Ole Miss Grades

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As Denny Chimes struck midnight-a sound I have not heard in so long I can't recall the last occasion-I was none too happy with the state of Alabama football. Sure, the Tide had beaten an opponent from the SEC West by 19 points, but we were out-played in the third quarter and outscored in the second half. Field goals were kicked where touchdowns ought to have been scored, and the Ole Miss Rebellious Black Bears, or whatever they are calling themselves now, ran an up-tempo, no-huddle offense that earned 16 first downs and 218 total yards of offense.

My initial impressions were that special teams had earned high marks, but the offense and defense had been middling at best. But after a good night's sleep and some reflection, I have revised my evaluation upwards.

Let's put the 2012 Crimson Tide into some perspective: When Ole Miss scored to take the lead 7-6, it marked the first time since October 22, 2011 that Alabama trailed in regulation, and that deficit lasted all of 15 seconds. Alabama has been tied or ahead at the half in every game since the South Carolina game played on October 9, 2010. AJ threw two touchdown passes, giving him 12 on the year. He has recorded two or more TDs in four of the five games played so far this season and he has thrown 206 pass attempts without an interception. Alabama has scored in each of its 24 red zone appearances so far this year [16 TDs 8 FGs]. Tide defenders sacked Ole Miss quarterbacks 5 times marking the 6th time in 7 games that the defense has recorded 3 or more sacks. Ole Miss scored 7 points in the first half, making last night's game the 21st of 22 consecutive games where opponents have been held to 7 or fewer points before the Million Dollar Band takes the field at intermission.

So the state of Alabama football is far from dire. Is there work to be done? Certainly, especially along the offensive line. Is there reason for panic? Absolutely not. At the same time, however, there is no reason whatsoever for complacency.

Here's how I grade the game:

Offense:         B-        Alabama earned 17 first downs [only 5 rushing] and 305 total offensive yards [125 rushing]. Eddie Lacy ran for 82 net yards on 19 carries and TJ Yeldon gained 38 yards on 10. Ole Miss was determined to stop Alabama's running game and for the most part it did so. The offense had the ball five times in the first half and scored on four of those drives [2 FG; 2 TD]. Thanks to excellent special teams play, and take-aways on defense, Alabama had 20 points on the scoreboard before it had an offensive drive of at least 40 yards.

On the night, the offense only had three long drives [68, 51, 69] but only scored a single TD while kicking 2 FGs.

AJ had a statistically very efficient night, completing 22 of 30 pass attempts with no interceptions and scoring 2 TDs, both to freshman Amari Cooper.

Cooper led all receivers with 84 yards on 8 catches. His two TDs were instant highlight reel material. The first was initially ruled incomplete, but on review the officials agreed with the fans watching the replay on the jumbo-trons; Cooper had possession of the ball and a foot down in bounds as he crossed the plane of the goal line. The second was a steal over the head of a defensive back who was in perfect position to put an end to AJ's consecutive-pass-attempts-without-an-interception streak.

Eddie Lacy caught 3 passes for 15 yards and Kevin Norwood added 20 yards on 2 receptions. Ten different receivers caught passes.

Although the second half only produced two FGs, the Tide dominated the time of possession in the fourth quarter with the last two drives consuming 25 plays, 120 yards and 13:38 of game time.

The offense converted 11 of 18 possession downs and dominated total time of possession: 34:59 to 25:01.

Defense         B         Ole Miss earned 218 yards of total offense [80 rushing] and completed 19 of 33 pass attempts for 138 yards, however, three second quarter interceptions effectively put the game in the "Win" column.  The Grays had 11 offensive possessions resulting in 2 TDs, 6 punts and 3 picks. The defense held Ole Miss to 8 of 17 third down conversions but allowed Ole Miss to convert on 2 fourth down plays.

The Ole Miss scoring drives were both long [75, 70] and involved multiple plays [13, 16]. Coach Saban said after the game that the no-huddle proved to be a challenge for our defense.

CJ Mosley recorded 8.5 tackles [7 solo], Vinnie Sunseri had 5.5 stops [5 solo] and Trey Depriest was credited with 5 tackles [4 solo]. The Tide tackled Ole Miss ball carriers 8 times for lost yardage [5 sacks], broke up 8 passes and hurried the quarterback 6 times. Deion Belue, Dee Milliner and Robert Lester made interceptions.

Special Teams:

Kicking:          A+       Christion Jones returned an Ole Miss kick off 99 yards to erase the temporary scoring advantage the Rebs had achieved in the second quarter and Cade Foster averaged 41.2 net yards per kick with 7 touchbacks. The single Ole Miss kick return gained only 15 yards.

Punting:         A-        Cody Mandel punted for an average of only 37.7 yards; however, only one punt was returned. Dee Hart returned 2 punts for 22 yards.

Place Kicking:          A+       Jeremy Shelley was good on all four FG attempts [38, 38, 26, 24] and on each of three PATs.

Coaching:     B         The Tide was penalized twice and the participation report lists 50 players who saw action. DeAndrew White and Dee Hart are listed today has having suffered knee injuries requiring evaluation on Monday. Deion Belue is listed with a shoulder injury.

I had been saying it all week: "Alabama needs to be tested."

I even said it during Saturday night's game, and the typical response from people was: "OK, but not against Ole Miss!"

At least Coach Saban agreed with me; up to a point. Following the game, he told reporters: "You have to give Ole Miss a lot of credit. They played hard and with a lot of toughness. We had a lot of respect for their team coming into this, but nobody really listens to me until after the fact and then they say 'Yeah, you were right.' "

I know. It's hard to believe that nobody listens to what Coach Saban has to say. Here's something else he said: "We tell our players to do it right to start with, and prepare the right way." Whether or not fans or the media listen to Coach Saban, I expect the players do. And I expect that the lessons to be learned from the Ole Miss contest are going to be driven home over this week's open date.

On a final note: We had the opportunity to view pre-game warm-ups from the sidelines yesterday. Let me say this: these athletes are big, fast and scary. Even the pre-game hits the players exchange have an impressive kinetic energy. Moreover, Bryant Denny Stadium is loud down on the field, even during warm-ups; I can't imagine how loud it must get during the game.

The Commissioner

 

  

FAU Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Thanks for the grades, Commissioner.  We mostly agree, though it is hard to tease much out of a game like this one.  We do agree with the special team grades because quality of opponent doesn’t have much to do with whether you make 50+ yard field goals and drop your only punt deep in the opponent’s territory.  And we agree with a minus for the defense for not getting off the field on the last FAU drive.  Though to be fair, there were at least 5 or 6 guys out there who were attending their high school prom at the end of May.  And yes, our defense is a little softer with our third string nose tackle, but overall that was not a bad effort, not bad at all.  FAU earned a touchdown, but it was hard earned.   What was silly was the way they celebrated about it.

Further proof of the value of the S&H’s comments is that Alabama went out and dominated a team it should have.  Remember, these are supposedly the days of college football parity.  A B+ for 40 points and over 500 yards of offense and a whole quarter led by the apparent third string quarterback (I know, I know, but he came in third) is a mark that the Alabama football world is once again “spinning in greased grooves.”

Let’s not make any mistake here, FAU is a really poor football team.  The biggest player on their defense is about the size of our starting tight end.  We have discussions here from time to time about how hard it is to truly rate the best team in college football without head to head competition.  The other end of the list is equally challenging to compile, but it is fair to say that if you were voting for the bottom three teams in the FBS, FAU would have a spot on the ballot.  That said, they played current top ten Georgia to a tie in the first half just a week ago.

You knew it was coming and we hesitate to disappoint.  Folks, you probably couldn’t see it if you weren’t at the game, but we almost lost Coach Saban Saturday evening.  For most of the game he had been fussing at the officials.  By the fourth quarter, he was using a volume and posture that he would normally reserve for someone who fair caught a punt at our own one-yard line.  When we were flagged for “sideline violation” giving FAU a first a goal at the five, our coach very nearly spontaneously combusted right there near the 15 yard line towards the south end zone.  They could have put in some sort of historical marker: “September 22, 2012, on this spot Coach Nick Saban’s head exploded and his body burst into flames after a brain-dead official called a penalty…”

Admittedly, several coaches from both teams had spent a good bit of time on the field, occasionally as far out as the numbers.  Also, as we understand a rule change going back three or four years, officials no longer have to give the traditional “side line warning” before assessing a penalty.  However, we also know from watching what has been described to us as an “awful lot” of college football (and yes, the Oregon game did go pretty late if you were watching in a hotel room where someone was trying to sleep) that the custom has been even since the rule change to provide one warning before actually assessing a penalty.  Not Saturday evening.  Coach Scott Cochran has responsibility for making sure this rule is not violated.  He even takes the liberty of occasionally grabbing Coach Kirby Smart (a serial violator) by the belt and dragging him backwards off the field.  Heaven knows what he’ll resort to during the Mississippi game Saturday night – he’s a man who takes his responsibilities seriously.  My advice is the next time Coach Saban is over at your house to borrow your hedge clippers or to shoot pool or whatever, that you not mention this to him -- or if you do, remember the old “stop, drop and roll” rule.

And because you brought it up (otherwise, it’s kind of like riding a motor scooter -- the sort of thing we’d prefer not to admit we had been doing) the LSU Auburn game was a game that could turn you into a rugby fan.  Here’s an example, LSU had well over 300 yards of offense on the game, and scored 10 offensive points.  Yes, that is offensive.   The 12 -10 final sounds more like a church league softball game.  The API fans should get a partial refund on their ticket fees for sitting through that one.   Of course, LSU will get better next week against Towson State.  We think it is in Maryland. 

The Correspondent From The Tire Store 

Florida Atlantic Grades

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My Son and Heir was the first one to say it, but over the next hour or so following the end of yesterday's game, I heard several fans express the same sentiment: Things are back to normal when Alabama can beat a team 40-7 and we talk about the things the team needs to do to improve.

Compare this state of affairs to the absurd post-game comments of Auburn's Gene Chizik who hailed last week's overtime win over Louisiana Monroe as a "great victory." I expect he will characterize yesterday's two-point loss to a lethargic LSU with similar hyperbole. We will come back to the Barn later. For now, let's examine the Tide's performance against the Owls of Florida Atlantic University.

Disregarding a fumbled punt, Alabama scored the first seven times it had possession of the football. The offense put together six drives that gained 40 or more yards. The Tide defense held the FAU offense to fewer than 7 1/2 feet per play and did not allow a possession down conversion until the 4th quarter of the game. Until FAU's final drive of the game, the Owls gained more yardage on the ground when the captains walked to mid-field for the coin-toss than they did in more than three quarters of play.

The 2012 Crimson Tide is a very good football team. In four games it has dominated each of its opponents. Still, there is work to do. Ball security remains an area of emphasis, several passes were dropped yesterday, and for the first time this season, the offense got bogged down in the red zone and had to settle for field goals rather than finishing drives with TDs.

Taking into account these and other issues, and factoring in the quality of the opposition, here's how I grade the game:

Offense:         B+       Alabama gained 503 yards total offense [256 rushing], earned 25 first downs [16 rushing] and converted 7 of 14 third downs. Offensive efficiency waned after the opening quarter. In the first stanza, Bama converted 5 of 5 third downs but in the second and third quarters the Tide was 1 of 7 in possession downs.

Eddie Lacy rushed for 106 yards on 15 carries mostly in the first quarter. TJ Yeldon gained 63 yards on 10 rushes and Kenyon Drake contributed 35 yards on 5 attempts. Dee Hart ran the ball 4 times for 29 yards and the Pride Of Gordo, Ben Howell, electrified the fans sitting around me with 20 yards and two rushing first downs on 4 carries.

Howell, by the way, can sell a fake better than a street vendor in Chinatown. After three straight runs on hand offs from Blake Sims, Howell had everyone at Bryant Denny Stadium convinced he had the ball for a fourth straight carry while Sims picked up a first down.

AJ completed 15 of 25 pass attempts for 212 yards and three TDs. AJ is 14 pass attempts short of Brodie Croyle's record of 190 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.

Amari Cooper caught 4 passes for 65 yards and Michael Williams added 25 yards on 4 catches. DeAndrew White caught 4 passes for 17 yards and a TD. Kenny Bell caught only a single pass, but it was good for 85 yards and a TD on the third offensive play of the game. Cyrus Jones, Brian Vogler and Christion Jones completed the receiving, each with a solo catch, Jones for a TD at the back of the end zone.

Alabama's 6 long drives [85, 63, 45, 95, 44, 44] produced 4 TDs, a FG and a punt. The 95 yard drive consumed 2:38 of the final 2:45 of the first half.

Defense:        A-        The Defense limited the Owls to only 110 yards of total offense [76 rushing]  but failed to force a turnover and allowed two fourth down conversions in the Owls' final possession that ultimately led to a TD. FAU had 10 meaningful offensive possessions in the game, and apart from the final, 75 yard drive, the Tide defense forced 7 three-and-outs.

CJ Mosley recorded 6 tackles. Tyler Hayes and Damion Square were each credited with 5 tackles. Landon Collins and Tana Patrick each made 4.

Special Teams

Place Kicking:          A+       Cade Foster was good from 52 [career high] and 46 while Jeremy Shelley was good from 26 and 30 and perfect on PATs. Jesse Williams blocked FAU's only FG attempt.

Kickoffs                      A         Foster had 6 touchbacks and averaged 41.6 net yards per kick on the few that were returned.

Punting:                     C+         A lost fumble on a punt return nearly qualifies for an automatic failing grade, however, Christion Jones and Dee Hart combined for 89 yards on 6 returns, which helps ameliorate the effect of the turnover. Cody Mandell was taking a nap over by the training table until the 1:47 mark in the third quarter, at which time he was gently awakened and sent into the game for his only punt of the day; a 29 yarded that he dropped like a sack of beach sand inside the FAU 15 yard line.

Coaching:                 A         The participation report lists 69 players who saw action against the Owls. Bama was penalized 3 times and earned 617 all-purpose yards. AJ, Lacy and Yeldon did not see action after the first possession of the second half. Blake Sims and Phillip Ely each got reps with the first-team offensive line, then substitutions from end-to-end began in earnest.

Unlike the approach to the Western Kentucky game, Coach Saban told reporters that the team had a very good week of practice and was focused on what the staff was working on.

The atmosphere in Tuscaloosa was terrific. The weather was splendid; sunny but mild with low humidity. In all it was a perfect setting to welcome first-year parents to campus on a game day.

When we returned to our hotel, we decided to have a glass of wine and watch TV in the lounge. I thought we were watching an episode of "Cops," but soon the Correspondent From The Tire Store arrived and pointed out that it was really the LSU-Auburn game. What a steaming mess that contest turned out to be! LSU played like it had been reading its press clippings all week rather than preparing to play a road game against a division opponent. And what each team lacked in skill and execution, they made up for in penalties. At one point an official had to be treated for carpel tunnel injury from having to throw so many penalty flags. That game had all the class and finesse of two junkies fighting over a dime bag.

With this loss, Auburn sinks to 1-3 on the year. You start to wonder whether they are going to be able to fill the seats in Jordan Hare Stadium if this keeps up much longer. Maybe that's why the Barn arranges such swell pre-game entertainment. Yesterday, for example, before the kickoff, the crowd was treated to an award ceremony honoring a faculty member for high achievement in poultry science. .... That was not a joke.  Poultry science is a valuable field of study. What would covered-dish suppers be like if it were not for this academic endeavor? Thanks to Auburn's contribution to mankind's body of knowledge, we will never have to know.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 48-3 handing the 'Dores their worst loss since 2003. I hate to say it, but it makes me start to wonder how long it will take James Franklin to truly make a difference out on West End Avenue.

Tennessee defeated one of the polyesters 47-26 but at one point in the second quarter, Akron led the Vols 23-20.

Florida beat Kentucky 38-0. News reports don't disclose whether Joker Phillips was given a bus ticket after the game to any destination other than Lexington.

Missouri got another lesson in what playing in the SEC will be like as the Fighting Chickens ripped the Tigers 31-10. Connor Shaw completed 20 of 21 pass attempts for 249 yards and added another 21 yards rushing. Evidently, the Carolina signal caller is sufficiently recovered from his shoulder injury sustained in the season opener against Vanderbilt.

Ole Miss comes to Tuscaloosa next Saturday fresh off a 39-0 pasting of Tulane. The Rebs gained 304 yards rushing and scored 4 rushing touchdowns against the Green Wave while their defense held Tulane to only 14 yards rushing and 159 total offensive yards. In August, who would have predicted that Mississippi would be Alabama's toughest September opponent? But after Michigan was exposed as overrated, and Arkansas collapsed into a poorly coached scrum, that is exactly the state of affairs.

The Tide cannot afford to take Ole MIss lightly. The way this team has responded since WKU gives me confidence that the Alabama players will be focused and well prepared to play their best. After all, that is what The Process is all about.

RTR

The Commissioner

 

Arkansas Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Just excellent, Commissioner.  Further commenting about the state of Arkansas football feels a little bit like piling on at this point.  Maybe Petrino was trying to get himself fired.  I know they were missing their #1 quarterback who is quite good and all, but he does not play defensive back (although their starting full back is also their backup middle linebacker and until last week, one of their quarterbacks was a wide receiver) or offensive line.  I have trouble figuring out how he planned to win with this supporting cast, much less be a top ten team.  And if anyone knows what it feels like to see a proud program betrayed by failures at the top, it is Alabama fans.  Good luck to the Hogs.  For us, after a game like this is it best to ignore the opponent and focus on yourself.

As you have pointed out, there are areas to improve.  Alabama committed too many penalties in the game.  Jones caught a ball that should have been fair caught and nearly turned it over.  Our defensive backs/safeties have some communication issues that cannot still remain against teams like Missouri, Tennessee and LSU.  We still have issues on the edge with the speed rush.  We are still searching for the best combination of players for nickel and dime.

But focusing on ourselves also means acknowledging that some things are improving.  The kicking game, which has at times been a liability (and at times been the sort of unit that makes you hold your breath) is not only rounding into shape, it is becoming a weapon.  I would never lower a grade for a kicker asked to kick a 50+ yard field goal, especially in the rain.  The much-maligned Foster made one and missed another by, literally, the width of the football.  He also recovered a fumble, caused by back up running back Dee Hart, who was as excited as if he had scored a touchdown.  We kicked off the football into the dadgum end zone repeatedly.  The offensive line played much better.  Backup players like Kenyon Drake showed that the future is bright.   Jalston Folwer's loss was covered well.  Seeing gigantic Jesse Williams in the backfield brought back all sorts of memories, including when he ran the wrong way. Best of all Eddie Lacy hit the holes fast and hard and once, Coffee/Ingram/Richardson like had two Hog defenders bounce off him at the same time.  I still do not think he is quite back to the level he was before his foot and ankle injuries, but you can bet the rest of the league is not happy to see him at even this level.  Coach Stallings is famous for saying that you shouldn't flaunt your success, but you don't have to apologize for it either.

It will be an interesting matter to see if the team will be able to put this game behind it and perform at a higher level against Florida Atlantic than they managed after the Michigan game.  If so, that too is significant.

Because much more comment about the game seems like putting syrup on a chocolate bar, I'm going to say a word about CBS.  I have not ever been much of a fan of the Verne and Gary show.  And watching games on other networks would lead you to believe there is some truth to that old saw about it standing for Commercials Before Sports, but yesterday may have been a new low.  Verne mangled so many different names that the drinking game where you have to take a slug every time he mispronounces a name will have to be cancelled because too many fans will pass out.  Yesterday he (at least twice) had A.J. McCarron playing for ARKANSAS.  Which is ok, I guess, because when he was under center for us he called him T.J.  He even has Gary doing it now.  Look, I know these two guys knew that yesterday had the makings of a blow out and if they could have changed games like ESPN changed Game Day, they would have.  But that's no excuse for repeatedly mangling the names of starters, assigning them to the wrong teams, describing the Tuscaloosa "hurricane," etc.  I'm sure Verne is a nice gentlemen.  I hope he enjoys his retirement.  I hope it starts before CBS broadcasts another one of our games.

Roll Tide everyone.  See you at Parents Weekend. 

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Arkansas Grades

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I must have missed it at the time.

Back in the spring, when Bobby Petrino went on his ill-fated joy ride, I thought that he just had his girlfriend riding with him on the Harley. In hindsight it now appears that the entire Arkansas football program went into the ditch with him that day. At least, that's as good an explanation as any for the Hogs' collapse into irrelevance a mere three weeks into the 2012 season.

Yesterday, Alabama beat Arkansas like a snitch in a prison riot. It was ugly and it was comprehensive; there was no aspect of the game where Arkansas was not completely dismantled. Indeed, the only truly competitive moment came at the coin-toss, and the Tide even won that. 

It was a beating of historic proportions: the first time in 46 years that Arkansas has been shut out at home; the first time since Coach Bryant was head coach that Alabama has recorded consecutive shutouts; the Tide's largest margin of victory against a conference opponent since beating Auburn 55-0 in 1948. But Bama fans should take these delicious morsels with a grain of salt. Alabama played far from a perfect game. True enough, Alabama had better athletes and more of them, but the Hogs were riddled with injuries to key players and the healthy ones-in the post-game opinion of injured quarterback Tyler Wilson-quit on each other in the second half. Moreover, there remain lessons to be learned and corrections to be made. AJ fumbled a snap from center, we were penalized seven times and averaged only 35 yards per punt.

That being said, however, this was a huge win over a division rival that some pundits had picked to play for the SEC Championship. Here's how I grade the game:

Offense:         A         What other grade can you give to a team that scores 52 points on the road against an SEC opponent? The Tide earned 22 first downs, equally divided between rushing and passing and gained 438 yards total offense [225 rushing] on the way to scoring 7 offensive TDs [6 rushing].

Kenyan Drake gained 57 yards on 6 carries and scored a touchdown. TJ Yeldon carreid 13 times also for 57 yards and a TD. Eddie Lacy scored 3 rushing TDs in his 12 carry, 55 yard performance. Blake Sims added 25 yards and a TD on two rushes and Dee Hart ran 4 times for 21 yards. Special kudos, however, are due to senior running back Ben Howell; number 34. The 5' 9", 194 lb. pride of Gordo High School carried the ball 6 times for 18 yards in his SEC debut. What a testimony to love for the game and quality of coaching.

Through the air, Tide quarterbacks completed 14 of 20 pass attempts. AJ completed 11 of 16 for 189 yards and a TD [Amari Cooper]. Phillip Ely [2-3-0; 15 yds] and Blake Sims [1-1-0; 9 yds] rounded out the QB duty.

Christion Jones was the leading receiver, snagging 3 passes for 74 yards. Amari Cooper caught 2 passes for 46 yards and a TD. Michael Williams and Kenny Bell each caught 2 passes for a combined 32 yards. In all, nine different players caught passes.

The offense put together four drives that gained 40 or more yards [46, 67, 75, 80] earning a FG and three TDs. The defense set the offense up for 28 points on short fields, because the Tide's other scoring drives were 6, 3, 27 and 28 yards.

Once again, Alabama dominated time of possession in the 4th quarter [9:36] and was better on third down conversions [6 of 11] than it was one week ago.

Defense:        A+       I don't care that Tyler Wilson was injured. Arkansas has the same opportunity to award athletic scholarships as every other team in America [OK, Penn State is the glaring exception, but, hey, PSU just beat Navy to win its first game since 1998] and the guys who rotated quarterback duty are attending school on scholarship to play football. Consequently, the Tide defense gets full credit for holding the Hogs to 58 net yards rushing, 11 of 25 completions, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries [I credit the third recovered fumble to the kick off coverage team].

Arkansas managed 5 punts, to go with 2 interceptions, 2 turnovers on downs, and a missed field goal.

Nico Johnson was the leading tackler with 4.5 [3 solo]. CJ Mosley was credited with 4 tackles [3 solo] and a forced fumble. He was joined by Deion Belue, H. Clinton-Dix, Jeoffrey Pagan and Alec Morris in forcing fumbles. Nick Perry and Denzell Deval recovered two Arkansas fumbles and Vinnie Sunseri and Clinton-Dix contributed two interceptions to round out the defensive take-aways.

Special Teams:

Punting:         B         Cody Mandel averaged only 35 yards per punt, but none were returned. The Tide returned 2 Arkansas punts for 6 yards. Christion Jones nearly fumbled a punt return after a blown call by the officials negated an interception. Had the call gone the other way, the Hogs would have been in position to score early and perhaps gain some traction.

Kickoffs:         A+         Cade Foster has obviously spent the off-season working on his leg strength. He averaged 44.2 net yards per kick. The + was earned by Foster recovering a fumble on one of the Hogs' kick returns.

Place Kicking:          A+       Foster was good from 51 yards and missed from 52, but had plenty of length. Shelley was perfect on PATs.

Coaching:     A         The participation report lists 66 players who saw action. Coach Saban would have played more, but time expired before the Alpha Chi girls who made the drive to Fayetteville could gets pads on. Alabama was penalized seven times for 74 yards. The call on Sunseri was very questionable, and, according to Gary Danielson, the Arkansas coaches had primed the refs on Friday with the canard that Alabama hits opposing quarterbacks "high" and urged them to make a roughing call early in the contest for the sake of deterrence. I have one thing to say if that is true: gimmeafreakinbreak!

Around the league yesterday, the Vols fell for the 8th straight year to Florida and continue to be a first-half-only team. Vanderbilt beat Presbyterian 58-0, prompting one observer to say: "Nobody should be surprised. After all, when you play Presbyterian the result is predetermined." Kentucky fell 32-31 in overtime to Bama's opponent last week, prompting the Hilltoppers' coach to remark: "WKU Red is the new blue."  Auburn was forced into overtime by plucky ULM which scored two 4th quarter TDs to erase a 14 point deficit and level the score at 28 all. In three games, Auburn has yet to be ahead on the scoreboard at the end of regulation. Salvaging a win with a score in the first OT period does nothing to quench the dumpster fire that is Auburn football.

Auburn hosts LSU this week and my imagination strains for a metaphor sufficient to describe what I envision is coming. Imagine bologna encountering a meat grinder, or a narc attending a biker rally and you get some idea of what is in store for the Barners. One thing is for sure: Auburn is guaranteed to spend at least two more weeks owning the dubious distinction of being the first team in the history of the known universe to be ranked in 7th place in the SEC West.  

Assuming that there is anything left after LSU gets through with them, the Aubs might actually get a break by playing Arkansas. Maybe nobody appreciated the ripple effect from Petrino's spring-fling. Perhaps losing a game and a starting quarterback to ULM set the Hogs up for yesterday's slaughter at the hands of Alabama. Either way, Auburn could get a much-needed conference win two weeks from now. But enough about the Village.   

The next step on the Road To 15 is this coming Saturday against Florida Atlantic, which lost to Georgia yesterday 56-20. It will be Parents Weekend at the Capstone. I've always enjoyed Parents Weekend, and I fully expect the 2012 edition to be just as much fun as all its predecessors.

For the Tide, it will be a workday. The identity of the 2012 Crimson Tide is starting to take shape. It is a team with a much improved kicking game, that plays ferocious defense and has an explosive, balanced offense loaded with play makers. That identity is still forming and needs to mature. But the pieces appear to be in place for a history making campaign.

RTR

The Commissioner

WKU Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Another good set of grades, Commissioner.  As Bum Phillips once said about the Oilers "the film looked suspiciously like the game itself".  In his immediate post-game interview Kevin Norwood (no relation, but we pretend he is) said that the scoreboard looked good to the fans, but the team knew it had a lot to work on.  We hear that as the team headed to the locker room, their heads were down as if they had suffered a defeat.  Maybe it was just knowing what was waiting for them inside and this week.

A few comments on the grades:

Offense:  As you point out, it was a see saw day.  The up was the four completed touchdown passes.  The down, was, well, everything else.  I keep  reading that this is the most talented offensive line in all of college football and maybe in University history.  OK, I think the stats and awards speak for themselves.  But so does performance on the field, and by that standard this line is not as good as last years or even the year before.  Some of the sacks for which the O line takes a demerit were at least partly the fault of receivers who could not get separation, a qb who could not find them if they did, and / or holding the football too long trying to make chicken salad out of chicken feathers.  But some of the sacks were just plain bad scheme and bad technique along the offensive line.  This has to get fixed.  Lacy does not appear to me to be getting to and through the holes like he did last year and sometimes the holes aren't there at all.  Everyone is coy about the status of his recovery from his various leg ailments, but I'll say he's still short of 100%.  Losing Fowler is a blow that may be evident in the stretch run.  Let's hope the feel-good story that is Kelly can add another chapter.  Let's also hope we don't have to go to a permanent tight end set just so the greatest offensive line in history can protect our quarterback.

Defense:  The defense see sawed, too.  It is hard to give a bad grade to a shut out.  I mean, you never lose any game where the other team doesn't score.  And the turnovers were not cheap things where the wide receiver just dropped the ball while running downfield and we were in the right place at the right time. Those turnovers were forced.  Unfortunately, some of those turnovers came only after WKU had driven deep into our territory.  However, without our best nose guard or defensive back seeing the field and the safety/signal caller in limited duty, I'd be inclined to award an incomplete. 

Special teams: I think Mandell's punt / run was sort of an illustration of the whole day.  He fields a fine snap cleanly, then suddenly flashes back to his junior high school basketball days and decides to dribble it.  The ball bounces back in his hands, he flashes back to his pony league days as running back, and takes off for the first down marker, even having the presence of mind to stick the ball out for the farthest possible mark before going out of bounds, thus picking up an improbable first down on a broken play.  All of Saturday felt like that to me.

I hope that the WKU game is one where we look back and say the team grew up a little bit.  And that the team will remember that the process matters, but so do results, and while Cousin Kevin is right that there is plenty to work on, there's no reason to hang your head after putting up a 35-0 score against another FBS team that may well win its conference.

Roll Tide.  Barbeque the Hogs.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Western Kentucky Grades

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All week leading up to Saturday's game, the blogs and papers were full of media reaction to Nick Saban's Wednesday press conference. The Alabama head coach was not happy with the way the chattering class had declared his football team to be unbeatable in the run-up to the weekend's game against what the pundits considered to be an unworthy Western Kentucky. Dennis Dodd from CBS Sports remarked on Friday that only Nick Saban would be upset because reporters said good things about his team.

In the aftermath of the game, Coach Saban stayed true to form, remarking that the game went pretty much like he expected it would and not the way the media had expected it to go. This sentiment was not missed by the players. After beating the Hilltoppers 35-0, Barrett Jones, the physical and mental center of the Alabama offensive line told reporters: "When we don't play our best, we are very ordinary."

National commentators who have only seen the score and skimmed the statistics continue to chat along about how dominating Alabama was last Saturday. They didn't watch the game. As a team, Alabama did not play up to the standard that Coach Saban has set for it.

One aspect of the day, however, did play up to Coach Saban's standard: the weather. Forecasters-with an accuracy much like sports writers-had predicted rain throughout the day with the chance of storms as high as 50% for most of the day. Apart from the slightest misty-drizzle at 11:00 and a vapor cloud around 3:00, the weather was splendid; partly sunny, cool and, by afternoon, low humidity. It was a delightful day to be in Tuscaloosa.

A word or two about the Hilltoppers. Those players are well coached and fundamentally sound. They wrapped up their tackles and threw good blocks. The coaches had a very good plan that called for quick passes on rhythm and misdirection in the running game. Defensively they gave the Tide offensive line fits and were it not for the fact of four turnovers, the contest had the potential to be very tight. On Saturday, WKU would have beaten the other SEC team residing in the State of Alabama. The Western QB is a far better player than is Auburn's Kiehl Frazier, and his coaches trust him to do more with the offense. More about the dumpster fire down in the Village later, for now, here's how I grade the game:

Offense:         C         In some areas, Alabama was indeed dominant, explosive and unstoppable. In others it was frustratingly inconsistent. It seemed as if the offense was taking every other possession off. The drive chart reflected it: five TDs interspersed by five punts. The Tide did not generate any consecutive scoring drives. The reason was obvious: the offense surrendered six sacks.

The Tide earned 17 first downs and gained 328 yards of total offense [6.4 yards/play], but only 103 yards came by rushing; Tide runners gained 151 yards but lost 48 primarily due to the six sacks.  This inconsistency is also reflected in the time of possession by quarter. In the first and second quarters, Alabama held the ball 7:38 and 7:35 respectively. In the third quarter Alabama had the ball for only 3:06, but in the final stanza, the Tide dominated with 9:13.

AJ completed 14 of 19 pass attempts with no interceptions and 4 TDs; two each to Kevin Norwood and Christion Jones, who equalled a school record set 60 years ago for two receivers each having two catches for touchdowns in the same game. TJ Yeldon caught 4 passes for 47 yards, Kevin Norwood caught 3 for 92, Jone caught 3 for 47 and Amari Cooper had two catches for 12 yards. Seven different players caught passes in the game.

The Offense had only three drives that gained at least 40 or more yards [72, 68, 81] each resulted in a touchdown.

We were not a good team on third downs, converting only 4 of 10 possession downs.

Defense:          C       The Defense played about like the Offense: great at times, not so great at others, particularly on third down.

Western gained 224 yards of total offense [only 46 rushing] but earned 14 first downs and converted 5 of 13 possession downs. This stat would have been 8 of 13 but for the three fumbles forced and recovered by the Tide defenders. 

CJ Mosley was credited with 9 tackles [7 solo] and a sack. Adrian Hubbard recorded 6 tackles; all solo and forced a fumble. Nico Johnson made 6 tackles [4 solo] and also forced a fumble. Deion Belue made the Tide's interception, and recorded 3 solo tackles, including 1 for loss.

Special Teams:

Punting:         A         Cody Mandel made up for all the time he spent doing his homework in the Michigan game with 6 punts [average 44.8 yards] two of which were downed inside the 20, 1 touchback and 1 fair catch. WKU returned 2 punts for 15 yards. Alabama's return game, relying on Christion Jones, gained 21 yards on 3 returns.

Kicking:          A         Cade Foster averaged 46.7 yards per kick and the coverage unit allowed only 47 yards on 3 returns.

Place Kicking:          A         Jeremy Shelly was perfect on 5 PATs.

Coaching:     C+       Neither Jesse Williams nor Dee Milliner played in the game against WKU, but the participation report lists 47 of their teammates who saw action. No doubt, Coach Saban would have preferred to have played more, but the lack of consistency made that impractical until very late in the game.  Alabama was penalized only once for 10 yards. Kevin Norwood led the team with 114 all purpose yards.

On paper, the game looks much better than in did in person. No doubt it's the kind of game that drives Coach Saban crazy; inconsistency, insufficient focus, lack of attention to detail. Likewise, I have no doubt that he and the rest of the coaching staff are doing everything they know how to correct these areas and help the team improve. If Barrett Jones' post-game comments are any indication, the coaches are going to have lots of help from the senior leadership this week.

So what's going on around the rest of the league?

Arkansas fell to ULM in overtime after blowing a three touchdown lead in the second half. Vanderbilt lost to Northwestern thereby making the path to even so much as a 6 win season hard to navigate. Georgia came on strong late in the game to beat Mizzou going away, and Florida handed Texas A&M a loss in its conference debut.

In Starkville, the Bulldogs beat a pretty sorry Auburn team. Two seasons removed from a BCS Championship, the Barners are pathetic in all areas of the game and their fans are already howling in disbelief. But not all Auburn fans are so distraught that they have lost their sense of humor. The prize for funniest posting on a Barn chat board Saturday night: "At least the trees aren't alive to see this."

Alabama's focus, however, needs to be on the Hogs. No doubt the Piggies are wounded and embarrassed by their loss to ULM.  A desperate team can be a dangerous team. Nothing would redeem their season like knocking off the number 1 ranked team in the country. For Alabama to make a serious run at national championship number 15, the Tide cannot allow that to happen.

Kickoff is set for 2:30 Saturday afternoon. ESPN's College Gameday may have abandoned plans for Fayetteville, but I know plenty of folks who haven't. Y'all know who you are. Drive safe. Yell loud. And when the game clock goes to zero, give 'em the Rammer Jammer!

The Commissioner

Michigan Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Good grades Commissioner.  Very good.  As was the team’s performance on Saturday evening.  Because of some stray mechanical work, a few extra brake jobs and a friendly season ticket holder, we were able to go out to Dallas for the game.  Here are some observations from the State of Texas and inside the Jerry Dome.

You should go to Dallas for a game some time if you get the chance.  It is quite the experience.  There are some things to be aware of. 

They have a good interstate system around Dallas and most of those roads run flat and straight as an arrow.  They stay crowded at most hours.  The state highways are good, but run like they follow old game trails.  Sometimes they are designated by numbers and sometimes by the names of Texas politicians, but not always consistently.  Bottom line, take a good GPS with updated maps.

Traffic getting to and from the stadium was about like going to BDS.  The thing was, I thought this was a great big city and they built their stadium out where it would be easily accessible.  I was wrong about that.  The Texas Rangers (the baseball team,  not the cops in cowboy hats) share the acreage and had closed down the road in front of their facility because they had a game Saturday, too.  This was not good planning.  Getting to the stadium, you would get contrary instructions from the permanent signs, temporary signs and your GPS.  If you go, take along an extra cooler full of patience.  Same thing leaving. They do not have helpful people out in the street to send the traffic home.   I will say that even with the snarls in T-Town, the Cowboys could take a few lessons from the way we do it.

The facility is really big.  They were using a metal detecting wand on everyone who went in.  Despite being in line at our gate 1:45 before the game, we stood in a crowd in the 101 degree sun for almost 20 minutes.  Worst part of the night.  They need to do something about this.  Coming out, some of the gates were shut, pushing people all into a herd to leave.  I don’t know why they do this.

Michigan’s fans travel well.  They were there in force and pretty vocal, well, through the end of the first quarter.  The ones we talked to knew their football.  The didn’t exactly expect to win, but it’s safe to say they expected to be more competitive than they were.  The crowd was announced as the biggest in stadium history at 90,400+.  That didn’t especially impress us or the Michigan people, of course, but it was more than came to the Super Bowl.

The jumbo tron they have?  However big you think it is, well, it’s bigger than that.  You have to be careful not to get mesmerized and start watching it instead of the game.  Great for the goal line plays that are far away, though.

They sell all kinds of stuff in the stadium, the usual fare like hot dogs and popcorn, but also, if you didn't mind standing in line, beer, red and white wine, margaritas, and other beverages.  They even had a stand with fresh fruits and vegetables.  The lines there were, um, really short.

The Alabama memorabilia about the game sold out early in the first quarter, at least on our end of the stadium.  The Michigan stuff they still had plenty of as we walked out.

To our female readers, let me compliment you on the way you turn out for games.  It’s not just that you are there, you are fashionably dressed and have spent due time on hair and makeup.  More than one male Michigan fan commented to me about it.  The UM female fans are by no means ugly, they just showed  up like it was time to wash the car on Saturday morning.  When they started doing that alternating pretty female fan shot stuff on that giant jumbo tron, well, it’s great to be from Alabama.

On the actual football, it doesn’t really matter about all the fancy schmancy surroundings, games like this are won in the trenches, and we mostly whipped them all night.  If you told me before hand that Lester, DePreist and Jesse Williams would all take the second half off, I’d have been very worried.  The plan to control #16 was excellent and effective.  His passing leaves some to be desired.  And they would have undoubtedly been better with their first string running back in the game, but not the difference between 41-14 better.

A few specific players….  Why they decided to pick on Milliner is beyond me, but I hope everyone we play goes that route.  Belue is fast, but needs work.  Sunseri is not the biggest guy out there, is a little slow in pass coverage, all kinds of stuff you can nit pick about, but he hits hard.  Really hard.  He’s going to knock somebody out this year, I hope it isn’t Sunseri.   Yeldon is at least as good as advertised.  People keep calling him “little” T.J.  He may be small compared to say, Fluker (and I’ve not seen a program, they ran out of those, too) but my guess is he’s over 6 feet tall and maybe 200 pounds.  Michael Williams has lost some weight and will be a weapon this year.  Norwood has gained some weight with the same result. McCarron made a couple of iffy decisions and held the ball too long a time or two, but I’ll put that down to first game jitters.  He was not as good as January 9, but better than November 5.  Good for everyone on a 50+ yard field goal, but I hope it’s the last one we have to try this year.  I still don’t think we have a kicker who can kick off the football into the dadgum endzone.  Lastly, I really wish we did better clock management before half time.  We CAN do it; the drive in Baton Rouge for a field goal going to the locker was nearly picture perfect.  We got the ball with about 1:20 left in the half Saturday night, and went to the locker room with time outs on the board and not that far from field goal range.

Officiating actually wasn’t bad, but there were a few missed calls both ways and times these guys needed to be reminded that we play TACKLE football in the SEC.  Whatever.  They’ve got to get a handle on this new helmet rule.  Lots of incentive to pull the other player’s helmet off in the pile.  It happened to Lacy twice.  Apparently if you don’t grab his facemask there’s no call and the player just has to leave the game for a play.  There will be more of this until someone puts a foot (or flag) down.  More Ready, Shoot, Aim from the NCAA.

We will have to play a different game plan and play better-especially in the defensive backfield-to beat some SEC opponents this year -- Arkansas and LSU come immediately to mind.  But this was a great victory on a large national stage.  Roll Tide.  Beat Western.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Michigan Grades

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It's one of those old chestnuts that you've heard said a 'zillion times: Repeating the same behavior while expecting a different result is a sign of insanity.

The thing about trite old sayings is they become trite old sayings because they are true.

Last night's game between Alabama and Michigan provide several examples of just how true it is that it's crazy to keep doing the same thing while expecting a different result. Let's start with the whole idea of the Big Ten playing Alabama. Since the arrival of Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, the Tide is 4-0 against Big Ten teams, outscoring its opponents 138-35 [vs. Penn State: 21-3 and 27-11; vs. Michigan State 49-7 and vs. UM 41-14].

Here's another example of crazy repeat behavior: keep throwing the football in the direction of Dee Milliner. Last year, Penn State threw in number 28's direction [OK the alternative was to challenge Dre Kirkpatrick, but that's beside the point] so often that he recorded a career high 3 pass breakups in a single game. So what did Michigan do? The Wolverines threw so often in Milliner's direction that he broke up 3 passes and returned an interception 35 yards setting up a 9 yard Eddie Lacy touchdown-all in the first quarter. He broke up another pass later in the game, establishing a new personal record.

OK, one more example: Michigan tried to run the ball 29 times against the Alabama defense which started the game without last year's stars Don'ta HIghtower, Josh Chapman, Courtney Upshaw, Mark Barron and the aforenamed Mr. Kirkpatrick, and played the second half without the services of starting nose tackle, Jesse Williams [concussion] and linebacker, Trey DePriest [ankle sprain]. The result of this repetitive behavior? The Maze and Blue gained a paltry 69 net yards rushing.

Alabama engages in repeat behavior also. But it does so, not with the expectation that this will produce different results. Rather, the repeat behavior in the Alabama program is calculated to produce the opposite effect. Coach Saban expects the repeat behavior to produce the same result. Do you know anyone who talks more about trying to produce "consistency" than Coach Saban?

It's pretty obvious that the message has taken hold with the players. A.J. McCarron was asked by the ESPN on-field reporter at the end of the game what "message" Alabama was sending with its dominating performance. His answer was perfect: "We're just trying to do what Coach Saban tells us so that we can improve as a team."

Here's how I grade the game:

Offense:                     A-                    The Tide dominated Michigan and that dominance began with the play of the offensive line. The O-line has been touted as the best in the country, and last night's performance lends credence to the hype. Alabama gained 431 yards [232 rushing] earned 20 first downs [12 rushing] and held the ball for 10:43 of the 4th quarter. The offense had four possessions of only 3 plays, but those resulted in 2 punts and 2 TDs.

Bama's first half possessions began with a three-and-out. This was followed by three touchdowns, a field goal, one punt and a meaningless fumble on the last play of the half.   The defense added a touchdown of its own on a pick-six, and the half-time score was 31-7.

Second half drives were not as spectacular as their first half counterparts. The Tide had six possessions in the second half and produced a missed field goal, two punts, a field goal [51 yards] and a touchdown [7 plays 57 yards].

On the night, Bama had six drives that gained 40 or more yards [61,67, 61, 45, 45, 57] and resulted in three TDs, a field goal, a missed field goal [52 yards] and a fumble.

T.J. Yeldon set a debut record for a true freshman running back, gaining 111 yards on 11 carries. He also scored his first collegiate touchdown and his 111 rushing yards made him the leading all-purpose player. Jalston Fowler gained 67 yards on 8 carries and was a punishing blocker running out of the newly installed I-Formation. Eddied Lacy also scored a rushing touchdown and gained 35 yards on 9 rushing attempts

AJ completed 11 of 21 pass attempts for 199 yards and 2 TDs. He connected with eight different receivers. Kevin Norwood was the leading receiver with 53 yards on 3 receptions. DeAndrew White and Michael Williams caught passes for touchdowns. White's came on a 51 yard reception, AJ's longest completion of the night.

Defense:                    A-        Michigan was stymied all night with the exception of two big plays, both of which came on coverage busts. In their first six offensive possessions, the Michiganders gained only 36 yards, punted four times and suffered two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Although UM scored a touchdown late in the second stanza, the second half looked a lot like the first as the Michigan offense could only generate three punts, a turnover on downs, and an interception against a single TD.

C.J. Mosley led all tacklers with 7 tackles [5 solo] and a pick-six. Trey DePriest recorded 7 tackles [4 solo]. Miliner and Niko Johnson each had 5 tackles. The Stop Troops recorded six tackles for loss [including two sacks] 3 interceptions and 6 breakups [insert your own pop-culture reference for celebrities who can't seem to stay in a relationship].

Special Teams:

Punting:         A+       Cody Mandell averaged 47 yards on 4 punts, with a long of 59. With the help of excellent coverage effort, he dropped two inside the Michigan 10. UM was only able to return one of Mandell's punts and that effort gained only 3 yards. The return game was also sterling. Christion Jones returned 4 UM punts for a total of 56 yards.

Place Kicking:          A         Shelley was good from 22. Foster was good from 51 and missed from 52 [the distance was fine, the windage was off]. All PATs were good.

Kickoffs:         B+       Now that kickoffs are made from the 35 and touchbacks are placed at the 25, there is a premium on not kicking the ball into the end zone, provided you can stop the return short of the 25 yard line. The average Michigan line of scrimmage following kickoffs was the 24; so, I suppose that means the kickoff strategy worked.

Coaching:     A-        The participation report lists 64 players who saw action against Michigan.  Bama was flagged for 7 penalties, including a couple of major distance infractions, although, in my opinion, one of the unnecessary roughness flags was a bad call.

In his post game remarks, Coach Saban said that it's great to look good and wear the jersey, but the important thing is the person inside the jersey. He's right, of course. But he's so self-evidently correct it makes you wonder why other coaches in other programs aren't trying to duplicate what Saban is doing at Alabama.

The media coverage of the Tide program is the most flattering I can recall since the death of Coach Bryant. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated and other publications of lesser note, have all recently published feature articles about the job Saban is doing in Tuscaloosa. Musberger and Herbstriet were both effusive in their praise for the job being done by the Alabama coaching staff, and they were quick to point out that it all starts with the job done by the head coach.

That is reflected in something else that AJ said to the ESPN reporter at the end of the game: "Coach Saban is always saying ..... and when Coach Saban talks we all pay attention .... that we have to all work to be our best on every play, and if we do then the results will take care of themselves. So, that's what we're going to do and try to get better."

Yes, repeating the same behavior and expecting a different outcome is crazy. There is no doubt, however, about the outcome of doing things Saban's way.

So we are off on the road to number 15. Will we get there? We will know in time. But we know right now that the surest way to achieve that outcome is to repeat the behavior that got Alabama back to the pinnacle of college football.

The Commissioner