AU vs UA Game Thread

[Deleted]

Time to start this thread.

Lot of excitement around this game. I am not sure where I fall in how this game turns out. I know how I want it to turn out.

There are times I think UA will just out physical us before it is over. There are times I think the AU offense is very good in the run game and our Oline can block anyone, including Moseley and Depriest. I can actually see it playing out where AU runs the ball so much that unlike many in the media that say AU has to throw, AU decides not to throw much because the run game is doing well. I haven't watched UA play any games this year. Not sure if they are as good as the media makes them out to be. They struggled against VaTech offensively, they beat aTm on the road but gave up a lot of points, they beat LSU at home, but struggled early. Something tells me the schedule just fell their way and since they are the defending champs, have had great recruiting classes, they got the benefit of the doubt from the media. I am not saying they aren't good, just are they the unbeatable team the media makes them out to be. I don't know.

I have seen AU play. We are not that good on defense, but we are good enough to get the victory. Reminds me a lot of 2010. Our offense has been very good once they got the zone read down pat. Will AU HAVE to throw to beat UA? I don't think so. They will throw, but I think they will throw just to keep UA honest and make them keep the safeties back instead of letting them creep up to the line. If they put 7-8 guys in the box and leave Coates, Louis with 1-1 coverage, then we throw. (As a side note, if they put in their #5, we will throw at him A LOT What is the irony in that?)

No prediction on a score yet. I 'll be back to give my score later.

What are your thoughts?

[CHB]

I've watched uat play a few times and what they seem to do is go on runs. They tend to struggle at points in the game and then all of a sudden they will capitalize on an opponents' mistake and next thing you know they have scored 14-21 unanswered points. Most of their opponents haven't had the ability to recover from that. They are not unbeatable and this isn't their best team. You have to limit you mistakes and must capitalize on theirs. MSU had a good opportunity to upset them but could never turn 4 turnovers into anything.

As for Auburn they just need to continue to stay focused on offense and do what thy do best. As you said WTC Auburn is going to run/throw based on what uat gives them. Don't confuse not passing with not being able to pass. Sure NM has some work to do but he hasn't been that bad and has made the plays when he has needed to. RL is becoming a go to WR and Coats is a deep threat. Auburn has a lot of weapons that will keep uat on their toes. On defense Auburn just needs to get some early pressure and get in Mctattoo's head. Their run game does scare me a little but so did uga's and we did very good for 3/4 of the game.

Both teams are really good on special teams. A big play on either side could be the tipping point.

Auburn 31
uat 27

[Jet]

I liked that Andy Staples used the 2009 game as a baseline for considering this game. For one reason, it showed what Gus would do with a team with talent, but not quite as talented as the opposing team -- and I think that's a fair estimation of us vs. them -- and we will have more weapons at our disposal this go-around. This is a very good UAT team, but not quite as good as the last two.

As for us, we have a QB that can make plays with his feet and we didn't have in 2009, and that's really what we needed.

In some ways to me, this game has a 1982 feel to it. The presumption by so many is that we will lose because that's what we do. UAT is unbeaten, but not unbeatable.

I sense the field goal kickers will be busy. Turnovers will be critical. If we're not deep in the second half wondering who's gonna win, I'll be surprised.

[Norm]

Good points folks. It's been posted elsewhere here but I think Pate's recent column broke it down pretty well.

AU 38
uat 35

[chipchip]

Turnovers will be critical. AU has to get points off them or deprive bammer of points with red zone takeaways. AU has to earn a couple of extra possessions this way.

How well can bammer defend the AU read option? Can Mosely and DePreist play assignment football? This ain't Bo Wallace and the MSU true freshman running the read option, and Tre and Corey Grant are another level of power and speed in this offense. They will leave their corners on an island against Coates, Louis & Davis at their own risk.

bammer will creep their safeties up and dare NM to throw. That's the only option that makes sense. If AU can still run into the 8-9 man front as they have all season, bammer is in trouble. This goes back to the assignment football.

NM can't have the goofs like dropping the ball on the run, throwing into triple coverage and the WRs have to catch the damn ball when he puts it on the money in tight windows.

bammer will throw tons of quick intermediate routes that AU has proven time and again they can't cover or make the tackle on. They don't want Mr. Webb under an pressure or taking any hits. They will also hold with reckless abandon since they know the officials dare not call it. Oh, and AU will have to minimize their run game which I don't see happening very much. Like wtc said, we know what AU's defense is at this point.

Parkey and Clarke should essentially negate their return game in its entirety.

Jake Holland makes the biggest play of his AU career.

[allend]

Being honest with myself, I hate bammers. .I dont think they're the behemoth that the national media is making them out to be...but I am led to say, I'm not sure we're ready to knock them off.

QB play, while in our running game is a strength, in our passing game remains suspect. There are flashes of good, then we miss something wide open. The faithful play in the uga game was a bad decision that had divine intervention. I'm not inclined to look for it every game (but I suspect that such intervention would be the norm when facing the bammer heatherns)...I am willing to accept such grace again if the notion is there.

Our D, while I improving, continues to display deficiencies that will get us beaten if we're not careful. I suspect that bammer will have watched the second half of the uga game daily, and now be looking to eat us alive with a short, three step drop passing game. What's CEJ doing to stop that, and not confuse our LBs....I can't wait to find out.

Not naming scores, haven't all year and it's worked in our favor.

WDE.

[Deleted]

BTW-I was at my sister in law's house in AU for Thanksgiving. Coach Harbinson lives 2 doors down. He had about 10-12 players over for lunch. He walked over to the house to meet n greet. Really a class guy. It seemed calm and relaxed about the game. Hope that means good news.

Back to the thread:

My biggest fear is this game turns out to be Ok St vs Baylor. Baylor got nothing going (they did have injuries though) and their high powered offense got throttled.
UA will have a scheme. Gus will have a scheme.
I remember Tate writing that UA had AU locked down in 2010 until OMac made 2 runs on the jet sweep that caused them to make adjustments. AU wore them out after those 2 runs. I am hoping Grant can do something similar in this game.

[digger4au]

This game is BIG, need I really say this, no. Both teams are capable of winning this game so the breaks will make a big difference turn overs, penalties, special teams will tell the tale. I do not predict this game because I have been wrong too many times.

[artvandelay NP]

I just wanna win and to rough some of those bastards up.

[Deleted]

There was video that someone on Tate's site posted showing Colorado St. against UA and how they stopped them on 3rd down. McElwain (former UA OC) is the Col St HC. UA was 1-9 (I think) on 3rd down conversion and the 1 came with 3:00 left in the game. UA threw the rub play, the pick play, the RB safety valve play at them and they were ready for them. I hope we are ready for those as well. The one I hate to se the most is theor RB running into the line to block and drifting through the line and stand about 3-4 yards past the line and the ball gets dumped to him and the LB is about 10 yards away. We have to stay on him and expect him to come through there.

Found it:

[allend]

Nov 29, 2013 9:04:28 GMT -6 @wtc said:

There was video that someone on Tate's site posted showing Colorado St. against UA and how they stopped them on 3rd down. McElwain (former UA OC) is the Col St HC. UA was 1-9 (I think) on 3rd down conversion and the 1 came with 3:00 left in the game. UA threw the rub play, the pick play, the RB safety valve play at them and they were ready for them. I hope we are ready for those as well. The one I hate to se the most is theor RB running into the line to block and drifting through the line and stand about 3-4 yards past the line and the ball gets dumped to him and the LB is about 10 yards away. We have to stay on him and expect him to come through there.

Found it:

Any chance Aaron Davis got his transfer paperwork processed in the bye week?

[michael]

If AU plays the way they played in the first half of the UGA game, and Bama plays like they did against Mississippi State, Auburn wins by 20. If AU plays like they did the second half of the UGA game and Bama plays like they did against LSU, Bama wins by 40. I really have no idea how this thing plays out.

I'm very interested to see how Bama actually sets up to defend the run. Do they actually creep their safeties up or do they play it straight? I'm actually inclined to think they play it straight unit Auburn proves they can run on them.

[michael]

[blkbrnrvr]

Nov 29, 2013 11:04:03 GMT -6 michael said:

This year's game is even bigger than we thought.

[steve]

• Turnovers will be huge. We must limit turnovers
• Corey Grant could be the difference for us offensively. We need the FAH threat to the outside. FAH was great at what he did, but I do think Grant can do so much more. He makes better cuts and actually has a power game.
• The comparison with the 2009 game is very appropriate. I don't think Bama is as good as they were in 2009. I think we are better, certainly depth wise.
• In some ways Nick Marshall has to be like Chris Todd and not make the stupid mistakes. If he can do that, then he is light years ahead of Todd. Todd's deep throws were around 30 yards and needed an ark. Marshall can easily double that. Todd wasn't a run threat. Marshall is one of the fastest and quickest QBs we have had. He is faster and quicker than Cam. He certainly doesn't have the power and the field vision, but if he can make the smart decisions he can be a nightmare for the Updykes.
• The defense concerns me, but we are much better than in 2009. Some think we will fade late, but in general this season, our defense has improved as the game went on. The Georgia game was a rare exception.
• We cannot take our foot off the gas. We have seen it a few times this year where we get ahead and seem to want to coast across the finish line. That can't happen. College football is different than when I was young. A three or four score deficit used to mean the game was over. If we assume that these days, we lose. Whether we are ahead or behind by 3 or 4 scores, we must keep the pressure on.
• Coates, Bray, and Louis requiring deep help is a must. We have to put the fear of the deep ball in them.
• Keeping penalties down is also a key. In general we have done that this season, but there have been several games we had around 8 penalties. We need to keep it to less than 6.
• No onside punts.
• One of the big advantages we have had defensively is that we play a crap load of lineman. That needs to continue.
• The Updykes look beatable to me.
• We cannot always run the read option with Mason. He shouldn't get more than 20-25 carries. If his and Marshall's running become our only offense threats, we are in trouble. We don't need to throw a lot, but we do need to spread the ball around a bit. Get Coates, Louis, Grant, and CAP the ball.
• There is a wild card here, and I consider it Uzomah. He hasn't been very prominent this season, but last season he showed potential to be a play maker.