🏈 Well here's @AlabamaFTBL Freshman DL Jaheim Oatis taking out 4 offensive lineman...

[TerryP]

You & I are in 100% agreement. What I'd like to know is why isn't HTT a run stopping Mike? It's NOT about his size.

I've come away with the impression his more of a guy you see with a lot of assisted tackles versus solo tackles. He's a run stopper, but not a run stuffer: a guy where at impact is pushing the running back backwards.

I realize I am being hyper critical but this is the sort of a thing that changes a play from 3rd & 3 compared to 3rd & 7. Great defenses know how to get there more often than not.

I don't think this is a good play to use; it appears they're in rabbits (4-1-6.) If that was the case HTT has the responsibility of both gaps.

I do think you're being hyper critical. I also think the comparison to Nakobe Dean is misplaced even though they're playing the same position in the same defense. They're two different types of linebackers.

Stepping back from the tree and looking at the forest for a second ...

If we're going to look back at '21 in this context we certainly can't call the run defense average. Yes, UGA did better than Bama last season on yards allowed per game rushing—I think the difference was eight yards per game. As I recall it was 3:9 on rushing TD's allowed on the season but now we're back to "who did they play?"

Bama finished with a top five rushing defense last season. It's hard to top that though I think they've got a chance.

 

[footballer]

I'm seeing this play like C&WG. In TerryP's first set of three pics above, To To is lined up between 4 and 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, which is where he is taught.When the ball is snapped he moves forward somewhat to the right. In the second pic of three above, it shows To To at about 2 yards from the line of scrimmage looking dead at the rb who has full possession of the ball about 4 yards deep in the backfield and 47 is close but not in the frame. C&WG is saying that To To hesitates or waits on contact. His responsibility is to read the play, which he does, tackle the ball carrier,which he does, after a modest gain. Why can't he shoot the gap and make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage? He has clear vision of the rb with the ball in hand and waits long enough for 47 to get in his way of making the tackle. If Henry is as quick as advertised, he should have had the advantage on this play and met the rb in the backfield before he could find a hole to run through.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

If we're going to look back at '21 in this context we certainly can't call the run defense average. Yes, UGA did better than Bama last season on yards allowed per game rushing—I think the difference was eight yards per game. As I recall it was 3:9 on rushing TD's allowed on the season but now we're back to "who did they play?"

Bama finished with a top five rushing defense last season. It's hard to top that though I think they've got a chance.

I'm perfectly fine with that introspection. Like I said I am aware of my critical eye. 2021 was a pretty good year & matters of competition keep things in context. I especially felt that way with 'Bama vs UGA in both games how both teams statistics get skewed or adjusted after playing each other.

However... HTT is now a senior. He has the best defensive player as a teamate, an awesome safety backing him, & now a powerful space-eater in front. I don't think it is unrealistic for HTT or the other ILB now to improve their play especially with runs up the middle.

I guess that pretty much sums it up for me. Take it with a grain of salt or not at all.

 

[Rolltide24]

Wasn’t trying to open a can of worms or use “expert” analysis. I was just saying they got about 4 yards on the run play. After 1 guy ate up their entire O-line. His move and strength on the play was impressive but I don’t know if I’d consider the play against a weak team a total success.

Maybe eating up their entire line wasn’t a good idea, it gave the RB a lot of open space to move around. If we like him up to push the whole line in one direction, there better be someone right behind him to close the gap.

Hopefully we can keep good legit RB’s under 4 yards on similar plays.

 

[BamaFan334]

@BamaFan334 one word? Really?

This is a forum that allows open & critical dialogue. Points are made & countered. Heck, that sort of thing is welcome here. Except when someone gets butthurt over a logical counter & then they start cursing like 5 grade school yard bully. And when you get called out for it, you try to minimize/disregard your disrespect as a matter of something that I can't comprehend or inability to analyze football. I'm not hurling insults you or anyone or cussing at you. I've said HTT was slow to the gap. It's my opinion. It's allowed. You can disagree. It's allowed.

What's not tolerated is your behavior when you are challenged. I am not going to tolerate it on this board & I wouldn't tolerate it if you said it to my face, like most folks on here wouldn't tolerate it.

Good day to you sir.

Well, you can't analyze as proven by myself and another person on this thread alone.

Excuse me, it was three words, same word twice. Trying to degrade me and likening me to being a 5th grade bully? It's clear you're trying to belittle me the best way you can without recognizing you're wrong, and that's fine, but calling me a bully is laughable to the highest degree. Especially after your claim that I'm doing the same to you. I don't really care how you handled yourself in regards to me, because what you're saying is wrong, and putting down a guy that has come a long ways in his time here at Alabama for doing what was right definitely deserves a rebuke. He took a load of crap last year, and rightfully so in some cases, but he still did an admirable job for a guy that came to us late in the process and was tasked with running our defense to a standard of Nick Saban. You trying to bring a different player from an entire different defense that played different teams and saw different results as part of another unit doing their job better is another instance where it doesn't line up properly. You might as well bring Reuben Foster into the conversation only to realize we played a different style of defense when he was at Alabama and we are recruiting different style players now. @TerryP said he's not a run stuffing type player, and you asked why as more of a point, and it goes back to what I said about a guy that can also cover a back, tight end, and even the slot when they come across the middle. We happy with a two yard run or a fifteen yard completion? There isn't a guy out there that can stuff the run and cover the pass equally well without a step in either direction of preference.

You can keep attempting to take the "high road" (I can see what you're doing) all you want and try to make me out to be a bad guy or "bully" as you put it, but you have been served video, still shots, and commentary and are still getting it wrong. It's no different when a kid is in class and gets a wrong answer on a test when they were given everything necessary to get it right. I don't consider it ok to let that kid think he got it right, it's a teachable moment. I've been taught a lot by others on here, so I'm not immune to it myself. You can have your opinion as you stated, but when you go on a public forum understand that opinion will and can be analyzed and responded to. We've talked about "free speech" before on here many a times.

Good day to you as well.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

To'oto'o played it really well. He didn't wait, and is certainly not afraid of contact. He is an elite ILB

 

[mando]

HTT is a good but not great ILB. It is what it is. We do not have any heat seaking missiles at ILB like we have had at times in the past.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

We can argue levels of responsiveness, and levels of competency (average, good, elite), but Bama is better because Henry is here, and UT is not.