Game nuggets

Kaos · « **on:** September 04, 2011, 04:31:53 AM »

Basic stream of consciousness from Saturday.

The pre-game video sucks. I'm going to keep hammering that point. It is a crowd killer of epic proportions.

Cody can kick the damn ball. Be interesting to see how accurate he will be on FGs, but the kicks he sent through the end zone into the wind were impressive. If he is remotely accurate Wes Byrum may be the least missed member of the departed class.

We cannot throw our jersey on the field and beat anybody. It's going to be work this year. Hard work.

Tracy Rocker will be sorely missed.

I've seen enough of Ted Roof. It's not talent or numbers (although that's a small part of it). It's poor fundamental understanding of what to do. It's poorly designed gameplans. It's missed assignments. It's giving up acres of yards over and over and over. Hate to use Alabama as a reference, but they plug guys in and maintain a consistently strong defense. Put a Tuberville-esque (or even half one) with the offense we have and it's championship after championship. Roof gets credit for the effort against Oregon, but as LSU showed Saturday it doesn't take a genius to swat the gnat-like Ducks. Miles even said so in his post-game interview. He said people talk about their speed and all, but they see those kinds of teams every week in the SEC.

McCalebb ran soft and tentative until the fourth. He repeatedly failed to turn it up and get four or five tough yards because he was angling for the boundary.

Dyer didn't look explosive either, but when three offensive linemen are laying on the ground and eight Aggies are swarming into the backfield.....

Trotter looked slow. Chris Toddish.

Thanks to Cam for relenting and phoning the sidelines with the recipe for Cammy Cam juice with 4:00 remaining in the fourth.

Saw Zeke Pike a good bit. The recruits were celebrating hard at the end.

The fans leaving the stadium thing is way overblown. Yeah a couple hundred started out early, but it wasn't a mass exodus like ESPN tries to make it. The vast, vast majority stuck it out. To be honest I considered bolting, too. But I decided to go down with the ship. They don't leave on me, I don't leave on them.

What WAS disappointing, however, was the expanse of empty seats, particularly in the upper deck. Defending national champions return home and take the field for the first time AS champions and we can't fill the fucking stadium? Disgraceful IMO.

Offensive line was a disappointment. Did well pass blocking, but run blocking? They were getting pushed around by smaller guys and that's not good.

Credit to Keeton and Utah State. They didn't come to cash a check and they had a strategy that exposed a ton of weaknesses. I felt bad for them at the end. Not that bad, but bad enough.

Saniflush · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2011, 05:51:33 AM »

Pretty well spot on.

We seemed very tentative on defense. Not sure if that was by design or not. If it was, that design or not but if it was it sucks.

We were manhandled on the offensive line.

In summation I blame our woes on the change of script size on the jerseys. Under armour better get it together.

JR4AU · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2011, 07:13:20 AM »

I think I agree with everything except Trotter's speed. He's much faster than Todd, but that's not saying much. However, he's also too quick to abandon the pocket. Overall, I think his performance could be rated a 70 out of 100. A solid C-. Better than just passing, but barely so. He, unlike some of the other issues, will mature and get better. I mean, it was his first start at the college level, and he's not taken a meaninful snap of any kind since 2007.

The fucking Defense will be shit under Roof without a big time star, and we haven't one this season. Completely agree that even a half talented defense properly coached would be preferable. Even some of the worst teams the last 10 years had decent defenses. The 2008 version, which had a bunch of very average players if you go by NFL draft and career, was 14th in the country in scoring D. And they had not a shred of offense to support them. You can play solid defense on discipline and effort. Roof shows no ability to get it to even a passable level without a Lombardi winner playing and coaching under him. Time to fucking go!

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2011, 08:57:16 AM »

I hate to go Fox News, but I think the economy had something to do with the empty seats.

Even Alabama had bleachers exposed all over their stadium. Parts of it was difficult to see because they have crimson seat covers on their scholarship seats (or wherever those crimson colored chairs were).

South Carolina has their most hyped up team in its history, and they couldn't help fill the stadium in Charlotte.

I agree that the entire team looks a bit soft like they were just going through the motions. I'm worried though. This team is too young and inexperienced to not get hyped up for the first game of the season. And that leads me to think it wasn't a lack of hype. It leads me to think they are that soft.

djsimp · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:15:32 AM »

First game of the season and it was 11am. I hate the early games because Auburn always comes out looking shitty and we have a couple more of those right out of the gate. I agree with Kaos mostly. I saw a Utah State team that had a bunch of mean ass Hawaiian lineman. Both our OL and DL were pushed around and that concerns me as well but I have a little more concern with our LB's. Roof was calling a vanilla D all day except for the few times when he called a blitz. When that happen, the Aggies didn't have a chance. I hate the WR screen play, that shit was killing us. I wanted to break their WR's legs. I think we will be just fine on offense but the D needs some work fo sho.

I'm loving me some Tre Mason and Emory Blake. Mason is a fast!

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:22:22 AM »

I hate to say this about anybody, but Jake Holland just looked lost out there.

djsimp · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:28:08 AM »

Quote from: Buzz Killington on September 04, 2011, 09:22:22 AM

I hate to say this about anybody, but Jake Holland just looked lost out there.

I noticed that too. I think it was the 4th quarter before he looked comfortable at all. Bates got manhandled a little bit too.

dallaswareagle · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:30:04 AM »

Quote from: Buzz Killington on September 04, 2011, 09:22:22 AM

I hate to say this about anybody, but Jake Holland just looked lost out there.

I think I counted at least 3 times he was turned around calling signals-arms going every different direction-All the while the play had already started.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:31:31 AM »

Quote from: Buzz Killington on September 04, 2011, 09:22:22 AM

I hate to say this about anybody, but Jake Holland just looked lost out there.

Yep. I noticed that as well.

And he looked small. Not small, stocky, and ripped like Tray Blackmon. He just looked undersized against the Utah St offense.

And he was pushed around like crazy. It's never a good thing when the opposing offense runs straight up the middle, and your middle linebacker is five yards down field trying to fight off a blocker.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:35:07 AM »

Quote from: djsimp on September 04, 2011, 09:28:08 AM

Bates got manhandled a little bit too.

Bates is a punk.

I think he's always trying to lay the big hit. Always trying to get a helmet to helmet knockout. Always trying to be the big scary defender that has the ability to concuss ball carriers.

Instead, he whiffs and still talks trash. He gets dragged down the field and still celebrates. He gets owned all game long and still acts cocky.

He needs to be put on special teams where he can run full speed and crash into somebody. Although, he'd probably screw that up too. Just put him on scout team. Last thing this young team needs is a 5'9 linebacker with little man syndrome trying to prove himself.

dallaswareagle · « **Reply #10 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:38:53 AM »

I hate to go Fox News, but I think the economy had something to do with the empty seats.

Maybe a little, I was upper deck, I ran into 4 other people that travled-3 others from Dallas and one lady from chicago. I have two local friends that didn't even attend. Us out town folks are still coming and it ain't cheap.

I think you also have alot of folks( Local) who are taking it easy-there thought line is-Hey we went to the mountain top last year so no where to go but down. And that pisses me off.

djsimp · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:44:08 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on September 04, 2011, 09:35:07 AM

Bates is a punk.

I think he's always trying to lay the big hit. Always trying to get a helmet to helmet knockout. Always trying to be the big scary defender that has the ability to concuss ball carriers.

Instead, he whiffs and still talks trash. He gets dragged down the field and still celebrates. He gets owned all game long and still acts cocky.

He needs to be put on special teams where he can run full speed and crash into somebody. Although, he'd probably screw that up too. Just put him on scout team. Last thing this young team needs is a 5'9 linebacker with little man syndrome trying to prove himself.

I feel the same way. He should probably focus more on tackling than talking shit. I really thought that with all the talent Auburn has recruited at the LB position, we would have a better looking group. I am disappointed and concerned. To me, this is our biggest weakness on the D.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2011, 09:56:50 AM »

Quote from: djsimp on September 04, 2011, 09:44:08 AM

I feel the same way. He should probably focus more on tackling than talking shit. I really thought that with all the talent Auburn has recruited at the LB position, we would have a better looking group. I am disappointed and concerned. To me, this is our biggest weakness on the D.

Funny you bring that up. I was just looking at our commitment lists from previous years to see who should be out there.

2009

Harris Gaston (3 star)
Dee Ford (3 star)
Eltoro Freeman (3 star)
Jonathan Evans (3 star)

2010
Jessel Curry (3 star)
Jake Holland (4 star)
LaDarius Owens (4 star)
Jawara White (4 star)

2011
Kris Frost (5 star)
Justin Garrett (3 star)
Chris Landrum (3 star)
Devaunte Sigler (3 star)

Frost is hurt. Sigler's a DT. Owens and Ford are DEs.

I guess we shouldn't expect much from our young linebackers yet. Not a lot of hype coming out of high school. Holland was overrated. White's coming off a bad injury. Freeman was suspended or ineligible or whatever stupid reason he wasn't out there.

Yeesh.

Kaos · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2011, 10:13:42 AM »

I forgot:

Tre Mason was the only one who played like he wanted to be out there yesterday. Well, him and Parkey.

Dismukes is 11 years old. He's going to be a good player before it's over.

AuburnChopper 3.0 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2011, 12:02:19 PM »

My wife were there from SC, and the family with season tix sitting next to us were from FL... Economy? No. 11am start and people wanting to invest in the time and effort? Debatable. The stadium didnt fill in till late and frankly, thats bullshit. That was embarrassing.

Whats the story with Gabe Wright? Did I miss something? Looked like for a minute he put his Fairly underoos on and anchored the defensive series where we seemed to have the most swagger.... then poof! Never saw him in again.

djsimp · « **Reply #15 on:** September 04, 2011, 12:14:22 PM »

Quote from: AuburnChopper on September 04, 2011, 12:02:19 PM

Whats the story with Gabe Wright? Did I miss something? Looked like for a minute he put his Fairly underoos on and anchored the defensive series where we seemed to have the most swagger.... then poof! Never saw him in again.

Him and Angelo Blackson.

BZ770 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 04, 2011, 03:22:43 PM »

I didn't go because of the early start 3 hour drive from Mobile doesn't leave much time for tailgating before the game unless you leave at the ass crack of dawn. I'll hit a couple of games this year with a later kickoff, drink heavily before the game sober up in the game and drive back after the game.

Kaos · « **Reply #17 on:** September 04, 2011, 03:55:17 PM »

Quote from: BZ770 on September 04, 2011, 03:22:43 PM

I didn't go because of the early start 3 hour drive from Mobile doesn't leave much time for tailgating before the game unless you leave at the ass crack of dawn. I'll hit a couple of games this year with a later kickoff, drink heavily before the game sober up in the game and drive back after the game.

You're Danny Sheridan?

The Prowler · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2011, 01:59:34 AM »

I didn't go because I don't like waking up at 5am on a fuckin Sat. then drive 2 hours...fuck the 11am games.

Regarding the LBers, if the DL would get a good enough push to warrant double teams...the LBers would be free to roam. 6' 220lb going against a 6'5" 315lb pissed off Somoan...60% of the time the small guy loses everytime.

Kaos · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2011, 04:19:29 AM »

Quote from: The Prowler on September 05, 2011, 01:59:34 AM

I didn't go because I don't like waking up at 5am on a fuckin Sat. then drive 2 hours...fuck the 11am games.

If your personal comfort level influences whether or not you attend, you're not a true fan.

I've seen that bullshit so much today I want to take our entire fanbase -- particularly the ones chastising those who left early when their dumb ass didn't even show up -- put them in the stadium and turn the water cannons on them.

I don't know why that's pissed me off so much, but it has. The sanctimonious pontificating from people who watched it on the couch roasts my ass in half.

It was HOT. I got so fucking hot in the third quarter I went under the stadium and watched part of the game on the TV in the interview room. Almost went to sleep. I guess I'm a bad fan, too. I fucking debated just going to the car instead of heading back out to the field after I'd drank the last of the bottled water in there. And had a hot dog. But I went back.

When they went up by 10, I actually turned to go. But I figured what the fuck... 15 minutes more isn't going to lessen the shame and disappointment. Even if I wait to see the end I've still got tunnel access and can get out ahead of most people. If I'd been in the stands? I would have left in the third quarter.