by D.C. Reeeves; Tidesports.com
Hey folks,
Here's some stuff you may have missed from Alabama's offensive onslaught. I'm only breaking down the first half - after all, that's all you needed to see.
The thing that stuck out to me most about the offensive game plan was that Lane Kiffin installed several short drops and throws to start the game. Probably not knowing what it would get from its OL. As they rolled into the second quarter with the OL playing so well, Kiffin started putting in the longer developing stuff.
Two quick passes to Cooper back to back on 2nd and third plays were the exact same play, exact same formation, just flipped. First for 8 yards, second for 22.
A perfect symbol of the way this OL played. On 3rd and 1 on the 19 of the opening drive, TJ Yeldon goes behind right guard (a problem area all year) and he's not touched until he's two yards past the line to gain. Great push up front.
Next drive, Alabama runs single back trips to the right and he's not touched until he was five yards downfield on an inside run. Complete about-face from last week. Could be TAMU's defense or better play from Alabama - probably both.
That was certainly a pick-6 dropped on third down on the opening drive. Don't think it would have mattered on this day in retrospect, but would have at least changed the dynamic early.
First time I've seen Alabama run shotgun empty with four receivers (incl Yeldon) left all year. It was drawn up to isolate Cooper by himself on the other side.
Alabama had four players wide 10 times in the first half alone.
One of my favorite sequences with Kiffin as a playcaller came on the final two plays of the first touchdown drive (second drive overall). Alabama runs a bunch to the left (Fowler, Vogler and D. White), fakes a toss to Yeldon left and hits a wide open Fowler in the flat. Very next play, same formation but swaps out White/Cooper for the bigger Stewart/Cam Sims at receiver. This time, they actually run the toss left with the defense on its heels for the TD.
Twelve of Alabama's first 26 plays went for at least 8 yards.
Alabama ran 26 plays in the first quarter. It ran just 6 vs. Arkansas and 13 vs. Ole Miss the past two weeks.
Alabama ran the same trips right, single back (Yeldon) with Howard tight left twice in the first half. The first run went for nine yards, the second was for 31 yards to set up the TD to go up 17-0.
Something you probably didn't notice on Blake Sims' 43-yard TD run out of the read option. For the first time all year, Jalston Fowler was lined up in the slot to Sims' running side. Also, Cam Sims was the wide man to the right. The coaches really like Cam Sims as a blocker - he's been in on a lot of running downs. Fowler went straight down to crack on the closest defensive back and off Sims went. He juked three of Texas A&M's front seven with one move at the LOS.
A LOT of bad defense played by Texas A&M combined with Alabama playing its best offensive game of the year = 45 points at the half.
Only 1 snap for Chris Black in the first half after 0 vs. Arkansas overall. Had played 135 up until that point, so it's odd he's been relegated to lesser duty than he had before.
FORMATION NOTES
Snaps played by RB in the first half: Yeldon 38; Henry 13.
Yeldon lined up wide five times in the first half, way more than in any game this season.
Alabama had three WR personnel in the game on 20 of its 51 snaps in the opening half. Haven't counted it up yet, but I'd bet that's the most we've seen it in the first half this year.
New formation wrinkle of the week: Pistol formation with Yeldon behind Sims and Fowler to the right and about a step ahead of Sims. Two-back Pistol/I-Form sort of look. It may have been used sparingly this season, but rare at best.
Favorite formations of Kiffin in the first half: Trip WR to one side with Sims either under center or in Shotgun and the four-wide stuff.
You needed your official game program on that 4th and goal at the 1 for Bama: 2 FB's Fowler/Nysewander, Brandon Greene at TE w/ Vogler.
New Spot of the Week: Jalston Fowler lined up in the slot. This was almost exclusive to those read option plays of which Alabama ran the same formation four straight times midway through the second quarter. Hadn't seen him there all year - wide, TE, H-back, but not in the slot.
There was 11 straight plays run with Sims in the shotgun in the first half.
Texas A&M never sent more rushers than Alabama had blockers.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=205598329&mid=205598329&sid=885&style=2
Hey folks,
Here's some stuff you may have missed from Alabama's offensive onslaught. I'm only breaking down the first half - after all, that's all you needed to see.
The thing that stuck out to me most about the offensive game plan was that Lane Kiffin installed several short drops and throws to start the game. Probably not knowing what it would get from its OL. As they rolled into the second quarter with the OL playing so well, Kiffin started putting in the longer developing stuff.
Two quick passes to Cooper back to back on 2nd and third plays were the exact same play, exact same formation, just flipped. First for 8 yards, second for 22.
A perfect symbol of the way this OL played. On 3rd and 1 on the 19 of the opening drive, TJ Yeldon goes behind right guard (a problem area all year) and he's not touched until he's two yards past the line to gain. Great push up front.
Next drive, Alabama runs single back trips to the right and he's not touched until he was five yards downfield on an inside run. Complete about-face from last week. Could be TAMU's defense or better play from Alabama - probably both.
That was certainly a pick-6 dropped on third down on the opening drive. Don't think it would have mattered on this day in retrospect, but would have at least changed the dynamic early.
First time I've seen Alabama run shotgun empty with four receivers (incl Yeldon) left all year. It was drawn up to isolate Cooper by himself on the other side.
Alabama had four players wide 10 times in the first half alone.
One of my favorite sequences with Kiffin as a playcaller came on the final two plays of the first touchdown drive (second drive overall). Alabama runs a bunch to the left (Fowler, Vogler and D. White), fakes a toss to Yeldon left and hits a wide open Fowler in the flat. Very next play, same formation but swaps out White/Cooper for the bigger Stewart/Cam Sims at receiver. This time, they actually run the toss left with the defense on its heels for the TD.
Twelve of Alabama's first 26 plays went for at least 8 yards.
Alabama ran 26 plays in the first quarter. It ran just 6 vs. Arkansas and 13 vs. Ole Miss the past two weeks.
Alabama ran the same trips right, single back (Yeldon) with Howard tight left twice in the first half. The first run went for nine yards, the second was for 31 yards to set up the TD to go up 17-0.
Something you probably didn't notice on Blake Sims' 43-yard TD run out of the read option. For the first time all year, Jalston Fowler was lined up in the slot to Sims' running side. Also, Cam Sims was the wide man to the right. The coaches really like Cam Sims as a blocker - he's been in on a lot of running downs. Fowler went straight down to crack on the closest defensive back and off Sims went. He juked three of Texas A&M's front seven with one move at the LOS.
A LOT of bad defense played by Texas A&M combined with Alabama playing its best offensive game of the year = 45 points at the half.
Only 1 snap for Chris Black in the first half after 0 vs. Arkansas overall. Had played 135 up until that point, so it's odd he's been relegated to lesser duty than he had before.
FORMATION NOTES
Snaps played by RB in the first half: Yeldon 38; Henry 13.
Yeldon lined up wide five times in the first half, way more than in any game this season.
Alabama had three WR personnel in the game on 20 of its 51 snaps in the opening half. Haven't counted it up yet, but I'd bet that's the most we've seen it in the first half this year.
New formation wrinkle of the week: Pistol formation with Yeldon behind Sims and Fowler to the right and about a step ahead of Sims. Two-back Pistol/I-Form sort of look. It may have been used sparingly this season, but rare at best.
Favorite formations of Kiffin in the first half: Trip WR to one side with Sims either under center or in Shotgun and the four-wide stuff.
You needed your official game program on that 4th and goal at the 1 for Bama: 2 FB's Fowler/Nysewander, Brandon Greene at TE w/ Vogler.
New Spot of the Week: Jalston Fowler lined up in the slot. This was almost exclusive to those read option plays of which Alabama ran the same formation four straight times midway through the second quarter. Hadn't seen him there all year - wide, TE, H-back, but not in the slot.
There was 11 straight plays run with Sims in the shotgun in the first half.
Texas A&M never sent more rushers than Alabama had blockers.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=205598329&mid=205598329&sid=885&style=2
