Positives From Last Night

We lost, it sucks, get over it. Only a fool thought we would win that game.

With that out of the way, let's look at what positives we can take from this game and how it can apply to future opponents.

1. Defense. They're good. And I don't mean that in a "**** me, we didn't get 50 hung on us tonight" kinda way. Barring significant injuries (fingers crossed) they'll keep us in most games. There are a number of vast improvements from years past.

A. We're faster than we've been in a long while.
B. Tackling and Pursuit have been very good.
C. Fight, I feel dirty just listing this but after seeing a team quit game after game under ****face I thought it deserved a mention.
D. Jancek. He's called good games and I don't see any reason this won't continue.

2. Youth. We have a plethora of very talented guys that will be future star players.

A. Hurd. He's getting closer and closer to truly breaking out, you could argue he did that tonight in some capacity. By the end of the year he will be among the best FR in the country.
B. Barnett is already an impact player and Vereen is progressing as rusher.
C. JRM and TKjr are at worst going to be good players with the potential to be very good.
D. Cam Mother****ing Sutton. He's an All-SEC type of player right now.

3. Offense. You don't replace all five starters on the OL and come out clean. Whatever the staff is conjuring up as a gameplan is revolving around the fact that the OL can't hold up their end of the bargain against good competition.

A. WR. North is a mismatch no matter who is guarding him. Pig is a playmaker in the passing game (can we please shelf the
Pig sweep before it gets him killed?). Malone is coming along and Josh Smith isn't as bad as Jason Croom (who couldn't catch crabs if he caboosed after KidB).

B.RB. Play calling and inept blocking have kept Hurd and Lane in check but those two can play, they're not one of the better combos in the SEC, that's for certain but they're more than capable of carrying the offense if given a chance.

C. Worley. Yes, Justin Worley. He made some critical mistakes tonight, namely completely missing the overload blitz that caused the fumble and the poor decision on the pick 6. Aside from that I thought he managed the game pretty well and a made a few nice plays. He took an absolute beating tonight and never looked fazed. His throw to Croom was great, again, caboose, KidB, crabs, somehow doesn't catch it. He's not an elite passer, we all knew that before the season started but if the OL can keep him upright, I believe he will be able to lead this team to enough points to win more than we lose this year.

To summarize; **** [ddiapos], THANKS FOR NOT RECRUITING AN OL FOR AN ENTIRE CYCLE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF DOG SHIT.

 

I think we were a qb away from keeping that game really close. I mean God bless Worley for picking himself up off the ground so many times last night but those two INTs in the endzone really killed us. I think we are really close to being relevant.

I couldn't watch anymore after the pick six on the two yard line. If we got a td there, who knows. I think we get in Floria's ass and if we can keep the defense healthy, we give Georgia a run and we keep it close against Alabama.

Or maybe I'm still a little drunk from last night

 

To be fair the throw to that imposter who wears #18 was on the money. That dude can't catch. Not his fault. The pick 6 was bad but that goes beyond him, why are we 5 wide in the first place? We weren't a good QB away from making that game or winning, we needed an offensive line that wasn't a turnstile.

 

To me, his most egregious mistake was not adjusting to the overload blitz on our second possession. Jeff Healy could have seen that coming, I didn't see him change the protection, maybe he did and the line just blew it. Either way it was bad and completely avoidable.

 

Only one of those interceptions was his fault. That ball to Croom was a beautiful pass, but Croom flat out didn't want it. That second interception was bad, but I put 80% of that on the OC and a stupid 5 wide on the 5 yard line call.

I was actually not very angry last night when I turned off the TV around midnight. I saw a lot of positives along with a lot of negatives. But we didn't get steamrolled like Oregon, and the score was not indicative of the play. Our defense is light-years ahead of last year's defense, and Cam Sutton my favorite player. That hit he laid down on that WR was about as big of a lick as you will see. Nearly decapitated the dude.

And Dooley needs to be sued for negligence and downright abuse of our program. No OL in an entire class has butt-raped us this year.

 

You know, we have a baby OL, and OU's Striker seemed to be everywhere, but you'd think someone would have made an adjustment to help theses kids. When we started run more when they blitzed seem to slow OU down. Especially after Hurd broke the long run.

I'm like some of the guys here, I just don't have the football IQ a lot of you guys here do, but I think we were in that game. Take away the the b/s non fumble and the two picks in the endzone. If we score on Worley's pick six, I say we might have come out of Oklahoma with a Double U

 

Yeah, good call on the first pick on the endzone. Hit him in the hands and even though Herbsteit said the DB was in perfect position, that ball went thru his hands then he made no effort to keep the DB from making a great catch

 

There are only so many schematic changes one can make when you're completely outclassed in the trenches and the two-deep is littered with youth and inexperience. It was frustrating to watch the team not capitalize when opportunities presented itself, my hope is that lessons are learned and the experience gained last night will serve the team well going forward against good SEC competition.

 

Sanchez was in great position but the throw was on point, the 6'5" guy who wears #18 has to make a play. He didn't. As usual.

 

If we play the way we played on defense last night, I like our futer

 

I would have to rewatch the game again to be sure but when the replay of the interception was being shown, Herbstreit makes a comment how Sanchez doesn't let Croom "get there" or something to that effect. I just said out loud "How does a guy that big not get position!?".

 

Because he plays as if he's in Devrin Young's body.

 

To consider it a disappointment would be an understatement.

 

It's puzzling.

 

We score a TD on the pick six, the score is 17-27. Man I can't stop thinking a bounce or two here and there, we would have been in that game

 

Yeah. Worley recognizes that blitz, we don't blow coverage on the wheel route on the ensuing drive, the fumble is actually ruled a fumble, that one guy that snuck on the team and wears the #18 jersey catches a nearly perfect throw and Baja gets his head out of his ass runs the ball twice if needed instead of going 5 wide.

 

Proverbial nail hits head.

I feel like this is the year Matt Simms started for us, all over again...except we don't have a talented Freshman waiting in the wings. The OL is going to get Worley killed. As soon as he hit his head last night, my immediate thought was "here comes Peterman..." I thought he'd have a concussion. Kudos to him, he's a tough SOB.

Also...Worley is playing at a level that I never thought he'd reach, to be honest. I honestly thought he was average at best. If he had an OL that could actually block, he's a very serviceable SEC QB...who can't throw the deep ball to save his life. Although, the INT thrown to Croom was about as perfectly thrown as you could've made it--if that were North--TD.

Bajakian isn't as bad as he's made out on here but I do have significant concerns about this Offense with this play calling. I'm not on the "it's inevitable that he's fired, so let's discuss who we replace him with" bandwagon but...it'd be a stretch to say I'd shed a tear if he were replaced at the end of the year.


This team is an improved from last year, overall. We're bowling by season's end and I dare say we can win 7 in the regular season...

 

Hurd is impressive. It's also telling who was getting the crap carries at the end of the game.

 

The O-Line, Bajakian, and Croom are my only complaints. I am happy with the defense. We are close, IMO.

 

Some great points.

Love our defense & the personnel. Take away a pick 6*and the blindside sack/fumble that set up a short field and we give up 24 points to a dang good offense. I'd take these guys in my trench if I were going to war.

Bajakian and Croom are terrible. Worley had some good moments, but still had too many wtf moments as well.