Hurrah for the return of The Grades. It has been a long summer of celebration for #15 and anticipation for the return of College Football. The return last night was not exactly all we had hoped for, but Alabama put yet another W on the board against an opponent far superior to the Rice Owls, the Buffalo Bulls or the Nicholls State Whatever-They-Ares.
We agree with the Grades down here at the Tire Store, and are trying like heck not to feel lower than the grease rack about some units, well, ok, one unit. Good news first, as we try to tell the customers.
Special Teams: We think that is the "most specialist" we can ever remember the Special Teams being. Javier Arenas gave us some great memories of returns, setting records and leaving a lot of defenders shaking their heads as he took kicks back for touchdowns. But let's face it, during his glory days the other team was just as likely to return the favor on our ensuing kickoff. Jones was special last night and I personally look forward to seeing him run with it again. It seems like only a few short weeks ago he was catching them on a substitute basis down in New Orleans and we were all yelling at the TV, "just fair catch it, son." Our kick coverage was good last night, too. The plan to kick it short mostly penned the Hokies deeper than if the ball had gone out of the dadgum endzone. We have to think that was a matter of strategy, because just a few short months ago we boomed every kickoff out of the end zone in this same building.
Defense: Best to admit the obvious up front. Virginia Tech was not a strong offensive team when fall camp began, and they have had players dropping like flies ever since, tight end, wide out, running back.... It was a horrid fall for them injury / suspension / left-the-team wise. We are not sure how much it mattered. Take away one play that appeared to us to have at least two assignment busts, maybe three, and Virginia Tech was about as ineffective on offense as you can imagine. They dropped some deep balls and badly misread at least one coverage, but on the whole the Stop Troops throttled them, despite really excellent field position for them from time to time.
Offense: This is where things get ugly. Like you, we think a lot of the blame has to go to the men in the trenches. We are not sure what was going on last night, but it was uglier than bad brakes and bald tires. Kelly struggled in his first start at center, but that might be expected. Same for Austin Shepherd. But Coach Saban himself said that Arie Kouandjio was one of our best linemen in fall camp. Uh-oh. We are big fans of Arie's. He is a bright (business school honors student) and polite kid who has diligently rehabbed from injuries most of us prefer not to even imagine. But last night he seemed confused and out of position. Things were marginally better when he was replaced by Kellen Williams. Perhaps the first start rule can apply to him, too. So, then, what to make of his little brother's performance? Cyrus was a stalwart last fall. He is considered a first-round draft choice next winter by the folks who track such things. Let's just say it's safe to say he didn't play like it last night.
Credit where credit is due. Virginia Tech did not suffer the same epidemic of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Their starting line had almost 100 starts between them. Several preseason publications were high on their defense, and especially their front seven, which were top 10 preseason according to some. Their strategy to put 7-8 men on the line and drive into our backfield was monstrously successful. I don't care how good you are, either in talent, training, or scheme, 5 guys are not going to consistently block 7-8 guys at this level. What made it seem worse is that our coaches seemed determined to beat our heads against that wall (see below).
Simply put, our offense has too many good players to turn in a performance like last night. It was highly rated coming into this season because of the talents of its individual players. That respect did not depend on the potential of a bunch of kids who were attending Senior Prom back in May, either. No, we have names likes McCarron, Yeldon, Steen, Fowler, Hart, Norwood, Cooper -- players who have made a name for themselves turning in big plays in big games. Riddle me this, was there even one single starter for Virginia Tech's offense that you would have traded ours for at game time yesterday? Me, neither.
Our award winning receivers dropped catchable balls. Our backs were getting four yards after contact, the problem was that initial contact was happening five yards behind the line of scrimmage. AJ was throwing off his back foot on the few occasions he had time to set himself to throw (and down here, we are suspicious about the whole ingrown toenail story; it sounds plausible enough, but it was only back at the first of the year that we were told B. Jones had a twisted ankle.)
It is odd, thinking back, to a performance like this by the offensive line. Interestingly, the game we flashed on was Western Kentucky, just last year. The Hilltoppers actually sacked AJ more times than Virginia Tech. And last year worked out ok. However, historically speaking Saturday nightwas the worst offensive output per play since the infamous Utah Sugar Bowl game, and it was about an inch a carry away from being the worst of the Saban era. Calls for quick and dramatic improvement are well-deserved.
Coaching: We are not just sure what the coaches were thinking on Saturday. Some of the decisions were head-scratchers. We did not really seem to adjust schemes or play calls even after it became obvious that the Hokies were determined to make us beat them over the top. We basically chose to run out the end of the first half rather than run the two-minute drill. Did we just get a big lead and decide that since there wasn't much chance of them scoring on our defense, we'd just let a wide variety of guys run it into the line and take a licking? We remember trying one screen pass, that failed when the running back couldn't get open. So we never tried it again? Was there even one slant route?
Worst of all, from time to time the body language of the offensive players was as if they just didn't really care to try it any more. They didn't quit, exactly, but they didn't seem that fired up about going at it again. We certainly didn't make Virginia Tech's defense quit. Between now and a week from Saturday in College Station may be the most difficult coaching job the staff has had to do since 2010. Somehow this team has to have a plan to impose its well on Texas A&M. I'm betting they are up to the task.
Would last night's performance have carried the day against any of our future opponents? Well, sure, a lot of them, actually. But this Alabama. The Process isn't aimed at racking up a 10-win season against the likes of Colorado State and Kentucky and attending a moderately impressive bowl. No, we are used to (and rightly to our way of thinking) aiming higher than that. And if we are, you know the coaching staff and players are. It will be interesting to see how things work out a week from Saturday. If commentary from around the country today about the Aggies' quarterback is to be taken at face value, it likely will be the only game this year where the majority of the country is actually rooting for us. Although yesterday wasn't our best effort (we hope) we didn't give up 500+ yards of offense to the Rice Owls, either.
Roll Tide everyone.
The Correspondent From The Tire Store
We agree with the Grades down here at the Tire Store, and are trying like heck not to feel lower than the grease rack about some units, well, ok, one unit. Good news first, as we try to tell the customers.
Special Teams: We think that is the "most specialist" we can ever remember the Special Teams being. Javier Arenas gave us some great memories of returns, setting records and leaving a lot of defenders shaking their heads as he took kicks back for touchdowns. But let's face it, during his glory days the other team was just as likely to return the favor on our ensuing kickoff. Jones was special last night and I personally look forward to seeing him run with it again. It seems like only a few short weeks ago he was catching them on a substitute basis down in New Orleans and we were all yelling at the TV, "just fair catch it, son." Our kick coverage was good last night, too. The plan to kick it short mostly penned the Hokies deeper than if the ball had gone out of the dadgum endzone. We have to think that was a matter of strategy, because just a few short months ago we boomed every kickoff out of the end zone in this same building.
Defense: Best to admit the obvious up front. Virginia Tech was not a strong offensive team when fall camp began, and they have had players dropping like flies ever since, tight end, wide out, running back.... It was a horrid fall for them injury / suspension / left-the-team wise. We are not sure how much it mattered. Take away one play that appeared to us to have at least two assignment busts, maybe three, and Virginia Tech was about as ineffective on offense as you can imagine. They dropped some deep balls and badly misread at least one coverage, but on the whole the Stop Troops throttled them, despite really excellent field position for them from time to time.
Offense: This is where things get ugly. Like you, we think a lot of the blame has to go to the men in the trenches. We are not sure what was going on last night, but it was uglier than bad brakes and bald tires. Kelly struggled in his first start at center, but that might be expected. Same for Austin Shepherd. But Coach Saban himself said that Arie Kouandjio was one of our best linemen in fall camp. Uh-oh. We are big fans of Arie's. He is a bright (business school honors student) and polite kid who has diligently rehabbed from injuries most of us prefer not to even imagine. But last night he seemed confused and out of position. Things were marginally better when he was replaced by Kellen Williams. Perhaps the first start rule can apply to him, too. So, then, what to make of his little brother's performance? Cyrus was a stalwart last fall. He is considered a first-round draft choice next winter by the folks who track such things. Let's just say it's safe to say he didn't play like it last night.
Credit where credit is due. Virginia Tech did not suffer the same epidemic of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Their starting line had almost 100 starts between them. Several preseason publications were high on their defense, and especially their front seven, which were top 10 preseason according to some. Their strategy to put 7-8 men on the line and drive into our backfield was monstrously successful. I don't care how good you are, either in talent, training, or scheme, 5 guys are not going to consistently block 7-8 guys at this level. What made it seem worse is that our coaches seemed determined to beat our heads against that wall (see below).
Simply put, our offense has too many good players to turn in a performance like last night. It was highly rated coming into this season because of the talents of its individual players. That respect did not depend on the potential of a bunch of kids who were attending Senior Prom back in May, either. No, we have names likes McCarron, Yeldon, Steen, Fowler, Hart, Norwood, Cooper -- players who have made a name for themselves turning in big plays in big games. Riddle me this, was there even one single starter for Virginia Tech's offense that you would have traded ours for at game time yesterday? Me, neither.
Our award winning receivers dropped catchable balls. Our backs were getting four yards after contact, the problem was that initial contact was happening five yards behind the line of scrimmage. AJ was throwing off his back foot on the few occasions he had time to set himself to throw (and down here, we are suspicious about the whole ingrown toenail story; it sounds plausible enough, but it was only back at the first of the year that we were told B. Jones had a twisted ankle.)
It is odd, thinking back, to a performance like this by the offensive line. Interestingly, the game we flashed on was Western Kentucky, just last year. The Hilltoppers actually sacked AJ more times than Virginia Tech. And last year worked out ok. However, historically speaking Saturday nightwas the worst offensive output per play since the infamous Utah Sugar Bowl game, and it was about an inch a carry away from being the worst of the Saban era. Calls for quick and dramatic improvement are well-deserved.
Coaching: We are not just sure what the coaches were thinking on Saturday. Some of the decisions were head-scratchers. We did not really seem to adjust schemes or play calls even after it became obvious that the Hokies were determined to make us beat them over the top. We basically chose to run out the end of the first half rather than run the two-minute drill. Did we just get a big lead and decide that since there wasn't much chance of them scoring on our defense, we'd just let a wide variety of guys run it into the line and take a licking? We remember trying one screen pass, that failed when the running back couldn't get open. So we never tried it again? Was there even one slant route?
Worst of all, from time to time the body language of the offensive players was as if they just didn't really care to try it any more. They didn't quit, exactly, but they didn't seem that fired up about going at it again. We certainly didn't make Virginia Tech's defense quit. Between now and a week from Saturday in College Station may be the most difficult coaching job the staff has had to do since 2010. Somehow this team has to have a plan to impose its well on Texas A&M. I'm betting they are up to the task.
Would last night's performance have carried the day against any of our future opponents? Well, sure, a lot of them, actually. But this Alabama. The Process isn't aimed at racking up a 10-win season against the likes of Colorado State and Kentucky and attending a moderately impressive bowl. No, we are used to (and rightly to our way of thinking) aiming higher than that. And if we are, you know the coaching staff and players are. It will be interesting to see how things work out a week from Saturday. If commentary from around the country today about the Aggies' quarterback is to be taken at face value, it likely will be the only game this year where the majority of the country is actually rooting for us. Although yesterday wasn't our best effort (we hope) we didn't give up 500+ yards of offense to the Rice Owls, either.
Roll Tide everyone.
The Correspondent From The Tire Store
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