| FTBL McElwain

[RolltideinKY]

So although this subject has not really been brought up, how much of last night's success can be directly attributable to our new O.C.?

Was it just me, or did any of the rest of y'all see small adjustments in the playcalling/personnel all night long. It was subtle, but I think McElwain might have had just a bit to do with the victory last night.

Thoughts?

 

[imported_Porter]

So although this subject has not really been brought up, how much of last night's success can be directly attributable to our new O.C.?

Was it just me, or did any of the rest of y'all see small adjustments in the playcalling/personnel all night long. It was subtle, but I think McElwain might have had just a bit to do with the victory last night.

Thoughts?

A ton of it. The game plan was great and the play calling was great. We saw new wrinkles and new formations and the overall attack was downright surgical.

Everything is always easier when the OL dominates the DL, but Mac did a great job of creating mismatches, taking what Clemson was giving us, and neutralizing their speed.

 

[MDBtrumpet04]

McElwain's offense was very "friendly" with JPW. Most of our third downs were managable i.e. 3rd and 3, 3rd and 4, etc. which should keep powerful offenses off the field if we convert those. I think some things we should improve on is accuracy passing down field and red zone scoring meaning more TDs than FGs.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

To me the offensive scheme was very bland but effective which is exactly what I want for the first game because:

1st. The offense sets the tone by saying 'We are gonna beat you like a drum, nothing fancy'.

2nd. We are not showing too much to our future opponents other than 'If we want, we are gonna beat you like a drum, nothing fancy'.

3rd. We are simply going to keep doing what works. No need to be flashy & tip our hand. No need to reinvent the wheel when it is already rolling & picking up speed.

4th. This 'Bowl Like Game' atmosphere provides the excellent experience this team needs. We stuck to the plan & the players executed to perfection (when was the last time you could say that?).

5th. Everybody played their part & seemed to like it.

Coach Mac followed the KISS rule & it worked great!
RTR!!!

 

[rammerjammer]

The H back position just amazed me.

McCall and Walker lined up as running backs was wild.

88 and 83 were all over the field. Catching, running, blocking. Our tightends caught more passes last night than the past decade combined.......WOW!!

 

[imported_porkchop]

So although this subject has not really been brought up, how much of last night's success can be directly attributable to our new O.C.?

Was it just me, or did any of the rest of y'all see small adjustments in the playcalling/personnel all night long. It was subtle, but I think McElwain might have had just a bit to do with the victory last night.

Thoughts?

I was thinking about it this morning actually. If John Parker continues to play well the next several games I would go so far as to say that McElwain might be the season MVP. Or, MVC.

Seriously, JPW looked good last night and I attribute that to his coach. McElwain did some amazing things at Fresno State with Brandstater. Before he had gotten there Brandstater was really struggling, and threw a ton of INTs. He turned the kid around. I expect he'll do well with JPW as well, though I want to temper my enthusiasm for the time being.

Don't want to get too high or too low depending on the wins/losses.

 

[Guest]

The best play calling (at Alabama), I have seen in 16 years....

 

[Guest]

The best play calling (at Alabama), I have seen in 16 years....

Best money(not counting CSN)we spented.

 

[Guest]

The best play calling (at Alabama), I have seen in 16 years....

Best money(not counting CSN)we spented.

Total agreement.

 

[bear facts]

Seriously, JPW looked good last night and I attribute that to his coach. McElwain did some amazing things at Fresno State with Brandstater. Before he had gotten there Brandstater was really struggling, and threw a ton of INTs. He turned the kid around. I expect he'll do well with JPW as well, though I want to temper my enthusiasm for the time being.

I attribute a lot of JPW performance last night to him not having a defensive player draped all over his body or one crashing in from Wilson's blind side. It makes a big difference when a QB isn't resorting to "happy feet" or throwing off balance and in a rush.

I noticed this a lot last year with LSU's qb, Matt Whatchamacallit. Watching him was like watching two different qbs, depending on the pressure that was placed on him. He looked dreadful in the first half against Tulane when the Green Wave brought constant pressure on him. In other games, he also made some poor decisions when he had someone in his face . . . but unfortunately, with LSU's OL that didn't occur much.

JPW seems to be the same way. Give him time and he'll pick you apart. Have the defense pin its ears back and pressure him and Wilson, in the past, has forced things and made poor decisions.

Last night, he actually resisted that tendency when he was being pressed. Maybe both coaching and maturity are coming into play here. But the biggest difference last night was that the OL did an excellent task at protecting him.

 

[AFF]

The best play calling (at Alabama), I have seen in 16 years....

Best defensive play calling in 16 years.

Best offensive play calling in over 25 years. During the '92 season, our great defense kept us in the game even when our offense sputtered. Last night, our offense never really sputtered at all. I haven't seen that in a very long time.

 

[Guest]

The best play calling (at Alabama), I have seen in 16 years....

Best defensive play calling in 16 years.

Best offensive play calling in over 25 years. During the '92 season, our great defense kept us in the game even when our offense sputtered. Last night, our offense never really sputtered at all. I haven't seen that in a very long time.

True but our O in '92 just needed to control and limit mistakes and that is what they did with the play calling....Sat night was the best over all I have seen in 16 years.

 

[RolltideinKY]

You know, early on, McElwain said that he would tailor his offense to the players he had available. I think he has done just that.

I have to agree as well, he didn't tip his hand much. I think with the talent we have all around on offense, much, much more could be done with this group, but playing a smash mouth ground game sufficed in this instance. Why air it out all over the field when the backs are shoving it down their throat?

Excellent, excellent game plan and execution.

 

[johnnynolan]

I'm very pleased with McElwain. Great play calling. Great tweeks to the system. I loved seeing the ball get to the tight ends.

I also liked the fact that if the running game is working...keep running it.

 

[Guest]

Love the playcalling, loved the new formations, and loved the game plan. He mixed it up extremely well for us, and I look forward to the big games this season to see the rest of the offense. I don't expect him to do this well every game, but anything close to Saturday will be fine with me.

 

[imported_RollTideRandy]

What's with the Granny Half-Glasses? That look doesn't work for Chan Gailey.

 

[rolltyroll]

I think that Jim McElwain is the best defensive coordinator we have got right now. By that I mean he kept our defense off the field, which in my opinion was essential to the D's success given their lack of depth. Anytime you can run the ball like that and distribute the ball to everyone on the field like he did, it is gonna make your defense look stout when they get out there. Congrats to the staff and team on the best game they have played since Florida in 2005. The best thing about this team? They play together and care for one another. That goes further than talent and coaching ever will. Roll Tide!

 

[mckinjc]

How about the couple of times it was 3rd and 2 and he ran play action and the linebackers sucked in and he hit a reciever for 1st down plus? Talk about a team not know which way you're coming from!

 

[milliondollarfan19]

I just hope that hes going to have different schemes for each game, and not play the same plays all the time... not saying he did in the clemson game... just think that there needs to be a little more passing in the bigger games cuz i think that they are now going to be expecting us to run it alot more...

 

[TerryP]

So although this subject has not really been brought up, how much of last night's success can be directly attributable to our new O.C.?

Was it just me, or did any of the rest of y'all see small adjustments in the playcalling/personnel all night long. It was subtle, but I think McElwain might have had just a bit to do with the victory last night.

Thoughts?

I was thinking about it this morning actually. If John Parker continues to play well the next several games I would go so far as to say that McElwain might be the season MVP. Or, MVC.

Seriously, JPW looked good last night and I attribute that to his coach. McElwain did some amazing things at Fresno State with Brandstater. Before he had gotten there Brandstater was really struggling, and threw a ton of INTs. He turned the kid around. I expect he'll do well with JPW as well, though I want to temper my enthusiasm for the time being.

Don't want to get too high or too low depending on the wins/losses.

I had considered starting a thread on this yesterday. Still may, if we have a game ball type thread started...or I may start one.

I mentioned this a few months ago and still feel the same way.

A lot of this win and credit for it falls on Coach Scott Cochran. The guys were beat when it came to being physical. We were far better conditioned than Clemson. The mental attitude that comes from facing adversity starts when you are hurting and still have 26 110's to run to finish practice.

He was a GREAT addition to this staff...it's paid for itself as well.