First off, its fun to win and I am glad we did! Now, was it pretty? Absolutely not, but still glad to get the win, the players, coaches, and fanbase needed it. Games like this can help confidence of teams, and help them moving forward.
The Good
Thought the scheme of lining up with 12 personnel most of the game was perfect, thought we did a nice job of winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I am so proud of Alex Collins, Raleigh Williams, Oline, and Wide Receiver's. For three weeks now I have been happy with the production of these areas of this team. On the defensive side of the ball I like the get off, of our Dline. Thought Dre Greenlaw tackled well, and without a doubt Ellis back to Mike is the only choice for him.. Also, I was encouraged that in a road game, they jumped all over us and we didn't fold. To the players credit, they kept on fighting and playing football. Only three penalties, I have said it time and time again for us to win this had to stop. That we cannot put our QB in situations where he HAS to make plays because we get off schedule, and we didn't do that and we won.
The Bad
This is starting to get repetitive with me, and some think I have an agenda (which I have none) but BA had easily his worst game of the year statistically and some are ready to crown him. The fact is if he hits his 6'5 target again in the 4th quarter the game is never in doubt. I have been saying since day one that there is talent on this team (talent enough to beat teams with "TOP 10" recruiting classes) but we just don't have the QB that you have to win consistently in this style of play. I like him as a kid and he doesn't deserve the bad things that have directly happened to him, but he just isn't the guy. Facts are facts, he completed a season low on %, and once again doesn't make the throw to put it away or win it. Fortunately, we found a qb that is WAY worse than him at throwing the ball. The game plan to keep in him the pocket and make him a thrower paid off. Their qb is not even a college level passer as a back up even.
The UGLY
The overall lack of a special teams, and the coaching decision to fake the field goal with the back up kicker trying to run it in. First off you tipped off the defense that something was probably up by changing kickers in that situation. That move made zero sense (you can say they were going for the win, didn't want OT, or all that Jazz) but if you are trying to get your first win on the road in the SEC, YOU TAKE THE POINTS!!! That ensures, you that at worst case you give up a TD you tie and go to OT. Saying that well he didn't want to put BA in OT because he knew he would lose? If that is the logic then he needs to make a change. If you play to not go to OT because you know your QB isn't good enough to win it, then there in lies the problem. It was a bad call NO matter how you slice it.
Also, I have been harping on this for 3 years, but our lack of special teams is horrendous. Special teams gaffs last night easily would have cost us a game anywhere else but Tennessee last night. This has been a problem for three years, and until they get it fixed we aren't ever going to be a top tier team in the SEC!
Grades:
QB: I will give him a C because that's what he was last night average. He didn't lose it, but didn't really win it either. He made two great throws that I remember out of 20+ attempts last night. Fair is fair I gave him a C. If you think I just hate on this kid and I am too hard go back and look at each week. I gave him an A+ against UTEP, I just give what I feel he earns.
Grade C.
RB: Great they were the best players on the field last night. Alex and Raleigh complimented each other very well. Love them both and they are both big time. Two bad they are overshadowed by Fournette, Chubb, and Henry.
Grade A+
WR: This group deserves a lot of credit, they have been very banged up and criticized for their play in times past, but this group just continues to come in and make plays no matter who it is. Everyone chuckled with I said early on the Drew Morgan was a legitimate threat at WR and was going to cause SEC teams major problems.
Grade: A+
TE: Hunter Henry just is a big time player. He makes plays when we get him the ball thats about it. Sprinkle had his best game of this career and he didn't catch a ball.
Grade B+
OLine: 2 sacks all year and in the last three game they have won the LOS.(even though two were losses) This group is becoming the group they were lauded to be. I am holding out hope they will play well against Bama.
Grade: A
DLine: Much better game and staying in their lanes. I think the Ledbetter at Rush End and Beanum at the 5 technique is our best combo. They did a good job last night of changing the pocket and collapsing it on Harris with no where to run.
Grade: Solid B+
LB: tackled better, very proud of Greenlaw in this area. Still these guys were getting working in pass coverage and if their guy could throw it would have been bad here.
Grade: C very average game as a whole.
CB's: Better in some areas, but this group is the worst tackling group we have as a whole. Pass coverage just isn't good enough verses spread teams with good qb's. Any quarterback worth anything throwing last night we give up a lot of yards.
Grade: C-
Safties: They played better, I actually feel good about Ramirez and what he might become. None of these guys have a clue in pass coverage. Again if you look at film they had guys open A LOT and their guy was so ineffective as a passer.
Grade: C+
Coaching: Poor use of timeouts, poor special teams, poor 2 minute offense, and this team was flat at the beginning. I do think both of our coordinators had good game plans for Tennessee and I think for the most part we executed them. I will give credit where its do, they stopped the penalty problem for this week, and they did the smart thing and let our running game close the game for us instead of making BA have to make a throw on 3rd and short or 4th and short.
Grade: D+ coaching could have just as easily cost us this game because of bad judgement in my opinion.
Conclusion:
Oh well we won!!! Honestly, I am happy we won, but realistically on our schedule we have 4 more winnable games. Auburn after the buy week, UT-Martin, Miss St., and Missouri. We have to go 4-0 in those game to make a bowl. What's frustrating is realistically we should have been 3-1 maybe 4-0 if we would have been THIS team from day one. That's what you hate, because we lost our identity for 3 weeks we put ourselves in a position where we have zero margin for error. Maybe some miracle happens and we pull off a miracle against Ole Miss if they go into their post Alabama season slide. I am a wait and see on that game, but those are it. We aren't going to likely beat bama or LSU (if Fournette stays healthy). I mean with a rash of injuries for both teams we might, but that's it. I hope they get things rolling and stay like the team that has played the last two weeks. If they go 6-6 and make and win a bowl game and go 7-6 with the start we had, then this staff deserves a ton of credit. We lost to a MAC team and the 4th to 5th best team in the BAD big 12. because after the top 4 teams they are a bunch a patsies. I just hope what I am seeing happen is what I think I am seeing and if so we likely will end up 6-6 going 4-3 over our last 7. Which would be a miracle at this point.
The Good
Thought the scheme of lining up with 12 personnel most of the game was perfect, thought we did a nice job of winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I am so proud of Alex Collins, Raleigh Williams, Oline, and Wide Receiver's. For three weeks now I have been happy with the production of these areas of this team. On the defensive side of the ball I like the get off, of our Dline. Thought Dre Greenlaw tackled well, and without a doubt Ellis back to Mike is the only choice for him.. Also, I was encouraged that in a road game, they jumped all over us and we didn't fold. To the players credit, they kept on fighting and playing football. Only three penalties, I have said it time and time again for us to win this had to stop. That we cannot put our QB in situations where he HAS to make plays because we get off schedule, and we didn't do that and we won.
The Bad
This is starting to get repetitive with me, and some think I have an agenda (which I have none) but BA had easily his worst game of the year statistically and some are ready to crown him. The fact is if he hits his 6'5 target again in the 4th quarter the game is never in doubt. I have been saying since day one that there is talent on this team (talent enough to beat teams with "TOP 10" recruiting classes) but we just don't have the QB that you have to win consistently in this style of play. I like him as a kid and he doesn't deserve the bad things that have directly happened to him, but he just isn't the guy. Facts are facts, he completed a season low on %, and once again doesn't make the throw to put it away or win it. Fortunately, we found a qb that is WAY worse than him at throwing the ball. The game plan to keep in him the pocket and make him a thrower paid off. Their qb is not even a college level passer as a back up even.
The UGLY
The overall lack of a special teams, and the coaching decision to fake the field goal with the back up kicker trying to run it in. First off you tipped off the defense that something was probably up by changing kickers in that situation. That move made zero sense (you can say they were going for the win, didn't want OT, or all that Jazz) but if you are trying to get your first win on the road in the SEC, YOU TAKE THE POINTS!!! That ensures, you that at worst case you give up a TD you tie and go to OT. Saying that well he didn't want to put BA in OT because he knew he would lose? If that is the logic then he needs to make a change. If you play to not go to OT because you know your QB isn't good enough to win it, then there in lies the problem. It was a bad call NO matter how you slice it.
Also, I have been harping on this for 3 years, but our lack of special teams is horrendous. Special teams gaffs last night easily would have cost us a game anywhere else but Tennessee last night. This has been a problem for three years, and until they get it fixed we aren't ever going to be a top tier team in the SEC!
Grades:
QB: I will give him a C because that's what he was last night average. He didn't lose it, but didn't really win it either. He made two great throws that I remember out of 20+ attempts last night. Fair is fair I gave him a C. If you think I just hate on this kid and I am too hard go back and look at each week. I gave him an A+ against UTEP, I just give what I feel he earns.
Grade C.
RB: Great they were the best players on the field last night. Alex and Raleigh complimented each other very well. Love them both and they are both big time. Two bad they are overshadowed by Fournette, Chubb, and Henry.
Grade A+
WR: This group deserves a lot of credit, they have been very banged up and criticized for their play in times past, but this group just continues to come in and make plays no matter who it is. Everyone chuckled with I said early on the Drew Morgan was a legitimate threat at WR and was going to cause SEC teams major problems.
Grade: A+
TE: Hunter Henry just is a big time player. He makes plays when we get him the ball thats about it. Sprinkle had his best game of this career and he didn't catch a ball.
Grade B+
OLine: 2 sacks all year and in the last three game they have won the LOS.(even though two were losses) This group is becoming the group they were lauded to be. I am holding out hope they will play well against Bama.
Grade: A
DLine: Much better game and staying in their lanes. I think the Ledbetter at Rush End and Beanum at the 5 technique is our best combo. They did a good job last night of changing the pocket and collapsing it on Harris with no where to run.
Grade: Solid B+
LB: tackled better, very proud of Greenlaw in this area. Still these guys were getting working in pass coverage and if their guy could throw it would have been bad here.
Grade: C very average game as a whole.
CB's: Better in some areas, but this group is the worst tackling group we have as a whole. Pass coverage just isn't good enough verses spread teams with good qb's. Any quarterback worth anything throwing last night we give up a lot of yards.
Grade: C-
Safties: They played better, I actually feel good about Ramirez and what he might become. None of these guys have a clue in pass coverage. Again if you look at film they had guys open A LOT and their guy was so ineffective as a passer.
Grade: C+
Coaching: Poor use of timeouts, poor special teams, poor 2 minute offense, and this team was flat at the beginning. I do think both of our coordinators had good game plans for Tennessee and I think for the most part we executed them. I will give credit where its do, they stopped the penalty problem for this week, and they did the smart thing and let our running game close the game for us instead of making BA have to make a throw on 3rd and short or 4th and short.
Grade: D+ coaching could have just as easily cost us this game because of bad judgement in my opinion.
Conclusion:
Oh well we won!!! Honestly, I am happy we won, but realistically on our schedule we have 4 more winnable games. Auburn after the buy week, UT-Martin, Miss St., and Missouri. We have to go 4-0 in those game to make a bowl. What's frustrating is realistically we should have been 3-1 maybe 4-0 if we would have been THIS team from day one. That's what you hate, because we lost our identity for 3 weeks we put ourselves in a position where we have zero margin for error. Maybe some miracle happens and we pull off a miracle against Ole Miss if they go into their post Alabama season slide. I am a wait and see on that game, but those are it. We aren't going to likely beat bama or LSU (if Fournette stays healthy). I mean with a rash of injuries for both teams we might, but that's it. I hope they get things rolling and stay like the team that has played the last two weeks. If they go 6-6 and make and win a bowl game and go 7-6 with the start we had, then this staff deserves a ton of credit. We lost to a MAC team and the 4th to 5th best team in the BAD big 12. because after the top 4 teams they are a bunch a patsies. I just hope what I am seeing happen is what I think I am seeing and if so we likely will end up 6-6 going 4-3 over our last 7. Which would be a miracle at this point.
