(01-01-2022 12:25 PM)bearcatmark Wrote: (01-01-2022 12:09 PM)ZCat Wrote: (12-31-2021 06:42 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: We sold out against the pass and we got killed versus the run.
Our offensive game plan was just odd today.
So do we not trust our DB’s 1 on 1?
They could have mixed in both styles so maybe we had a better shot.
Sauce and coby both were in a ton of one on one. We protected against the deep pass against other guys (and still got burnt by it once). Defense got plenty of stops. It was 17-6 after 3.
Calculation was we can give up some yards on the ground, let's not give up the big play and let's make sure we get pressure on young when they throw. I think it was the right calculation.
i would agree largely because we did this most of the season. Bend but don't break in the RZ. We gave up a ton of yards in the run game all season but kept lesser talented teams from getting into the end zone by and large. The biggest issue is that on 3rd and long, we couldn't get off the field the way we generally were able to against lesser competition. We had a number of 3rd and longs that Alabama was able to convert. And while Alabama didn't light up the scoreboard, for every point they put up, it felt like they were adding 10 points. That isn't on the defense. That's on the offense that wasn't able to hold up their end of the bargain.
That said, the calculation that you refer to probably didn't account for the Offense largely failing. At some point, the Coaching staff needed to redo their math. if the offense was unable to get things going without significant assistance, than the defense
and special teams needed to take on more of the burden. Maybe they blitz more, maybe they try and block a punt, maybe they fake a FG, maybe they do something outside of what they ended up doing. Truth be told, part of me felt like they weren't trying to win so much as they were trying not to get blown out. That is also not on the defense, it's on the coaching staff.
As far as observations:
Outside of the RZ, where Bama seemed to stack the box, Pierce rarely had single coverage. Bama played cover two and probably had safety help over the top. it was like that for most of the game. if we were going to win in the passing game, we had to do it within the first 20 yards past the LOS, and the Bama DL were denying passing lanes. Someone mentioned moving the pocket upstream. Maybe try some screen to Ford out of the back. Honestly, try and go four wide and throw up a jump ball. Maybe you get a PI (although unlikely the way the game was getting "Officiated"). Bottom line, they needed to try something different and they didn't.
Bama played with a lot of pace on offense and didn't substitute much. in fact, they caught us trying to sub our DLs and LBs a number of times, which affected our ability to get set on defense, which was very frustrating. Conversely, we never pressed the pace on offense and allowed Alabama to sub without penalty. We frequently subbed allowing Bama's defense to sub as well. in terms of game management, i would love for the offense to figure out substitution patterns and personnel that holds the defense captive. This especially important when the coaching staff knows that they are in 4 down situations. Why sub and give the defense an opportunity to get their personnel in? it's ridiculous.
While i understand the calculation made by the defensive coaching staff, i really felt that if they were going to play 3 DL, they needed to run blitz the entire time, from different angles. While they crept up closer to the LOS, by the time they found Robinson, Robinson had reached them in the second level. They were 2nd/3rd and short virtually all game. You can't win that way Alabama and we didn't.
i know that some of the above is rehashing stuff that was already stated in other posts so apologies for the duplication.