🏈 The Good, The Bad and The Ugly vs. UK

[bamascw]

Jalen just has ice water in his veins, thays all. Cool, calm, and steady.

I think we see why Bo isn't playing more, running right into Jalen's throwing arm on that first fumble. That was ugly. Seems like he just has trouble grasping certain concepts.

I think it was a Ms. State game in '11 or '12, can't quite remember the year. But, I sat next to a Northridge teacher in BDS. I brought up Bo, and she said "He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He's probably going to have trouble qualifying."

Ouch.

Jalen certainly does not appear to get rattled at all, after that hit in the Ole Miss game he just popped up and moved on like it was nothing....I am highly impressed with him to say the least. I suppose I will just start calling him "Ice Man" and try not to hear a Kenny Loggins tune in my head when I do.

 

[TerryP]

Bad: Morphed back to the Western Kentucky game with a few less bubble screens and sweeps.
Ugly: See Bad

Both outings struck me more as a glorified scrimmage with the team working on different aspects we'll see throughout the remainder of the year.

That said, I've only watched bits and pieces of the game ... figured a day around the water was more entertaining (and it ended up being just that.)

In a sense it came across to me like basketball with A&M playing Auburn ... or something along those lines from last season.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Both outings struck me more as a glorified scrimmage with the team working on different aspects we'll see throughout the remainder of the year.

That said, I've only watched bits and pieces of the game ... figured a day around the water was more entertaining (and it ended up being just that.)

In a sense it came across to me like basketball with A&M playing Auburn ... or something along those lines from last season.

I agree. A glorified scrimmage, even against a SEC team, was exactly what they were trying to accomplish. When Bama ran against the bluegrass, they couldn't stop it, but Kiffin could and did. Both games, Saban's blood pressure was percolating on the sidelines when Hurts missed his reads. It was comforting to see Hurts in the second half start to be more patience and execute much better.

 

[alabama mike]

In thinking back, the criticism of first year starter A. J. McCarron in 2011 was nothing like what we have seen of Hurts so far. A.J. had some rough moments, and he had been through a red shirt season and a season as McElroy's back up before earning the starting position. Hurts has missed some throws and some reads on pass routes- so what. He is learning as he goes, and will only get better. We can be certain that our staff sees far more than the obvious things we pick up on TV, and we can be certain that they will work on correcting those reads and techniques that need correcting. I for one say let's lighten up on the criticism and be higher on the encouragement.

The issue is... we are talking about an 18 year old kid who was playing high school ball last year. If anyone does not believe there is a huge difference in terminology, speed and coverage, just ask @uagrad93. I am sure he can give us all a first hand example since he played at UA. We, all of us, have to realize development is going to take time. He is not going to hit the long, deep throw or a pattern that takes some time to develop across the field like an older player should be able to do. He needs short slants, TE pops, quick outs or something short over the middle, all depending on coverage to get confidence. IMO, he is doing a good job for us overall. Sure he needs to release the ball a little sooner and hit those passes that all of us think we can make Remember, he is doing this with full pressure coming at him, trying to read a defense and trying to remember where everyone is suppose to be with their routes. How many of us can make 20 throws with a football with no pressure and hit the target almost every time from 20-30 yards? VERY FEW! This is a marathon, not a sprint. Hurts will continue to improve as the year progresses. Rant over...for now.

 

[UAgrad93]

@alabama mike, you hit the nail on the head!! Speed and coverages are the biggest obstacles. What we are seeing is Jalen being hesitant to "throw a guy open". Instead, he throws when he sees the guy open. We have been spoiled to seeing AJ McCarron make those throws for 3 years, Blake Sims, and Jake Coker follow suit, even Jake struggled in the beginning. @TerryP, preached it several weeks ago, REPS! REPS! REPS! Jalen is progressing and he has a HUGE upside.

 

[TerryP]

The issue is... we are talking about an 18 year old kid who was playing high school ball last year.

A lot like to hate on Auburn around here so I'm going to use Sean White as an example.

Just looking at stats alone there's not a great deal of difference between what White's put up and what Hurt's has this season. Both have around a 1000 yards on the season roughly a third of the way through. White has thrown five TD's this season with one INT. Hurts, seven TD's with one INT. So, it's not exactly true but these two are really, really close this season when it comes to production.

Two exceptions: One, White doesn' t have a TD thrown against a Power 5 team. Hurts has four.

The only GLARING difference is found in age. White 'shirted in 14, started half of their games last year and has started all their games this season.

The rest of the story with Hurts ... well you know.

OH, and don't forget!!! Malzahn is a QB guru.

 

[Tidestalker]

A lot like to hate on Auburn around here so I'm going to use Sean White as an example.

Just looking at stats alone there's not a great deal of difference between what White's put up and what Hurt's has this season. Both have around a 1000 yards on the season roughly a third of the way through. White has thrown five TD's this season with one INT. Hurts, seven TD's with one INT. So, it's not exactly true but these two are really, really close this season when it comes to production.

Two exceptions: One, White doesn' t have a TD thrown against a Power 5 team. Hurts has four.

The only GLARING difference is found in age. White 'shirted in 14, started half of their games last year and has started all their games this season.

The rest of the story with Hurts ... well you know.

OH, and don't forget!!! Malzahn is a QB guru.

Running stats?

 

[TerryP]

Running stats?

Didn't look.

Just glancing over conference stats earlier this morning and they are ranked next to each other. It was an easy comparison.

 

[TerryP]

White isn't in the top 50 of the SEC ...

 

[TerryP]

 

[JoshB]

Jalen certainly does not appear to get rattled at all, after that hit in the Ole Miss game he just popped up and moved on like it was nothing....I am highly impressed with him to say the least. I suppose I will just start calling him "Ice Man" and try not to hear a Kenny Loggins tune in my head when I do.

Very true tho he did briefly crawl Bo's ass after he ran into Jalen while he was trying to throw causing the fumble against UK.

 

[UAgrad93]

Very true tho he did briefly crawl Bo's ass after he ran into Jalen while he was trying to throw causing the fumble against UK.

I liked that to be honest! He needs to let the older guys know when they screw up. I was there Saturday night, so I didn't get a clean look as to what happen. I heard a lot of pissing and moaning around me, "come on Hurts! Stop screwing around! How in the hell did you manage that?" I sat back and filed that play to memory and then looked for it when I watched it again last night. ( I watch every game twice, even when I go to the games! Crazy I know, but I guess it is the old coach in me!) Sure enough, Jalen had a HUGE play set up outside with Ridley prepared to take a screen with Hentges leading the way on a dropping corner. The OLB was late to bail into coverage and there was BIG TIME POTENTIAL!!! I would've been pissed too!!!

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

I liked that to be honest! He needs to let the older guys know when they screw up. I was there Saturday night, so I didn't get a clean look as to what happen. I heard a lot of pissing and moaning around me, "come on Hurts! Stop screwing around! How in the hell did you manage that?" I sat back and filed that play to memory and then looked for it when I watched it again last night. ( I watch every game twice, even when I go to the games! Crazy I know, but I guess it is the old coach in me!) Sure enough, Jalen had a HUGE play set up outside with Ridley prepared to take a screen with Hentges leading the way on a dropping corner. The OLB was late to bail into coverage and there was BIG TIME POTENTIAL!!! I would've been pissed too!!!

That was an RPO play.

2 things here;

1) Bo didn't hear or understand Jalen's check.

2) As even Greg said on the telecast, Bo didn't see Jalen's hand up to pass, and ran right into it.

This all goes back to my statement earlier about one of Bo's former teachers essentially saying he was as dumb as a box of rocks.

 

[TerryP]

Just a thought to entertain on 1st half and 2nd half results.

It's common knowledge Bama can substitute far more than the teams we play. It's also common knowledge we see that more in the second half than the first, right?

So, consider ... this from the press conference.

On whether he realized before the season that Jalen Hurts had the level-headed mental makeup it takes at QB:

I don't think you really ever know for sure that a guy has that mental makeup until he gets in there under fire and see what kind of decisions he's going to make under fire. I think the fact that Jalen fumbled the ball on his first snap as a college player and then came back and played pretty well in the first game, and then went to Ole Miss and got behind 24-3 and sort of worked his way back in the game and played better as the game went on. I think even last week we didn't get off to a good start offensively in the first half. He was not particularly on target would be a good way to say it, but sort of rallied and played a lot better in the second half and made a lot better reads and a lot better throws. I think those things he has demonstrated through his performance. I thought he had the right disposition at the position, but you never know for sure until they get in the game and see how they respond when things go well and when things don't go well.
​

I'd say it's a safe assumption Jalen is being able to take advantage of depth and that's one of the reasons we see improvement later on in the games. As they tire, the game will slow down for Jalen.

 

[UAgrad93]

That was an RPO play.

2 things here;

1) Bo didn't hear or understand Jalen's check.

2) As even Greg said on the telecast, Bo didn't see Jalen's hand up to pass, and ran right into it.

This all goes back to my statement earlier about one of Bo's former teachers essentially saying he was as dumb as a box of rocks.

Exactly what I told my son sitting beside me and anyone else within earshot!

 

[Tidestalker]

Just a thought to entertain on 1st half and 2nd half results.

It's common knowledge Bama can substitute far more than the teams we play. It's also common knowledge we see that more in the second half than the first, right?

So, consider ... this from the press conference.

On whether he realized before the season that Jalen Hurts had the level-headed mental makeup it takes at QB:

I don't think you really ever know for sure that a guy has that mental makeup until he gets in there under fire and see what kind of decisions he's going to make under fire. I think the fact that Jalen fumbled the ball on his first snap as a college player and then came back and played pretty well in the first game, and then went to Ole Miss and got behind 24-3 and sort of worked his way back in the game and played better as the game went on. I think even last week we didn't get off to a good start offensively in the first half. He was not particularly on target would be a good way to say it, but sort of rallied and played a lot better in the second half and made a lot better reads and a lot better throws. I think those things he has demonstrated through his performance. I thought he had the right disposition at the position, but you never know for sure until they get in the game and see how they respond when things go well and when things don't go well.
​

I'd say it's a safe assumption Jalen is being able to take advantage of depth and that's one of the reasons we see improvement later on in the games. As they tire, the game will slow down for Jalen.

I'm sure that's a big part of it... The other part is that we quit running less Pop Warner offense and more power run game. Makes life much easier for the freshman QB.

 

[TerryP]

The other part is that we quit running less Pop Warner offense and more power run game

You know it's coming ...because the defense is having to run sideline to side in the first

 

[JoshB]

That was an RPO play.

2 things here;

1) Bo didn't hear or understand Jalen's check.

2) As even Greg said on the telecast, Bo didn't see Jalen's hand up to pass, and ran right into it.

This all goes back to my statement earlier about one of Bo's former teachers essentially saying he was as dumb as a box of rocks.

You also ignored what Luginbill said about Bo just simply not taking the right path to the LOS on a play like that, it shouldnt matter whether he saw Jalen's arm on that play and there really isn't a "check" in that situation. The O-Line is playing like it likes its a run, the RB is playing it like its a run, the receivers are playing it like its a screen. Thats why its a Run-Pass Option. Jalen made the read (correct read) that there was an opening for the screen and went to make the throw. Bo was in the wrong position and ended up hitting his arm. I just think that style of offense doesn't fit Bo and he has having problems with it.

 

[Tidestalker]

I'm sure that's a big part of it... The other part is that we quit running less Pop Warner offense and more power run game. Makes life much easier for the freshman QB.

Hell yeah!!

Here's about what I equate that argument to:

Let's say there's a can of whoop ass. Owner of said can of whoop ass decides the best way to open the can is a 2 part system. So owner decides to lightly tap the can of whoop ass around the edges using a butter knife and rubber mallet... An hour later he decides to come back and then uses his can opener to finish the job... And what do you know? The can pops right off. Then said owner with a less than ideal IQ runs around telling everyone than it was the dents with the butter knife that helped prepare the can to be opened, despite the rest of the rational world knowing damn well he could've used the can opener and had that b*tch open from jump street.

Long live Freshwater and the jet sweep!!!

RTR

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

Hell yeah!!

Here's about what I equate that argument to:

Let's say there's a can of whoop ass. Owner of said can of whoop ass decides the best way to open the can is a 2 part system. So owner decides to lightly tap the can of whoop ass around the edges using a butter knife and rubber mallet... An hour later he decides to come back and then uses his can opener to finish the job... And what do you know? The can pops right off. Then said owner with a less than ideal IQ runs around telling everyone than it was the dents with the butter knife that helped prepare the can to be opened, despite the rest of the rational world knowing damn well he could've used the can opener and had that b*tch open from jump street.

Long live Freshwater and the jet sweep!!!

RTR

On the flipside. ..

Why do you hear Saban HIMSELF defending the early east-west stuff as part of the offensive gameplan?

It's because he knows we don't have the stout, mean, physical, and cohesive/experienced OL of years past. Ya know, like 2010-2012 with beasts like Fluker, etc that would run it right down your throat and dare you to stop it, even if you knew it was coming.

So, we HAVE to make the opponent defend 52 yards wide to wear them down before we start imposing our will on them. Now, as this unit gels more as a physical unit, we'll be able to cram it down throats more. Until then, we'll just have to keep using the butter knife and rubber mallet, as you called it.

Call it pussy finesse ball all you want, but I call it playing smart.

Just my humble opinion.