Tennessee Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Thanks for keeping those of us who don't twitter or tweet or titter or whatever it is up to date with what the new-fangled are having to say about this weekend's game, Commissioner.  It is interesting that there may be new methods of delivering the messages, but the messages have been the same over the last few years.  Alabama beat Tennessee like they stole something.

We agree with not awarding a plus for the offense.  It sounds a little counterintuitive, but frankly the score should have been worse.  There just has to be some cure for this continued fumbling inside the five business.  It almost cost us a game in College Station, and maybe kept what now looks like a close one from being a comfortable two or three touchdown margin.  It might yet cost us one this year if we aren't careful.

Last week we worried about this team acting too big for its collective britches and perhaps overlooking an opponent at some point.  Based on post-game comments you mentioned, it sounds as if Coach Jones, brick by brick, helped build some genuine animosity for his crew on the part of the Crimson Tide.  I'd like to think that is a step you'd not want to take.  Perhaps Lester Miles will get their attention the next couple of weeks, though he is just as likely to take to the microphone to explain the importance of All Saints Day.  Besides, it should not take comments from this particular opposing coach to draw the attention of the Tide players to what is at stake.

The last few games there has been a temptation to temper any congratulations with "but the opponent was just not all that good" sort of commentary.  In cases that was warranted.  No amount of lipstick is going pretty up the pig that is 2013 Kentucky football.  Tennessee, however, has some genuine talent on its squad.  Neal is a quality running back.  More importantly, he runs behind what is likely the best offensive line in the SEC.  At least two of their linemen will be top draft picks.  There is some speculation that all five of their starters might be on NFL squads late next summer.   They did not seem to make that big a dent in the Alabama defense, even with the starting nose guard out with some mysterious-sounding ailment.

Tennessee's defensive line is not at the lofty heights of its offense, but is also a quality group.  The Alabama offensive line, with Kelly back at center, did a more than creditable job.   We were impressed.  It is also worth mentioning that Tennessee was fresh off an overtime loss to Georgia (a game lost in one of the more freakish ways imaginable) and a victory over South Carolina -- two of the three teams in the thick of the race to represent the East in Atlanta.  Tennessee has a chance to turn that race into a real fire in a coal mine when they take on Missouri next weekend.

The best news is that this team seems to be getting better with each succeeding weekend.  That arc of improvement needs to continue.  The team is tired and a little banged up.  The off week comes at an appropriate time to get ready to push through the end of the season.

As you correctly note, this was yet another poor effort for the officials.  The phantom pass interference call on Cooper was just terrible.  It looks like a film study clip that would be included in an officials' educational video for what sort of activity should not be considered pass interference.  Of course, that presumes the SEC is doing any sort of on-going training for its officiating crews.  Silly us.

Take a week off to relax. Maybe tune into the Georgia Florida game, which should probably be sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield.  After that, the traveling Mardi Gras party is coming to town from Baton Rouge.  In case you wonder about motivation, check out the video and press clippings from the last time these guys were in town.  I'm getting older, but I recall it like yesterday.  You can bet Coach Saban is reminding the team.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Tennessee Grades

As a public service to readers of The Grades, The Commissioners Blog is pleased to provide a sample of postings from the Twitter-verse related to Saturday's game between Alabama and Tennessee.

One of the recurring themes was Coach Saban's exhortation earlier in the week for students to stay for the full game:

@CecilHurt: I just saw the first student leave Bryant-Denny Stadium. But her date called her by another girl's name.

@TheRealJaBo: I realize the football team is beating another SEC opponent by five touchdowns and it might be a little boring, but YOU BETTER STAY FOR THE WHOLE DAMN GAME!#donotleaveearly

@MarcTorrence: Sign in student section: "Hey Coach, we will stay for 60 minutes if you will stay forever."

@MarcTorrence: Saban in post-game presser: "That's sounds like a good deal to me."

Reacting to a ridiculously bad call of offensive pass interference against Amari Cooper, @CorrespondentFromTheRealThing tweeted: "The real officials must have left early.#zebras"

Savoring the magnitude of the victory, a Bama fan living in Tennessee tweeted: @WadeMan: Derrick Dooley never lost to Alabama by as large a margin as Butch Jones just did. #UTturnaround

And then there is this one just as the game clock went to all zeros:

@TideFaninVolLand: 525,600 minutes=time available to savor Tide victory over the Vols. #thirdsaturdayinoctober #dominate

OK, the 2013 renewal of the Alabama-UT rivalry was not held on the third Saturday in October, but "domination" is the only word to describe the recent relationship between these two programs. And Saturday night's merciless beat-down of the Big Orange was a lost fumble at the goal line from being the largest margin of victory in the history of the series. As it was, you have to go all the way back to 1963 to find the equal of Alabama's 35 point domination of the Volunteers. 

By every statistical metric, Alabama dominated Tennessee. First Downs: Tide 26-Vols 14; Total Offense: UA 479-UT 322; Rushing Yards: Bama 204-Tenn. 127; All Purpose Yards: Alabama 728-Tennessee 468.

After the game, AJ told reporters that the team was especially motivated to avenge statements attributed to UT players and coaches that reflected some degree of disrespect towards the two-time defending national champions. If a 45-10 woodshedding is what Alabama delivers in response to Butch Jones saying: "I think our guys can play with anybody" then the UT Sports Information Department should just impose a "No Comment" policy during Alabama week.

Saturday's Tuscaloosa News devoted the front page of the Game Day section to the question of whether Alabama vs. Tennessee was still a rivalry. Take it from someone whose home is in the State of Tennessee: You better believe it is!

Sure, in recent years LSU has become the biggest challenge in the SEC West. A&M is an emerging rival and there is always Alabama Polytechnic Institute. But none of them come anywhere close to Tennessee. Say any of these phrases: Third Saturday, Broken Leg, Secret Witness, Rocky Block, The Great Pumpkin or Victory Cigars and Alabama fans know the reference is to Tennessee. The 2013 edition may have been a lopsided affair and the combined margin of victory in Alabama's recent national championship run is a staggering 130 points, but UT - Alabama is very much a rivalry. Perhaps the best in the Deep South. Some day, especially if Butch Jones continues to recruit gargantuan receivers and behemoth offensive linemen, the student section will be packed for 60 minutes, not because the coach challenges them to stay, but because the outcome of the game will be in the balance. 

Here's how I grade the game:

Offense: A Kenyan Drake's lost fumble at the UT goal line on Alabama's fifth offensive possession of the game keeps me from being able to award the + to what was otherwise as impressive an offensive performance as we have seen from Alabama so far this season. The Tide scored touchdowns on its first four drives. 

AJ completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 275 yards and 2 TDs. He was not sacked and had no interceptions. Kevin Norwood caught 6 passes for 112 yards-his first 100+ yard receiving performance. Amari Cooper made 5 receptions for 75 yards. But for an inexcusably bad call of offensive pass interference, the talented sophomore would have added another TD catch of about 65 yards, to his stat sheet. Seven different receivers caught passes.

Kenyan Drake led all rushers with 89 yards on 14 carries. TJ Yeldon gained 72 yards on 15 runs while Derek Henry and Christion Jones each contributed 20 yards on the ground. Yeldon scored 3 rushing TDs.

Alabama had six drives that gained 40 or more yards [51, 66, 66, 81, 98, 68] producing five touchdowns and one field goal. The offense controlled the ball for 33:58 of the game and converted 7 of 11 third downs.

Defense: A+ Landon Collins, starting in place of the injured Vinnie Sunseri, scored the third-longest touchdown on an interception return in school history when he picked off a Justin Worley pass late in the second quarter and, expertly following his blockers, raced 89 yards to the end zone. 

Tennessee managed to complete less than 50% of its pass attempts [13 of 28] for a meager 195 yards. Deion Belue also intercepted a second-quarter Worley pass and returned it 28 yards. 

Collins led all tacklers with 6 stops [5 solo] and forced a fumble. True freshman DT A'Shawn Robinson was credited with 6 tackles and a QB hurry. Trey DePriest made 5 tackles. Cyrus Jones and Denzel Deval each made 4 tackles. Defenders recorded 5 pass breakups and 4 hurries.

In the first half, Tennessee had five meaningful offensive possessions; they achieved two punts, a turnover on downs and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD. For the game, UT converted only 3 of 12 third down opportunities and had more yards in kick returns [146 yards on 8 kickoffs] than net yards rushing [127].

Special Teams:

Punting: A+ Cody Mandel did not make an appearance in the game until the third quarter and punted twice in the game. Those kicks were his fourth and fifth punts for the month of October. He averaged 40 yards per punt and neither punt was returned. Christion Jones returned 2 UT punts for 19 yards.

Place Kicking: A+ Adam Griffith was good from 20 yards out on Alabama's lone field goal attempt. He and Cade Foster shared PAT duties and were perfect on all six attempts.

Kickoffs: B+ Alabama kicked off so many times that Foster, Griffith and Mandel had to share the duty. They averaged 63.2 yards per kick. The Tide return game was very good; Tenn. averaged only 20 net yards per kick off. The Tide coverage unit, however, took a step backwards against Tennessee allowing one return for 45 yards, and achieving a net of only 35.5 yards per kick.

Coaching: A Alabama was penalized 4 times for 45 yards. The participation report lists 66 players who saw action. Starting nose-tackle,Brandon Ivory, did not play due to an unspecified medical issue.

As the game clock ticked under 2:00 to play, the smoking lamp went on in the student section  as several thousand cigars were lighted. By the time the Rammer Jammer had been sung a haze of blue-gray smoke covered most of the seating in the south end zone. Victory cigars were ubiquitous on the quad as a sizable crowd celebrated the Tide's win in Tent City. Which reminds me to share with you another tweet:

@TennesseanInTtown: Victory over the Vols is sweet....also smokey! #IhateUT

In the night game, SEC East front-runner, Mizzou banged a chip-shot field goal attempt off the left upright to lose in double overtime to the Fighting Chickens. This prompted @WadeMan to tweet: "Not even the Heimlich maneuver can save you from a choke like that. #notreadyforprimetime"

At the Barn, API beat Florida Atlantic 45-10; Ole Miss beat Idaho [are they the Spuds?] 59-14; A&M crushed Vandy 56-24; and State proved itself to be only six points better than Kentucky, winning 28-22. 

LSU whipped Furman 48-16. The Bengal Tigers have two weeks, during which Alabama will be idle, before they travel to Tuscaloosa. I think that the media relations folks in Baton Rouge are going to say something to Les Miles and other members of the traveling costume party that is LSU football about being careful not to say anything that causes Alabama to feel disrespected. 

On second thought, I doubt that ever occurs to them. Expect the smack-tweets and talk of "Tiger Bait" to start any moment now. Some rivalries are spicier than others. And this one is about as peppery as they come.

Au revoir, Vols.

Bienvenue, you folks from Louisiana.

The Commissioner      

Arkansas Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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That was an excellent edition of The Grades, Commissioner.  Oddly, we find we have very little to add.  Excepting what is being reported today as a season-ending knee injury to Vinnie Sunseri, whose loss will be felt in far more than his physical play, Saturday bordered on the near-flawless.  Most importantly, this team continues to improve from its early showings in most every phase of the game.  Weakness of opponents aside (see below) things such as reducing penalties, securing the football, downing punts, making kicks -- in short the “little” things that win football games -- are often wholly in your control.  Alabama is beginning to control those little things.

 

Hubris is an interesting term.  Our modern day meaning isn’t how the Greeks used the term, necessarily, though there are parallels, such as when Ajax supposedly informed the Goddess of War that she could lend her aid to others in the battle, because he didn’t need it.  The modern day meaning of over confidence, pride, arrogance and overweening self-regard is starting to apply to many in this more-than-half-completed college football season. 

 

This weekend’s outcomes in the SEC, particularly, invite philosophical wonderings about just exactly what is going on in the world.  Upset Weekend doesn’t quite seem to cover it.

 

Georgia, crowned by many as the SEC East Champion (at least) after its defeat of LSU, has seen a spate of injuries on the offensive side of the football that I am not sure any team could overcome.  LSU itself went to Oxford and lost a game to the Mississippi Admiral Akbar Rebel Black Bears that was downright puzzling.  Mississippi had lost three straight.  LSU’s quarterback, who had played well enough that some considered him the class of the league -- a league that has one quarterback who is the current Heisman Trophy winner, another with three national championship rings and a touchdown to interception ratio that may set a record for all of college football history, and another who just set the SEC record for total offense with six or seven games still remaining in his career -- threw three interceptions in the first half, to go with only seven completions.  Frankly, Mississippi probably should have picked a couple of more.  Texas A&M, supposedly with the best player in college football, and an early dark horse favorite to win it all, has now lost two games at home, and may be an underdog at least twice more before the season ends.  Florida’s nationally-respected defense was methodically picked apart by a redshirt freshman at Missouri. Clemson was run out of its own stadium (admittedly by a very good FSU team) while holding a number 3 national ranking. South Carolina may be as dramatically internally dysfunctional as an episode of Big Brother. According to media reports, Oregon’s defensive coordinator complained publicly (and rather directly) that the opposing coach continued to call pass plays after the game was pretty much decided and he had therefore freely substituted on defense.  For a team that regularly plays its offensive starters late in the second half of games that are, shall we say decided, that seemed sort of cheeky.  What of those teams that fought hard and managed significant upsets last Saturday -- can they manage success?

 

More than halfway home, Alabama is undefeated, ranked number one, leads the SEC West, and laying aside Texas A&M no opponent has come closer to it than 25 points.  In fact, since the closing horn in College Station,  the defense has given up a grand total of 16 points.  Even with the Aggie game figured in, the defense is giving up on average fewer than 10 points per game.  The offense gained over 1000 yards combined in the last two games, which have been absolute shellackings, and by late in the third quarter featured players you might not identify with a program. Yes, we have won two consecutive games over conference opponents, but between them they own a grand total of 4 wins, coming against the likes of Samford and Louisiana Lafayette (no disrespect intended). The UA scoring offense is ranked 16^th in the nation; scoring defense is ranked 1^st in the nation. Could Alabama fall victim to reading its own press clippings?  To underestimating an opponent?  To not preparing mentally and physically for a challenge?  Coach was reportedly displeased with the efforts at practice last week, which makes one wonder what would have happened Saturday if the team had prepared harder. 

Coach Saban has structured The Process ®© to guard against the sort of overconfidence and self regard that leads a team to think that it can, to quote him, “throw its helmet out on the field and win the game.”  The team is supposed to play against a standard.  How good is it measured against how good it could be, not the opponent?  How good is it measured against its historical predecessors?  As an individual player, how well did you play on second and 6 early in the fourth quarter of a blowout game?  Was your effort, effect, and grade on that play the best you could achieve?  The issue is finding a way to make young men between the ages of 17-22 (with apologies to Jai Miller, who played Saturday) find that point of balance between confident and cocky.

It is a good thing, to my way of thinking, that Alabama knows that Tennessee took a very good Georgia team to overtime, and defeated highly-ranked South Carolina. Tennessee plays well on the line on both sides of the ball.  They do not quit.  Thus far, the Alabama players seem to be saying all the right things.  Let us hope their actions match their words. 

Hope to see you all in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

Arkansas Grades

Did you know that there are three recommended way to roast a whole hog? It's true. According to the National Pork Board, of Des Moines, Iowa, you can roast a pig  on a grill, on a rotisserie, or in a pit you dig in the ground.

The Pork Board offers some good advice to those contemplating the prospect of roasting a pig: "Order your pig from a specialty meat packer, grocery story or local locker." Makes sense."It is often necessary to give them 7 days advance notice" Check. "Before purchasing make sure the pig is absolutely clean."  Whoa! I didn't see that one coming. 

No doubt you have seen those hi-tech hog-cooking rigs. Some of them are so big they are motorized. If you decide to go the low-tech route for your porcine cuisine, the Pork Board has this handy suggestion: "Dig a hole two feet deep and five to seven feet wide."

There was some hole digging on display Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. The Alabama running game dug a trench straight to the Arkansas end zone while AJ McCarron and the Tide receivers lit up the Hogs with a precision passing game. Not to be outdone, the Tide defense stuffed the Pigs, holding them scoreless for the second straight year.

So, it turns out there is yet a fourth way to roast hogs: put them in a football game against Alabama. 

The Tide was utterly ruthless in all phases of the game. For the second week in a row, Alabama had two running backs rush for more than 100 yards. In all of Tide history, that has been accomplished only 17 times. Fully 25% of those times have come in the last 9 contests. For the sixth time this season, the Defense held an opponent to 10 or fewer points. By way of comparison, in the entire 2012 season, Alabama held 7 opponents to 10 or fewer points. In 2011 the total was nine opponents. This team is well positioned to eclipse that mark.

Saturday night's 52-0 roasting of the Razorbacks was not the result of playing the starting rotation the entire game. AJ's work was over mid-way through the third quarter, and when the Tide defense held the Arkansas starters on downs late in the fourth to preserve the shut out, there were only a couple of players on the field whose names were included in the three-deep handy-reference card.

Alabama's performance was more than just scoring a half-hundred points. It is also the zeros that are remarkable. Zero points allowed. Zero interceptions. Zero fumbles. Zero penalties. A single punt and a failure to convert on fourth down are the only blemishes that keep it from being a perfect game.

Three seasons ago, an ancient time when the iPhone 4 had yet to make its debut, Arkansas was arguably one of the best teams in the country. It was certainly one of the top three in the SEC West. But since Bobby Petrino's infamous joy ride on-what else?-a Hawg, the combined score of Arkansas-Alabama games is a staggering 104-0. Put another way, in the last two seasons, Alabama has roasted enough Pigs to supply every tailgate tent on the Quad with a season's worth of pulled pork.

Here's how I grade the game:   

Offense:     A+      Alabama earned 25 first downs [15 rushing], and gained 532 yards of total offense [352 rushing] converting 5 of 9 possession downs.

AJ completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was not sacked. His favorite target was TJ Yeldon, who caught 4 passes for 45 yards. Amari Cooper seems to be returning to pre-injury form. The exciting sophomore caught 3 passes for 65 yards and a TD. Christion Jones caught 3 balls for 20 yards and O.J. Howard had a 17 yard TD catch. Jalston Fowler made the most of his lone pass-catching opportunity scoring a TD from 5 yards out; the same play on which he dropped the pass in last week's game. Eight different players caught passes.

True freshman, Derrick Henry gained 111 yards on 6 carries and scored a TD on an 80 yard run. It is really amazing to watch someone that big [6-3, 235] run that fast. I wonder if he generates seismic waves detectable across campus in the geology lab. Kenyan Drake ran for 104 yards on 8 carries and scored 2 rushing touchdowns.TJ Yeldon added 88 yards and a TD on 12 runs. 

Alabama had six drives that gained 40 or more yards [68, 84, 72, 72, 67, 85] producing 5 TDs and a loss of possession on downs. The Tide's 10 offensive possessions generated 7 TDs, 1FG, a punt and a loss on downs. 

Defense: A+ Arkansas was limited to only 16 first downs and 91 passing yards. The Hogs gained 165 yards rushing, however, and converted 6 of 15 third downs. The occasional failure to get off the field on third down might warrant a slight downgrade, but the defense earned the + with its two interceptions [Ha Ha Clinton-Dix; Cyrus Jones] 5 pass breakups and 11 QB hurries.

CJ Mosley led all defenders with 10 tackles 2 breakups and 2 hurries. Jarrick Williams was credited with 6 tackles. Landon Collins and Clinton-Dix each made 5. 

Arkansas had 9 meaningful possessions in the game, which produced 4 punts, 2 interceptions, a blocked FG, a fumbled kick return and a turn-over on downs. 

Special Teams

Punting: A+ Cody Mandell only punted once-that counted-for 51 yards a no return. His second punt attempt, which was downed at the Arkansas 1 yard line, was nullified by an Arkansas roughing penalty. 

Kickoffs: A+ Alabama's kickers averaged 62.4 yards per kick and the coverage unit achieved a net of 42.6 yards/kick. Christion Jones returned Arkansas' single kickoff 32 yards to start the game.

Place Kicking: A+ Cade Foster was good from 48 yards on his single FG attempt and the Tide's place kickers were perfect on PATs. Alabama blocked Arkansas' lone FG attempt.

Coaching: A+ The participation report lists 70 players who saw action against Arkansas. The ball security and concentration issues that plagued Alabama last week against Kentucky were nowhere in sight Saturday night as Tide runners secured the ball "high and tight" and receivers held onto well thrown passes. And it bears repeating: Alabama was not penalized a single time in the game.

Apart from Alabama, October 19 was "Upset Saturday" for every SEC team that entered their respective games as the Las Vegas betting favorite. A future Tide opponent-LSU-lost on a last second field goal to a former opponent-Ole Miss, while a former opponent-A&M lost to future opponent Auburn. Non opponent-Vandy-effectively eliminated another SEC East rival-UGA-from having a chance to be an opponent. And non-opponent, Florida, was soundly whipped by just-might-be opponent Missouri.

The team that matters most, Tennessee, looked a little like the Vols of yesteryear by clawing back to win the fourth quarter, and the game, upsetting South Carolina 23-21. In The Daily Fishwrapper, columnist David Climer has declared UT's conquest of the Fighting Chickens to be a "signature win" by first-year coach, Butch Jones.

Personally, I would not have it any other way. No fans get unrealistically optimistic faster than Tennessee fans. Some are devising the scenario that gets Tennessee into the SEC Championship Game-spoiler alert: it involves Georgia and Florida both losing the Cocktail Party, and a secret witness convincing the NCAA that both Missouri and Vanderbilt are ineligible because having two people named James Franklin is like having two players wearing the same number on the field for the same play.

Look for Tennessee fans by the bus load to start arriving in Tuscaloosa as soon as Monday. For those readers in T'town: please exercise sensible precautions. Avoid direct contact with anyone wearing orange. You don't know where they have been, or what they have been doing. Remember what the Pork Board cautioned about making sure your pig was "absolutely clean." The same advice applies when it comes to visitors from  Rocky Top. If you think I am exaggerating, just listen to the lyrics of that song. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Commissioner

Kentucky Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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Thanks for a prompt edition of the grades at the end of an odd week, Commissioner.  Last night was a bit of an odd one in Kentucky.  It took three quarters of domination to cleanse the palate of the first three series, by the offense at least.  But those three quarters were a serious beat down.   I don't think Kentucky is a very good team right now, but I'm mindful that just a few weeks ago they gave supposed BCS Buster Louisville all they wanted for three quarters.  Last night's game was over at half time.  It was good to see Alabama back to making the other team quit.  Even the players who are, shall we say, waiting their turns to start, lined up and took the fight to the Wildcats.  It is also worth noting that yesterday seemed like Upset Saturday in college football.  Georgia, Michigan, Stanford, Oklahoma all expected a brighter Sunday morning.   Alabama avoided adding its name to the list of teams that watched their chances to win it all be snatched away by supposedly inferior teams, instead dominating an opponent it should have.

The various offensive miscues and fireworks, all coming in the same game, make it easy to overlook how very well our defense has been playing since it left College Station.  Last night's effort was suffocating.  Kentucky's touchdown came on a play where one of our defenders suffered a key isolation block -- unintentionally thrown by one of this teammates.  For the last few seasons, various pundits have remarked that the team that was best situated to beat Alabama was Alabama.  I was not so sure that was true this season, especially three games in.  Here, at more or less the half way point, I am starting to believe that may be true again and it is because of the development on the defensive side of the ball.  Given the losses to graduation, I feared that the offense would have to carry the defense, which is not my preference for a football team, but you do with what you have.  If the defense can continue to play like they did Saturday night, it will make things that much easier for the offense.  Bear in mind that Ha ha was again held out Saturday night. The rumor we hear down at the Tire Store on the fine young freshman defensive back is that he injured an ankle during the homecoming game last week and was somewhat limited in practice.  However, reading quotes from the defensive backs coach/head coach's press conference last night, it may be that Slyve just practiced better and was given his just rewards on Saturday night.  Can't say that we have concerns about there being three healthy defensive backs that the coaches have enough confidence in to start.

We do agree that despite record-setting team performances all over the place, the offense deserved to be graded down just a bit.  A worrying case of the dropsies seemed to be spreading like a bad virus. Yeldon said after the game he was carrying the ball too low.  No word on Drake, though there is just a chance that was the result of an outstanding play by Kentucky's defense.  But a Fair + sounds just a bit harsh for a team that turned in one of the best offensive showings in four decades.   Though it pains us to admit this, numerous subscribers to the grades weren't yet alive the last time a better performance was turned in by the offense.  There's a passel of national championships, talented players, and, to be fair, games against pretty weak opponents scattered across that stretch.  We'd say that rates at least a "good".  Continued improvement by the offensive line, whether based on changes in personnel, better communication, or just the experience of playing together is a very hopeful sign.

We continue to be pleasantly surprised at the development of the special teams as a weapon.  For the second week in a row, it appeared that the other team decided to punt away from our returners and paid a price when they didn't execute correctly.  Place kicking is solid and we even appear to be making conscious choices whether to kick off deep into the end zone or to try to stop returners short of the 25.

Your larger point cannot and should not be ignored.  Saturday was a pounding of an inferior team. That does not mean that exactly the same performance would even achieve victory over most of the rest of the schedule.  Believing there are no negative repercussions for sloppy play is not acceptable. We have a good bit of confidence in this coaching staff to ensure that message is delivered.  See entry under, Saban, Nick, exploding head.  Also, we note improvement in preparation for games like this which, in times past, Alabama might have been tempted to sleep walk through a little bit.  Even the key drop and two fumbles in the first quarter were on plays that were well designed and working exactly as drawn up by the coaches, so they get at least partial credit for that.

We did not have high expectations for the officials' performance as soon as we noted that Penn Wagers' crew had shown up for the game.  We were not surprised.  Someone has to come up with a solution for the play where the official marks the ball ready for play and is still somewhere between the line of scrimmage and the linebackers when it is snapped.  It didn't cost us last night, but it could against a more potent offense.  Some of the personal foul flags were just silly.

Despite struggles by the officials, I thought they performed better than the ESPN announcing crew.  It is always refreshing not to have Verne mangling everyone's name and Gary waxing poetic about the Days o' Tebow, but at least they call the action on the field.  It seemed like we watched a full quarter of the game last night while they had useless theoretical discussions with the silly

Todd McShay about various NFL draft "projections" and sang the praises of Oregon specifically and the PAC generally.  Biased much?  Alabama was setting statistical records left and right, but you wouldn't have known it from the broadcast.  While McShay was giving lofty explanations of why AJ is a third-tier quarterback, he was buzzing laser-like strikes down the field in the background. While the oblivious chuckleheads talked away about what NFL teams might do in March, for pity's sake, Tenpenny was pounding through the Kentucky defense like a saber saw, carrying something like 8 times in 10 plays and scoring a touchdown.  All we heard about was what an intimidating place Seattle is to play football.  Really, guys?  Next week, we'll just turn the volume off and listen to Eli.

We'll just conclude with this, we always like those games where, during the Rammer Jammer, Coach Saban is at midfield apologizing to the other team's coach for the late touchdown scored by the backups.

Back to Tuscaloosa to face the Razorbacks, who will be trying to find a way to get over the embarrassment of this past Saturday.  Wounded animals are always dangerous.  See you Saturday.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Kentucky Grades

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                There really is no way around it. Sometimes, you just have to state the obvious. This is one of those times. No amount of wit or word-play is appropriate. Facts are facts, and, as John Adams famously said, “Facts are stubborn things.”

                So here it is: The fact of the matter is, Alabama cannot afford to have five dropped passes and two lost fumbles against any opponent on the rest of the schedule.

                The Tide offense could have scored 69 points against the helpless Wildcats Saturday night. Instead, on a night when offensive records were being set, the score was tied at zero after the first quarter of play. Ball security, and finishing drives will no doubt be high on the list of coaching points for this coming week.

                OK. Enough with the negativity. Let’s look at the bright spots, and there were plenty of them as the Tide absolutely crushed Kentucky in a game that was not nearly as close as the 48-7 score would indicate.

                AJ McCarron’s passing is a good place to start: With 359 yards, AJ set a personal record for passing yards in a single game. His career total of 7306 passing yards is only 618 short of the Tide record holder, John Parker Wilson [7924] and the season is only half over.

                Saturday night’s game was the first time in Tide history that a quarterback has thrown for more than 300 yards in a game while two running backs each gained more than 100 yards net rushing. In all of Tide football history, two backs have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game only 16 times. But 3 of those 16 games have come in the last 8 games.

                The victory in Lexington was the 17^th consecutive win by the Tide in a game played outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium. In other words, other schools should not invite Alabama to visit for homecoming.

                Cade Foster scored a career high 12 points in Saturday night’s game, kicking two field goals and converting on six PATs.

                Considering all of this, I understand why Coach Saban answered as he did when leaving the field at half time. Going into the game, Saban had said the Tide needed a dominating performance; with the dropped passes and lost fumbles was he dissatisfied with his team’s failure to dominate the first half? Saban gave the reporter a medium sized dose of The Bug Zapper and explained that there is a difference between dominating-which we were doing offensively and defensively-and taking care of the football and finishing drives, which we had not done in the first quarter.

                Domination notwithstanding poor ball security and failures to finish makes The Commissioner’s job a bit harder this morning. But that too, is just one of those stubborn facts. So here’s how I grade the game:

Offense:              C+           Alabama earned 35 first downs, converted 10 of 14 third downs, gained 668 yards of total offense [299 rushing] and possessed the ball for 35:59 of game time. The Tide had 8 drives that gained more than 40 yards [66, 43, 88, 70, 79, 70, 80, 57] resulting in 6 TDs and 2 FGs. The down grade is based on the first three drives of the night [32, 51, 52] that produced a punt [following a dropped pass on third down] and two lost fumbles, both deep in UK territory.

AJ completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 359 yards and a TD. Five of the incomplete passes were drops [two by Kenny Bell, and one each by Fowler, Yeldon and Drake]. Cooper arguably could be dinged for a drop on a ball that had his name on it, but it was a hard catch. OJ Howard also had a ball hit his hands in the end zone, but there was good coverage on the play, and the DB was credited with a breakup.

Kevin Norwood caught 4 passes for 81 yards and a TD. DeAndrew White gained 80 yards on 4 receptions, while Amari Cooper caught 3 passes for 64 yards. Eight different receivers caught passes and AJ completed three passes for more than 30 yards [42, 31, 42].

Yeldon gained 124 yards on 16 rushes, for an average of 7.8 yards/rush and scored 2 rushing TDs. Kenyan Drake carried the ball 14 times, gained 106 yards [7.6 yds/rush] and scored twice. Altee Tenpenny scored a rushing touchdown and gained 21 yards on 5 carries. Derrick Henry gained 16 net yards on 3 rushes.

Defense:             A+          Kentucky is a bad football team, and avoided a shutout due to referee assistance. Nevertheless, the Stop Troops deserve a top-tier grade. UK gained only 170 total offensive yards [94 rushing], held the ball for only 24:01 and converted only 4 of 12 third downs. Wildcat running backs gained an average of only 2.8 yards per rush and the Kentucky passing game gained only 4.2 yards per attempt. All of which translated into 10 meaningful offensive possessions that produced 8 punts, 1 TD and 1 turnover on downs.

CJ Mosley led all defenders with 7 tackles, followed by A’Shawn Robinson, the Fearsome Freshman, who was credited with 6 tackles [2 for lost yardage]. Darren Lake, made 5 stops as did Jarrick Williams. A word about Lake: at 6-3, 324, the sophomore defensive lineman may well be the biggest thing every to come out of York, Alabama.

The Defense turned in 5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 28 lost yards [4 sacks] and broke up 4 pass attempts. Strangely missing from the lineup was freshman corner back, Eddie Jackson. The talented freshman saw no playing time. [I have not seen anything about him being in Coach Saban’s doghouse, but I’ve been a bit preoccupied this week.] In his place, sophomore Bradley Sylve made his first start. The 5-11, 180 lb DB from Port Sulphur, LA was credited with 2 tackles and a breakup, but was victimized by an iffy interference penalty on what appeared to be just excellent, tight coverage.

Sylve is a graduate of South Plaquemines High School. Is there a North Plaquemines High?     

Special Teams: 

Place Kicking:     A+          Cade Foster has come into his own. He was good on two FG attempts [25, 20] and 6 PATs.

Kickoffs:               A-           Five of Alabama’s 9 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Although Tide kickers averaged 64.7 gross yards per kick, coverage did not seem as tight as in previous games this season, and the net average was only 39.2 yards/kick. Alabama returned UK’s two kicks for an average of 24 yards, while kick coverage allowed UK to average 26 yards/return.

Punting:               A             Cody Mandell punted once for a touchback. The Alabama return game had 3 return opportunities which Christion Jones converted into 52 yards [30 long].

Coaching:            B+           The coaching grade also reflects the impact of the turnovers and dropped passes. The Tide was penalized 7 times for 65 yards. After one of those penalties-a false start by Huntsville freshman OL, Grant Hill [6-6, 307]-Saban suffered a head-explosion and made sure that Hill knew it. Hill’s performance improved noticeably. However, later in the game, Saban was unmoved when a Tide defender was flagged for a personal foul that wiped out the results of a sack and set Kentucky up for what turned out to be its only score of the night. It could well be that Saban was too busy searching the rule book to find the penalty for being wrestled to the ground and having your helmet ripped off and, not finding it, had no basis for offering the offending Alabama player any words of coaching wisdom.

The participation report lists 63 players who saw action against Kentucky and TJ Yeldon led the team with 154 all-purpose yards. Kenyan Drake was second with 150.

Around the league: Georgia lost 41-26 to Missouri, but the Tigers lost their star QB, James Franklin for the remainder of the season. UGA still has the head-to-head tiebreaker over South Carolina, but if the Yardbirds are higher ranked at the end of the season, will that trump the Dawgs?

Florida and LSU battered each other in a game that exposed both teams’ true identities: Florida has no offense, and a stout defense. LSU is strong on both sides of the ball. Tigers 17. Gators 6.

TAMU needed a last minute FG to beat Ole Miss 41-38. What does that say about both teams? We know that A&M’s defense is suspect, and the Rebs’ 38 points demonstrates that fact. Johnny Manziel was out of the game temporarily with a no-contact knee injury. He returned with the aid of a knee brace to lead the game-winning drive. Moral of the story: as Manzeil goes, so goes A&M.

Arkansas was dismantled by South Carolina 52-7. Steve Spurrier, ever the classy guy, had this to say in the post-game presser: “I do feel badly for Arkansas. That’s no fun getting your butt beat at home, homecoming and all that.” Well, I suppose that’s a fact, Coach, but maybe it is one so obvious that you don’t need to rub the other team’s nose in it.

The Hogs come to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Alabama has better players than Arkansas. That’s a fact. And it is a fact that Alabama is better coached. But remember what I wrote at the beginning of these Grades: The Tide cannot drop passes, lose fumbles and still expect to win its future games.

Those are the facts that matter the most.

The Commissioner

Georgia State Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

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It was a tough game to grade, Commissioner, but we agree with the way you did it.  Let's not kid ourselves, Georgia State played gamely, but was overmatched in this game at a level that is hard to explain, even by analogy.  It is not just that the Panthers are (literally) not in Alabama's league, they aren't even considered a very good team in the league to which they do belong.  They were whipped soundly, given the largest check they'll receive this year, and put back on the buses to Georgia.

That does not mean, however, that yesterday was a wasted day for Alabama, its coaches, or fans.  As you point out, it was not all that long ago in elephant years since we did not always dominate teams we were supposed to dominate.  Yesterday was a lovely day for football and renewing acquaintances both individual and institutional, as well making new acquaintances with a shared love for Alabama.  Several players wrote their names into the Alabama record books who may not have a similar chance against conference opponents.   There were few injuries, and the ones that were reported were of the "could have returned if needed" variety.

The coaches may have gotten more out of the game than anyone.  Replacements for Clinton-Dix got to see some live game action in a new position before traveling to Lexington next week where the Wildcat coaching staff can be sure to design plays to test them.  Blake Sims, whose previous entrances to the games have resulted in a wholesale change in offensive philosophy to accommodate his skills, was allowed (or perhaps required) by the coaches to run Alabama's regular playbook, and did quite well, as the statistics show.  More importantly, he appeared comfortable in that role.  Freshman offensive lineman Grant Hill got into the game for a number of snaps and coaches got to see how he meshed with the rest of the line in a game situation.  It is somewhat disconcerting that with five games in the book, we are still experimenting with the best combination for the offensive line, but so be it. 

Much ink has been used and bytes consumed with various pundits wondering about the identity of the 2013 Alabama football squad.  Nearly half way through the regular schedule, that may be emerging.  Laying aside the anomaly of the Texas A&M game, it appears that this team will rely on a relatively stout defense.  Even with A&M in the mix, Alabama is averaging giving up fewer than 14 points a game.  In a year where teams seem to be putting up 50s and 60s regularly and playing defense only as an interlude to allowing the offense to drink some water and talk on the phone to coaches in the booth, a team that would rather play defense first is an oddity.  Historically, Nick Saban led teams have relied on offense featuring two running backs, and a run first philosophy.  This year, the team might be pass first.  That, frankly, is not considered odd by most of the nation, but change is not something that sits well in Tuscaloosa --  especially not change to a formula that has met with so very much success.  However, with a stable of wide receivers such that a talent like Chris Black cannot break into the starting rotation, a quarterback who will likely end the season holding practically every significant passing record in the books, and an offensive line that pass blocks better than it run blocks, and opposing defenses stacking the line of scrimmage to make sure Alabama doesn't beat them running the ball, the whole situation invites the question "why not?"  If I'm the opposing defensive coordinator and I have to game plan for Alabama knowing that the (relatively) weak link is facing Yeldon/Drake/Fowler carrying the ball, I'm not getting a lot of extra sleep.

Finally, a word about the homecoming game.  Down here at the Tire Store, we are all for scheduling a team that we can beat into something the consistency of brake fluid for homecoming, but this was just a bit much.  Attendance was spotty, and I'm not sure I blame anyone who stayed home, preferring to come in back to back weekends later this month to see Arkansas and Tennessee.  Attendance issues were a matter of scheduling; not enthusiasm for the Crimson Tide.  Further, there are simply too many teams needing games like Alabama to make their year pay.   The coming demise of NCAA oversight of college football and the rise of super conferences may change this.  We hope so.

 I am also aware of the dollars involved in television broadcasting and that we do what they say because they have paid handsomely for the right to dictate start times.  But can't there be a bit of an exception for homecoming?   Please?  With Saturday's schedule, the homecoming parade stepped off the line at 7 a.m.  Nothing like rolling out of the bed an hour before first light to go march down the streets of Tuscaloosa.  Many of the folks who help support game day festivities around campus found it easier just to stay on the job all night Friday night into Saturday morning, rather than leave campus after midnight and return four hours later.   The student gates opened just after 9 a.m.  The College Game Day crew hadn't finished its morning picks before the Million Dollar Band was taking the field for pregame.  Tailgating was not designed for scrambled eggs and grits.  I love a good plate of barbecued pork as well as anyone reading, but not at 8 a.m.  Homecoming is a wonderful event; the tv networks should give us a break let us enjoy it,  not force us to prepare for it like a pre-dawn military operation.

Roll Tide, everyone.  Beat the Wildcats.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

Georgia State Grades

Goodness gracious! What a game! 

A contest that was supposed to be a talent mismatch between a top-ranked team and one that is struggling turned out to be a nail-biter instead. The odds-on favorite had to come up with some late-game heroics to squeak by an inferior opponent. It was a game that demanded my full concentration and turned me into a not very pleasant companion.......The Alabama game? No...Georgia vs. Tennessee. I was following it on my smart phone while we waited for our names to be called at Nick's In The Sticks.The Commissioner's Wife had to make me turn my phone off and rejoin the family.

The Alabama game, thankfully, had nothing in common with UT-Georgia, except that both the Dawgs and Panthers hail from the same state. The outcome was never in doubt; the only suspense was how long AJ McCarron would play before being replaced by Blake Sims. But the game was far from boring or predictable. So many different players saw action, that by the fourth quarter the two-deep quick reference card in the program was of no use and figuring out who was on the field was like solving one of those five-star sudoku puzzles while trying to also watch the game.

The game also provoked historic comparisons. For example: The Tide's half-time lead of 35-0 is second in recent memory to the 42-0 advantage Alabama enjoyed over Auburn in the 2012 Iron Bowl. Also, the Panthers kicked a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter. Which  means that in a little more than two quarters of play, Georgia State managed to score on Alabama, something that Auburn's offense has not accomplished in the last eight quarters. 

It was a fun game.....if you like watching Alabama dominate an opponent in all phases of the game all the while going deep in the roster....and who doesn't enjoy a game like that? The weather was hot and sunny, but the South Zone is the shady end of Bryant Denny Stadium on days in early October.

So well fed and contented, here's how I grade the game:

Offense: B Readers of The Grades know that from time to time the quality of opposition requires a one-grade reduction for the Offense and Defense. This is one of those times. 

Games of this sort are intended to be opportunities for lots of players to gain experience. By that standard, Saturday's contest was an unqualified success. Fifteen different players caught passes and six different running backs had at least three carries.

AJ had a game that was one incompletion short of statistical perfection: 15 of 16 for 166 yards and 4 TDs with no interceptions. 

Blake Sims had a highly productive day, completing 14 of 18 passes for 130 yards and one TD.

Chris Black led all receivers with 54 yards and a TD on 6 receptions. DeAndrew White added 45 yards on four catches one of which was an instant highlight reel, one-handed touchdown. Kevin Norwood and Christion Jones each made 3 receptions and among the more familiar names involved in the passing game, Saturday's stat sheet included Faciane, Freitag and Barrineau.

I don't know if the coaching staff decided to use Saturday as an opportunity to work on the passing game at the expense of the run, but the absence of a dominating rushing game keeps me from awarding the +. Alabama earned 181 yards of net rushing behind the efforts of TJ Yeldon [6att. 51 yds. 1 TD],Derrick Henry [4 att. 50 yds], Kenyan Drake [5 att. 40 yds], Jalston Fowler [3 att. 23 yds], and Altee Tenpenny [4 att. 10 yds.]

The Tide earned 31 first downs, 477 yards of total offense [181 rushing] converted 6 of 9 third downs and controlled the ball for 33:38 of game time. Alabama had 7 drives that gained 40 or more yards [71,60, 62, 80, 45, 68 and 68] achieving 5 touchdowns, 1 FG and a missed FG.

Defense: B+ One week after holding Ole Miss scoreless, the stop troops came within a 53 yard field goal of repeating the shutout. Georgia State gained only 175 yards [15 rushing] made only 9 first downs, converted a paltry 4 of 12 third-downs and was not able to snap the ball on the Alabama side of the 50 yard line until the 3rd quarter.

CJ Mosley led all tacklers with 6 stops. Bama made 8 tackles for lost yardage, broke up three passes and hurried the Panther QB twice.

Special Teams:

Punting: A+ Cody Mandel could very well have taken a nap for the first three quarters. His services as a punter were not required until only 7 minutes remained to be played in the game. Bama's return game has been so good this season, that opposing teams prefer to kick the ball out of bounds rather than provide Alabama an opportunity for a return. That was the case yesterday as well. Dee Hart got a chance for a return in the 4th quarter and turned in an excellent 37-yard effort.

Place Kicking: B Cade Foster was perfect on PATs, and nailed a 27 yard FG in the second quarter. Freshman Adam Griffith missed from 30 yards.

Kickoffs: A Kick coverage continues to be excellent. Foster averaged 63.4 yards per kick gross, with a net of 42.5 yards per kick.

Coaching: A The Tide's record improved to 5-0, the participation report lists 72 names of players who saw action against the Panthers and Alabama was penalized only 4 times for 30 yards. 

Back to that nail-biter of a game involving the other team from Georgia: is Tennessee getting better? Was UGA simply out-of-gas following last week's game against LSU? Have injuries depleted the Dawgs? The month of October will answer some of those questions.

Elsewhere in the league: Auburn looks like it is much improved over last year, and Ole Miss looks like anything but a team deserving of national ranking. Mississippi State seems to have found an offense-or else LSU was still recovering from its game against the SEC's other Bulldogs. And what about those Mizzou Tigers? Missouri, quarterbacked by James Franklin laid 51 points on Vanderbilt, coached by another James Franklin. 

Conventional wisdom is not always very wise. In August, the conventional wisdom held that Alabama faced only two speed bumps along the road to the SEC CG. After the first weekend in October, however, it looks like that road is going to be fairly bumpy, and two of those bumps wear shades of orange. And that's what makes college football in the SEC so great.

The Commissioner