A View from Big Ben: Alabama

[They]

Gotta let the ball rip….. also like 4 QBs in the world can sprint out right with the threat to take off for 40 or throw a go for 60 in the air. Call that play more lol

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Thank you.

One thing, I didn't realize that Groundhog Day was also a cult movie across the pond

Yep, Bill Murray featured film. But please don't mention those darn things.
I live in a rural area, poison, shooting, pouring ammonia into their holes, blocking the holes, nothing works. They keep showing up and digging. Have sprained my ankle, nearly broke my leg stepping into the grass hidden holes. We're blessed/cursed with fast and thick growing grass in these parts, so often you don't see the fresh burrows. Now, the movie, it's a cult thing. For me, borderline funny, as I find Billy's humor too dry. Jim Carrey is more my style.

 

[Vol_in_NC_1999]

I might give the wide receivers a "B" and put in a coaching category and give them a "C" for keeping Squirrel in too long. But maybe give coaching a "B" for allowing to keep letting Nico throw downfield. I don't know. Great summary as always!

 

[RockyTop140]

This feels like one of those teams that will slowly improve week to week to become a monster late. Were there already on defense. And Nicos 2nd half against Bama has to give him some much needed confidence. If this team finds their swagger on offense there isn’t a team out there we can’t beat

 

[Volador]

its probably from my delinquent schools days as well. When I got a bunch of "A`s" on my school report I was thinking should I apply for one of the great Universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT or the great University of Tennessee, then I found out "A" stood for "Absent"

do you mean what type of game plan the coaches called?

Grade the quality of the call playing. For myself, this is truly something that needs much more attention. I rewatched the Florida and Bama games and am amazed how awful the play calling is for the Vols. It honestly makes me want to jump through the TV and bitch slap the coach/es responsible. Example. When we have the ball on our own 1 to 25 yard line, the most imperative issue facing the team is securing first downs. Touchdowns will come later but, with an incomplete on first down from a long pass (and no penalty thrown on their D), we constantly are putting our young QBs and team in precarious 2nd and 3rd and long situations. (a veteran team might could handle this) Control the ball. Short passes, runs, sweeps, etc till mid field and them let the sprinters lose! Sorry, this subject has driven me nuts for far too many years. Thanks

 

[London Vol]

Grade the quality of the call playing. For myself, this is truly something that needs much more attention. I rewatched the Florida and Bama games and am amazed how awful the play calling is for the Vols. It honestly makes me want to jump through the TV and bitch slap the coach/es responsible. Example. When we have the ball on our own 1 to 25 yard line, the most imperative issue facing the team is securing first downs. Touchdowns will come later but, with an incomplete on first down from a long pass (and no penalty thrown on their D), we constantly are putting our young QBs and team in precarious 2nd and 3rd and long situations. (a veteran team might could handle this) Control the ball. Short passes, runs, sweeps, etc till mid field and them let the sprinters lose! Sorry, this subject has driven me nuts for far too many years. Thanks

I will happily incorporate it in two weeks time but please add your own thoughts. I think you make very good points and I would like to add that for 3 consecutive games we have had the ball with a minute or less on the clock and failed to even cross the halfway line which is so unlike what we have seen the last few years.

 

[Volador]

I will happily incorporate it in two weeks time but please add your own thoughts. I think you make very good points and I would like to add that for 3 consecutive games we have had the ball with a minute or less on the clock and failed to even cross the halfway line which is so unlike what we have seen the last few years.

You're a good man Charlie Brown!

 

[StickMan]

London Vol - would love it if you added a category called: PLAY CALLING to your weekly assessment.

This may be part of your point, but imo play calling has been much better the past two weeks. Getting slightly more creative in letting Nico use his legs a little. If he hits a few wide open receivers on some deep balls, we're all raving about how the offense is rolling again. I'm very encouraged that they're getting there.

 

[Orangeblooded615]

Saw the season end when Nico went down. We gotta support the kid, he is young and making mistakes but clearly has the stuff to win these games. Gbo

 

[London Vol]

This may be part of your point, but imo play calling has been much better the past two weeks. Getting slightly more creative in letting Nico use his legs a little. If he hits a few wide open receivers on some deep balls, we're all raving about how the offense is rolling again. I'm very encouraged that they're getting there.

Yes, I agree with you that things are starting to look encouraging for No 8. I think Alabama was a turning point for Nico and apart for Georgia he has a chance to light up some weaker defenses and then anything is possible this season.

 

[D-Vols]

Tennessee left 6 points on the field with 2 missed field goals of 50 plus yards which needs to be cleared up.

I hope you forgot the blue font, 50+ yard field goals are NOT that easy.

 

[adam.vol]

The title/ header says Florida Oct. 12 still. The games were so similar between first halves and second halves that I had to look for “Alabama” mentioned to know for sure which game this was.

 

[OH-Vol]

Great Analysis. IMO

WR - C seems a bit generous, the Squirrel White Drops were game changing and Bru McCoy had a horrendous drop in the End zone that only proved to be non-impactful due to the P.I. on the following play. Squirrel needs to sit in place of Nimrod and Mathews for the foreseeable future.

DB - I would give them a B due to penalties/missed penalties. McCoy had a PI and alteast one or two more costly penalties. Gibson is solid but looked vunerable and got away with an obvious holding that would have given Bama a 1st down inside the Redzone

 

[Tin Man]

at 7,3 ypc

Yep. Brit bona fides.

 

[volbound1700]

Great Analysis. IMO

WR - C seems a bit generous, the Squirrel White Drops were game changing and Bru McCoy had a horrendous drop in the End zone that only proved to be non-impactful due to the P.I. on the following play. Squirrel needs to sit in place of Nimrod and Mathews for the foreseeable future.

DB - I would give them a B due to penalties/missed penalties. McCoy had a PI and alteast one or two more costly penalties. Gibson is solid but looked vunerable and got away with an obvious holding that would have given Bama a 1st down inside the Redzone

Squirrel White is playing hurt IMO. He isn't quite 100%.

 

[Jauan't Some?]

Thank you WodmanVol I agree with you, I was wrong to mark the RBs so harshly. The Defenders are much more savvy nowadays how to dislodge the ball.

It was frustration at the time as for the second week running we turned the ball over on our first possession after we had started brightly and had a golden chance to set the standard for the game. I thought before the season that Sampson would have the yards per carry ratio but I did not think he was durable enough to carry the rock 25+ times per game and I am sure glad I was wrong.

Go watch this play again and see if you agree that Miles Kitselman completely failed to climb to the second level and get a block on one of the defenders that helped dislodge the ball. Ball security is of course Sampson's responsibility, but I was pretty disappointed to see Kitselman just stand there while D Samp ran into a crowd of defenders.

 

[NEwhere]

I think you should include a grade for Cheer leader pushups, crowd impact, and cameraman crowd shots for fun.

 

[feathersax]

Yes, I agree with you that things are starting to look encouraging for No 8. I think [ICODE][ICODE][ICODE][B][I]Alabama was a turning point for Nico[/I][/B][/ICODE][/ICODE][/ICODE] and apart for Georgia he has a chance to light up some weaker defenses and then anything is possible this season.

I agree 100 %, LV. Now, make it so.