SB Nation - Brandon Deaderick

Oh, What Might Have Been!

Acid Reign — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:40:51 -0000

Alabama escapes from Auburn, 26-21.

War Eagle, everybody. It's time now for the Acid Reign Report on the 2009 Iron Bowl. I'm of two minds about this game. Honestly, I think we should have won this game, but a few mistakes held us back. However, there is no questioning that Auburn put forth a superhuman effort. If Coach Gene Chizik and his staff can summon forth that sort energy in future Iron Bowls, we will do well!

In my keys to victory post 10 days ago, I said that the Tigers needed to chiefly do three things: run the ball, stop the run, and play turnover-free. There was a little bit of success running. Auburn stopped the run emphatically. Turnovers were costly. Both Chris Todd turnovers, a fumble and an interception, set up Bama field goal attempts. Leigh Tiffin honked one of those wide right, but the other was good, pulling Alabama within 1 point. Had we not had those turnovers, Wes Byrum might have been attempting a 54 yard field goal at the end to send it to overtime. I like Byrum's chances a lot better than a Hail Mary! Auburn also gave up avoiding kicking to Javier Arenas, and that cost Auburn. A 56 yard punt return set Alabama up at the Auburn 33, which resulted in another field goal. We'd have been better off punting it out of bounds for no gain, on that one!

The Tigers came out with a wide-open offensive game plan, utilizing all sorts of misdirection plays, reverses, double passes, and swinging gates. The scheme really slowed down the Alabama pursuit, and forced them to attack more than they wanted. When Alabama started crowding the line, that opened up the Auburn passing game. Unfortunately, the Tigers did not do a good job of taking advantage. Tommy Trott was doing such a good job blocking on the corner that Tide defenders were avoiding being in the same zip code with Trott. We tried several slant passes to Trott, and missed them all. We had a number of opportunities to get running backs loose on screens, but didn't pull the trigger till 3^rd down, when Bama was sitting back in zone coverage. We managed to burn Alabama's corner blitz package with an out and up for a 72 yard touchdown, but never tried it again. Alabama secondary members totaled 5.5 tackles for loss. There was opportunity to throw over them, but we could not do it.

Special teams had a few good plays, but were not very good, overall. There were multiple kickoffs out of bounds, multiple fumbled punts, short punts, and line drive punts. We let Javier Arenas get 3 returns, and he burned us for 102 yards on those. The few bright spots were a successful onside kick, 2 punts killed inside the 20 by Clinton Durst, and 99 kick return yards on 4 kickoffs.

For the first time all season, Auburn utilized a run-blitz package, and it paid dividends! Bama was forced to operate from the shotgun and try mostly short passes. When you've held Alabama to 73 rushing yards, with a first year linebacker and two first year safeties, you've done really well! With good pressure, Greg McElroy avoided the costly turnover, but he was forced into drive-killing bad throws. I'd say defensive coordinator Ted Roof called a brilliant defensive game plan, except for one play. On third and nine from the Auburn 33 in the second quarter, we went with a safety blitz and left a linebacker in man coverage with Colin Peek. That decision resulted in an easy Alabama TD pass. You just don't call safety blitzes on 3^rd and long! ESPECIALLY if you're going to hand an all-SEC tight end off to a linebacker to cover!

Unit Grades, after the jump.

Defensive Line: A. There is little to find fault with, here. Auburn had their best day of the season, up front! Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter both proved that they could sacrifice personal glory and stats, to play great contain on the Alabama running game. When it was an obvious passing situation, Coleman took James Carpenter and Drew Davis to school a few times. The tackle-end twist worked well too, with Nick Fairley able to turn the corner on Bama tackles. Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks stoned the Bama line, and plugged the middle. Points off on one Jake Ricks offside penalty.

Linebackers: B+. This might have been the best game of the season for the linebackers. It certainly was, against teams with a pulse! True freshman Jonathan Evans stepped up and did not back down against Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram. Bama ran it right at Evans and Evans responded with 8 solo tackles! Josh Bynes was a force, with ten total tackles. Points off on Craig Stevens vs. Bama's Preston Dial, Brad Smelley, and Colin Peek. Bama blockers mostly handled Stevens. Points off also on Josh Bynes letting Peek loose for a second quarter touchdown. Bynes should have never been put in that situation, though.

Secondary: B. Auburn did a good job in two deep zone, taking the long pass away from Alabama. The Tide did try to force a couple into coverage, and both Walter McFadden and Neiko Thorpe responded with pass breakups. Run support from the whole secondary was good, but not great. On Alabama's last drive, the safeties got played a bit. The big 17 yard catch and run on the screen to Trent Richardson was on the safeties. Bates barely hung on at the ten. The fullback on the game-winning touchdown was Washington's man. As you might expect, that was a difficult adjustment to ask of a first year player.

A note on the Auburn defense this season: When Gene Chizik first arrived in Auburn in 2002, he had a very talented defense to work with, including future pro stars Carlos Rogers, Carlos Dansby, Dontarrious Thomas, Reggie Torbor, Spencer Johnson, and Jay Ratliff. Still, it took awhile before those guys "got it." We were diced pretty badly, in the first half of the season, including giving up record rushing yards to Arkansas at home in a 38-17 loss. The light didn't really come on till late in the year, against Georgia, Bama, and Penn State. This year, Chizik and Roof have had to deal with a sub-par interior line, and a woefully thin back seven. Against Alabama, the light came on for this defense. There now seems to be some chemistry, and understanding of what the coaching staff wants. When the light came on in 2002, we were treated to some awesome defense for the next few years. For the 2009 Tiger defense, the light is now on again!

Punting: C+. If Clinton Durst had kicked every punt out of bounds for a 30 yard average, I'd have given the punting unit an A! Auburn did that early on, but in the second half they gave Javier Arenas some chances. Overall it was a solid performance. I hated giving up the 56 yard return, but we are hardly the only team Arenas has done that to! We ended up averaging a mediocre 40 yards per punt, with only a 31.6 yard net. Two punts killed inside the 20 helps this grade.

Punt Returns: D-. On five punts, dropped two on the ground. I pass this unit only because Auburn got both bobbles back. Priority one in the offseason is recruiting, priority two is finding and grooming a new quarterback. But I'd say that next on the list is finding a punt returner. This has been the worst year for Auburn punt returners EVER. We've had some bad years before, but nothing like this!

Kick Returns: C. Demond Washington averaged 24.8 yards on four returns. If that stat is compared to team averages this season, Washington would be tied for 3^rd in the SEC. Not bad, but against the last-place kick coverage team in the league, I had hoped for more.

Kickoffs: B. Morgan Hull kicked deep 3 times, and two of them went out of bounds. Against Javier Arenas, that's a favorable result. I'm surprised Bama didn't make us kick it again, on those! The two out of bounders gave Bama the ball at the 40. When we DID kick it to Arenas at the goal line, he returned it to the 46. Should have kicked all three out of bounds! The Tigers had a perfectly executed onside kick. It was brilliantly conceived, with the team acting lackadaisical, and not even lining up before Byrum suddenly just bunted that ball, and raced with it. It caught Alabama totally off-guard. That cat's out of the bag, I think. We won't be able to catch anyone else on that for at least five years!

Placekicking A+. Wes Byrum continued a near-perfect season by hitting all of his extra points. Byrum finishes the season having converted 14 of 15 field goals attempts, and 100% of his extra points. Magnificent!

Offensive Line: B+. It wouldn't be an Auburn football game without a Lee Ziemba false start. At least he got it over with in the first quarter. Ziemba had a pretty good day blocking on Lorenzo Washington and Brandon Deaderick, as did Andrew McCain. The two Tide ends combined for only 4 tackles, none for a loss. Auburn had less success dealing with Alabama blitzers. Eryk Anders was particularly elusive, racking up 3.5 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. The Auburn line basically held their own, but didn't generate much push. Nearly all of Auburn's successful running plays were on trick plays to the outside. Pass protection was decent, most of the time.

Receivers: A. You can't ask for much more than these guys produced. They had great downfield blocking, no drops, and got a lot of separation on a very good Bama secondary. The greatest failure in this game was not utilizing these guys more. Both Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary looked FAST against the Bama secondary.

Running Backs: C. Ben Tate ran hard, as did Onterrio McCalebb, but that's about all you can say. Great catch early for a touchdown, by Eric Smith. Blocking was quite poor, in this one. The only times the backs slowed Tide defenders down was when Ben Tate picked up a holding call. Mario Fannin bobbled a screen pass away that had the potential to go for a long TD. This might have been the worst day by the backs all year. Bonus points for no fumbles. Still, we needed a LOT better production blocking.

Quarterback: C-. Auburn had a plan to exploit the Alabama defense. When it moved to phase two, and we had to hit some short passes, we couldn't. Chris Todd had some nice downfield throws to Darvin Adams, but none to any other outside receivers. Terrell Zachary can run down the field all alone, and Todd will never look his way. Todd completed a decent amount of screen passes, but these were usually on third and long, and ended up well short of the first down. Todd missed the slant to Tommy Trott three times way high, ending up with an interception on the last one. Todd missed the quick hitch three times. Todd had a sack-fumble. Sack-fumbles are somewhat excusable from the blind side, but Todd was hit from the front. Sometimes a QB just has to fall down and eat it. After the first quarter, Todd kept us in the game with the 72-yard pass to Adams, but did very little beyond that. A half dozen better throws would have given Auburn a double digit win over the Tide.

I hate losing to Alabama, make no mistake about it. At home, it's an even more bitter pill to swallow. This one is easier than the last two Iron Bowl losses in Jordan Hare, because we appear to be on an upswing with our program. This is a game a more experienced Auburn squad might have dominated. It also makes one wonder where we'd be if we had played like this against Arkansas, against Kentucky, against LSU. Carrying the momentum over will be a challenge for the returning players and coaching staff.

My hat's off to Alabama. They got a lot more than they bargained for on this road trip, but they didn't panic. They didn't turn the ball over, and they didn't give up. Perseverance gave the Tide their second perfect regular season in a row. I think the Tide folks also know that they'll need a LOT better performance in the SEC Championship game, if they are to defeat the Gators.

It will be an exciting bowl and off season, for Auburn, but we must temper our expectations with realism. As Pat Dye said last week, next year's team won't be much better than this one. Problems will have to be worked on, and newcomers brought in that will play immediately. Nowhere will Auburn be hit harder by graduation than on the defensive line. The loss of Antonio Coleman and Jake Ricks will be huge. The loss of Walter McFadden will be big, too. McFadden was a top-flight cover corner, AND a great leader. Auburn will be solid kicking the ball, but will have to find a new punter. Returns and coverage were an absolute mess this season, and should see a lot of work. The offensive line will have to replace a tackle, and the replacement of seniors Tommy Trott, Ben Tate, and Chris Todd will not be easy. The quarterback race will be critical. Unless Kodi Burns makes a dramatic comeback, we'll be starting a green QB, next fall. If we learned nothing this season, we know that Malzhan's offense is heavily tied to quarterback play.

War Eagle to all, and have a great finish to Thanksgiving Weekend!

Senior Day in Bryant-Denny

outsidethesidelines — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:26 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

Kentucky running back Moncell Allen is tackled by Senior Eryk Anders, bottom, Senior Javier Arenas (28) and Rolando McClain (25) during the first half of the Crimson Tide's victory at Kentucky.

View full size photo »

Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa will feature more than just the game against Tennessee-Chattanooga, for Saturday will also bring Senior Day, and for the senior class this will be their final game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. After spending years and years performing at 100 Bryant Drive, this will be the final time that this senior class will strap it up in front of the home crowd.

Given such an occasion, I think it's only fitting that we should pause for a moment and take a bit of reflection on this class and just how they got here. Things haven't always been easy for this group, and far from it in fact it has almost always been difficult. Most of them weren't very highly-touted recruits, and most of them signed with Alabama when our program was struggling. Adversity has really been a constant for them almost throughout their entire time at the Capstone, and what these men overcame to reach this level should not be forgotten.

Eryk Anders was a one-star recruit coming out of San Antonio that played nose guard in high school at a mere 195 pounds. He didn't get a single offer before Alabama swept in late, and was actually planning on being a walk-on at Ole Miss before Alabama came along in late June of 2005. Coach Saban himself didn't think he'd ever be a contributor when he arrived, and Anders actually told his father he was going to transfer in his hotel room the night of the 2007 Independence Bowl. His father encouraged him to stick with his commitment and get his degree, and he died later that night in his sleep with a heart attack. And Anders not only stuck around, but he came out of nowhere to thrive.

Cory Reamer was a two-star safety out of Hoover who drew little interest from most BCS conference schools. He actually grew up an Auburn fan, but the Tigers signed two more highly-touted safety prospects in the previous class -- Tony Bell and Lorenzo Ferguson, both of which eventually became busts -- and never really gave Reamer much of a look. He signed with Alabama, and then proceeded to blow out his left knee as a true freshman, and when Saban arrived he looked to be the epitome of a player that would get caught in the crunch of systems turnover. Yet Reamer turned into a starter at outside linebacker on an elite defense.

Mike Johnson was a two-star offensive lineman out of Pensacola. He participated on the camp circuits, but no one really ended up biting. Alabama offered and he was Tuscaloosa bound, which was just about the only major school recruiting him. He came out of nowhere in 2007, and will finish his career as a three-year starter and an All-SEC player. A lucrative career in the NFL awaits him when his tour of duty in Tuscaloosa comes to an end.

Javier Arenas was a late signee in the 2006 class. His only other offers were from Florida Atlantic and Florida International, and not only was he not a big deal on the national scene, he really wasn't even a big deal in his hometown of Tampa. Then UA special teams coach Dave Ungerer argued vehemently on his behalf for a scholarship as a returner, and after we missed on some other guys like in that class -- Peanut Whitehead, Tim Hawthorne, and others, most of which turned out to be busts -- we signed Arenas. We signed him thinking he'd be a returner, but since he has became arguably the greatest returner in Alabama history, and an All-SEC defensive back who will play on Sunday.

Drew Davis was a two-star recruit in the 2004 class. He played at a tiny private school, and drew really no interest whatsoever on the recruiting trails. Alabama, in fact, only gave him a greyshirt offer, despite a complete lack of depth along the offensive line, and more than a few 'Bama fans questioned his viability as a legitimate SEC caliber player. And in the first four years of his career, he was an afterthought. But in 2008 he burst onto the scene as a starter, and in 2009 he has been an All-SEC caliber player who has kept at least two five-star prospects sitting on the bench. So much for his viability as an SEC player, eh?

Others went through much of the same. Tyrone King was a walk-on transfer from Grambling... we never recruited him, but he decided to chase a dream anyway. Roy Upchurch has fought through no less than three major surgeries including two season-ending ankle injuries that threatened to end his career before it ever began. Mike McCoy turned down both of his home state schools to play at Alabama, had a redshirt year wasted by the previous coaching staff, and then watched arguably the biggest recruit we've ever had take away his role. Lorenzo Washington spurned his in-state Georgia Bulldogs for 'Bama, then endured a tour of duty at Hargrave, a redshirt year in Tuscaloosa, a major injury, played out of position at nose guard, and found himself relegated to the bench when Terrence Cody arrived. And speaking of Cody, he had to overcome poor academics and poor physical care of himself to be a star, but he conquered both obstacles. Marquis Johnson became the pin cushion for the entire fan base after he was forced into a situation that he never should have been in against Florida State in 2007, but he persevered and turned himself into a fine football player. Justin Woodall was put through pure hell when the hometown homers in Oxford realized he wasn't going to sign with the Rebels. Leigh Tiffin has endured more criticism than any kicker ever should. Ali Sharrief lost his role in the coaching turnover, but he remained a valuable contributor nevertheless. Colin Peek spurned 'Bama the first time around, but nevertheless still ended up in Tuscaloosa. Brandon Deaderick passed up on in-state Kentucky out of high school and turned into a starter at 'Bama. And then he got shot. Twice. And he kicked ass in the Georgia Dome four days later.

Obviously a lot of things have changed in Tuscaloosa the past several years. Most of these players actually signed with Mike Shula. When Lorenzo Washington and Drew Davis signed with the Tide, Alabama was coming off a 4-9 season, ineligible to participate in bowl games, and playing in a stadium that held all of 83,000 people. It had been a mere eight months since Mike Price was fired for his actions with Arety's Angels. Nick Saban, fresh off of a national championship, had signed what most LSU fans hoped would effectively be a lifetime contract to stay in Baton Rouge. Most 'Bama fans at the time were just hoping we could show enough improvement in 2004 to get somewhere like Shreveport or Nashville.

Now, though, Alabama finds itself at the opposite end of the spectrum. Nick Saban now resides in Tuscaloosa, and we look to play for a spot in the national championship game for the second year in a row. At the very least, we'll end up with back-to-back BCS game appearances, and we may very well find ourselves back in Pasadena for the first time an SEC team has made the trek since Frank Thomas' War Babies wrapped up an undefeated season by crushing USC in 1945. Recruiting is better than it has been since the glory days of the Bryant years, and shows no real signs of slowing down any time soon. We've got more top-end talent and quality depth in Tuscaloosa right now than we've had since the late 1970's. And Bryant-Denny Stadium? It will hold over 100,000 people this time next year.

Again, the times have changed in Tuscaloosa, and we should all acknowledge the role that all of these young men played in delivering us out of the dark ages. Our newfound recruiting juggernaut has helped tremendously, of course, but realistically recruiting has a very long lag time before it translates into on-field success -- rest assured, even for an elite recruiting class, players like Julio Jones and Dont'a Hightower are very much rarities -- and if you are going to have success in the interim, you are going to need some otherwise unknowns to turn into high-end players in their own right, and that is exactly what many of these young men have done. It has never been easy for them, but they have persevered in the face of adversity and played an immeasurable role in rebuilding our program.

Moving forward, I have no clue where we will go from here. We will thump Tennessee-Chattanooga and these men will walk out of Bryant-Denny for the final time as winners, that much I know, but after that I really haven't the slightest clue. We'll probably beat Auburn, but who knows? Maybe we fall at the hands of Florida in Atlanta again, maybe we pull off the upset. Maybe we beat Texas in Pasadena, maybe we lose to TCU in the Sugar Bowl. Who knows? Only time will tell for certain.

Regardless of how the season ultimately plays out, though, nothing should take away from what this group has done. They have literally played an instrumental role in rebuilding the Alabama football program back as a national powerhouse, and all those who bleed crimson and white ought to be forever indebted to them for that. If we have had a better senior class than this one in my lifetime, I'm not aware of it. And, moving forward, we can only hope that the senior classes to come can legitimately match what this group has done.

Why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee Fans Are Stupid (Among Other Reasons)

outsidethesidelines — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:25:10 -0000

ed. - We'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new friends from Vol Nation, especially PhillyVol and tommyut, who apparently can't read the time stamp of the article which clearly indicates this was posted October 28th, the Wednesday after the game. If there's anyone who hasn't moved on, it's your friend orangetaz for posting a link to a topic that's almost two weeks old.

Believe it or not, there's apparently a conspiracy theory afoot. I don't know if the ol' vaunted REC has finally gotten to the SEC officials or what, but either way Lane Kiffin is talking of "magical" flags appearing, and when SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told him to shut up, that just meant it was time for Ed Orgeron to run his mouth talking about the officials favoring the conference's best teams. And, of course, this all comes against a backdrop of countless Tennessee fans whining about the officiating Saturday.

It all sounds incredibly stupid to me, but even so I want to take a closer look at the penalties called against the Vols on Saturday and see exactly what happened. And to that end, with the help of flaco, we're going to do just that.

From the outset, it should be noted that Tennessee was flagged with eight penalties on Saturday afternoon. Four of those penalties, however, consisted of three false starts and one delay of game penalty. None of those penalties can be seriously questioned. They are all elementary calls that need no further explanation via film review. That alone takes half of the penalties off the board, and leaves us only four for consideration. Those four penalties are as follows:

Pass interference on a ball thrown to Julio Jones on a 3rd and 8
Illegal block on Javier Arenas' long punt return
Holding on Tennessee while the Vols were driving into Alabama territory
Roughing the punter immediately before Ingram's fumble

Let's take a closer look at all four of these penalties, beginning with the pass interference call on the pass to Julio Jones. Click the following clip for the play:

This penalty comes on a 3rd and 8 from the 'Bama 35-yard line, with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The penalty results in a 'Bama first down, and ultimately a Leigh Tiffin field goal.

Specifically, the flag is thrown on Dennis Rogan, and it's hard to complain too much about this call. Julio runs a hard slant inside, gets the proper positioning, but there is contact from Rogan the entire way. There is nothing overly egregious here, but again there is a good deal of contact beginning at the snap and continuing throughout the route, and the ball is clearly close enough to be considered catchable, so again it's hard to cite any real officiating error on this play. Any reasonable referee could have thrown a flag here, and this one did, after watching the route develop the entire way.

The next penalty comes via an illegal block early in the third quarter. Click the following clip for the play

Keep your eye on Denarius Moore in this clip. Javier Arenas has open field in front of him, and he is racing up the right sideline with two blockers -- Dre Kirkpatrick and Chris Rogers -- in front of him. With the way this play is set up, this one is going to be a huge return, plain and simple, and perhaps even a touchdown.

Moore, however, changes that by committing a textbook illegal block, i.e. a block below the waist. He clearly lunges for the lower legs of Dre Kirkpatrick, and the move clearly pays off. By doing so he takes both Kirkpatrick and Rogers out of the play, and forces Arenas to alter his route so that his Tennessee teammates can stop him a couple of yards further up field. Naturally, there is a referee watching all of about five yards away from the foul, and he immediately throws a flag. No conspiracies here, this is a textbook rule violation that any competent official would flag. Again, no one could rationally complain about this flag being thrown.

And in any event, two more points should be made here. One, this is actually a great play by Moore, and a classic example of where committing a penalty is actually beneficial to your team. Second, and finally, it should be pointed out that even if this were a blown call, it would have had no real impact on the game. Alabama went three-and-out in the following possession, and the ensuing P.J. Fitzgerald punt sailed out of the back of the endzone.

On to the third penalty...

This penalty is a holding penalty called on Tennessee center Cody Sullins for tackling Alabama defensive end Brandon Deaderick. And, once again, this is a clear violation. Deaderick is playing inside and gets great penetration into the Tennessee backfield, and upon seeing this Sullins grabs him by the shoulder pads and simply drags him to the ground. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the NCAA rule regarding offensive holding, it's clear this play qualifies as a penalty.

Now, to be sure, this was a costly penalty for the Vols. The run resulted in a one-yard gain, and it would have set up a 3rd and 7 for the Vols from the 'Bama 16-yard line. Instead, it created a 2nd and 18 from the 'Bama 27-yard line, and after two incomplete passes the Vols had a field goal attempt blocked by Terrence Cody. Nevertheless, the fact that it was costly doesn't make it a bad call. Far from it, it's as easy of a call as you can ever get for a referee. Offensive linemen cannot tackle defensive linemen. This is football, not Ultimate Fighting. Period.

On to the fourth penalty...

The final penalty for the Vols comes via roughing the punter. And once again, this one is in no way whatsoever a controversial call. Chris Donald comes in to try to block the punt, and clearly makes pretty hard contact with Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald. There is no grand acting job by Fitzgerald on this punt, or anything of the sort. He gets roughed up, and the flag gets thrown. Simple enough.

Furthermore, as was the case with the Vols' previous special teams penalty, it should be pointed out that even if this penalty was bogus, it nevertheless actually turned out well for the Vols. David Oku called for a fair catch of the 'Bama punt at the Tennessee 44-yard line, and when Mark Ingram fumbled on the following play, it resulted in Tennessee taking over at the 'Bama 43-yard line. In other words, oddly enough, this penalty actually gave the Vols an extra 13 yards of field position.

And those are the calls, all eight of them, plain and simple. No grand conspiracy theories here, no "magical" penalties, or anything of the sort. These were all easy calls that no one could really rationally dispute, and with that in mind that it should come as no great surprise that all of the puke orange complaints over the officiating have been general in nature, and not specific criticisms of the specific calls. Simply put, they don't have a leg to stand on.

Furthermore, all of this juvenile pissing and moaning completely overlooks the fact that Tennessee had several calls in this game go their way, and unjustifiably so. You can see that just by looking at the film of the last drive. Watch the following clip, and keep your eye close on the tight end who goes in motion:

This play comes with a mere 1:10 remaining in the game and Tennessee facing a 2nd and 10. Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker goes in motion, and is responsible for sealing off Alabama defensive end / linebacker Chavis Williams while Crompton rolls out to the right. But Williams is a quick player -- a linebacker by physical build -- and he shoots to the inside of Stocker, who is expecting Williams to move to the outside, and he gets into the backfield. So what does Stocker do? He grabs ahold of Williams jersey for dear life, clearly committing a holding penalty in the process. Without the holding, who knows? Maybe Williams gets the sack, but at the least he disrupts the throw and likely forces an incompletion, so the Vols would have been facing 3rd and 10 with about one minute remaining. Instead, the hold gives Crompton time, and he founds Gerald Jones for a 14-yard gain, giving the Vols' new life at the 'Bama 45-yard line.

With the penalty, it would give the Vols a 2nd and 20 at their own 31-yard line with only about 60 seconds left, a call that would completely alter the course of the game. But where is the penalty? Where is that "magical" penalty flag for such an obvious infraction? Where is that conspiracy? It's nowhere to be found, and instead the yellow yankie sits in the referees back pocket while the Vols get a freebie to march down field for a potential game-winning field goal attempt. Conspiracy, my ass.

Lane Kiffin may have gone conservative at the end, and he can blame it all he wants on fears of the officials screwing his team over. But such claims have no legitimate foundation, as we see here. At absolute most, he should have said that he went conservative at the end because he had no confidence in his players to not shoot themselves in the foot with boneheaded penalties. But of course Kiffin would rather run his mouth about everything but his own team, and if the truth gets in the way of that, then the truth be damned. Same thing goes for all of the Tennessee fans repeating his propaganda.

And that is why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee fans are stupid, among other reasons.

Halfway Home: A Midseason Look at the SEC

outsidethesidelines — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:54 -0000

With six weeks of the 2009 college football season now behind us, we can finally start to get a good idea on exactly what everyone is made of around the SEC. With that in mind, a few thoughts on some SEC teams:

Alabama Crimson Tide

I expected Alabama to be good this year, as did most others, but honestly I believe we've exceeded expectations in the first half, and we've done so in the face of some bad injury / suspension luck. Dont'a Hightower and Damien Square are gone for the year with knee injuries, and Jerrell Harris has yet to play thanks to an NCAA suspension. Moreover, we're a beat-up squad right now. Julio Jones isn't healthy, nor is Roy Upchurch, and Terrence Cody was limited to only about fifteen snaps against Ole Miss with some sort of leg muscle issue. Cory Reamer, in fact, left part of his ear in Oxford. And that's, of course, not to say anything of Brandon Deaderick, who was, you know, shot at point-blank range. Twice.

Despite all of this, 'Bama has played extremely well to date. The defense is every bit as good as expected -- perhaps even better -- and even with his miniature meltdown in Oxford, Greg McElroy has played the quarterback position better than anyone in Tuscaloosa in ages. The offensive line isn't the same in the running game, but it is perhaps a bit better in pass protection than it was a year ago, Colin Peek has more than filled Nick Walker's shoes, and the wide receiver corps has really taken things to the next level. Our win over Virginia Tech at a neutral site is probably the most impressive win of any team in the country, and a 22-3 thumping of Ole Miss in Oxford is still a quality victory even with the Rebels' disappointing season in mind. We haven't won by fewer than ten points all season, and really haven't been given a real scare since the early fourth quarter against Virginia Tech.

At this point, the sky is the limit for the Tide. We've established ourselves as the front runner in the SEC West, and we might even be able to lose a game at this point and still make it to Atlanta. A worst-case scenario right now seems to be a 11-1 or 10-2 season where we make it to the SEC Championship Game, but whether or not we can beat Florida is another matter. I think the Tide has clearly showed the muscle to do it, but we have yet to play a complete game to date, and that is exactly what it will take to get past the Gators. This team is a legitimate national championship contender, but we're going to have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot -- think pre-snap penalties, kick coverage breakdowns, questionable play-calling, dropped touchdown passes, red zone inefficiencies, etc. -- in order to win the ultimate prize. Until we show that we can do that, I'm afraid, this 'Bama team will probably "just" end up another team that wins a ton of games and likely gets a BCS bowl berth, but one that ultimately has no hardware to show for it at day's end.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Despite a disappointing early season loss to Georgia, this Arkansas team actually looks pretty decent. The offense is a very good unit -- Michael Smith is still the most underrated player in the conference -- and the defense looks to be improving slightly. I know neither Texas A&M or Auburn are special teams by any stretch, but to thump those two by a combined 49 points is pretty impressive regardless of how you look at it. With a 4-2 record right now, Arkansas will return to a bowl game this year, and Bobby Petrino is clearly doing good things in Fayetteville.

The real problem with Arkansas is an ungodly tough schedule. It's bad enough to have to play on the road at Alabama, plus South Carolina (the second best team in the East). But to have the terrible luck to draw Georgia and Florida on the rotational conference schedule, not to mention a neutral site non-conference game against Texas A&M, plus games against LSU, Auburn, and Ole Miss? Good grief... they are the anti-Auburn, the pure embodiment of scheduling hell. You could be a great team and only go 9-3 or 8-4 against this schedule, and the mere fact that Petrino and company are likely to get back to a bowl game, in and of itself, shows you the progress that is being made in Fayetteville.

And, really, keep your eye on this team moving down the stretch. They thumped both A&M and Auburn, and if their defense can prove to be even somewhat formidable, they will be extremely tough to beat. They beat LSU a year ago, and almost knocked off Ole Miss to boot. Expect them to claim at least one of those scalps again this year.

Auburn Tigers

The Gene Chizik era has gone as well as could have been reasonably expected, thanks in equal part to both the production of the Auburn offense and the lackluster performances to date by those on the Auburn schedule. Gus Malzahn has produced an offense as prolific as any Auburn fan could have dreamed off, and opposing defenses have clearly struggled with assignment breakdowns. Likewise, the Football Gods have been more than kind with the schedule. Louisiana Tech turned out to be a bad team even by WAC standards, Ball State completely nosedived, Mississippi State is as bad as expected, West Virginia's fifteen minutes of fame are clearly up, and Tennessee looks little, if any, better than a year ago. The Auburn defense has been the worst since Terry Bowden roamed the Plains, but the high-power offense and the weak schedule have driven Auburn to a surprising 5-1 start.

Moving forward, I really do not think this team is a particularly good one. I think they are a solid, 6-6 caliber team, but again the Football Gods continue to bring gifts with the schedule. It's always good to draw Kentucky, at home, on the SEC rotational schedule, but Auburn gets an added gift this weekend with the 'Cats starting quarterback being injured and unavailable. Beyond that, Furman is a guaranteed win, LSU continues to disappoint, Georgia is looking at its worst year in a decade, and Ole Miss has failed to live up to preseason expectations.

Again, I don't think this is a particular good team, and I could still see them crashing and burning if injuries show just how little quality depth this team has throughout the ranks. Nevertheless, though, it's a fairly decent team that can take advantage of a weak schedule thanks to their high-power offense, and they look to be in position to do just that. This is a team that will at least get seven wins, and nine wouldn't be a total shock.

Georgia Bulldogs

Get your popcorn ready, folks, this one is about to get highly entertaining. After getting blown out by Tennessee, Georgia sits at 3-3 on the season, and that is with games remaining against Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech. Even if these guys can avoid upsets against Kentucky and Vanderbilt, they are still probably going to struggle to get above 6-6. At these point, these guys are probably headed to the "new Shreveport," whatever that is, and that's if they don't get upset from here on out.

Either way, this is easily the worst team of the Richt era and it's likely to be the worst UGA team since Donnan took over in 1996. The defense is not very good, the running game is non-existent, Joe Cox is a glorified game manager, and they have no real threats at wide receiver sans A.J. Green. What else can you say? This is just not a good football team, period.

With all of that in mind, again, get your popcorn ready. This is Richt's ninth year in Athens, and he's entering uncharted territory. Few SEC coaches last this long, and the few that do are reeling and running out of steam at this point. Look at Fulmer at Tennessee, Tuberville at Auburn, and Nutt at Arkansas, just to name a few. And it certainly seems like Richt fits that mold as well. The fanbase is going nuts, they want lots of assistants fired, and many are openly questioning whether or not Richt can ever get the job done. This one will get interesting. That preseason #1 ranking feels like it was decades ago, doesn't it?

LSU Tigers

A 5-1 start and a top ten ranking to start the season, so things are all well in Baton Rouge, right? Not really. This team has zero quality wins to date, and frankly they are just fortunate to not be 3-3 with losses to Mississippi State and Georgia. This team will beat Tulane, and will probably beat Auburn, so they are likely to go into Tuscaloosa with a 7-1 record and a top ten ranking, but things just aren't right with this team, and I really don't know what's wrong.

LSU obviously has an ungodly amount of talent on hand, but it's not really working. Jordan Jefferson may not be Mr. Pick Six, but he cannot throw the football down the field, and the passing game is nothing special with him in. The offensive line is struggling up front, and without a line blowing defenses out of the water, suddenly guys like Charles Scott look pretty average. The defense looks pretty good, but who really knows about them? They have played only one good offense to date (Florida), and while only allowing 13 points looks nice on paper, realistically Tebow was not playing anywhere near his usual level, and the Florida offense was more conservative than Roy Moore.

Moreover, with all of the talk of the 2007 Florida game recently, it should be pointed out that this team really hasn't played well since Jacob Hester converted those umpteen fourth down opportunities. Since that victory, national championship and all, LSU is a combined 9-8 in SEC play, and the wins have generally came in close games against bad teams. The combined record of those opponents in the nine wins is a mere 40-50, and six of those nine victories came by a touchdown or less, which includes three come-from-behind wins in the final two minutes, plus a goal line stand in the waning seconds. The other three victories came by an average of 13.6 points, and the combined conference record of those three opponents is a laughably low 2-17. And that is from a team that led the SEC, by a wide margin, in both 2007 and 2008 in fumble luck. Again, I don't care that they won a national championship in 2007, these guys haven't played good football in two years now.

I really don't know what to make of this team. Again, like I said, they'll probably go into Tuscaloosa 7-1 and near a top five ranking, but I don't know that they are really any good. They've got the raw talent to go off and play extremely well, but that's not a given, so who knows? I do think they averted complete disaster by squeaking out games against MSU and Georgia, but for a team with so much talent and an unstoppable recruiting juggernaut, it certainly does feel that they are just barely hanging on with a cupcake OOC schedule and a couple of lucky breaks in close games against bad teams, doesn't it?

Kentucky Wildcats

With three straight bowl victories in the bag, Rich Brooks looks like he could somehow take the 'Cats to the promised land a fourth time in 2009. To be sure, the 2-3 record to date is disappointing, but hardly shocking. With Alabama and Florida on the schedule early, at best they figured to be 3-2 at this point. They gave South Carolina a legitimate run for their money, and a win there would have almost guaranteed a return trip to the postseason, but alas it was not to be.

Nevertheless, Kentucky still has a solid, achievable route to a bowl game. Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Kentucky should yield two easy wins, and then the 'Cats get the two worst teams in the SEC with Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Even if the 'Cats slip up somewhere along those lines, they still have a few chances at some upsets. They've played well to date, and will be favored in four of their remaining seven games, and while they will be underdogs in the other three -- at Auburn, at Georgia, and Tennessee -- Kentucky will have a legitimate chance of winning each time out. I think the smart money is still on UK ending up 7-5 or 6-6 and making it back to the postseason yet again.

Ole Miss Rebels

Colonel Reb is pretty much as overrated as I expected them to be all along in terms of contending for the SEC West. The real question for this team, now, is where do they go from here? Given how they have played to date, this team could easily lose another three games unless they improve. On the other hand, they could rally like last year and still get a good bowl game. They cannot win the West for themselves, but they sure as hell can spoil any chance either LSU or Auburn has left. Truth be told, as of right now, 'Bama fans have few better friends than Ole Miss. If they can beat LSU in Oxford, that practically clinches 'Bama the SEC West regardless of what happens in the Alabama v. LSU game.

As a more general point, will Ole Miss ever win the SEC in our lifetime? Clearly this was their only shot for now... bringing in a solid, proven coach after a recruiting guru filled the roster with raw talent, but obviously it's not to be, and Nutt will never win it in Oxford. He couldn't do it in Fayetteville, and with the lack of recruiting success he is having at Ole Miss, his Rebels are moving in the wrong direction. It just isn't happening, folks.

The last time Ole Miss won the SEC was in 1963 -- 46 years ago -- days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. My father was seven at the time, and I am currently moving closer to 30 than I am 20, and Ole Miss has never even came close to winning it in my lifetime. So, again, I ask, will we ever see Ole Miss win the SEC in our lifetime, or is this going to be like waiting on the Cubs to win the World Series?

Mississippi State Bulldogs

I've long gone on the record as being a fan of the Dan Mullen hire, and I think he has done pretty well in Starkville to date. The offense is coming along a lot quicker than I expected, and he almost pulled off a massive upset against LSU a couple of weeks back. True freshman Chad Bumphis has impressed at wide receiver, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Tyler Russell can do at quarterback in the future.

Of course, though, in the harsh light of reality, life is never easy for the lovable Bullies. With a loss to Houston, MSU is now probably looking at a 3-9 campaign, and that's if they can beat Middle Tennessee on the road in what many expect to be a pretty close game (Vegas has MSU as only a three point favorite). Mullen is effectively fighting the impossible fight in Starkville, and his efforts won't pay any short term dividends. I guess all you can say is that, at least, they beat Vandy and aren't the worst team in the conference, which is what most expected.

South Carolina Gamecocks

If I had to wager, I would say the Gamecocks are perhaps one of the toughest teams to judge right now. The opener against North Carolina State was ugly, and losing to Georgia at this point is likewise far from pretty. On the other hand, the win over Ole Miss was impressive -- and the game wasn't as close as the scoreboard indicated -- and the victory over a relatively decent Kentucky team was fairly impressive.

I actually think this has the pure potential to be the best team Spurrier has fielded in Columbia since his arrival, even though that may not be saying much. They do have a great defense, Garcia has clearly improved, and the offensive line looks to be the best it has been to date under the Ol' Ball Coach. I think that as of right now, there is very little doubt that these guys are probably the #2 team in the SEC East. On the other hand, though, Florida ought to thump these guys once again, and beating 'Bama would require a major upset. They are 5-1 at the moment, and will get to six wins against Vanderbilt, but with road games left against Arkansas and Tennessee, not to mention a date with Clemson, getting above eight wins still looks to be a difficult task.

Tennessee Volunteers

I've never seen anything like Lane Kiffin, for better or for worse. The constant verbal jabs in the media. The changing of pullovers at halftime. The "play to lose with respect, not win" strategy. The trying to go for two with defeat certain and time expired just to reduce the margin of defeat and bump up their Pythagorean Wins. He's a unique one, no doubt there.

That said, I see little reason to believe the Vols are much better this year than they were a year ago, and in fact they look to be pretty much the same team to me. The blowout win over Georgia was nice, but truthfully it was probably more to do with UGA's implosion than the "turning the corner" that so many UT fans would like to make it out to be. Even with that, this team is basically in the exact same boat they were last year... a 6-6 team that will make some laughable bowl game so long as they don't get upset late by a really bad team. They ended up 5-7 last year when Wyoming pulled off the shocker, and that is exactly what they are looking to avoid now. Either way, it's hard to see this team being anything more than nominally improved over its immediate predecessor, and their final record will reflect that.

Vanderbilt Commodores

I enjoyed last year's showing by Vandy as much as anyone, and Bobby Johnson has done a marvelous job in Nashville. At the end of the day, though, it's still Vandy, and it's showing. Losing to Mississippi State, at home, effectively guaranteed that the 'Dores would be the worst team in the SEC in 2009, and after losing on the road against lowly Army, Vandy fans will probably have to wait until 2010 to get another win. With six games remaining against Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, it's hard to see the 'Dores getting another win. A 2-10 finish -- including an 0-8 conference record -- seems to be the likely result.

At least there will always be memories of the 2008 team, I suppose. No one ever said that life as a Vanderbilt football fan was easy.

UK vs. Alabama: Breaking Down the Rolling Tide

Ken Howlett — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:03:16 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Did Rich Brooks make his point this week? We're about to find out.

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The Kentucky Wildcats enter today's tilt (12:20 EST) with college football royalty, in great need of affirmation. After last weekend's titanic sinking at the hands of the Florida Gators, the 'Cats' collective psyche needs a renovation. And there is nothing better to renovate the soul, than a win over No. 3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0).

That was pretty easy to type, but it will much more difficult to execute. After-all, Alabama comes into today's contest, perhaps the most impressive team in the country, up to this point in the season. The Tide have totally dominated their opponents since the second half of their initial contest with then No. 7 Virginia Tech (a 34-24 'Bama win), outscoring their foes 146-35.

Alabama not only overwhelms their opponents with stifling defense, the Tide offense is averaging over 40 points per game, a rather large number considering the preseason questions about the quarterback position. Simply put, Alabama is a dangerously complete football team, and here's why ...

Alabama Offensive Personnel

Greg McElroy -- 6'3", 220 lb junior quarterback: This year, McElroy's first as a starter, he has completed 63 of 93 passes (67.7%) for 938 yards (234.5 yards per game), seven touchdowns, and one interception.

Versus Arkansas last week, McElroy completed 17 of 24 passes for 291 yards, and three touchdowns (no interceptions). He came into the season as one of the "Mystery Men of the SEC," a club chock-full of unproven quarterback talent. McElroy, though, has played brilliantly. The UK secondary is in for a real challenge Saturday afternoon.

Mark Ingram -- 5'10", 215 lb sophomore running back: In 2009, Ingram has rushed 61 times for 347 yards (5.7 yards per carry), and four touchdowns. He's also caught 13 passes for 141 yards (10.8 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. Last season, in earning Third Team All-SEC honors (Phil Steele), as well as making the All-SEC Freshmen Team, Ingram rushed 143 times for 728 yards (5.1 ypc), and a freshman school record 12 touchdowns, while splitting time with Glen Coffee (now of the San Francisco 49er's). His father, Mark Ingram, played for the New York Giants, and was a key figure in the 1992 Giants Super Bowl win -- Last season versus UK (a 17-14 Tide victory), Ingram ran 11 times for 66 yards (6.0 ypc) and a touchdown.

Bullish, yet speedy runner presents a real problem for UK's defense. His combination of speed and strength is not a combo Kentucky's defense has handled with aplomb in previous contests.

Trent Richardson -- 5'11", 220 lb freshman running back: This season Richardson has rushed 38 times for 280 yards (7.4 ypc) and four touchdowns. He's also made five receptions for 42 yards (8.4 ypr). Richardson is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after carrying the ball nine times for 65 yards (7.2 ypc) and a touchdown, in last week's game against Arkansas. Coming out of high school in Pensacola, Florida, Richardson was rated the No. 6 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals. He was a Parade, USA Today, and SuperPrep All-America. In his senior year in high school, the five-star athlete rushed 225 times for 2,090 yards (9.3 ypc) and 26 touchdowns.

In 'Bama's game last week versus Arkansas, Richardson exploded for a 52-yard touchdown run, which followed up his 35-yard run for six versus Florida International earlier in the year.

Terry Grant -- 5'9", 190 lb junior running back: On the year, Grant has ran 40 times for 166 yards (4.2 ypc), and three touchdowns. He's also snagged three passes for 47 yards (15.7 ypr). He started at the running back spot in 2007 for the Tide when he ran for 891 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2008, Grant rushed 35 times for 88 yards (2.5 ypc) and one touchdown.

Grant unleashed a 42-yard touchdown run versus Florida International earlier this season.

Roy Upchurch -- 6'0", 205 lb senior running back: In 2009, Upchurch has run for 107 yards on 11 carries (9.7 ypc), and scored one touchdown. He's caught three passes for 10 yards (3.3 ypr). He played in 10 games in 2008, recording 350 rushing yards on 58 carries (6.0 ypc), and nine catches for 101 yards (11.2 ypr). In 2007, Upchurch played in 12 games; he carried the ball 50 times for 237 yards (4.4 ypc) and one touchdown. He also caught seven passes for 51 yards (7.3 ypr) -- Last season versus UK, Upchurch carried the ball five times for 19 yards (3.9 ypc).

Julio Jones -- 6'4", 210 lb sophomore wide receiver: In three games this season, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year has caught 7 passes for 120 yards (17.1 ypr), and one touchdown. Last year Jones started all 14 Alabama games, becoming only the 11th freshman Tide football player to start 'Bama's opening game since freshmen became eligible in 1972. In 2008, Jones caught 58 passes for 924 yards (15.9 ypr), and four touchdowns -- Last season versus UK, he made three catches for 52 yards (17.3 ypr).

Last week versus Arkansas, Jones caught a 50-yard touchdown pass. One of the most talented receivers in the country, Jones will receive attention from Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley. Their battle might go a long way in determining who's happy, and who ain't, come the final horn.

Marquis Maze -- 5'10", 179 lb sophomore wide receiver: This year, Maze has caught eight passes for 194 yards (24.2 ypr) and two touchdowns. He started four games as a freshman in 2008, recording 11 catches for 137 yards (12.5 ypr) -- Last season versus UK, Maze started, but did not make a catch.

Maze caught an 80-yard bomb for a touchdown last week versus Arkansas, to go along with a 34-yard touchdown reception.

Mike McCoy -- 6'3", 215 lb senior wide receiver: In 2009, McCoy has caught eight passes for 138 yards (17.2 ypr), and one touchdown. In 2008, he started nine games along side Julio Jones, and made 16 catches for 191 yards (11.9 ypr) -- He did not play against UK last season due to a hamstring injury.

Colin Peek -- 6'6", 255 lb senior tight end: This season Peek has made 8 catches for 95 yards (11.9 ypr). A Georgia Tech transfer, Peek sat out last season, but in his sophomore year for the Yellow Jackets, he caught 25 passes for 258 yards (10.1 ypr). and a touchdown.

Brad Smelley -- 6'3", 218 lb sophomore tight end: In 2009, Smelley has caught three passes for 12 yards (4.0 ypr). He came off of his redshirt last year in the seventh game of the season against Ole Miss. Over the second half of last year, he caught seven passes for 98 yards (14.0 ypr). Smelley's brother, Chris, played quarterback at South Carolina, and now plays baseball at Alabama.

Alabama Special Team's Dynamo

Javier Arenas -- 5'9", 198 lb senior kick returner/defensive back: Arenas has returned 15 punts this year for 285 yards (19.0 yards per return). He's returned five kick-offs for a total of 141 yards (28.2 ypr). In 2008, the Second Team All-SEC performer averaged 15.9 yards per punt return, and 23.6 yards per kick-off return. Also, in '08 he returned three punts for touchdowns -- 87, 80, and 73 yards. In 2007, he returned 21 punts for 323 yards (15.4 ypr), and one touchdown, as well as 27 kick-offs for 657 yards (24.3 ypr). In 2006, Arenas returned 31 punts for 286 yards (9.2) and two touchdowns, to go along with 18 kick-off returns for 313 yards (17.4). Arenas is Alabama's record-holder in the following categories: Punt Return Yardage (Career) - 1,544: Punt Return Yardage (Season) - 650 ('08): Punt Return Yardage (Game) - 153 (vs. Ole Miss last year) -- Last season versus UK, Arenas returned four punts for 52 yards.

What's been keeping UK special teams coach Steve Ortmayer up at night, Javier Arenas my friend, Javier Arenas.

Alabama Defensive Personnel

Rolando McClain -- 6'4", 258 lb junior linebacker: The First Team All-SEC (Third Team All-America by the AP), has recorded 23 tackles (15 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and three quarterback hurries in 2009. McClain is a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nations top linebacker -- Last season versus UK, McClain led the Tide in tackles with 10 (four solo). He also returned a first quarter Mike Hartline fumble four-yards for a touchdown.

Mark Barron -- 6'2", 215 lb sophomore defensive back: In 2009, Barron has made 20 tackles (eight solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups.

Terrence Cody -- 6'5", 365 lb senior defensive lineman: "Mount Cody," as he is nicknamed, has recorded 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup,and one quarterback hurry in 2009. The First Team All-America anchors the defense that is second in the nation (and first in the SEC) in rush defense, allowing only 47.3 yards per game -- Last season versus UK, Cody recorded two assisted tackles, and allowed UK to run for only 35 yards.

Eryk Anders -- 6'2", 227 lb senior linebacker: This year Anders has made 19 tackles (9 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries -- Last season versus UK, Anders executed two tackles.

Javier Arenas -- 5'9", 198 lb senior defensive back: In 2009, Arenas has made 18 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and two pass breakups -- Last season versus UK, Arenas recorded six tackles (4 solo).

Brandon Deaderick -- 6'4", 287 lb senior defensive end: The former Elizabethtown High School stand-out has recorded 5 tackles in 2009. Coming off a gunshot wound suffered the week prior to Alabama's opener against Virgina Tech, Deaderick has played in all four Tide games, but he has yet to start. Saturday, Deaderick will be lining up across from his high school teammate, UK's Zipp Duncan -- Last season versus UK, Deaderick had two tackles.

Tide Tidbits

Alabama gives up only 1.7 yards per rush to their opponents ... Florida International ran for one yard on 26 carries ... The Tide receivers are averaging 14.2 yards per catch ... 'Bama has converted 45% of their third down conversion tries ... Opposing quarterbacks are completing only 48.4% of their passes (59-122) against the Tide ... 'Bama has recorded 13 sacks ... Alabama's punt return average - 18.8 yards, their opponents - 4.3 yards ... Virginia Tech scored 24 points on the Tide, but averaged only 2.1 yards per carry ... Florida International had a 96-yard kick-off return for a touchdown against the Tide ... Alabama has outscored their opponents 162-52 in their four games ... The Tide held Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett to only 12-35 passing (34.3%) for 160 yards, one touchdown and one interception ... Mallett was sacked three times.

Alabama Accolades

Alabama is ranked in the top-11 in the country in the following categories: 2nd - Rush Defense (47.3 ypg); 2nd - Total Defense (202.5 ypg); 5th - Offensive Pass Efficiency (169.0); 8th - Total Offense (490.5 ypg); 9th - Scoring Offense (40.5 ppg); 10th - Rush Offense (234.3 ypg); 10th - Tackles for Loss (8.0); 11th - Punt Return Average (18.8).

CliffsNotes Analysis ("Must" Edition)

1. UK must be mentally focused.

2. UK must not commit silly, mental mistakes, i.e. excessive penalties.

3. UK must not start playing in the second quarter. The game starts at 12:20 fellas.

4. UK must run the ball. Some how, some way.

5. UK must not allow big plays, which 'Bama has a penchant for.

6. UK must throw for more than 85 yards (Hartline's total against Florida)..

7. UK must find a way to get Randall Cobb into space (no, not the heavens, open space).

8. UK must not allow the 'Bama backs to run as with gifted with impunity (less than 175 would be nice).

9. UK must not average less than 10.0 yards per catch.

10. UK must score (twice would be nice) a special teams or defensive touchdown.

11. UK must play like Wildcats, or risk ending up a skinned cat.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Tide!

Sprints Is Winning, So It's Losing Votes in the AP Poll // 09.09.09

cocknfire — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:31:01 -0000

by Phil Sandlin - AP

Another touchdown. Clearly, they must move down to No. 2.

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Team Speed Kills Now last night. We talked UCLA-Tennessee, Auburn-Mississippi State and SEC Power Poll. The podcast version:

This is the beginning of the end of the dynasty. The Gators are losing votes in the AP poll.

The Associated Press released its Week 1 poll today, and the No. 1 Gators received 56 of 60 first-place votes, two fewer than last week.

And they'll keep losing votes if they ... win?

Since Florida is expected to trounce every opponent by double digits except maybe LSU -- and that's a big maybe after that Washington game -- it's too difficult for them to create real buzz unless they are the only undefeated team left. ...

I wouldn't be surprised if Florida is getting 35 of the 60 votes by week 10, even if their record is unblemished.

If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to go self-medicate this headache with a sledgehammer.

WR Andre Debose will miss the season
The Gators probably could have used him for depth, but he'll undergo surgery.

How much does one guy have to endure?
In this case, Brandon Deaderick, whom you might recall was shot last week.

Deaderick is believed to be out of town. His maternal grandmother died on Sunday, the day after Deaderick inspired his teammates by playing in the Crimson Tide's 34-24 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech.

Thoughts and prayers.

The ATVSSECOSPPOW is MI
That's And The Valley Shook SEC Offensive Speed Position Player of the Week and Mark Ingram.

Plan Q finally comes through
QB Tyler Bray commits to the Vols.

Insanity is ...
Tennessee goes after another tilt with a Pac-10 team, this time the one that's actually good.

And then he had the loudmouth electrocuted
Nick Saban goes off on a reporter ... for pointing out that Florida International is a cupcake. Please.

'Well, for a week we played Red Rover'
Blutarsky asks a completely reasonable question about the Dawgs' offseason.

Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC
The Mayor's weekly conference picks column.

Box Score and Such: Alabama vs Virginia Tech

Todd — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:02:13 -0000


1st Downs	22	11
3rd Down Efficiency	6-17	2-12
4th Down Efficiency	0-0	0-1
Total Yards	498	155
Passing	230	91
Comp-Att	15-30	9-20
Yards per Pass	7.7	4.6
Rushing	268	64
Attempts	49	31
Yards per Rush	5.5	2.1
Penalties	10-83	6-45
Turnovers	2	2
Fumbles Lost	1	2
Interceptions Thrown	1	0
Time of Possession	37:08	22:50

Looking at the box score, there are three things that really jump out from last night's game:

Penalties, Penalties, Penalties: Last season the Crimson Tide finished 5th in the country in fewest amount of penalties with 57, but committed 10 last night for 83 yards, including two completely boneheaded decisions on the part of the usually level headed Rolando McClain. The mental discipline we showed as a team last year to avoid penalties was not on display last night and it's something that really needs to be worked on.
Statistical Dominance Doesn't Equal Scores: The old cliche "the only stats that matter are on the scoreboard" was certainly true last night. We held the ball for almost an entire quarter longer than the Hokies, doubled their first downs, and outgained them by 204 yards rushing and 139 through the air (343 yards total)....yet still only held a ten point advantage when the game was over and had the fight like hell in the fourth quarter for that. The Hokie red zone defense held us to field goals in the early goings (including one that could have sent us into the half with the lead that missed), and Roy Upchurch's fumble at the end of a long run that could have set up another scoring opportunity didn't help. Again, mental errors on our part kept Va. Tech in the game, and leaving scoring opportunities on the field like that isn't something we need.
Third Down Efficiency Needs to Improve: After watching Alabama play with some brutal efficiency last season, it was especially frustrating seeing us convert only 6 of 17 3rd downs (only 35%). The Hokies were stuffing our ground game on first down a lot of the time, and we were shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties as well, so hopefully this is something that can be rectified over the next few weeks.

Players of the Game:

Offense - Mark Ingram

vs Virginia Tech / 9.5.09	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Mark Ingram	26	150	5.8	1	3	35	11.7	1

With 99 of his 185 total yards coming in the fourth quarter, Ingram effectively iced the game for the Crimson Tide after struggling early on. His 150 yards rushing was a new career high for him, and he's shown that he is more than ready to fill Glen Coffee's shoes as the primary running back for the Tide.

Defense - Eryk Anders

Though Anders was our best edge rusher on passing downs last year, I'll admit that I was a little worried about him taking on an every down role. He's smaller than your prototypical Jack linebacker and really didn't do anything but rush the passer last year, so I didn't know how well he would fare against the run or in coverage. With 8 tackles (2 for loss) and a forced fumble last night, he's put some of my fears to rest.

Honorable Mention: Brandon Deaderick

Shot on Monday, lining up against Va. Tech on Saturday. You are not tough.

Virginia Tech Postgame Thoughts

outsidethesidelines — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:50:38 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Alabama coach Nick Saban, left, is congratulated by Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer following Alabama's 34-24 win. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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A few thoughts from tonight's game:

Greg McElroy played very well in his debut tonight. He got off to a slow start -- though it was largely not of his own doing -- but he came around and ultimately played well. Aside from the one interception, he did exactly what we needed. He made smart decisions, rarely forced throws, and took off running when protection broke down. But with that said, it should also be mentioned in addition that McElroy, on down the stretch, made some great plays in his own right. He transcended the game manager label as the game wore on, and he made some very big plays in his own right. I think it's safe to say he generally played better tonight than John Parker Wilson did a year ago.
The offensive line, despite the gaudy offensive numbers, actually struggled for a good part of the night. We never really could block the Hokies off the edge in the passing game, Barrett Jones struggled a fair amount, and the Hokies were almost constantly stuffing our running game on the early downs in the first three quarters. Making matters worse, we had several costly penalties, and Vlachos' bad snap to Ingram in the Wildcat formation ending a promising drive. We popped off some big runs and started to take over the game physically late in the fourth quarter, but it was far from pretty. We've definitely still got some work to do up front, but for now just take solace in the fact that will be the best front seven we face for many weeks.

At times, this was quite possibly the most frustrating Alabama game I've watched in ages, and we were seemingly committed to beating ourselves. The list of dumb mistakes include, but is not limited to: A kick-off return for a touchdown allowed, an interception deep in our own territory, bad safety play giving up a touchdown run, Marquis Johnson / Mark Barron's blown coverage on the deep pass, another deep kick-off return added to by a late hit, Rolando McClain's meltdown, Julio Jones' key drop on a deep third down pass, Roy Upchurch fumbling after a long run, Roy Upchurch running right into a VT defender when a cut either way means he scores, and Leigh Tiffin's shanked field goal. If you look at the yardage data, this game should have been as dominating of a blowout as last year's Clemson game, but unfortunately we kept Tech in the game with a ton of unbelievably stupid mistakes.
And, in particular, the kick-off returned for a touchdown by Tech was incredibly frustrating. We butchered that kick coverage the whole way. Rod Woodson, Courtney Upshaw, and Chris Rogers stayed more towards the middle of the field despite the kick going to the right, Roy Upchurch ran himself out of the play on the right sideline, and Chris Rogers was sealed off with a block. Mark Barron was supposed to force it back inside, but he too was sealed off by a block, and Leigh Tiffin screwed it all up by getting sucked too far in, thus giving him a terrible pursuit angle trying to knock him out of bounds. Marquis Johnson's whiff on the tackle further down field was frustrating as hell, but by the same token you really hate to blame it all on him as some undoubtedly will. He chased down the returner all the way from the opposite side of the field, and it was the collective effort of seven other players that let him get free in the first place. Just frustrating as hell, period.
Credit goes to the VT coaching staff on so many things, but in particular the way they handled Julio Jones. They bracketed him high and low almost all night long, and it got the job done. That's the only way you'll stop him, and they got the job done. They couldn't hang on to get the victory, but they didn't let our best player beat them.
Nick Saban's defense lived up to the hype, period. I know Virginia Tech doesn't have a great offense, but the Hokies basically had two big plays all night long -- both on 'Bama mental errors -- and that was it. From there, it was a complete shutdown in all phases of the game. Tyrod Taylor ending up with 65 total yards on 30 touches, and the Tech offense barely had 150 yards. And they did exactly what they needed to do with Taylor... contain, contain, contain. Just a great performance by the Tide defense, period. If we can stay healthy this year, this defense has the chance to be something truly incredible.
And speaking of Tyrod Taylor, I was highly critical of his abilities as a passer in the pregame analysis, but I will give credit where it is due and Taylor deserves some tonight, despite his bad statistical showing. I don't know that he made a bad throw all night long, really, his main problems were receivers completely and totally unable to get separation, and a laughable offensive line. I swear, that offensive line is absolutely pathetic. I counted at least three times in the fourth quarter that those guys allowed a defensive end to go untouched on a passing play. None of that is Taylor's fault, of course, he did the best he could with what he had around him.
And I also said in the pregame that I didn't think that Mark Barron could spy Taylor, and that too was right. Barron is an NFL caliber athlete in his own right, and on the three times he was matched up with Taylor in the open field, he never laid a finger on the fleet-footed quarterback. Taylor is an elite athlete in every sense of the word, period. You'll see him with the ball in his hands on Sunday, I'm sure.
Obviously it was an absolutely terrible offensive line, but we still racked up 5 sacks defensively on only 20 passing attempts. Incompetent offensive line or no, we haven't rushed the passer like that in a long time.
Our kick coverage has to improve, period. With the caliber of athletes that we can put on the field, there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be stuffing opponents inside their 20 yard line.
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I said in the pregame analysis that our offense could be much different than many expected, and I nailed that one. Far from the three yards and a cloud of dust strategy that most expected, we mixed things up constantly. Ingram spent a lot of time in the Wildcat, we used lots of motion, we ran a lot of snaps from the Pistol, and McElroy spent a lot of time in the shotgun as well. I see no reason not to expect all of that to continue as we move forward.
The Tide signed another #1 recruiting class last February, but how many of those true freshman played in the season opener? I saw Rod Woodson make a tackle on special teams on the opening kick, and Trent Richardson did some garbage time late in the game, but if another true freshman played tonight (including Dre Kirkpatrick), I missed it. And keep in mind no one is saying that this class has disappointed, far from it in fact. That ought to tell you just how much talent we have on hand not counting the incoming freshman. Saban and company have done not only a great job with the 2008 class, but also with developing the Shula era players that they inherited.
Darius Hanks... a practice star no more. With his performance tonight, he's the #3 receiver on the team right now.
The Alabama offense did well tonight, as a whole. It struggled early, but those guys deserve credit. Even with the Hokies completely taking Julio Jones out of the game, we still racked up nearly 500 yards and 34 points against a damn fine defense. And we did that despite all of the mistakes we made, and a slow start. If we can play anywhere near that well on the offensive side of the ball the rest of the year, this will be one of the best offenses we had in years.
And, good job by the 'Bama coaching staff tonight on the offensive side of the ball. They saw we couldn't play smashmouth with the Hokies and dominate at the line of scrimmage like we did last year, so instead of trying to shove a round peg into a square hole, they mixed things up and made some things work with what they had. Most of the staffs we've had in the post-Bryant era wouldn't have done that, and these guys did. Thankfully they were rewarded with a big offensive output and the victory, all well deserved.
All in all, it wasn't always pretty, but the victory came nevertheless and oh was it ever sweet. With the big win over the Hokies tonight, we'll move up to at least #4 in the country, and you really have to like how the schedule works out from here. If we can eliminate the mistakes from tonight, this is a team that could win a lot of games this year, and at the moment the potential is really unlimited. Again, though, we still have some improvements to make, and upsets can come at any given time, so hopefully the team just remains focused on the task at hand and doesn't get punch drunk on all the lovely what-if scenarios.
Finally, to close, hats off to Brandon Deaderick. Not only did you play with two bullet holes in your body, less than five full days from getting shot at point blank range, you played hard, physical football in a high intensity game against a good opponent, and you played well. With all due respect to Lane Bearden, you are now officially the toughest man I've ever seen put on the crimson and white.

The Virginia Tech Preview: Tide Defense v. Hokie Offense

outsidethesidelines — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:18 -0000

Editor's Note: This is the second installment in a four-piece series that will give an in-depth preview of the individual unit match-ups, as well as a special teams preview, and finally ending on Friday with a final wrap-up before the two teams face off on Saturday night.

Part 1: Tide Offense vs Hokie Defense

The Virginia Tech Offense

Any in-depth analysis of the Virginia Tech offense must begin with proper consideration given to one man: Tyrod Taylor. What makes the Virginia Tech offense unique really has nothing to do with it's formations, it's passing concepts, it's run blocking schemes, or anything of the sort. No, what makes the Virginia Tech offense unique is because the entire offense completely and totally revolves around Taylor. When you watch the film of this unit, it's almost nothing short of amazing just how much of a linchpin that Tyrod Taylor is to the entire unit. Everything is predicated upon him; even when he performs the most fundamental of duties -- handing off to the tailback, direct snaps that go to other players, etc. -- the offense nevertheless somehow goes through him.

And with Taylor as the centerpiece, the Virginia Tech offense has changed quite a bit in recent years. Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring is still in Blacksburg -- he was given the title of defensive coordinator in late 2001 -- and has remained a constant for almost a decade, but his offense is fundamentally different with Taylor at the helm. In years gone by, the Hokies tended to be a run heavy team that operated out of very conventional formations. They spent much of their time either in the I-formation or with two tight end sets, trying hard to establish the interior running game, and much of the passing game became a by-product of the playaction pass. But again, that's all different now with Taylor at the helm. They still spend a good deal of time in the I-formation and also with two tight end sets, but they are not limited in that regard any more. With Taylor, they also really like to spread the field and put Taylor back in the shotgun, thus taking full advantage of Taylor's athleticism in space.

Given Taylor's extreme importance to the offense, we should take a closer look at him as a player. From the outset, Taylor was a bona fide super recruit coming out of Hampton, Virginia's Hampton High School, a dynasty in Virginia high school football circles, with seventeen state football championships. When he came out of Hampton High on 2007, Taylor had been a three-year starter and was a consensus five-star recruit. Rivals.com had him as the #1 dual threat quarterback in the country, and he chose to stay in-state with the Hokies, turning down a scholarship offer from the Florida Gators, whose head coach Urban Meyer recruited him heavily to run his spread option.

The reason everyone wanted the 6'1 and 215 pound Taylor was simple... his legs. In a day and age where 40 times are often outright lies, Taylor is a legitimate 4.40 player, and it is his unbelievable speed and athleticism that makes him the player that he is, and it is also what makes him the focal point of the Virginia Tech offense. Because of his ability to make big plays with his feet at any given time, opposing defenses must always be aware of his positioning on the field, and that is why the Virginia Tech coaching staff ensures that their entire offense runs through him. Stinespring and company love to always make you account for Taylor even when the ball doesn't go to him. For example, in simple dive plays out of the I-formation, after giving the hand-off, Taylor generally makes very, long sweeping retreats from the location of the exchange as if he's keeping the ball and going out for a run. This is done, of course, to ensure that one defender must account for Taylor, even though it's an inside hand-off to a tailback. This is just one of many ways in which the Virginia Tech coaching staff constantly keeps the offense running through Taylor, regardless of what is actually going on.

And no Alabama fan should underestimate just how deadly Taylor's athleticism can be. Many like to paint Taylor as a typical run-happy quarterback with no real passing skills, and in all fairness that might be true, and in many ways is true. Still, nevertheless, even if that is completely accurate, Taylor is nevertheless such an elite athlete that he is still a very dangerous player. In today's game we often have mobile quarterbacks playing the position with good athleticism, but Taylor isn't just a mobile quarterback, nor does he just have good athleticism. I've been following Alabama football closely since 1990, so this is my 20th year, and I feel confident in saying that we have never faced an opposing quarterback with the kind of ultra-elite speed and athleticism that Taylor brings to the table. Again, he's not just a mobile quarterback, he's the kind of elite athlete who will certainly play in the NFL one day -- and probably be a fairly high draft pick at that -- thanks to that athleticism.

Soundtrack Warning: Crunk

Fortunately, the good news for Alabama fans and our coaching staff is that for all of Taylor's frightening athleticism, he's still a very incomplete player as a pure quarterback, and the rest of the Virginia Tech offense is riddled with holes and shortcomings. This unit finished 90th in the country last year in scoring offense, and 103rd in total offense, continuing a downward trend in recent years in their ability to move the football. From 2005, when Tech finished 17th in the country in total offense, they have fallen to 49th, to 53rd, to 103rd. Far from being a one year anomaly, the Hokies are a team that has seemingly struggled to move the football almost forever.

The Hokie Offense: A Critical Look

Given the struggles of the Tech offense, you don't have to look far to find its weaknesses.

Since we gave Tyrod Taylor so much focus in the overview, perhaps it's best we start with him, because for all of his greatness as a runner, he really struggles throwing the football. Truth be told, as a passer, he's just not much, period. Last year as a passer he completed only 57% of his passes, averaged under 6.0 yards per attempt, threw two touchdowns against seven interceptions, and his QB rating of 103.2 put him somewhere around 110th in the country. Making matters worse, the coaches have really simplified the passing game as a whole to help Taylor, effectively reducing it to a smattering of dink and dunk passes. You watch the Hokie offense and you see countless curls, hitches, screen passes, square-ins, and the like, and even so he cannot complete 60% of his throws. Furthermore, the few times that Taylor did actually play pretty well as a passer, it was predictably against bad defenses. The four highest individual game quarterback ratings that he posted in 2008 came, not so surprisingly, against a Division 1-AA team (Furman), a team still trying to make the jump to Division 1-A (Western Kentucky), a 5-7 ACC team (Virginia), and a team that finished 89th in the country in pass defense (Nebraska). Factoring out those four games and looking at the rest of the season, Taylor had a paltry QB rating of 82.0, averaged under five yards per attempt, and didn't throw a single touchdown pass (though he did throw seven interceptions).

And the vertical element of the Hokie passing attack with Taylor in the game is simply non-existent. By my count, only about six of his passes went for more than 20 yards a year ago, and in the rarity that he does hit a deep pass, it's usually ugly and even then not exactly ideal. For example, in their Orange Bowl victory last year against Cincinnati, Taylor hit receiver Danny Coale for a 34-yard completion, but a closer look reveals that Coale had gotten wide open on a post, and a ball that even hits him remotely in stride is a touchdown. Unfortunately, the ball sails wide, Coales has to lay out to make the catch, and the sure touchdown turns into a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 14. Unable to pick up a first down from there, the Hokies have to bring on the field goal unit, and with a missed kick a sure touchdown becomes a turnover on downs thanks to an inaccurate, though still completed, pass.

The results, though terrible, shouldn't be the least bit surprising. This time a year ago, Frank Beamer announced that the Hokies were actually going to redshirt Taylor in 2008, so truthfully had the coaching staff had their way Taylor wouldn't have played at all last year. Unfortunately for Tech, though, Sean Glannon was terrible in the opener, and after a surprising loss to East Carolina in Charlotte, the Hokie coaching staff had to reluctantly take the redshirt off Taylor and put him into action.

Of course, as should probably be expected, many Hokie fans are drinking the Kool-Aid talking about the incredible progress Taylor has supposedly made this off-season. In an objective light, though, there's little reason to expect any real, considerable improvement. From the outset, Taylor has never been a particularly accomplished passer, even in high school. Even as the quarterback for Hampton High -- where, again, he was playing on a very high caliber team with a lot of talent surrounding him -- he still only averaged about 125 yards per game as a passer, and barely completed 50% of his passes. Moreover, in terms of physical skill set, Taylor doesn't have a great arm, and is not very accurate to boot, plus he's short for the typical pocket passer. His delivery is a tad bit odd, and he's very inconsistent with his footwork. And his route progression, well, there is no route progression. As a general rule, he looks immediately towards his primary target, and if he's not open he takes off running. Anything might happen, of course, but I see no objective reason to believe that Taylor will take a major step forward this year as a passer. He has never been a particularly good passer before, and truth be told he will probably never be one in the future either. All such Hokie hopes to the contrary are just that, hopes, unsupported by any other objective factual basis.

Unfortunately for the Hokies, the problems are even worse up front with the offensive line. As a group, the offensive line seemingly run blocks well (though that's somewhat up for debate, too), but the pass blocking has been so horrendously atrocious the past couple of years that even an Alabama fan who lived through the Chris Capps / Kyle Tatum era could not understand. Last year the Hokies gave up a whopping 42 sacks on a mere 291 passing attempts for an adjusted sack rate of 14.43%. That literally put them dead last in the country in terms of adjusted sack rate, 119th out of 119 teams. And it wasn't just a one year anomaly, either. The year before -- despite having Duane Brown starting at left tackle, who would be a first round NFL Draft pick the following April -- they gave gave up 54 sacks on 379 passing attempts, for an adjusted sack rate of 14.24%. I'm not positive that was dead last in the country, but for the sake of the all the other quarterbacks in the country, I certainly hope no one struggled to protect the passer more than that. And perhaps not too surprisingly then, offensive line coach Curt Newsome had to undergo a double bypass heart surgery on June 19th. He himself said stress played a role in the near 100% blockage of his arteries, and while he was almost certainly addressing that more towards the high amounts of stress inherent in being a collegiate football coach, I'm sure as hell that having to watch this unit play for two consecutive years did no favors for his health.

Moving forward to the 2009 season, three starters return, but returning starters from a unit that has been consistently that terrible is rarely a good thing. I wouldn't expect it will be for this year's Hokies, either. Ed Wang returns at left tackle, and Blake DeChristopher returns at right tackle, plus Sergio Render returns at guard (though he has swapped guard positions). Those guys look physically okay, but obviously something is not right. Jaymes Brooks, a redshirt sophomore, is taking over at right guard, with an undersized Beau Warren taking over at center. Warren is listed at 288 pounds, and frankly just looking at him that might be a bit of a stretch.

What the Hokie offensive line did well in 2008 was run block, or at least it would seem that way on the surface, even if it's not necessarily true. Darren Evans ran over 1,200 yards a year ago, averaging almost 4.5 yards per carry, and put together a great season. Before really watching the Hokies on film, I thought it was just the typical case of a decent back behind a good, mauling offensive line, but seeing Evans on film I was very impressed with him as a player. He displayed good speed and a good short-yardage bust, but he also had good balance and field vision to boot. Perhaps most impressive of all, he could consistently drive his hips low for a quick change of direction, something quite rare for a back of almost 220 pounds. To put it mildly I became impressed, and he exceeded my expectations.

TE Greg Boone

Which brings us to a pressing question, did he do well because of the Hokie offensive line, or did he do well in spite of the offensive line? In most cases I normally give the credit to the offensive line because their importance to the running game tend to get undervalued a bit, but if you look closer at the splits, the Hokies have a huge drop-off in rushing production when backs not named Darren Evans were given the ball. Kenny Lewis, Jr. and Josh Oglesby combined to get 102 carries for only 325 yards, right at 3.1 yards per carry, a significant step down from the production that Evans posted. On the surface, it seems like there was a very big gap between Evans and the rest of the tailbacks on the roster, and it certainly seems like Evans' torn ACL was indeed a huge injury for the Hokies. Perhaps Frank Beamer was being all too honest when he spoke of the impact that Evans absence would have on the Tech offense.

The rest of the Hokie offense looks to be generally solid, even if not spectacular. The wide receiver corps is nothing overly special, and there are no Julio Jones type players. That said, the group as a whole is a solid one, and several players have the ability to get the job done. Their biggest problem, honestly, more than anything else is that they simply haven't had a quality quarterback to be able to consistently get them the football. Also, one more weapon does exist on the roster, and he's one to keep your eye on, Greg Boone. A truly massive player, Boone is a 6'3 and 280+ pound tight end with good athleticism, and naturally he's as strong as a bull. The Hokies can often use him in a variety of ways, too, including even in the wildcat.

All in all, though, despite Taylor's elite athleticism, plus having a very unique player on the roster in Boone, this Tech offense simply isn't a very good one. Taylor can indeed be deadly with his legs, but aside from that there is just generally very little to fear. Taylor has the track record of a terrible passer, and the offensive line probably couldn't pass block competently if their lives literally depended on it. The running game would be pretty strong with Darren Evans, but he's not going to be playing this year, and if the track record from a year ago holds up, they may very well be struggling to run the ball this year. Not much else needs to be said... you finish at the bottom of nearly every statistical offensive category for a reason.

The Alabama Defense

Nick Saban brought with him to Tuscaloosa a reputation as a builder of big, physical defenses built on speed and aggression, and just over two years since he arrived, Saban is well on his way to building exactly that kind of monster. The roster that he inherited in January of 2007, built for Joe Kines 3-3-5 scheme, was nowhere near the type and / or caliber of personnel Saban needed to operate his 3-4 scheme at a high level, but thankfully a renewed focus on the S&C program and a recruiting juggernaut have allowed Saban to quickly construct his defense.

The Nick Saban 3-4 scheme is, for all of us 'Bama fans, are pretty well known commodity at this point. In many ways it's a typical 3-4 scheme, one that relies heavily on zone blitzes and the inherent lack of unpredictability built into the scheme. The 3-4 is a highly flexible scheme, and Nick Saban takes full advantage of that by constantly changing his fronts, cover schemes, and blitz packages. Making things even better, Saban's specialty of coaching defensive backs generally makes his unique version of the 3-4 that much more effective once it actually takes the field.

After experiencing some struggles at times in his debut 2007, the defense quickly came together for the 2008 season. Saban found the space eater he needed to play the nose in Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain carried his game to the next level, Dont'a Hightower made a huge impact as a freshman, and several other players improved as well. The impact of it all quickly became evident. The Tide run defense was nearly impossible to run on with a healthy Terrence Cody in the lineup, and very stout against the run even when he was out with less than 100% with his knee injury. The pass rush never materialized, but even so the Tide led the SEC in pass efficiency defense, and allowed a stingy average of 5.8 yards per passing attempt.

Moving into the 2009 season, things continue to be on the rise in Tuscaloosa. Eight starters return from the 2008 defense, and quality depth has increased dramatically everywhere. As of this writing, we legitimately have somewhere around 25 players who can legitimately be contributors to this defense. With little doubt, if we can stay even remotely healthy, this should be the most productive defense we've had in years.

The Alabama Defense: A Critical Look

At the risk of being deemed a homer, I must nevertheless objectively say that when taking a critical look at this defense, there are really just very, very few flaws to even legitimately address. Bottom line, it's a very well coached defense, and one that is loaded with not only experience and top-end talent, but quality depth throughout the roster at almost every single position. If you were looking for an ideal defensive unit, you'd be hard-pressed to find one much more attractive than this one.

In the short-term, the biggest problem the Tide has is overcoming the likely loss of Brandon Deaderick, who was tragically shot outside his apartment Monday night in Tuscaloosa. Fortunately for Deaderick and the Tide, the shooting effectively went as well as it reasonably could have -- just puncture wounds in the arm and hip; no damage to bones, arteries, or nerves, no surgery required, and released from the hospital approximately 16 hours later -- but even so I imagine he's unlikely to play against the Hokies. Deaderick was going to start in 2009, just like he did last year, at defensive end, and his loss is not what anyone hoped to see. Fortunately, if there was any year to have this sort of a tragedy, it was this year. His back-up, Luther Davis, is good enough to start for about any other SEC team, and he should transition into the starting role without any real trouble, if needed, but don't discount the possibility of Marcel Dareus -- who normally backs up Lorenzo Washington at the end-tackle combo position -- moving over and starting in Deaderick's absence. Dareus has the best long-term upside of any defensive lineman we have, and he is likely the #3 defensive end on the pecking order, regardless of position, so he may very well move over to the natural end position. Either way, as much as Saban and company rotate the defensive linemen, Davis and Dareus were going to see a lot of meaningful playing time regardless, so this won't be a major transition for either one. Darrington Sentimore now has a much better chance of playing as a true freshman, and Damien Square will likely be moved back from Jack linebacker, and both should provide quality reps at the position as well. Time will tell, but rationally speaking it seems we should be able to pick things up in Deaderick's absence with no major drop-off in production.

LB Eryk Anders

Aside from the Deaderick shooting, the Tide defense has remarkably few concerns. Pass rushing was a major problem a year ago, but even so we still played very effective pass defense, and things look improved this year. The linebacker corps is more athletic than a year ago, we're getting our best edge rusher (Eryk Anders) on the field more often, and Sal Sunseri has brought with him a renewed focus on pass rushing techniques. Thus, our pass rushing attack ought to improve this year, and frankly even if it doesn't, we showed last year that an inability to rush the passer was not fatal to the success of our overall pass defense.

Our biggest weakness, of course, assuming that we continue to be unable to rush the passer with any degree of consistency, is probably against spread teams with accurate quarterbacks who can consistently spread the field with quality receivers to boot. But again that may be a problem we fix anyway in 2009, and even if not, the Hokies don't have anywhere near the pieces in place to power such an attack. Yes they do spread things out occasionally, but it's to maximize Taylor's running ability, not to emphasize the passing game. Taylor isn't a very accurate quarterback, Tech might not have the receivers in place to do it effectively, and even if they did the offensive line probably wouldn't be able to hold up regardless, so even that is a moot concern in this particular game.

Aside from that, the rest of the concerns are really more nit-picking and the luxuries of riches than anything else. Many 'Bama fans would probably still complain about Marquis Johnson, but what is that really? At worse, it's a complaint that we only have a serviceable SEC level player (and a senior to boot) as our nickel corner, and a player that at any rate who will see his playing time getting major challenges from two five-star recruits currently on the roster. Geez... how will we ever manage to get by? Again, it's basically nit-picking from that point on.

The truth of the matter is that unless 'Bama gets unexpectedly hit very hard by a run of injuries, there is absolutely no reason to expect that the Tide won't field a great defense in 2009.

What To Look For

In the aggregate, this looks to be an good match-up for those who bleed crimson. The Hokies do not have a very good offense, and the Alabama defense should at the least be in the discussion with regard to who has the top defense in the country. It doesn't take any real, in-depth analysis to figure out that when two units of those respective abilities collide, it's likely to result in the offense scoring very few points and the defense dominating the day. When factoring out defensive and special teams scores, the Hokies offense only averaged 19 points per game last year, and it would probably be a surprise to see them score that many against what should be a very stingy Alabama defense. And making matters worse for the Tech offense is that the one true weakness of the Tide defense -- which, it should be said, is something that might not even be a weakness this year at all -- is something that the Hokies do not have the right personnel in place to exploit.

The Virginia Tech running game, in particular, seems to be in for a long night. With Darren Evans out for the year, it's a running game of arguably questionable quality to begin with, and going up against the Tide's incredibly stout run defense is a tough task for even a team with a strong rushing attack in their own right. The Hokies might try to run the football inside a good bit on the Tide -- then again, if Beamer and company think it's futile, they'll probably move away from it pretty quickly -- but it's highly unlikely that it will yield any real success. Beau Warren, at least 60 pounds lighter than Terrence Cody, will need help with the gargantuan nose guard, so Cody should command double teams every single time the Hokies plan to run inside. That alone plays right into our hands. Moreover, even without Brandon Deaderick, our deep rotation of big, strong, and physical defensive ends -- Lorenzo Washington, Luther Davis, Marcel Dareus, Damien Square, and others -- will be able to hold their own at the point of attack throughout the course of the game. That alone will eat up the bulk of the Hokies' blocking unit, and it will largely allow a great linebacker corps to roam free all night long, looking to make plays, and the same goes for two good run defenders at safety in Justin Woodall and Mark Barron. Making the match-up even more advantageous for the Tide is the Hokies' complete lack of a vertical threat in the passing game, which will allow the Tide to stack the box when needed. Bottom line, if the Hokies can have any considerable degree of success in the running game, it will come as a legitimate surprise to any objective observer.

The Hokie passing game looks to fare little, if any, better. The Tech passing game will likely be one of the worst in the country yet again, and the Tide pass defense will likely be one of the best. Again, do the figurative math. Taylor is a below average passer, and while the Virginia Tech wide receiver corps is a solid group filled with more than a few quality targets, they likely aren't as good or as experienced as their counterparts in the Alabama defensive backfield. All in all, it's simply a match-up that heavily favors the Tide.

All of the aforementioned, though, is pretty basic stuff. No real analysis is needed to discover that a very good defense is likely to shut down a bad offense. The real strategy in this game will be how the Tide chooses to defend Tyrod Taylor and his abilities as an elite runner.

Many would advocate playing man coverage on the receivers and trying to rush Taylor with all you have. Given how much Nick Saban loves to give different looks from his 3-4 defensive scheme, I'm sure we will do that a few times, but as a general strategy it's probably not as ideal as many would initially think. To begin with, from the outset, bringing a lot of pressure on Taylor isn't necessarily a good strategy. Taylor is unbelievably elusive, and if you bring a lot of rushers and he slips out of it -- which I can guarantee you he will do on more than one occasion -- you have very few defenders left downfield, and he's going to turn it into a very big play. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying... getting pressure on Taylor is a good thing, but having to bring a lot of defenders on blitzes in order to generate it quickly becomes a very risky strategy with a runner like Taylor that can get you burned. Furthermore, consistently playing man coverage against the Hokie wide receivers fails to exploit one of Taylor's biggest weaknesses as a quarterback, which is reading defenses. If you predictably play man on the outside, Taylor's almost complete inability to read a defense completely goes away because he can correctly assume the overwhelming majority of the time that he will be throwing against man coverage.

Spying Taylor is also an attractive option to many, but again it's probably not ideal as a general strategy. Putting a spy on a mobile quarterback is generally a good strategy, but that generality only holds up well against quarterbacks who have good mobility, not great mobility. Trying to spy such an elite athlete like Taylor is a fundamentally difficult task because you really don't have an equal caliber athlete to put on him. To be sure, we have some guys with Taylor's athleticism, but they are playing corner, and it's very difficult to spy with a corner. Corners are forced to line up so far away from the quarterback (and that goes even for the nickel corner) that the spy himself can effectively be eliminated by the offensive coordinator just sending the play in the opposite direction. What you need in order to have an effective spy is someone who is going to be able to consistently line up relatively close to the quarterback -- without giving away his responsibilities with his pre-snap alignment -- someone like a safety or a linebacker. But, again, who do we have at safety or linebacker that can legitimately go toe-to-toe with Taylor in the open field? Arguably no one. Jerrell Harris, Mark Barron, and Robby Green would probably be our best candidates, but even they would likely face a speed and agility deficit to Taylor. Again, it's an attractive option to many as an initial matter, but a closer look reveals such a strategy can be problematic when dealing with a truly elite athlete like Taylor.

A better strategy, and one I expect we will probably be using frequently, is to employ a wide variety of zone and rush packages. Playing a wide variety of heavy zones against Taylor is an ideal option because it great limits his ability to run with the football, which in truth is when he is at his most dangerous. At the end of the day, what we really want is for Taylor to throw the football, and even Rolando McClain explicitly said yesterday that the assignment of the defense is to contain Taylor and make him throw the football. Playing a heavy zone helps accomplish that because it largely removes the possibility of a big run, and also helps to ensure that when Taylor does take off to run, he'll quickly be met with a host of defenders arriving with bad intentions, both of which are incentives for him to stay in the pocket and throw the football. Furthermore, by constantly mixing up zone blitz packages, we can more effectively exploit Taylor's inability to read defenses. Also, it should be kept in mind that with Tech's complete lack of a vertical threat in the passing game, and it's reliance on short, dink and dunk throws, we can play heavy zones that almost solely attack the short and intermediate routes, thus creating some very narrow windows for Taylor to throw the football into, which can easily lead to a slew of incomplete passes and a chance at interceptions. Truth be told, we could probably play Cover Zero most of the night and still not give up a big passing play, and that alone provides us with a competitive edge over the Hokie offense.

Now, to be sure, I do imagine we will see some spying on Taylor, and I also imagine we'll see some heavy blitzes. The base defense, I think, will frequently use the heavy zones that I described earlier, but Nick Saban likes his defenses to be multiple in their approach and inherently unpredictable. That alone will ensure that Taylor sees a little bit of everything come Saturday night. Either way, in terms of individual assignments and responsibilities, three words must be effectively tattooed into the foreheads of every Alabama defender... contain, contain, contain. Keep Taylor in the pocket, limit his big runs, and make him beat you throwing the football. If you can consistently do that, you've won the battle.

On the other side, the Virginia Tech offense will probably have a few things up their sleeve, and they might not operate exactly how we think. Even though they haven't been a very good offense, the Hokies are a well-coached football team, and they are perhaps a bit more imaginative than you would at first think. If we really can shut down their interior running game with no problem, this isn't a staff dumb enough to keep futility running it straight into the line. They will mix things up and try something else, probably with Taylor operating almost solely from the shotgun. Moreover, again, they have used Boone in the Wildcat in the past (even with him throwing a pass once), and have at times lined Taylor up out wide and brought him down on jet sweeps. And, of course, with a mobile guy like Taylor, a bit of the option game is never out of the question. One way or the other, If things aren't going well, don't expect this coaching staff to just lay down and take it, they'll probably try a few things outside the box in an attempt to muster some offensive production.

That notwithstanding, though, it nevertheless looks to be a very tough night for the Hokie offense. For all of Taylor's dynamic athleticism and Boone's unique physical skill set, this is still a poor offense, and one that struggles to move the ball effectively. They have no real big play ability aside from Taylor's runs, and they cannot muster the kind of consistent production needed to methodically march the football down the field to put points on the board. Rest assured Taylor will make some big, incredibly frustrating plays -- at least frustrating for the 'Bama fans -- he's just too good an athlete not to. Likewise, Boone could be a tough match-up, and a few more guys in the Hokie rotation can get the job done. That will result in some good things happening, but again it's hard to see this unit having the consistent success needed to put any considerable number of points on the board. By all objective measures, this is a bad offense going up against a potentially great defense, and the strength of the Crimson Tide defense should dominate the night.

Sprints Hopes Deaderick Recovers and Avoids the Berry Heism@n Video // 09.02.09

cocknfire — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:22:23 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

'Is that really the best you could do?' Apparently so.

Browse more photos »

Brandon Deaderick released from the hospital. He seems to be doing well enough.

He arrived quietly at the Crimson Tide's indoor practice, making eye contact and sending casual nods to teammates, some of whom had spent a portion of the past 24 hours concerned for Deaderick's life. ...

Sources said Tuesday that Deaderick's injury was little more than a flesh wound and that there was no nerve damage.

The relatively insignificant football aspect of all of this, because there is a game to be played Saturday.

Sophomore Marcell Dareus practiced with the first-team today at Deaderick's right defensive end position. Despite expectations of a quick recovery, Deaderick's status remains uncertain for the opening game.

"Our concern at this time is for Brandon's continued recovery as our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," Saban said, "not about when he will return to football."

No, they haven't caught the dirtbag who did this.

The. Best. Heism@n. Video. Ever. Eric Berry's is right here. Really. You'll love it. Well, if you are not a Tennessee fan. If you are -- remember, the people who did this are the same ones who hired Lane Kiffin and assure you it will turn out okay. (HT: Rocky Top Talk)

Depth charts. LSU (missed Monday), Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Oklahoma State MLB is out
Orie Lemon has a season-ending ACL tear.

TE Jamal Mosley leaves Oklahoma State team
What the h*ll is going on over there?

So, let's see... tons of preseason hype, highest ranking in school history, off-field legal problems, talented offense but questionable defense, SI cover jinx... it's almost scary how similar Okie State is to last year's Georgia team.

Except that Georgia only had one other 4,000-pound gorilla on its schedule. The Cowboys have two.

We know he won't play Thursday
Clifton Geathers is suspended for a game once he's medically cleared.

Dustin Doe will be out on Saturday -- DOOM for the Gators???
Against Charleston Southern, I think not. But Doe is "week-to-week," so it could become a larger issue.

Bad news for Josh McNeil
It looks like his career is done.

Play ball!
Baseball? In September? Well, yes, when "the winningest coach in Alabama baseball history" steps aside. His assistant and successor Mitch Gaspard.

He is without a doubt one of the best baseball coaches I've ever been around. His service to the University has been exemplary, not only the way his teams played on the field but in the way his teams conducted themselves in the classrooms and in the community.

We now return you to football coverage.

Playing Louisiana Tech, Jackson State and Western Kentucky doesn't hurt
The Memphis Commercial Appeals likes the odds for Gene Chizik, Dan Mullen and Lane Kiffin based on history.

Playing FCS schools is charity, you see
Swamp Things on the reasons the Gators play teams from the subdivision formerly known as I-AA.

Florida doesn't just get a cupcake victory and a smile with I-AA opponents. They get to help a smaller, in some cases financially challenged athletic department. Charleston Southern is using the $450,000 to put the finishing touches on a 20,000-square-foot, $4-million multipurpose athletic facility.

Urban Meyer, humanitarian.

Now would not be a good time to start
LSU has never lost to a nonconference opponent under Les Miles.

We'll know something if he starts praising Jordan Jefferson
The Meyer jinx. We all need football to start and give us something to write about.

Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC
The Mayor's weekly conference picks column.

Now he's hurt
At this rate, Andre Smith won't play for the Bengals before 2034.

It all comes down to Clemson's finest
Rich Rodriguez is now in more trouble: He's being sued by a bank for not paying a small loan of $3.6 million.

A banned Clemson University booster now facing five felony counts was one of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez’s business partners in the failed real-estate venture that led to a $3.9 million lawsuit filed last month. ...

[Clegg Lamar] Greene allegedly stole money from investors, including Rodriguez, to pay debts on various business deals, buy furniture and have cosmetic surgery, according to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arrest affidavits.

Greene, a 71-year-old who lives in Clemson, S.C., was accused in 2000 of providing a $1,300 loan and use of his boat to two Clemson recruits. A university investigation found two minor infractions, and officials disassociated Greene from the football program. ... [HT: Wiz]

Well, really, $1,300 does pass for a "minor infraction" at Clemson. You have to be talking five figures before things get serious.

But here's another question: Why was a former Clemson coach and West Virginia head coach involved in real estate developments at South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia Tech?