Why does a 41 point win seen so unsatisfactory?
After a game where two running backs combine for over 230 yards rushing, and the team gains 586 yards of total offense, why are so many Alabama fans dissatisfied with the performance of the offense?
Coach Saban was blunt in his post-game comments to the media: "We didn't finish drives. We settled for field goal attempts when we should have been trying to score touchdowns, and we missed two of those. We didn't execute with consistency." He's right, of course. Add two lost fumbles into the mix, and a plausible argument can be made that the Tide offense is not ready for prime-time SEC play.
The coaches made frequent substitutions along the offensive line. Barrett Jones saw action at tackle and center. Cyrus played early and often at left tackle. This mixing and matching contributed to some inconsistent play. So did early substitution at quarterback. This sort of disruption, however, is ultimately healthy, because it is only through game experience that younger players can mature.
Nevertheless, the same degree of substitution took place on defense, without a comparable drop-off in consistency and effectiveness. Not a single player who started the game participated in the "goal line stands"-the plural is fitting considering that NTU had first and goal at the Bama 2 yard line, and ran seven offensive plays before surrendering the ball on downs.
Compare that accomplishment to the offense making 5 trips into the Mean Green red zone and generating only 13 points!
Yesterday's game does not engender confidence in the offense unlike last week's win in Happy Valley. What's the difference between the two efforts? The one that comes first to mind is positional stability. While I typically consider a robust player rotation to be a sign of good coaching, I think this offense will benefit from stability along the offensive line and at quarterback. I don't get paid to coach, but Nick Saban does, and his post-game comments suggest that he thinks so too.
Here's how I grade the game:
Offense: D+ The quality of opposition requires a one letter-grade deduction, nevertheless, it's really hard to give such a low grade to an effort that produced 25 first downs, 347 yards rushing, and 21 pass completions out of 29 attempts. All those yards, and all those completed passes failed to generate the points that would have resulted from touchdowns. Alabama's first four possessions resulted in 20 points [FG, TD, TD, FG]; the next five, which spanned the half-time performance by the Million Dollar Band, produced a punt, a fumble, two missed field goals and one TD. The score during this dismal stretch-a nifty 58 yard run around left end by Trent Richardson that followed a 12 yard punt by NTU-was one of three single play scoring drives that Richardson and Eddie Lacy combined to deliver.
Richardson gained 167 net yards rushing and scored 3 TDs. His longest was a 71 yard scoring run in the 4th quarter.
Lacy rushed for 163 net yards and scored 2 TDs. His two touchdowns came on runs of 43 and 67 yards.
AJ completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 190 yards and was not intercepted. His longest completion was a 30 yard strike to Christion Jones.
Kenny Bell and Brad Smelley each had 4 receptions. Smelley was AJ's favorite target early in the game. Brandon Gibson and Marquise Maze each had 3 receptions and all total, 9 different players caught passes. Darius Hanks returned to action for the first time this season and caught 2 passes for 20 yards.
Alabama had seven drives in excess of 40 yards [69, 58, 76, 58, 68, 71, 67] resulting in 5 TD's a FG and a missed FG. The offense lost two fumbles.
Defense: B+ The one-grade deduction rule applies to the defense as well, but I have to think that there are few teams on our schedule that will find success moving the ball and scoring points if the Stop Troops continue to play the way they did yesterday.
NTU was held to 169 total yards [68 rushing] and converted only 5 of 17 third downs. The Greenies had 12 meaningful offensive possessions. These resulted in 10 punts, a missed FG and a turnover on downs.
Will Lowery was the leading tackler on the night with 7 [5 solo]. Mark Barron was also credited with 7 stops [4 solo]. Vinnie Sunseri had 6 [3 solo]. Dont'a Hightower made 5 tackles including 2 for 6 lost yards and hurried the NTU quarterback.
Tide defenders made 7 tackles for lost yardage, broke up 8 NTU passes and blocked a field goal attempt [Robert Lester].
Special Teams:
Punting: A Cody Mandell interrupted his calculus homework with 5:30 to play in the first half in order to make his only punt of the night [35 yards, no return]. Marquise Maze and Christion Jones handled returns for the Tide. Maze had 5 returns for 56 yards. His longest was 28 yards, made possible by two excellent down field blocks, including one superb de-cleater by Vinnie Sunseri, who is emerging as one of the move valuable players on special teams.
Kicking: A Kickoffs averaged 64 gross yards per kick, and netted an average of 50.9 yards. Coverage was excellent.
Place Kicking: D+ Missing two makable filed goals should result in a failing grade, however, being good from 26 and 37 and perfect on 5 PAT attempts are mitigating factors.
Coaching: B- The coaches get the one-grade deduction applicable to the offense and defense. Bama was penalized only twice and the participation report reflects that 66 players saw action Saturday night. Coach Saban saw the same game the rest of us did: "We are just not executing on offense and it is giving us negative plays. I am not very pleased with the way we played on offense."
Alabama fans are often accused of never being satisfied. We're "glass-half-empty" types. When you can whip a team 41-0 and the head coach is not pleased with the offense, it's comforting to know that Saban is not a "glass-half-empty" type; he's more of a "glass? what glass" type.
So now, Alabama gets ready for league play with the Hogs coming to Tuscaloosa next Saturday. The players and coaches are already working on Arkansas. They don't have time to look around the SEC and consider the performance of other teams; but we do.
Vanderbilt is 3-0 and James Franklin is the first VU head coach since WW II to open his tenure with three victories. Auburn, which is two plays away from being 0-3 is 2-1 having lost by 14 points to Clemson in a game that had all the glamor of two mules fighting over a turnip. Tennessee, which was flying high after going 2-0 against Montana and Cincy, went to Gainesville and lost 33-23 to the Gators. A headline in The Daily Fishwrapper says it all: Same Old Swamp, Same Old Vols. The score is deceiving, UT was never really in the game. And the Fighting Chickens only managed a 3 point win over Navy! Better than a loss, to be sure, but you have to know that the Father and Son relationship between Steve Spurrier and Stephen Garcia has to be more like Home Simpson and Bart than Sheriff Andy Taylor and Opie.
Notwithstanding the work to be done in the film room and on the practice field, yesterday was a great day to be in Tuscaloosa. So will this coming Saturday. I hope to see you there.
Pulled pork, anyone?
The Commissioner
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