnt try to pull it and Davis wasnt having it.
Also, if you just want to have some fun, pause all the plays Big Dez is on the field and watch Alabama try to slow him down. He wasnt having it. The think he was doing this to high school kids a few months ago.
Finally, Butters can DIAF.
