KSU Grades

What a wild game that was!  My goodness!  Did you see it? Who could have predicted how that game would turn out? And the consequences to the respective coaches and  programs! One coach might have saved his job while the other one lost his. Paul Finebaum's show prep this week will consist of nothing more than sitting down on the set.

But enough about LSU and the Barn.....for now.....this blog is about Alabama football, and the Tide had a day at the office yesterday. No surprises. No drama. No doubt. Kent State was so overmatched, I am not so sure the coin toss was genuinely competitive. 

This game was so one sided, the broadcast crew suggested Coach Saban should be recognized as the Kent State alumni of the year for the million dollar payday the Golden Flashes received for being mangled by Alabama. Eli Gold saw empty seats in the student section and had some humorous things to say about undergraduates not being sober enough to get to a game with an 11:00 o'clock kick off. But as deep as the coaches went in the roster, it is entirely possible whole rows of the student section were suited up to play. 

Readers of this blog know it is customary for The Grades to reflect a one letter grade reduction to account for the opponent's quality. The Commissioner's Son and Heir suggested this game be graded on a pass/fail basis. He makes a good point.  Kent State was completely out matched. Consider this for example: On KSU's first offensive play, running back Justin Rankin ripped off a run off 47 yards (I think a defensive lineman was busy updating his status on facebook and missed the play), for the rest of the game, the Golden Flashes only gained a net 35 yards.

Or how about this: Alabama had six offensive possessions that gained 40 or more yards [70, 79, 55, 75, 61, 66] while KSU had 8 offensive possessions that ended after 3 of fewer plays. 

It was a really bad mis-match, but no one associated with the Alabama program is responsible for Kent State having a good football team. So, on a pass/fail basis, here's how I grade the game:

Offense: Pass As in completing 22 of 34 attempts for 217 yards and 2 TDs. Jalen Hurts started his third game of the season and continues to grow into the position. He accounted for 16 completions on 24 attempts for 164 yards and one TD [Mack Wilson; Fr.; 6-2, 240; LB; Montgomery, Carver].  Blake Barnett completed 4 of 7 pass attempts for 55 yards and a TD [O.J. Howard]. Cooper Bateman completed 2 of 3 attempts. None of Alabama's passers threw an interception.

Cam Sims caught 4 passes for 54 yards. OJ Howard gained 60 yards on 3 receptions and 13 different receivers caught passes for the Tide. 

Joshua Jacobs [Fr.; 5-10, 200; Tulsa, OK] led all rushers with 97 net yards on 11 carries. He scored 2 rushing TDs. Jalen netted 54 yards on 7 rushing attempts and scored a rushing TD. B.J. Emmons [Fr.; 6-0, 220; Morgantown, NC] netted 51 yards rushing. Eight different runners carried the ball for Alabama and netted 285 yards rushing for the game. Damien Harris injured his ankle on the Tide's first offensive possession and only carried the ball 4 times for 19 yards. We must wait and see whether he is available this coming Saturday against Kentucky.

The Tide gained 502 yards of total offense, achieved 26 first downs, converted 6 of 14 third downs, and controlled the ball for 33:33 of the game. Alabama scored four TDs and two FGs in its first six offensive possessions and did not punt until the 3:42 mark in the second quarter.    

Defense: Pass KSU basically could not. Kent's QBs completed only 7 of 16 pass attempts for 84 yards and were sacked 3 times. Kent's offense generated only two possessions that gained more than 40 yards [54, 73] and was held scoreless. 

Reuben Foster again led all tacklers with 7 tackles and participated in one of Bama's 5 tackles for lost yardage. Keith Holcombe recorded 6 tackles and Hootie Jones was credited with 4. Tide defenders forced and recovered a fumble and hurries the KSU QBs 6 times. 

Special Teams:

Punting: Pass+ Xavian Marks [So.; RB; 5-8, 163; Rosenberg, TX] returned a punt 75 yards for a TD. JK Scott punted twice for an average of 49 yards per kick.

Place Kicking: Pass Griff was good from 28 and 48 yards, and was perfect on 6 PATs.

Kickoffs: Pass Three different kickers saw action on Alabama's 9 kickoffs. Griff averaged 63.7 yards per kick on 6 kicks. He had 3 touchbacks and 1 kick strayed out of bounds. JK Scott kicked off twice for an average of 65 yards, and Andy Pappanastos, a graduate transfer from Ole Miss, kicked off once for 56 yards. 

Coaching: Pass Alabama was only penalized twice, a major improvement. The participation report lists 67 players who saw action in the game. Apart from the occasional jet sweep play.....the pages for which ought to be removed from the Alabama play book.....the play calling was completely without controversy. 

Coach Saban said the team's goals this week were to play a complete game, and give as many players as possible the chance to get game experience. You can put a check mark next to both. Alabama crushed an over matched opponent 48-0. Penalties were nearly non-existent. The Tide did not turn the ball over. For the sixth time in four games, Alabama scored a non-offensive touchdown. Four quarterbacks saw action and a touchdown catch was made by a true freshman linebacker playing both ways.

In Tuscaloosa today, coaches and players are setting about the business of reviewing film and starting to work on preparation for Kentucky. How different it is today in Baton Rouge, Fayetteville, Athens and Gainesville. In those college towns, coaches and players are searching their souls to understand how things have turned so badly. 

The Tide now turns its attention back to Conference play. The fortunes of the 2016 season will be determined over the next several weeks. In Lexington, the Cats are celebrating Saturday's win over the Fighting Chickens and thinking they can upset the nation's top-ranked team Saturday night. Pass/fail will not be an option for next week's edition of The Grades. 

Roll Tide, Y'all.....

The Commissioner  

Tire Store Report -- Mississippi Ackbar Land Shark Rebellious Colonel Black Bears

Boy, it feels good to beat the University of Mississippi in football.  Seems like a long time.  You know, mostly because on a coaching staff led by Nick Saban, anything more than once at a time is a long time ago.

Speaking of, it seems like a long time since we’ve heard from you, Commissioner. I understand you were far away where half the people speak French and half of them think a football end zone needs to be large enough to graze cattle on the weekdays.  Welcome back.  Your Son and Heir did an admirable job in your absence.

We understand from The Grades that the 66,000+ was the biggest crowd to ever see a game in Mississippi.  Isn’t that cute?  You know, if Vandy could sell its stadium out and add it to that number… .  Well, maybe that “if” is too big to finish the thought.

So, instead, here’s what we thought about the game.

Overall, this team showed a lot of heart and determination.  It would have been very easy to give up just before half time.  No one seemed to do so.  Perhaps history is repeating itself and the same way the team seemed to come to a turning point last year after the Mississippi game they will again -- this time without having to put a mark in the Loss column.  We understand the coaches gave the players a day off today to rest and recover.  With five more games before an off week, that was likely a good decision.

Give Mississippi credit.  They fought hard and have a talented team, especially at quarterback.  When their receivers noticed that the officiating crew had dozed off on the day that Umpire School covered offensive pass interference they took advantage of that learning deficiency with a vengeance.  More about the officials’ disabilities below.

On to specifics.

Offense:  Like you, we were perplexed after we ran so well on the first drive that we moved to  the exclusive two-yard screen pass game for most of the rest of the half.  Maybe the idea is that all those short passes got the defense loosened up for the running game. Sort of like when the comptroller asks us to open the new jar of pickles and we get it on the first try -- she always says, “I got it loosened up for you.”  Of course, in this case the Mississippi line looked pretty loose already on the first drive.  Hurts is playing beyond his years at this point.  As soon as the game slows down just a little bit he’ll start hitting the long passes.  If he can develop that knack over the next couple of weeks to go with a rejuvenated running game, this offense could be special.  The offensive line seemed much more comfortable and (except for the play where Shank and Jonah apparently decided to play Red Rover with one of Mississippi’s best defenders), did a decent job.  We thought they looked better than against WKU.  Being able to run the ball for first downs to end the game was refreshing and brought pleasant reminders of Henry, Ingram, Coffee, Lacy, etc.

Defense:  OK, everyone has their favorite odd things in football.  Some people love to see a blitz that gets home.  Some people love a pass play where the ball travels 50 yards in the air.  Some people like a good gadget play like the flea flicker or a double reverse.  I love it when someone who mostly starts every down with their hand in the dirt scores for their team.  Up until Saturday it was Marcel Dareus with the spin move on Texas that was my favorite.  I think Jonathan “Alabama Does” Allen’s 70-plus yard pick six on Saturday has taken that spot.  His scoring run not only put six points on the board for the Crimson Tide, it seemed to take two minutes off the clock.  We note that he did not get any special extra credit for carrying one of Mississippi’s wide receivers on his back the last few yards.  Perhaps next time someone will turn around and block.  I have a feeling the Saban guy will mention it in a meeting.  On the other hand, I understand being anxious not to miss the celebration.

We gave up too much too easily near the end of the game, but missing Foster, Fitzpatrick and Jackson for a series will do that to you.  Maybe.  See below.

Special Teams:  It was a shame we shanked a punt and couldn’t corral an onside kick to put a cloud on an otherwise stellar day.  I like that we are kicking off the football into the dadgum end zone, of course.  Although I worry about losing a player of Jackson’s caliber on punt returns, I see why the coaches have him out there.  He just seems to have a way of smoothly gliding through traffic, like he’s riding a skateboard through a traffic snarl.  He does the same thing after interceptions.  And credit Scott with a portion of the other defensive touchdown.  Pinning them inside the 6 not only makes for a much easier scoop and score, it seemed to energize our defense coming onto the field to try to make something like that happen.  I doubt any team in America wants to face our defensive line when it has extra incentive.

Coaching:  OK, y’all knew I was going to carry on about this, but it just drives me crazy near the end of games when we have a lead and play a “soft” defense.  I know, it works.  You trade yardage for time and just let the other team bleed out the clock.  The Russians have been doing it for centuries, waiting on General Winter rather than the final whistle.  If for no other reason, we need to quit it because every other team knows that’s what’s going to happen.  But for an alert (and somewhat lucky) play by Bozeman, Saturday could have been heart-breaking.

On the other hand, the realignment on the offensive line appears to have created some serious improvement in the running game.  Also, the coaches did a good job of getting the team to stay in the game, even down by three touchdowns, on the road, against a talented conference opponent that had previously had its number.  It would have been easy for this team to fold up.  They didn’t.  That’s partly a credit to the coaches.  Perhaps after Saturday Coach Kiffin will be a little more willing to RTDB.  I hope so.

Broadcast:  Great Googly Moogly.  We had forgotten just what a CBS game with Uncle Verne and Aunt Gary was like.  It’s kind of like you remember dental work is unpleasant, but till they tilt you back in that chair and cut on that KC Daylighter light fixture, the unpleasantness of it all sort of fades away.  Why they can’t just stick to calling the game is beyond me.  Honestly, I thought it was a comedy set up when Verne called Archie Manning “Archie Griffin”.  Alas.  At least this is Verne’s farewell tour.  This game was already a long one.  Adding the CBS time outs for more commercials made it feel like it lasted all day.  Because, well, it sort of did.  At least we are not on CBS next week.

Officiating:  We just thought the officiating was bad last week.  Well, strike that, the officiating was bad last week.  This week, it was something past bad.  Inconsistent? Incompetent? Horrid? Infuriating?  All of the above?   Frankly, it’s been a pitiful year for officiating all over college football.  At least our game didn’t have a touchdown scoring play after it should have been officially over.  Or credit given for touchdowns where players didn't carry the ball into the end zone.  Though it’s hard to imagine how to set the bar any lower short of employing equipment from Caterpillar.

Look, if the Mississippi player who targeted Hurts on the scoring play was playing professionally (and given that this is Hugh Freeze’s Ole Miss, that’s a definite possibility) he’d probably get notice of a fine from the League this week.  If you watch closely the first thing that moves is Jalen's helmet.  That's where the first contact occurred.  But with the SEC employing the Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, Louis Braille officiating crew, no call was made.  And I’m not sure how confident I am in the Free Illuminati Mason Fraternal Brotherhood of Call Reviewers at the Home Office in Birmingham.  I just have this feeling that the conversations on the headphones go something like, “Naw, we couldn’t see crap either. I dunno if his knee was down and everybody else was out of the room.  Just say y’all got it right the first time.  Second down at the 28.  Put six seconds back on the clock so they’ll think we were doing something.  How’s your wife?”

Whatever.  It is really good to get to the fourth game of the season without a loss, scoring 40+ points a game, and having an opponent this week that should give us a chance to rest some people, tend to some injuries, and work out some kinks.  Is this a championship caliber team?  Not right now, I don’t think.  But there’s a long way to go and they are rounding into shape.  The future is bright.

Saturday is Family Weekend on campus.  If you are going down for the game, be careful.  Roll Tide.  Beat Kent State.

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Mississippi Grades

Sometimes, when a football team plays a game, it is possible to describe what made the difference in the game with a single word. Talent, for example. Luck. Effort. Preparation. 

Alabama's 48-43 win over Ole Miss, played over the span of more than four and a half hours, before the largest crowd ever to witness a football game in the State of Mississippi, is just such a game. It was a win that can be summarized with a single word. Character.

Trailing by 21 points on the road, with less than three minutes to play in the first half, some teams might quit; think about Southern Cal two weeks ago. Some might become frustrated and get chippy, resorting to personal fouls; think Georgia in the 2012 SEC CG, or Auburn just about anytime. Others might lose their poise or unity and start blaming each other for missed assignments or misjudged plays; again, think API. Yes, some teams might quit, become frustrated and lose their poise. The 2016 Crimson Tide is not among them. 

Freshman QB Jalen Hurts, rebounded from having coughed up a fumble that gave Admiral Akbar its third TD of the half, to lead a sparkling 50 yard drive in three plays to notch Bama's first touchdown. The Defense responded by forcing a three and out and Eddie Jackson took the ensuing punt 85 yards for Alabama's second touchdown in 65 seconds of play.  What was Bama's largest point deficit since the 2008 Sugar Bowl had become a very manageable 7 points heading into the locker room at the half. 

Bama got the ball to start the second half and punted Ole Miss dead at the Ursuline 6 yard line. Two plays later, Chad Kelly was sacked, stripped of the ball, and Soph. Da'Ron Payne [6-2, 319; Shades Valley] scooped the loose ball and scored from three yards out.

With virtually the entire second half to play, the ball game was tied. Bama punted only once in the second half and scored 17 offensive points, while the Defense added another touchdown on Jonathan Allen's [Sr. DL; 6-3, 291; Leesburg, VA] 75 yard interception return. 

Ole Miss showed their resolve in the game's waning moments, scoring two TDs and recovering an on-side kick, to bring the final tally within five points. The Tide killed the final 2:51 with determined running by Damien Harris [So. RB; 5-11, 214; Richmond, KY] and Cam Robinson's [Jr. OL; 6-6, 326; Monroe, LA] heads-up recovery of a Bo Scarbrough [So. RB; 6-2, 240; Northport] fumble.

In his post-game remarks, Coach Saban said some things I do not believe I have ever heard from a college football coach. In the run up to the game, he talked with his team about love. How love is a genuine, all-in, commitment. It's what makes marriages endure through adversity. And it is what will bind the members of a team to each other so that the team can overcome adversity. It was extraordinary.

If the 2016 Crimson Tide are champions at season's end, yesterday's game at Oxford will be rightly seen as the moment these players first showed the power of their love for each other, and the mettle of their character. 

Here's how I grade the game:

Offense: B Alabama earned 23 first downs and compiled 492 total yards of offense [334 rushing]. They controlled the ball for 35:23 and converted 7 of 15 third downs. Each of the Tide's five possessions in the Red Zone resulted in a score. Jalen Hurts [Fr. QB; 6-2, 209; Channelview, TX] was the leading rusher, gaining 146 net yards on 18 attempts. Damien Harris added 144 yards on 16 carries. Joshua Jacobs [Fr. RB; 5-10, 204; Tulsa OK] contributed 33 yards on 3 plays.  There were two stretches in the game where the Tide ran double digit totals of plays without a handoff to a running back. This is the new normal for the Alabama running game. When Alabama lines up in an empty formation, it may well be a running down.

Jalen has the reputation of being a gym-rat. I certainly hope that is true. He will need all of the fitness and conditioning that Coach Cochran can give him if he is to survive the pounding SEC defenses will scheme to deliver. 

Hurts also completed 19 of 31 pass attempts for 158 yards, making him the first Tide QB since Tyler Watts to throw and run for more than 100 yards in the same game. Calvin Ridley [So. WR; 6-1, 188; Coconut Creek, FL] was the Tide's leading receiver with 81 yards on 8 catches. Gehrig Dieter [Sr. WR; 6-3, 207; South Bend, IN] added 47 yards on 2 catches. O.J. Howard [Sr. TE; 6-6, 251; Prattville] gained 24 yards on 2 receptions. Hale Hentges [So. TE; 6-5, 256; Jefferson City, MO] made 1 catch for 3 yards. Ardarius Stewart caught 4 passes for 2 yards. During one stretch in the first half, all of Lane Kiffin's play calls were screens, and Ole Miss knew it. Maybe Kiffin was stuck on screens because a blob of syrup was covering up the other plays on the Waffle House menu he uses to call plays.

The Offense started the game with a balanced, 17 play, 61 yard drive that took 7:13 off the clock, and scored a FG after Hurts missed a wide open Gehrig Dieter for a sure TD. This was followed by a 9 play, 23 yard drive resulting in a missed FG attempt from 47 yards. Then Bama's offense became utterly predictable, with predictable results. The next four possessions only ran 16 plays and resulted in three punts and a lost fumble recovered for a TD by Ole Miss. In the second half, play calling was much better, and Alabama got its running game on track.

Alabama had five drives that gained more than 40 yards [61, 50, 51, 75, 58] producing 3 TDs and 2 FGs. 

The first half was also pocked with pre-snap penalties. 

Defense: B Ole Miss notched 23 first downs and compiled 527 yards of total offense [106 rushing]. Chad Kelly played the best game of his college career, completing 26 of 41 attempts for 421 yards and 3 TDs. The Black Bear receivers are big and strong. Kelly was completing throws to open receivers as well as those who were covered about as well as is possible to do without a penalty. He was also the Formerly-Known-As Rebel's best running threat, gaining 48 net yards on 13 rushing attempts. Thanks to a Tide TD on a punt return and a recovered on-side kick, Ole Miss had more offensive possessions than Alabama [16-13], the Stop Troops held Ole Miss to 3 plays or less on 9 of those possessions.

The other seven? Mississippi put together drives of 75, 50, 80, 74, 54, 55 and 78 yards. In case you were wondering, that's not good. The one that galls the most, is the 12 play 78 yard drive Akbar put together for a TD with 2:24 to play in the game cutting Bama's 18 point lead to only 11. This set up the on-side kick recovery and quick strike, 37 yard TD that set the final score.

Reuben Foster led all tacklers with 12 [4 solo]. S. Hamilton at 7 stops including 2 tackles for lost yardage. Dalvin Tomlinson was in on 7 tackles. Minkah Fitzpatrick was credited with 6 tackles while Shyheim Carter [Fr. DB; 6-0, 190; Kentwood, LA] and Marlon Humphrey each earned 5. 

Tide defenders notched 4 tackles for 19 lost yards including 2 sacks. Ryan Anderson forced Chad Kelly to fumble near the Ole Miss goal line. Da'Ron Payne recovered and scored. Kelly had 6 passes broken up,  was hurried twice and intercepted once. Jonathan Allen's ensuing TD has to set some sort of record for Longest Pick-Six Return by Weight.

Special Teams:

Kick Offs: A+   Griff averaged 63.3 yards per kick on 9 kickoffs including 7 touchbacks. The coverage team allowed only 32 yards on two kick returns.

Punting: B+.   JK Scott punted 5 times for an average of 38.8 yards and cranked off a longest punt that sailed 63 yards but with enough hang time so as not to out kick the coverage. However, he also shanked the very next punt which covered only 8 yards! Two of his punts were in excess of 50 yards and he dropped 2 inside the Mississippi 15 yard line. Eddie Jackson's 85 yard return for a touchdown would be enough to earn an automatic A, but the shank was almost as bad as a block, considering the field position.

Place Kicking: B.    Griff was good on field goal attempts from 32 and 30. He missed from 47 and was perfect on 6 PAT's. 

Coaching: C Bama had 9 penalties.....an improvement over last week to be sure, but nevertheless way too many. The coaches substituted freely and went deep in the roster.  The participation report lists 52 players who saw action in the game, many of these were true freshmen.  Offensive play calling was maddening at times, but Jalen Hurts appears to learn and improve with each play. His resilience is remarkable.

A few words are necessary on the quality of officiating. Here they are: horrible, ridiculous, buffoonish, embarrassing and pathetic.  Take just about any 5 minute segment of the game and you will find examples to match with those words.

Around the league: the Barn lost.....in the Cow Pasture, er, I mean "Pat Dye Field".... Georgia darn near lost as did Tennessee. Vandy got smacked by Ga. Tech, and Florida looks like a good football team.

For Alabama, the most important game of the season so far is this coming Saturday against Kent State.  Kickoff is 11:00 a.m. 

I am starting to get excited about what this team can become. 

Roll Tide Y'all.

The Commissioner     

Tire Store Report WKU

Boy, Coach seemed a little upset yesterday.  A lot of “p” words came to mind -- peeved, puckish,  piqued, provoked, perturbed, and just plain ol’ p.o.’d.   At one point we even thought of “persimmon-faced”.  What he wasn’t was pleased or proud.  His irritation extended from freshman players right up to his offensive coordinator who just got a contract worth a million-dollars-plus per year. 

We don’t think it was the final outcome that goat the coach’s goat, though.  That was another “p” word -- Process.

Alabama was not with the Process Saturday, and apparently hadn’t been all week in practice.  Coach Saban used the word “arrogant” in his post-game press conference.  If there’s one thing the coach can’t stand it’s not showing proper respect to your opponent.  He also corrected a reporter who suggested there had been a discussion with Coach Kiffin.  The compound noun chosen preferred by Saban was “ass chewing”.  We doubt it’ll be the last one this week.  I think it’s safe to say that at least one thing that was under the Coach’s skin was that they players weren’t all performing to a standard.  They left points, maybe sort of a lot of points, on the field.  They didn’t all play the very next play to the best of their ability, without regard to the opponent or the score on the scoreboard.

However, we actually thought several parts of the team looked pretty solid on Saturday.  As Wade so eloquently documented, the defense took a team with a future NFL wide receiver and an offense that had rung up almost 650 yards in total offense and made it look pretty inept.  WKU is a decent football team.  Certainly the Hilltoppers expect to go to a bowl game and were preseason favorites to win their conference.  Alabama beat them by four touchdowns and it could have, maybe should have, been worse.

The kicking game was solid.  When you get out to around 50 yards, I don’t blame the placekicker for missing a kick, I blame the offense for not getting him to a reasonable distance.  I think Hurts will be fine at quarterback.  He had a few throws that were just a little out of time.  Whether that was because he was late making the read and trusting the throw or his throwing motion is a little slow or because he didn’t lead the receiver enough sounds like different ways of saying the same thing.  According to the commentators we had receivers open all over the field all day.  With this receiving corps, we should have.

So why didn’t the offense do a little more on Saturday?  Aren’t we really covering up the lack of sustained drives that score touchdowns with explosive plays that score touchdowns?  Well, maybe.  But the object of the game is to score points.  You keep the other team’s defense out there running around, but you don’t get any more points for a 14-play, 80-yard drive than you do for a 6-play, 80-yard drive that includes a 46-yard pass completion.  It’s just not the way Alabama is used to scoring.

Our concern on offense has to do with the offensive line, specifically the interior of that line.  They just seem discombobulated up there.  We were surprised at the shift in center/guard positions late in fall camp.  Maybe the whole thing was just about covering till Taylor made it back from his suspension, but then Coach fussed on him publicly Saturday about his weight -- all of us who have tried to shed a few pounds know it’s not like he’s going to lose an easy 20 before next weekend, no matter how much he gets called out.  In addition to the snap over the quarterback’s head Saturday, we had several others that could have gone that way.  With a freshman quarterback trying to read defenses at this level, the last thing he needs to worry about is snap placement.  We are not running for much yardage and I don’t attribute all of that to inexperience in the backfield, or even much of it, really.  Here’s to hoping the offensive line looks a little more cohesive on Saturday.  It will probably help if the game plan is 100% focused on beating the other team, instead of also providing learning opportunities for the players, which I believe was going on with some of the offensive play-calling on Saturday.

The bottom line for me is that I think our head coach uses the media to send messages to his team.  Lord knows he isn’t using them to educate reporters about his players, coaches or schemes.  If the team had gotten a little big for their collective britches, then a bushel basketful of penalties the week before a huge game was excuse enough for the coach send them a message.  Dropped touchdown passes was putting fuel on the fire.  Giving up a fumble in the red zone and a touchdown at the end of the game to a team that hadn’t earned it, well, we’re not sure a tirade was out of bounds.

On other matters….

I finally gave up on listening to ESPN 2 and turned to Eli.  I know a lot of people like Beth Mowins and she seems knowledgeable about the game.  She does a way better job on player names than good ol’ Verne has done in about five seasons.  It’s the timbre of her voice I just can’t abide.  Reminds me for all the world of someone dragging a cat through a chain link fence by the tail, especially when she tries to talk louder because something exciting is going on.  I will say that compared to CBS the game was much better paced and less subject to the endless and innumerable television time outs. 

OK, this was clearly one of the worst officiated games we can remember.  Alabama drew a lot of flags.  The zebras seemed especially focused on false starts yesterday.  It’s like when the mayor tells the police chief city revenues are down and everyone starts getting tickets for not stopping before turning right on red or not signaling before changing lanes, even on deserted roads late at night.  Even the announcers seemed flummoxed a couple of times about exactly what or whom had done what to earn a penalty. 

The thing that made us ready to throw a lug wrench through the plate glass window was the penalties the blind mice didn’t call.  Bo Scarborough had his head pulled nearly to the ground by a Western Kentucky player holding his facemask.  Everyone knows tackling that way is against the rules because of the danger of someone getting their neck broken.  Call by the geniuses in the convict outfits on Saturday was apparently “No broken neck, no foul.”  Later in the game Stewart was behind the defense and caught a long pass from Hurts (a bit underthrown).  Just before he reaches the end zone, the defensive back grabs him by the back collar of his shirt and drags him to the ground. This form of tackling was also outlawed because of its injury potential.  Call from this crew?  Holding on Alabama.  Deliver me.

If you don’t know who we are playing this week, I am astonished that you are reading this blog.  We owe a really, really ugly turn to the Admiral Ackbar Rebellious Black Bears of Mississippi.  And Karma owes us big.  I won’t bring up why.

Roll Tide.  It’s sad to say at only the third game of the year, but this one may be for the SEC West.  Winning won’t guarantee it, but losing it is digging an awfully deep hole.  Let’s hope on Saturday night that the Head Coach as Pleased as Punch.

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Western Kentucky Grades

Western Kentucky Grades

I hate it when Alabama plays mid-major directional schools.  I’m not saying that Bama shouldn’t take on cannon-fodder opponents.  An eight game SEC schedule combined with one game against a major conference opponent like Southern Cal is more than enough to bolster Bama’s strength of schedule.  But the team never seems to take these opponents seriously.  The game plan is vanilla, the players are unfocused, and the final score never seems as lopsided as it ought to.

God forbid you bet on Bama.  The extra point following Western Kentucky’s last minute touchdown allowed for a backdoor cover of the 28.5 point line, and likely inspired a lot of heavy drinking.

While the defense showed up and played to the standard that we’ve come to expect, the offense was a mess.  It’s obvious that the coaching staff wanted to give true freshman Jalen Hurts the opportunity to get comfortable throwing the ball, and as a result the game plan was very pass-heavy.  But when the Tide did run, they found very little success.  At times I found myself wondering if the offensive line was choosing not to block for the rushing game, because they seemed to be putting in absolutely no effort.  And the penalties…  I’ll go into detail on the penalties later.  Hopefully my brain doesn’t explode while I’m thinking about them.

Look, I don’t mean to be unduly critical.  It is perfectly natural for a team to experience a lull when an inferior opponent is sandwiched between two huge games.  And Bama’s “lull” resulted in a four touchdown victory over a mid-major conference champ.  It’s simply frustrating when we all know that this team is capable of a much better performance.

Here’s how I grade the game, with the standard letter grade deduction for the quality of the opponent:

OFFENSE – D+

The offense constantly fell victim to self-inflicted wounds.  Blocking was mostly awful, particularly in the run game.  Two sure touchdown passes were dropped.  Bama was hit with four false starts and a substitution infraction.  There was a clear lack of focus from all involved.

On the plus side, Jalen Hurts has cemented himself as Bama’s starting quarterback.  He went 23 of 36 for 287 yards and two TDS.  More importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.  Hurts’ favorite target was Calvin Ridley, who had been kept in check by USC last week.  Ridley had 9 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.  Ardarius Stewart had another fine performance. Catching 5 balls for 90 yards and a TD.  Gehrig Dieter, OJ Howard, and Robert Foster all caught multiple passes.

This might have been the worst rushing game in over half a decade.  The team rushed 39 times for a paltry 124 yards.  That’s a putrid 3.2 yards per carry.  Damien Harris led the way with 11 touches for 45 yards.  Bo Scarbrough and BJ Emmons both ran for scores.  Hurts rushed 11 times for 19 yards, but that number includes sacks.  Hurts was not as committed to the run as he was against Southern Cal.  That may have something to do with the game plan, but it’s something he needs to improve upon.

As noted earlier, the offensive line was garbage in the run game.  I don’t know if that has to do with spending most of the week working on pass protection, but the big fellas gave the runningbacks nothing to work with.  The Tide only managed 3 runs of longer than ten yards, and the longest was a late run by BJ Emmons that went for 14 yards.  More than any other issue, run protection must be a major focus during practice this week.

DEFENSE – B

The stop troops had another fantastic outing.  While I deducting a letter grade for the quality of the opposition, it should be noted that Western Kentucky is a prolific offense, and have been for the past few seasons.  They are especially adept at throwing the ball.  Topper QB Mike White was the only passer to throw for more than 500 yards in Week 1.  The closest that White came to 500 yards against Bama was the ground he covered while running for his life.

Once again, Jonathan Allen was the lead man for the Bama defense.  He harassed the passer on almost every snap.  He’s credited with 1 sack, but he often forced the opposing QB into the arms of his teammates.  The team had four sacks and six QB hurries, forced a fumble, and picked off two passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Eddie Jackson.  The secondary blanketed WKU’s receivers all day, leaving no windows for their QBs.

Western Kentucky was only able to manage 239 yards, which includes an embarrassing 23 yards rushing.  That’s a pretty steep drop from the 649 total yards they put up in Week 1.

So why no “+”?  I’m not docking the defense for the late TD that WKU scored against our backups; that score was the offense’s fault for not properly executing a snap.  The slight deduction comes because there were several dropped interceptions, and because Eddie Jackson chose not to fall on an easy fumble.  It’s nitpicking, but these are the kinds of plays that this defense must make against conference opponents.

SPECIAL TEAMS – C+

Adam Griffith missed a field goal, but it was a 49 yard attempt, which is by no means a gimme.  However, it hooked so badly that I’m not sure it would have been good from 30.  He nailed a shorter kick, hit all his extra points, and kickoffs were mostly fine.  Bama also blocked a long field goal.

JK Scott had another great effort.  He punted 5 times for an average of 46.4 yards with a long of 58.  He put 3 inside the 20.  Scott has reestablished himself as a weapon.

We saw a welcomed change this week.  Freshman Trevon Diggs replaced Calvin Ridley at punt returner.  Ridley is too important to the offense to have him fielding punts.  Thankfully, Diggs performed well in the role, returning 2 punts for 15 yards with a long of 13.

 COACHING – F+

I really wish I could chalk this performance up to a vanilla game plan that was focused on getting Hurts comfortable under center.  But the team was simply unfocused, particularly on offense.  Bama committed 12 penalties for 84 yards.  That is absolutely inexcusable.  That will get you beat by any decent team.  4 false starts AT HOME proves that the offensive line simply wasn’t paying attention.

In fairness, the officiating in this game was abysmal.  I’m sure my colleague at the Tire Store will have more family-friendly words for the zebras than I can currently muster.  I’ll just say this: a video came to light from a small college game of a player punching the head ref in the face and knocking him cold.  The player was rightfully arrested and charged with assault.  To paraphrase Chris Rock: after yesterday’s game, I don’t condone what that player did, but I understand it.

I have all the faith in the world that this staff will get the issues fixed before the team heads to Oxford to take on the Rebel Black Bears.  But some of the problems we saw against WKU should never have been issues in the first place.  Film study should not be very much fun.

Next week is a huge game.  Ole Miss is the lone black mark on Bama’s last two regular seasons.  The Rebels look to be a good team once again (for the money they’ve spent, they darn well should be).  Bama must be focused, and every man must do his job.  The Process works when everyone follows the Process.  I’m just thankful that we’re facing Ole Miss, and not East Central Western State.

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That was an excellent set of The Grades, Wade.  Thanks taking the post of honor in the Commissioner’s absence.

You know, sometimes we have a weird month down here at the Tire Store.  We’ll get off to a really slow start.  Mr. Poole, Pee Wee, and JD will all just be sitting around by the tire-changing machine watching cars with four perfectly sound, perfectly balanced, perfectly aligned tires rolling down the six-lane in front of our place.  Instead of maintenance jobs, Willie will spend his time getting extra grease off his tools and putting all the sockets back in the right socket sets (he has about a dozen).  We’ll miss them and catch Pee Wee and Poole out pitching pennies against the wall towards the Complete Cash title loan place that’s opened up next door.  Moses will be sneaking across the road to the Krystal for two, or maybe 12, sliders, and there’s just not much we can say to any of them.  

Usually, though, things will roll back into shape and before you know it, we’ll get busy.  Maybe the end of the month we’ll be busy in all the bays and it may even turn into a great month.  We don’t really know it, though, till we sit down and think about it doing books after the month is over.  We’ll end up surprised at just how good it was.  Truth is, it’s just really hard to get over the queasy feeling that slow start gives you.

That is sort of how we felt after the game on Saturday.  The first quarter plus was so worrisome and starkly bad that it was hard to get over.  A four-and-out, a three-and-out, a lost fumble on first down by a freshman quarterback….  USC was passing and running around like nobody’s business.  But then slowly and building momentum, things changed.  The defense started to figure out what was going on and clamped down on USC’s offense.  The offensive line, which had seemingly been getting pushed around like the chess team captain at biker rally, suddenly asserted itself.  It really took totaling up everything at the end of the game to find out just how terrific it had really been.  For example:

·         Did you notice Bozeman block his man all the way into the end zone on Hurt’s seven-yard touchdown run?  Don’t misunderstand.  He’s not Ryan Kelly. Yet.  But those weren’t the Little Sisters of Mercy and Charity we were playing.

·         Emmons rushed 9 times for 138 yards.  Because we only know our multiplication tables up to 12, and 138 is more than 9x12, we don’t really know the average, but it was a lot per carry.  After coming into the game with no proven running back in the backfield, there seemed to be a bunch of guys who could do a perfectly fine job.  None of them are Derrick Henry.  Yet.

·         USC set a lot of team records on Saturday, mostly bad.  The most notable one for Alabama fans was that it was the first time they had given up multiple touchdowns throwing and running to a single player in two decades.  To be honest, we wouldn't have been surprised if any number of Alabama quarterbacks were to run for two or more touchdowns and throw for two or more touchdowns in a single game against a Top 20 Team.  The last time we were that confident in a freshman quarterback?  Have to get back to y’all on that.

·         Ho-hum.  Our defensive backs had another pick six.  Marlon Humphrey, Reuben Foster, and Eddie Jackson delivered blows to the ribs of opposing players that will take a lot of time in the hot tub to get over.  USC’s All-American receiver (and nominee for the USC all-time/all-name team) Ju Ju Smith-Schuster had one catch for a whopping 9 yards.  We do know our 9s table that high.  I’m expecting you won’t see a total that low for him the rest of this year.  Or maybe in the NFL.

·         We need a few back up players on the defensive line to step up, as well as the short-bus riders up at NCAA headquarters to realize that not ruling on a player’s eligibility till after the season starts is the same thing as disqualifying him.  However, we’re pretty confident the starting group is as good as we can remember seeing in a college game.  Playing to their potential, they should be somewhere between scary and terrifying for most opposing quarterbacks.

·         Scott dropping a punt inside the three-yard-line was a big play in the game.  Glad to see him in mid-season form already.

·         Despite how good the defensive front is, Alabama’s wide receivers may be the best unit on the team.  If we can convince teams to forget to cover them sometimes like happened at least twice on Saturday, it’s going to be a highlight reel season.

·         USC’s offense has not been in the red zone this season.  You can win a lot of football games if you keep that up.

·         OK, normally a Nick Saban team would not be throwing downfield scoring passes to senior receivers with a 30+ point lead.  Normally, however, the offense isn’t being coached by a guy who owes the other team a bad turn.  In case you tuned in late, when Lane Kiffin was fired from his head coaching job at USC (and we don’t have any argument with USC making the decision it did) they decided the way to do so was to pull him and his baggage off the team bus as the team returned from out-of-town game.  They left him standing on the sidewalk at LAX, without a ride back to campus where his car was parked.  At 3 a.m.  And they weren’t terribly shy about letting the Los Angeles media know it went down that way.  So, yeah, we understand why Coach Saban went over and stood in front of Kiffin with both palms up in the air in the universal gesture of “what the @#$% are you doing?”  On the other hand, although we aren’t saying it was the right thing to do, we do understand.  Doubt he’ll do the same thing in our next blowout.

One other note, as long as we are wasting time the boss has paid you to put in.  There was some really horrific behavior on display Saturday.  You all saw a USC player not worthy of the uniform and tradition stomp on young Minkah Fitzpatrick right where you’d least want that to happen.  (At the same time one of their stars was offering him a hand up.)  We were foursquare in support of his ejection, including the way the official phrased it -- he “disqualified himself from the game.”  Sadly, that behavior wasn’t nearly as bad as what one of LSU’s offensive linemen did to a young man who had just picked off a pass that sealed the game for the Badgers. 

So it was little refreshing to see an imaginative display of class and tribute over in Lincoln.  In case you missed it, Nebraska’s punter was killed in a car crash this summer, coming home from a camp where he’d been helping aspiring high school kickers learn the trade.  When it came time for Nebraska to punt for the first time in the game Saturday, they sent 10 men on to the field, conspicuously leaving the punter position vacant.  They let the play clock run down while their team held formation, the crowd cheered, and the Fresno State players applauded.  They waited for the official to throw a delay of game flag and then ran their new punter onto the field.  In a further classy move, Fresno State declined the penalty.

On to the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky, whose logo is, as you’d expect, a fist holding a dishtowel with the letters WKU on it.  They quietly had a very good season last year and can be expected to sling it all over the field.  Here’s hoping we’ve settled down enough to stop them.

Roll Tide everyone.

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USC Grades

USC Grades

It has not been a great weekend for the Southeastern Conference.

The weekend began on Thursday with South Carolina beating Vanderbilt in a lousy game that both teams seemed bound and determined to lose.  More surprisingly, the pre-season hype monsters from Tennessee needed a missed extra point and overtime to beat a totally one-dimensional Appalachian State.

Saturday did not improve matters.  Missouri got waxed by West Virginia.  Florida and Arkansas putzed around, but ultimately survived, against UMass and Louisiana Tech, respectively.  A&M blew a big lead but won in overtime against UCLA.  #5 LSU looked like they had forgotten to practice on offense while preparing for their loss to unranked Wisconsin.  Gus Malzahn’s three quarterback rotation caused Auburn to cough up a hairball at home against Clemson.  Most embarrassingly, Kentucky blew a massive lead to Southern Miss, and Mississippi State lost to South Alabama in what was the biggest betting line upset in over five years.

The fabled dominance of the SEC is now completely, and fairly, in question.

But I’m sure that you, faithful reader, realize the same truth that I have realized: the SEC’s dominance begins and ends in Tuscaloosa, and has for a while.  After a shaky first quarter, the Crimson Tide absolutely destroyed a top #20 team that was in their conference title game last year.  The Tide amassed fewer than 20 yards in the first quarter, and then proceeded to score 52 points over the final three.  USC had 90 yards between their first two possessions; they had 103 yards between their final 14.  A true freshman became the first player in 20 years to score multiple passing and rushing touchdowns against a USC defense.  It was brutal; it was beautiful; it was Alabama football.

You’re welcome, SEC, and you’re on notice.

Here’s how I grade the game:

OFFENSE – A

The Tide offense loses the “+” because of a completely listless first quarter.  But, beginning with Jalen Hurts’ second snap of his college career, things changed in a major way.  The Tide racked up 495 yards of offense (242 rushing, 223 passing).  Hurts accounted for 32 yards rushing and 118 passing, scoring two touchdowns with beautiful strikes to Ardarius Stewart, and another two while shedding defenders on the ground.  Despite his youth and inexperience, Hurts has clearly earned the respect and trust of his teammates.

Stewart had 113 receiving yards to go with his two TDs.  OJ Howard had 3 catches for 39 yards, and Calvin Ridley, who was blanketed by USC’s best corner, had 2 for 9.  Grad transfer Gehrig Dieter, Cam Sims, and Brandon Greene all had one catch.  Dieter’s catch went for a 44 yard touchdown after a pretty throw from Blake Barnett.

Four different backs carried the ball for Bama, with Damien Harris getting the bulk of the work with 9 carries for 138 yards.  He broke off two long runs in the second half that set up scores.

DEFENSE – A+

The Bama stop troops were phenomenal.  18 Bama defenders were credited with at least one tackle, led by Junior Anthony Averett with eight.  Averett gave up a long pass on USC’s first possession, but he settled down after that and contained his man despite the Trojans repeatedly targeting him.  Seven players racked up a tackle-for-loss, with Jonathan Allen and Shaun-Dion Hamilton contributing two a piece.

Allen was a one man wrecking crew.  He notched four tackles (all solo), two sacks for 20 yards, two pass breakups, and while he was not officially credited with a QB hurry, I can guarantee that the USC signal callers would beg to differ.

Right before halftime, Marlon Humphrey executed the tip drill to perfection, picking off a tipped pass and scampering 20 yards to pay dirt.  Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keith Holcombe, Eddie Jackson, and Wallace Levi all broke up passes.

There was talk all offseason that the 2016 defense might be the best of Nick Saban’s career.  With units like ’09, ’11, and ’15, that seemed like a bit of hyperbole.  With only a one game sample to work with, I’m not sure if it’s untrue.  USC could get nothing going.  Their quarterbacks were under constant duress, and when they did get the ball off, their receivers were rarely open.  It might be the best defensive performance since the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, and I’m certain that this USC offense is more competent than LSU’s.

SPECIAL TEAMS – A

I’m only deducting the “+” because of a few long kick returns.  Even that might be quibbling as Adoree Jackson is one of the best return men in the country.  Adam Griffith was perfect on one field goal and seven extra points.  JK Scott punted 5 times for an average of 47 yards.  He put three kicks inside the opposing 20, including a brilliant boot that bounced out of bounds inside the USC 3 yard line.

COACHING – B+

I’m making a few deductions because of some lousy playcalling in the first quarter.  Bama came out with an uninspired, predictable offense.  But that changed dramatically through the final 45 minutes.  After halftime, USC had no answer for what Bama was showing on offense.

Jeremy Pruitt stepped in at defensive coordinator and produced a brilliant performance.  Everyone knows the old saying of “one was playing chess while the other played checkers.”  In this case, it was as if Pruitt was playing chess while USC OC Tee Martin was trying, and failing, to count to ten without taking his shoes off.

The participation report lists 59 Tide players.  59.  In a game against a Top 20 opponent.  Unreal.  Here’s the best part: there are areas where Bama can still improve.  For a coach like Saban, that’s a beautiful thing.  The Process doesn’t have an end point.  It’s about getting better during every game, every practice, and every snap.  If the Tide can start stronger, and fix the mental errors, this team will be terrifying.  I can’t wait.

Remember, next week’s game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the most important game of the season.  If it seems like a bit of a letdown after playing a perennial power, just ask Tennessee, Kentucky, or Mississippi State what can happen if you don’t take every opponent seriously.

Roll Tide.

The Commissioner’s Son & Heir

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