Get amped, folks! New things are coming to the House of Hooch! This season we're going to try something a little different. If all goes well we will be doing a weekly video blog previewing every SEC matchup for the upcoming weekend.... at least until my team starts losing or my job starts working me to death. But until then! The Professor and yours truly will be bringing you a fun new video every week! So climb aboard and bring along all your hopes and dreams! (that's an anime reference, because I'm totally into that shit) See you next week!
Mr. Hooch
Edited 8/26/14 - The beginning of the season is a tricky time for yours truly, because the first week of the season coincides with DragonCon. Between work, rehearsal for the play I'm in (support your local theater!), and final preparations for DragonCon I haven't been able to edit this week's footage down to size. I will keep the video and try to post it later if I get a chance, but there's a very strong possibility that we will begin on week 2 starting next week. Sorry man, life and all...
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Friday, October 4, 2013
MSU v LSU
This week has been full of the good, the bad and the very, VERY ugly. Personal life is rearing it's gigantic head again and eating up what little time I have to write, so I'm gonna get started and just see how much I can get done. First things first, I think this song captures the sentiment of what it's like to NOT be one of the SEC's elite, favored programs, and with SEC sweetheart LSU coming to town I feel it's appropriate...
Lorde - Royals
At the very least we're starting to get into the meat of the SEC schedule now, so the games will only becoming more and more compelling as we start to see where the chips are falling. This weekend has some great games, at least in the sense that the pecking orders for the divisions will start to be defined when the dust settles, so let's dig in and see what there is to see...
Georgia State at Alabama - Well, I said Bama would finally put together a complete game last week, and lo and behold they did exactly that en route to their shutout of Ole Miss. That little dose of reality hit some of the RebelShark fans pretty hard, but at least we don't have to hear about it anymore... Now that the Crimson Tide appears to be clicking on all cylinders it's down to LSU to knock them off their pedestal, because the rest of the west probably ain't doin it. Neither, by the way, will Georgia State.
Alabama 50 - Georgia State 7
Georgia at Tennessee - Georgia gave us the blueprint for how to beat LSU this past weekend, but will State be able to pull it off? We'll get to that later, but what we do know is that Georgia is very likely going to manhandle the Vols this weekend. Even if Gurley doesn't play the Bulldogs have the weapons needed to take care of business Saturday. Tennessee will be able to score SOMETHING, as Georgia's defense isn't what it once was, but it won't be enough to pull out the win.
Georgia 42 - Tennessee 24
Arkansas at Florida - I get the feeling this game may be closer than people are expecting. Arkansas' bread and butter this season is the running game, and Florida's defense isn't the stalwart behemoth it was in recent years. If the Razorbacks can control the clock and move the chains they can keep the Gators' offense off the field and limit the damage done. I still think Florida wins this one, but all it would take is a lucky/unlucky bounce or two and the Razorbacks could come out on top. I think the ball will bounce in Florida's direction.
Florida 35 - Arkansas 27
Ole Miss at Auburn - Both schools enter this contest sporting exactly the same record, 3-1 (1-1). Both schools also have (purportedly) high powered offenses, although Ole Miss failed to show anything resembling a spark against Alabama last weekend. Auburn's secondary is fairly suspect, ranking somewhere around 96th in the nation, and the combination of that and the Reb's talented receivers corps is going to ensure that Ole Miss puts up some points. Gus Malzahn will have something up his sleeve for certain, but I just see Ole Miss being the better team in this match. The teams are comparable, but there are just a few more question marks in a few more places for Auburn, and that's going to be the deciding factor. Offensively it should be a fun show, but Ole Miss' defense wins the day.
Ole Miss 37 - Auburn 35
Missouri at Vanderbilt - The battle of the also-rans, that's what this game is. No matter who wins (spoiler alert: I think it'll be Mizzou) they will only have secured their place as the third or fourth team out of the SEC East behind Georgia/Florida/South Carolina. The Tigers would love nothing more than to go in to Nashville and take a revenge win from Vanderbilt, who won their first SEC showdown last year. Playing at home could help the 'Dores somewhat, but baring any sort of catastrophic injuries I think Mizzou is better equipped at almost every position. As long as the Tigers can establish something resembling a running game they should have this game well in hand going in to the fourth quarter.
Missouri 38 - Vanderbilt 27
Kentucky at South Carolina - Well the hits just keep on coming for the Wildcats, and not the good kind like you want. The only person who was alive the last time Kentucky beat Florida is Conner Macleod, and that's only because he's immortal, so after losing the 3,574th game in a row to Florida they must now travel to South Carolina to receive their next beating. It won't be pretty, and more than anything I expect Steve Spurrier is just interested in getting ahead early so he can pull his starters and not risk any injuries.
South Carolina 47 - Kentucky 13
LSU at MSU - I always like to start this game review off the same every season, and that's by linking this, which is quite possibly the most hilarious first person account of an unwitting traveler venturing into Tiger Territory ever. LSU fans really DO smell like corndogs.
Now first I'll talk about what I want to see from this game, and then I'll talk about what I expect to see from this game... What I WANT to see from this game is, for lack of a better word, swagger. Actually there are several better words... attitude, flare, confidence. But swagger is what the kids talk about these days, so we'll go with that. And what I feel gives this team the most swagger is Dak Prescott under center. I want to see Dak start this game, and I want to see our offense come out and play solid, balanced football, move the chains and score points. With Dak and LaDarius Perkins in as a legitimate rushing threats we can make LSU commit to stopping the run, and then slice and dice their questionable secondary. Make the right calls at the right times and it's going to look so easy the Tigers will feel stupid when they watch the tape... I want to see our defense come out and hold Zack Mettenberger in check. I want the D-line to stop Hill from racking up major rushing yardage, and our secondary to shadow LSU's receivers like a Tom Clancy covert-ops ninja-spy.
Now, what I EXPECT to see is Dan Mullen giving Tyler Russell the nod as starting QB. I expect our offense to come out flat for the first two or three possessions. Our defense will be solid against the run but get torched for some big gains through the air. Then maybe Dan swaps out for Dak, offense picks up a little and we go in to halftime down 7-10 points. Both teams make adjustments at the half and LSU's defense tightens up on our offense which has started out behind the 8 ball thanks to Mullen second guessing himself on which QB to start. We make a push late third/early fourth quarter and pull within one possession of tying or winning, but the Tiger's 2 minute offense dashes our hopes and dreams of finally beating LSU again after 13 years.
As a team I feel like this group is primed to make the big leap and grab that signature win. We will need to play mistake-free football and get a couple of lucky bounces for that to happen, but it definitely can happen. Looking at the numbers LSU and MSU are virtually identical in their offensive stats.
TOTAL OFFENSE:
LSU has one extra game under their belt, but remove those numbers and you're looking at two fairly similar offenses in terms of production.
However on the defensive side of things Mississippi State has had much greater success than LSU, even though both teams are sporting secondaries that can be exploited at times.
TOTAL DEFENSE:
Lorde - Royals
At the very least we're starting to get into the meat of the SEC schedule now, so the games will only becoming more and more compelling as we start to see where the chips are falling. This weekend has some great games, at least in the sense that the pecking orders for the divisions will start to be defined when the dust settles, so let's dig in and see what there is to see...
Georgia State at Alabama - Well, I said Bama would finally put together a complete game last week, and lo and behold they did exactly that en route to their shutout of Ole Miss. That little dose of reality hit some of the RebelShark fans pretty hard, but at least we don't have to hear about it anymore... Now that the Crimson Tide appears to be clicking on all cylinders it's down to LSU to knock them off their pedestal, because the rest of the west probably ain't doin it. Neither, by the way, will Georgia State.
Alabama 50 - Georgia State 7
Georgia at Tennessee - Georgia gave us the blueprint for how to beat LSU this past weekend, but will State be able to pull it off? We'll get to that later, but what we do know is that Georgia is very likely going to manhandle the Vols this weekend. Even if Gurley doesn't play the Bulldogs have the weapons needed to take care of business Saturday. Tennessee will be able to score SOMETHING, as Georgia's defense isn't what it once was, but it won't be enough to pull out the win.
Georgia 42 - Tennessee 24
Arkansas at Florida - I get the feeling this game may be closer than people are expecting. Arkansas' bread and butter this season is the running game, and Florida's defense isn't the stalwart behemoth it was in recent years. If the Razorbacks can control the clock and move the chains they can keep the Gators' offense off the field and limit the damage done. I still think Florida wins this one, but all it would take is a lucky/unlucky bounce or two and the Razorbacks could come out on top. I think the ball will bounce in Florida's direction.
Florida 35 - Arkansas 27
Ole Miss at Auburn - Both schools enter this contest sporting exactly the same record, 3-1 (1-1). Both schools also have (purportedly) high powered offenses, although Ole Miss failed to show anything resembling a spark against Alabama last weekend. Auburn's secondary is fairly suspect, ranking somewhere around 96th in the nation, and the combination of that and the Reb's talented receivers corps is going to ensure that Ole Miss puts up some points. Gus Malzahn will have something up his sleeve for certain, but I just see Ole Miss being the better team in this match. The teams are comparable, but there are just a few more question marks in a few more places for Auburn, and that's going to be the deciding factor. Offensively it should be a fun show, but Ole Miss' defense wins the day.
Ole Miss 37 - Auburn 35
Missouri at Vanderbilt - The battle of the also-rans, that's what this game is. No matter who wins (spoiler alert: I think it'll be Mizzou) they will only have secured their place as the third or fourth team out of the SEC East behind Georgia/Florida/South Carolina. The Tigers would love nothing more than to go in to Nashville and take a revenge win from Vanderbilt, who won their first SEC showdown last year. Playing at home could help the 'Dores somewhat, but baring any sort of catastrophic injuries I think Mizzou is better equipped at almost every position. As long as the Tigers can establish something resembling a running game they should have this game well in hand going in to the fourth quarter.
Missouri 38 - Vanderbilt 27
Kentucky at South Carolina - Well the hits just keep on coming for the Wildcats, and not the good kind like you want. The only person who was alive the last time Kentucky beat Florida is Conner Macleod, and that's only because he's immortal, so after losing the 3,574th game in a row to Florida they must now travel to South Carolina to receive their next beating. It won't be pretty, and more than anything I expect Steve Spurrier is just interested in getting ahead early so he can pull his starters and not risk any injuries.
South Carolina 47 - Kentucky 13
LSU at MSU - I always like to start this game review off the same every season, and that's by linking this, which is quite possibly the most hilarious first person account of an unwitting traveler venturing into Tiger Territory ever. LSU fans really DO smell like corndogs.
Now first I'll talk about what I want to see from this game, and then I'll talk about what I expect to see from this game... What I WANT to see from this game is, for lack of a better word, swagger. Actually there are several better words... attitude, flare, confidence. But swagger is what the kids talk about these days, so we'll go with that. And what I feel gives this team the most swagger is Dak Prescott under center. I want to see Dak start this game, and I want to see our offense come out and play solid, balanced football, move the chains and score points. With Dak and LaDarius Perkins in as a legitimate rushing threats we can make LSU commit to stopping the run, and then slice and dice their questionable secondary. Make the right calls at the right times and it's going to look so easy the Tigers will feel stupid when they watch the tape... I want to see our defense come out and hold Zack Mettenberger in check. I want the D-line to stop Hill from racking up major rushing yardage, and our secondary to shadow LSU's receivers like a Tom Clancy covert-ops ninja-spy.
Now, what I EXPECT to see is Dan Mullen giving Tyler Russell the nod as starting QB. I expect our offense to come out flat for the first two or three possessions. Our defense will be solid against the run but get torched for some big gains through the air. Then maybe Dan swaps out for Dak, offense picks up a little and we go in to halftime down 7-10 points. Both teams make adjustments at the half and LSU's defense tightens up on our offense which has started out behind the 8 ball thanks to Mullen second guessing himself on which QB to start. We make a push late third/early fourth quarter and pull within one possession of tying or winning, but the Tiger's 2 minute offense dashes our hopes and dreams of finally beating LSU again after 13 years.
As a team I feel like this group is primed to make the big leap and grab that signature win. We will need to play mistake-free football and get a couple of lucky bounces for that to happen, but it definitely can happen. Looking at the numbers LSU and MSU are virtually identical in their offensive stats.
TOTAL OFFENSE:
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
| 1 | Texas A&M | 5 | 1107 | 1825 | 381 | 2932 | 7.7 | 586.4 |
| 2 | Georgia | 4 | 836 | 1380 | 290 | 2216 | 7.64 | 554 |
| 3 | Missouri | 4 | 1049 | 1147 | 314 | 2196 | 6.99 | 549 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 4 | 899 | 1030 | 287 | 1929 | 6.72 | 482.3 |
| 5 | LSU | 5 | 961 | 1409 | 328 | 2370 | 7.23 | 474 |
| 6 | Mississippi State | 4 | 825 | 1030 | 296 | 1855 | 6.27 | 463.8 |
However on the defensive side of things Mississippi State has had much greater success than LSU, even though both teams are sporting secondaries that can be exploited at times.
TOTAL DEFENSE:
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
| 1 | Florida | 4 | 214 | 596 | 211 | 810 | 3.84 | 202.5 |
| 2 | Mississippi State | 4 | 481 | 759 | 250 | 1240 | 4.96 | 310 |
| 3 | Alabama | 4 | 414 | 910 | 251 | 1324 | 5.27 | 331 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 5 | 632 | 1050 | 334 | 1682 | 5.04 | 336.4 |
| 5 | LSU | 5 | 741 | 993 | 338 | 1734 | 5.13 | 346.8 |
Those numbers would lead you to believe these teams are evenly matched, and maybe they are, but there are intangibles to consider as well. LSU is coming off a heartbreaker of a loss to Georgia on the road last week. MSU is coming off a bye week, well rested and with plenty of time to prepare a game plan. The Tigers know they control their own destiny, and a loss to anyone in the West essentially puts them out of the SEC Championship Game. Combined with their most recent loss this will have the Bayou Bengals chomping at the bit to bust loose and show the world what they can do. MSU has a lone loss to Auburn on their SEC tally, but they still have a fighting chance. Should the miraculous occur and the Bulldogs defeat LSU then suddenly games against Texas A&M and Ole Miss don't look quite so daunting. We will worry about Bama when and if that scenario plays out... the point is both teams are motivated, but I get the feeling the Tigers can taste it a little more, which may give them the edge they need.
I'll say this, and then I'll post my prediction: I really do believe this team is CAPABLE of winning this game. Sometimes the underdogs DO win. But it will take flawless execution at every single position on the field, a perfectly called game from Dan and the coaches, and a lucky bounce or two, but it can happen. Unfortunately I don't think we will put together the perfect game this weekend... we may come close, but not quite close enough.
LSU 27 - MSU 21
So that's the blog for this week! The professor is still on furlough so it's just me for this weekend's preview. I hope you all enjoyed the write up, thanks for reading! Until next time #HailState and #GoDawgs!
So that's the blog for this week! The professor is still on furlough so it's just me for this weekend's preview. I hope you all enjoyed the write up, thanks for reading! Until next time #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
SEC Recap: Week 5
So I honestly didn't plan on doing a recap this week, but the Professor decided to throw this one at me. I didn't check my email until this morning, so if the recap seems late that's because it is. Be happy you have anything at all! Since I didn't do a recap I'll just piggyback off Professor D's work (he's used to it) and editorialize my comments in like a boss.
(Professor D) Overall the SEC did a bit better this weekend, winning all of its non-conference games. The downside this weekend was that some of those games where a lot closer than they should have been, but still, overall the wins and losses couldn’t have gone any better, so the conference gets a B this weekend. For as bad as a weekend of matchups week 4 brought, that’s how good week 5 was. LSU and Georgia threw down between the hedges, Alabama blanked Ole Miss, and Texas A&M’s defense seems to think College football should have a preseason, leading to an unexpectedly good game in Fayetteville. I apologize for not being able to get you my predictions for this weekend, things got a little crazy near the end of last week. Luckily I was able to sit back on Saturday and do nothing but watch football. Good times.
Vanderbilt 52 - UAB 24
South Carolina, Tennessee, take notes. This is how you handle a non-conference opponent. I don’t care who they are, if they aren’t ranked and they aren’t in the SEC, you blow them out of the water. That’s what this conference should be doing. Vanderbilt allowed just a field goal in each of the first three quarters, and although they gave up 15 points in the 4th, they also scored 21, so that’s forgiven. All told the Commodores put up 540 yards of offense, with 334 of those coming through the air, while holding UAB to just 206 passing yards. They did give up 156 in the ground game, which could be worrisome down the stretch, but overall Vanderbilt did a great job dominating the Blazers across the box score. (Vandy did against UAB what they should've done against UMass... better late than never, though!)
Tennessee 31 - South Alabama 24
As good as Vanderbilt looked against UAB is how bad Tennessee looked against South Alabama, leaning on an interception in the end zone in the final few minutes to secure the victory and avoid overtime against South Alabama. That’s pretty embarrassing. South Alabama scored first to take a 7 - 0 lead, but Tennessee responded with 31 straight points. Some time during the third quarter though, everything fell apart. South Alabama scored 10 unanswered points and drove down the field looking to tie the game with under two minutes remaining when Tennessee’s defense got their interception. The Volunteer’s defense gave up 392 yards of offense, saving themselves on the scoreboard by securing three interceptions. The offense on the other hand managed a pretty good showing, putting up 482 yard of offense, including 278 rushing behind that big, talented offensive line. The problem was, they also gave up three interceptions. Tennessee has to figure out a way to play a complete game of defense. Even if the offense struggles through the air the ground attack is good enough to control at least some of these games.
Missouri 41 - Arkansas State 19
Ahh another example of what non-conference scores should look like. Missouri seems to have things figured out this year, although they’re opening up a stretch of 8 SEC foes in 9 weeks so we’ll see how long that lasts. Despite having been beaten up by some bigger opponents I still maintain Arkansas State is a pretty good team. In fact early in the third quarter Arkansas State actually led this one 16 - 14. That was when Mizzou decided to start playing football, scoring 27 points in the last half to turn it into a blowout. Offensively the Tigers looked good, putting up almost 500 yards of offense in a balanced 256 passing to 239 rushing attack. Those are the sort of numbers that win games. The kind that lets you score points and control the clock. The defense did give up over 425 yards to Arkansas State, mostly through the air, but got bailed out by the Red Wolves 10 penalties. Like I said though, I still think Arkansas State is a better team than they’re getting credit for. That said, Missouri needs to shore up their defense with this slate of SEC games coming up, or this ride could get real bumpy real quick.
UCF 25 - South Carolina 28
I’m not really sure what to think of this game. On one hand, they beat UCF by 3 points, and that’s just not okay. On the other hand though, they lost their starting quarterback against a team that’s been punching well above their weight all year and somehow managed to find a running game to get them the win. So there’s that. I’ve said all year the Gamecocks weren’t a complete team, and while I’m not ready to give that up, they showed some signs of progress in the second half of this one. Mike Davis finally gave South Carolina a running game, and that allowed backup Dylan Thompson to relax in the pocket and start completing passes. What has to drive South Carolina fans nuts though is the fact that they at one point led 28 - 10 in the third quarter, and that Clowney-led defense managed to give up 15 points and give the Knights a chance to come back and take this one. Truth is the blame doesn’t really lay on Clowney’s shoulders so much as it does the Gamecocks’ secondary, which has been… suspect. The defensive front for South Carolina gave up just 69 yards on the ground, and Clowney & co. where able to get enough pressure to force 3 interceptions and 1 fumble. The Knights still managed 358 passing yards. That’s… bad. Especially if South Carolina wants to hold onto dreams of catching Georgia in the SEC East race.
Kentucky 7 - Florida 24
It’s been 27 years since Kentucky beat Florida. That’s an impressive streak of suckage. Florida’s defense is just dominant this year. They’re allowing 100 yards fewer than the next (statistically) best defense in the league (Mississippi State, Yay Bulldogs!). If Florida had anything resembling a competent offense they would probably win the national championship. Good news everybody (Florida fans), a competent offense is exactly what the Gators showed off Saturday behind back up quarterback Tyler Murphey. Sure he only threw for 156 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, but that’s honestly all you have to do to win games with this defense. That’s it. Don’t literally throw the game away, and you win. Complementing that didn’t-lose-the-game-this-time passing game is a rushing attack that put up 246 yards of offense. So now you’re telling me you’ve got a defense allowing under 14 points and only 250 yards per game, and an offense that can control the game clock while scoring, well, 14 points. The math says they won’t lose another game if they keep that up (we’re ignoring uncertainties, because me writing this blog is all about escape from uncertainty, which is what my dissertation is on for those of you who don’t know).
Arkansas 33 - Texas A&M 45
Well Texas A&M has one of the best, most polished offenses in the country. Right up there with Oregon, LSU, and Georgia. The problem is that defense is atrocious. Seriously, Arkansas completed less than 50% of their pass attempts, and still managed to put up almost 300 yards through the air. How? Because Texas A&M can’t tackle. I really wish the Aggies played Florida this year. Half the time it would be unstoppable force vs. immovable object, and the other half would be like watching a random selection of the pee-wee special olympics trying to play football (that’s about as offensive a way I could think to describe how bad Florida’s offense vs. Texas A&M’s defense could be). But, unfortunately, or fortunately, for football fans everywhere, that’s probably not going to happen. The one thing Arkansas has going for them this year is the ground game. These guys can run the ball, which you would think would give them an edge in time of possession (especially with over 200 yards on the ground to show for their efforts), but no, maybe it was actually brilliant, but the Aggie defense was so bad that Arkansas couldn’t control the clock with the ground game, because they were gaining too many yards. As in almost 7 yards per carry. Texas A&M should count themselves lucky the Razorbacks threw two interceptions. One of those interceptions was actually a pick six, and if either drive had ended in an Arkansas touchdown, well that’s a 14 point swing the Aggies couldn’t have afforded.
Alabama 25 - Ole Miss 0
This game was hilarious. Ole Miss opted not to kick a field goal on their first drive into the red zone against Alabama and ended up coming away with nothing. The result was the next time they got in the red zone, they were in desperate need of a touchdown, not just points, so they went for it again. And failed, again. So the third time TSUN made it into the red zone, well you know where this is going. 4 times Ole Miss got inside the 20 against Alabama, resulting in 3 turnovers on downs and one fumble. That’s just…. hysterical. This was the best way an Alabama vs. Ole Miss game could ever end. (I dunno man, I've got some pretty vivid fantasies involving both schools, nuclear warheads and a couple of Stephen King's domes if you know what I'm sayin...) Alabama’s offense, although they eventually did put up 434 yards, looked pretty bleak most of the game, settling for three straight field goals to start (1 of which was 40+, and the other was a 53 yarder. Yeah, that kicker deserves some serious love this week. I hope he got the game ball, cause a 53 yarder is mighty impressive, and it probably would have been good from 58. Great kick). The defense seemed to give up loads of yardage between the 30’s, but really clamped down in the red zone, or at least Ole Miss’ offense really just fell flat on their face. Maybe Hugh Freeze should spend less time memorizing bible verses to spit at recruits and more time drawing up a decent red zone offense. Man did I enjoy watching this game.
Georgia 44 - LSU 41
Wow. You know, I really do prefer defensive games, but honestly I’ve watched this game twice now, and the defenses didn’t look bad. They both got pressure on the quarterback, they didn’t miss a bunch of tackles, they had good calls. Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger just tore it up. It was incredible to watch these two guys duel. Mettenberger had an NFL offensive coordinator drawing up brilliant plays and two of the best receivers in the country running routes for him. Murray had an offensive line that offered a little more protection and a run game that could take more of the pressure off. These two quarterbacks could not have been more even. Mettenberger won in yardage with a whopping 372 to Murray’s very respectable 298. The difference was Georgia managed 196 yards on the ground compared to LSU’s measly 77. Jeremy Hill owes his quarterback and his teammates an apology, because he lost this game for the Tigers. I don’t know what changed between now and last weekend, or maybe Georgia’s defense just got that much better, but if LSU had anything resembling a run game, they’d be sitting pretty and in control of the SEC West. As it is, they really are still in control of the SEC West, if they beat Alabama and Texas A&M the crown is theirs, but they’ll likely have to go through Georgia again to have a shot at the National Championship. I would love to see this rematch. That was good football. This will be the one time I don’t complain about SEC heavyweights giving up 40+ points. Honestly, the quarterback where just that good on Saturday.
(Mr. Hooch) And that's it! We're gonna push this out right now to give a little lead time before tomorrow's preview, so we hope you enjoyed it and as always #HailState and #GoDawgs!
(Professor D) Overall the SEC did a bit better this weekend, winning all of its non-conference games. The downside this weekend was that some of those games where a lot closer than they should have been, but still, overall the wins and losses couldn’t have gone any better, so the conference gets a B this weekend. For as bad as a weekend of matchups week 4 brought, that’s how good week 5 was. LSU and Georgia threw down between the hedges, Alabama blanked Ole Miss, and Texas A&M’s defense seems to think College football should have a preseason, leading to an unexpectedly good game in Fayetteville. I apologize for not being able to get you my predictions for this weekend, things got a little crazy near the end of last week. Luckily I was able to sit back on Saturday and do nothing but watch football. Good times.
Vanderbilt 52 - UAB 24
South Carolina, Tennessee, take notes. This is how you handle a non-conference opponent. I don’t care who they are, if they aren’t ranked and they aren’t in the SEC, you blow them out of the water. That’s what this conference should be doing. Vanderbilt allowed just a field goal in each of the first three quarters, and although they gave up 15 points in the 4th, they also scored 21, so that’s forgiven. All told the Commodores put up 540 yards of offense, with 334 of those coming through the air, while holding UAB to just 206 passing yards. They did give up 156 in the ground game, which could be worrisome down the stretch, but overall Vanderbilt did a great job dominating the Blazers across the box score. (Vandy did against UAB what they should've done against UMass... better late than never, though!)
Tennessee 31 - South Alabama 24
As good as Vanderbilt looked against UAB is how bad Tennessee looked against South Alabama, leaning on an interception in the end zone in the final few minutes to secure the victory and avoid overtime against South Alabama. That’s pretty embarrassing. South Alabama scored first to take a 7 - 0 lead, but Tennessee responded with 31 straight points. Some time during the third quarter though, everything fell apart. South Alabama scored 10 unanswered points and drove down the field looking to tie the game with under two minutes remaining when Tennessee’s defense got their interception. The Volunteer’s defense gave up 392 yards of offense, saving themselves on the scoreboard by securing three interceptions. The offense on the other hand managed a pretty good showing, putting up 482 yard of offense, including 278 rushing behind that big, talented offensive line. The problem was, they also gave up three interceptions. Tennessee has to figure out a way to play a complete game of defense. Even if the offense struggles through the air the ground attack is good enough to control at least some of these games.
Missouri 41 - Arkansas State 19
Ahh another example of what non-conference scores should look like. Missouri seems to have things figured out this year, although they’re opening up a stretch of 8 SEC foes in 9 weeks so we’ll see how long that lasts. Despite having been beaten up by some bigger opponents I still maintain Arkansas State is a pretty good team. In fact early in the third quarter Arkansas State actually led this one 16 - 14. That was when Mizzou decided to start playing football, scoring 27 points in the last half to turn it into a blowout. Offensively the Tigers looked good, putting up almost 500 yards of offense in a balanced 256 passing to 239 rushing attack. Those are the sort of numbers that win games. The kind that lets you score points and control the clock. The defense did give up over 425 yards to Arkansas State, mostly through the air, but got bailed out by the Red Wolves 10 penalties. Like I said though, I still think Arkansas State is a better team than they’re getting credit for. That said, Missouri needs to shore up their defense with this slate of SEC games coming up, or this ride could get real bumpy real quick.
UCF 25 - South Carolina 28
I’m not really sure what to think of this game. On one hand, they beat UCF by 3 points, and that’s just not okay. On the other hand though, they lost their starting quarterback against a team that’s been punching well above their weight all year and somehow managed to find a running game to get them the win. So there’s that. I’ve said all year the Gamecocks weren’t a complete team, and while I’m not ready to give that up, they showed some signs of progress in the second half of this one. Mike Davis finally gave South Carolina a running game, and that allowed backup Dylan Thompson to relax in the pocket and start completing passes. What has to drive South Carolina fans nuts though is the fact that they at one point led 28 - 10 in the third quarter, and that Clowney-led defense managed to give up 15 points and give the Knights a chance to come back and take this one. Truth is the blame doesn’t really lay on Clowney’s shoulders so much as it does the Gamecocks’ secondary, which has been… suspect. The defensive front for South Carolina gave up just 69 yards on the ground, and Clowney & co. where able to get enough pressure to force 3 interceptions and 1 fumble. The Knights still managed 358 passing yards. That’s… bad. Especially if South Carolina wants to hold onto dreams of catching Georgia in the SEC East race.
Kentucky 7 - Florida 24
It’s been 27 years since Kentucky beat Florida. That’s an impressive streak of suckage. Florida’s defense is just dominant this year. They’re allowing 100 yards fewer than the next (statistically) best defense in the league (Mississippi State, Yay Bulldogs!). If Florida had anything resembling a competent offense they would probably win the national championship. Good news everybody (Florida fans), a competent offense is exactly what the Gators showed off Saturday behind back up quarterback Tyler Murphey. Sure he only threw for 156 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, but that’s honestly all you have to do to win games with this defense. That’s it. Don’t literally throw the game away, and you win. Complementing that didn’t-lose-the-game-this-time passing game is a rushing attack that put up 246 yards of offense. So now you’re telling me you’ve got a defense allowing under 14 points and only 250 yards per game, and an offense that can control the game clock while scoring, well, 14 points. The math says they won’t lose another game if they keep that up (we’re ignoring uncertainties, because me writing this blog is all about escape from uncertainty, which is what my dissertation is on for those of you who don’t know).
Arkansas 33 - Texas A&M 45
Well Texas A&M has one of the best, most polished offenses in the country. Right up there with Oregon, LSU, and Georgia. The problem is that defense is atrocious. Seriously, Arkansas completed less than 50% of their pass attempts, and still managed to put up almost 300 yards through the air. How? Because Texas A&M can’t tackle. I really wish the Aggies played Florida this year. Half the time it would be unstoppable force vs. immovable object, and the other half would be like watching a random selection of the pee-wee special olympics trying to play football (that’s about as offensive a way I could think to describe how bad Florida’s offense vs. Texas A&M’s defense could be). But, unfortunately, or fortunately, for football fans everywhere, that’s probably not going to happen. The one thing Arkansas has going for them this year is the ground game. These guys can run the ball, which you would think would give them an edge in time of possession (especially with over 200 yards on the ground to show for their efforts), but no, maybe it was actually brilliant, but the Aggie defense was so bad that Arkansas couldn’t control the clock with the ground game, because they were gaining too many yards. As in almost 7 yards per carry. Texas A&M should count themselves lucky the Razorbacks threw two interceptions. One of those interceptions was actually a pick six, and if either drive had ended in an Arkansas touchdown, well that’s a 14 point swing the Aggies couldn’t have afforded.
Alabama 25 - Ole Miss 0
This game was hilarious. Ole Miss opted not to kick a field goal on their first drive into the red zone against Alabama and ended up coming away with nothing. The result was the next time they got in the red zone, they were in desperate need of a touchdown, not just points, so they went for it again. And failed, again. So the third time TSUN made it into the red zone, well you know where this is going. 4 times Ole Miss got inside the 20 against Alabama, resulting in 3 turnovers on downs and one fumble. That’s just…. hysterical. This was the best way an Alabama vs. Ole Miss game could ever end. (I dunno man, I've got some pretty vivid fantasies involving both schools, nuclear warheads and a couple of Stephen King's domes if you know what I'm sayin...) Alabama’s offense, although they eventually did put up 434 yards, looked pretty bleak most of the game, settling for three straight field goals to start (1 of which was 40+, and the other was a 53 yarder. Yeah, that kicker deserves some serious love this week. I hope he got the game ball, cause a 53 yarder is mighty impressive, and it probably would have been good from 58. Great kick). The defense seemed to give up loads of yardage between the 30’s, but really clamped down in the red zone, or at least Ole Miss’ offense really just fell flat on their face. Maybe Hugh Freeze should spend less time memorizing bible verses to spit at recruits and more time drawing up a decent red zone offense. Man did I enjoy watching this game.
Georgia 44 - LSU 41
Wow. You know, I really do prefer defensive games, but honestly I’ve watched this game twice now, and the defenses didn’t look bad. They both got pressure on the quarterback, they didn’t miss a bunch of tackles, they had good calls. Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger just tore it up. It was incredible to watch these two guys duel. Mettenberger had an NFL offensive coordinator drawing up brilliant plays and two of the best receivers in the country running routes for him. Murray had an offensive line that offered a little more protection and a run game that could take more of the pressure off. These two quarterbacks could not have been more even. Mettenberger won in yardage with a whopping 372 to Murray’s very respectable 298. The difference was Georgia managed 196 yards on the ground compared to LSU’s measly 77. Jeremy Hill owes his quarterback and his teammates an apology, because he lost this game for the Tigers. I don’t know what changed between now and last weekend, or maybe Georgia’s defense just got that much better, but if LSU had anything resembling a run game, they’d be sitting pretty and in control of the SEC West. As it is, they really are still in control of the SEC West, if they beat Alabama and Texas A&M the crown is theirs, but they’ll likely have to go through Georgia again to have a shot at the National Championship. I would love to see this rematch. That was good football. This will be the one time I don’t complain about SEC heavyweights giving up 40+ points. Honestly, the quarterback where just that good on Saturday.
(Mr. Hooch) And that's it! We're gonna push this out right now to give a little lead time before tomorrow's preview, so we hope you enjoyed it and as always #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Friday, September 27, 2013
MSU v BYE
No, it's not Brigham Young Evangelical... it's a bye week! We can't POSSIBLY lose this week! Huzzah! We're Safe and Sound! (Bet you thought I forgot about the musical features, didn't you?)
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
But seriously, The Bulldogs have an extra week to rest and game plan for their showdown with LSU next Saturday, so we will run down the rest of the SEC games this week and see what there is to see... shall we? Let's!
South Carolina v UCF - Trap game #1! South Carolina needs to be focused when they go on the road to face UCF this weekend, because any little slip up could be their undoing. That said, I don't think Steve Spurrier is going to let his boys rest on their laurels. This one could be close until late, but ultimately I think the Gamecocks win by double digits.
South Carolina 42 - UCF 27
UAB v Vandy - Trap game #2! The Blazers have the potential to upset this underwhelming Vanderbilt team on Saturday. The Commodores should've had the game well in hand last week going in to the fourth quarter, when in reality they led only 10-7. UAB will likely try to test Vandy's passing defense as the most likely weak link. How the 'Dores respond will go a long way in determining who wins this one. My first inclination was to call it a UAB upset by a touchdown, but I did a little research on both teams and now my gut is telling me Vanderbilt is ready to shake off the past and get started with the rest of their season...
Vanderbilt 28 - UAB 21
USA v Tennessee - It's not a trap, but Tennessee could still get themselves twisted... South Alabama can play some good football, but the Vols aren't in a position to overlook ANYBODY right now. They will be focused and brutal on the lines, and eager to prove themselves every down.
Tennessee 35 - USA 13
LSU v UGA - LSU has won 9 of their last 10 on the road. Georgia has won 9 of their last 10 at home. Both
schools are gunning for the SEC Championship game, and Georgia is already sporting one loss in conference. This game is going to be INTENSE. It's true that the Tigers have struggled against SEC teams running the spread of late, but there is so much talent in the purple and gold that you can't write them off on this one fact. I think Georgia will win what could turn in to a barn-burner late in the game...
Georgia 38 - LSU 35
Ole Miss v Bama - There is a LOT of yammering about how Ole Miss is primed to knock off Alabama, and I will concede this to RebelShark Fans... Your team IS getting better. But you don't have to look back very far to see an MSU team that started out the season hot (#WeBelieved) and then faltered down the stretch, and I think that comparison warrants consideration. The RebelSharks are a talented bunch, but Bama is more talented at every position. They're also #1 in the country for a reason. There are a lot of freshmen taking the field for OM as well, and freshmen make mistakes. I expect both secondaries to get torched once or twice by the offenses, I expect both offenses to give up at least one INT, and I expect to see some balanced offenses on both sides of the field. But ultimately Bama will win...
Bama 45 - Ole Miss 30
Florida v UK - Poor Kentucky... The Gators will extend the win streak to 16 or 17 or whatever. Even with Florida's struggles of late they will be more than the 'Cats could hope to handle.
Florida 30 - UK 14
TAMU v Ark - Texas A&M takes on the Razorbacks this weekend, and although they have struggled with Arkansas in the past their offense is far more potent this time around, as evidenced by last year's shellacking of said Hogs. Also adding to the avalanche is Arkansas' meltdown against the Scarlet Knights last weekend. They had the game well in hand being up 24-7 late, but a punt return and two unanswered touchdowns later they were on the losing side of things. I expect that if the Razorbacks have a lead in this game it will be early, because once the Aggies offense gets rolling there's no stopping it...
TAMU 42 - Arkansas 27
ASU v Mizzou - The tertiary Tigers will work the Sun Devils over this weekend and improve to a perfect 4-0 record. Missouri is playing some solid football so far this season, and they stand a chance of making some noise in the SEC East. I'm looking forward to their games against South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. As for this game, I won't go so far as to say it'll be a landslide, but I'm definitely calling it a win.
Missouri 38 - ASU 13
And that's it for this week's preview! I gave the Professor the week off as he's dealing with some professorial issues that required his attention, but truth be told I almost had to force him to take the time off! That man has football on the brain and in his blood! Oh well, if his career as a rocket surgeon doesn't take off (see what I did there?) he can easily replace one of the Dave's from the former Jefferson Pilot crew (oh my god, two jokes in one sentence? YuuuPPP!) and make a living. So until next time, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
But seriously, The Bulldogs have an extra week to rest and game plan for their showdown with LSU next Saturday, so we will run down the rest of the SEC games this week and see what there is to see... shall we? Let's!
 |
| Just gonna get this one outta the way... Don't act like you didn't see it coming. |
South Carolina 42 - UCF 27
UAB v Vandy - Trap game #2! The Blazers have the potential to upset this underwhelming Vanderbilt team on Saturday. The Commodores should've had the game well in hand last week going in to the fourth quarter, when in reality they led only 10-7. UAB will likely try to test Vandy's passing defense as the most likely weak link. How the 'Dores respond will go a long way in determining who wins this one. My first inclination was to call it a UAB upset by a touchdown, but I did a little research on both teams and now my gut is telling me Vanderbilt is ready to shake off the past and get started with the rest of their season...
Vanderbilt 28 - UAB 21
USA v Tennessee - It's not a trap, but Tennessee could still get themselves twisted... South Alabama can play some good football, but the Vols aren't in a position to overlook ANYBODY right now. They will be focused and brutal on the lines, and eager to prove themselves every down.
Tennessee 35 - USA 13
LSU v UGA - LSU has won 9 of their last 10 on the road. Georgia has won 9 of their last 10 at home. Both
 |
| Richt: I must respectfully disagree with your assessment, good sir! Ref: I'm truly sorry you feel that way, old chap! |
Georgia 38 - LSU 35
Ole Miss v Bama - There is a LOT of yammering about how Ole Miss is primed to knock off Alabama, and I will concede this to RebelShark Fans... Your team IS getting better. But you don't have to look back very far to see an MSU team that started out the season hot (#WeBelieved) and then faltered down the stretch, and I think that comparison warrants consideration. The RebelSharks are a talented bunch, but Bama is more talented at every position. They're also #1 in the country for a reason. There are a lot of freshmen taking the field for OM as well, and freshmen make mistakes. I expect both secondaries to get torched once or twice by the offenses, I expect both offenses to give up at least one INT, and I expect to see some balanced offenses on both sides of the field. But ultimately Bama will win...
Bama 45 - Ole Miss 30
Florida 30 - UK 14
TAMU v Ark - Texas A&M takes on the Razorbacks this weekend, and although they have struggled with Arkansas in the past their offense is far more potent this time around, as evidenced by last year's shellacking of said Hogs. Also adding to the avalanche is Arkansas' meltdown against the Scarlet Knights last weekend. They had the game well in hand being up 24-7 late, but a punt return and two unanswered touchdowns later they were on the losing side of things. I expect that if the Razorbacks have a lead in this game it will be early, because once the Aggies offense gets rolling there's no stopping it...
TAMU 42 - Arkansas 27
ASU v Mizzou - The tertiary Tigers will work the Sun Devils over this weekend and improve to a perfect 4-0 record. Missouri is playing some solid football so far this season, and they stand a chance of making some noise in the SEC East. I'm looking forward to their games against South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. As for this game, I won't go so far as to say it'll be a landslide, but I'm definitely calling it a win.
Missouri 38 - ASU 13
And that's it for this week's preview! I gave the Professor the week off as he's dealing with some professorial issues that required his attention, but truth be told I almost had to force him to take the time off! That man has football on the brain and in his blood! Oh well, if his career as a rocket surgeon doesn't take off (see what I did there?) he can easily replace one of the Dave's from the former Jefferson Pilot crew (oh my god, two jokes in one sentence? YuuuPPP!) and make a living. So until next time, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Professor D's Weekend Recap: Week 4
Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin... into the future, and away from me. As a result, I'm letting the Professor take center stage for the recap this week, and possibly going forward depending on how he feels about that. At any rate, the Professor is about to drop a little knowledge, so you'd best listen up, kiddos!
[Editor's note: I will, however, be interspersing comments as I see fit... so there's that. All comments will be in parenthesis and in italics.]
(Professor D) Well guys this weekend lived up to its boring prediction. I was perfect in picks on the weekend, coming within 7 points of predicting 11 of the 18 teams scores. So really this week pretty much went as expected, with a couple of exceptions. Alabama didn’t look on form against Colorado State, Vanderbilt’s offense just wasn’t clicking, unlike Missouri and Mississippi State who blew out their non conference opponents. Other than that, well, it was pretty much business as usual. The Conference gets an overall grade of a D+ this week, as powerhouses Alabama and Georgia showed some struggles against easy opponents, while Arkansas flat out blew their game against Rutgers. Vanderbilt led UMass just 10 - 7 going into the 4th quarter. Florida and Tennessee were travesties, while Auburn and LSU looked exactly as advertised in their match-up. Missouri represented the conference well against Indiana, while Mississippi State did the same against Troy. Overall this is still looking like a very disappointing season for the SEC. Yeah I said that last week, but I’m going to keep saying it until someone steps up to the plate to shut me up. The best part of this weekend though? No SEC team allowed another team to score 40+ points for the first time all season. It’s about (damn) time.
Alabama 31 - Colorado State 6
Alabama’s defense looked pretty good this week against Colorado State. Of course, that was against Colorado (damn) State. The defense wasn’t really the issue for Alabama though, surprisingly. It was the offense that really struggled in this game, at home, against the (damn) Colorado State Rams. That’s (damn) scary. That’s the type of showing that screams future upset. The stat that should chill Bama fans to the bone is the Crimson Tide’s rushing yards. They had just 66 on 21 (damn) attempts. The other scary stat? 2 - 10 on (damn) third down conversions.That would be bad against any foe, but against the SEC, that’s an almost guaranteed loss, and this was not a (damn) good defense they were facing. The Tide led just 17 - 6 going into the 4th quarter, and 7 of those points came on a return of a blocked (damn) field goal. So really, the Tide offense led just 10 - 6 after the third. That’s unacceptable for this (damn) team, and officially puts them on upset watch this week against Ole Miss. I’ll never understand how (damn) Alabama held on to their number 1 ranking this week.
Georgia 45 - North Texas 21
My prediction for this game had Georgia scoring 48 and holding North Texas to 17. A final of 45 - 21 makes it look like everything went to plan, and as far as offense goes for Georgia, it did. They put up 641 yards of offense behind Aaron Murray’s 408 yard showing through the air. The run game contributed an additional 191 yards as the Bulldogs piled up the points late. Georgia’s defense also did pretty good, holding North Texas’ offense to just 7 points. So if the offense was clicking so well, and the defense found some rhythm, how the heck was this game tied 21 - 21 early in the third quarter? Well, see there’s more than just offense and defense in football. There’s also special teams, and Georgia’s looked terrible. The Mean Green were not only able to return a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, but they also blocked a punt and fell on it in their own end zone. That’s 14 points given up by Georgia’s special teams. Sure the rest of the team looked good, but that could cost them some otherwise close games. If the defense keeps improving, and the special teams can not suck, this team is starting to look like the powerhouse I hoped they’d be in the beginning of the year.
Texas A&M 42 - SMU 13
Whelp. That went about as expected. Manziel threw for 233 yards and ran for another 102. The rest of Texas A&M’s offense accounted for about 200 or so yards. More than enough to take on the Mustangs of SMU. The downside to this game for the Aggies is that the defense showed very little improvement after being thrashed by Alabama’s offense. They allowed 434 yards of offense in a bend-don’t-break style of defense. Sure they held SMU to just 13 yards, but how will that hold up against power offenses like LSU? Analysts will tell you that with A&M’s fast paced offense opponents are bound to put up big yardage numbers, but even so, 434 to the Mustangs is worrisome. But, that said, the Aggies came out with the big win they needed after last week.
Massachusetts 7 - Vanderbilt 24
Vanderbilt is in trouble. The Commodores were facing a UMass team with one of the worst defenses in the country, and only managed to score 24 points. When you consider that 14 of those points came in the 4th quarter, when the SEC level depth had worn the Minutemen down to the bone, and this game is even more troubling. The good news for Vanderbilt is the defense was able to hold UMass to just 7 points, of course UMass only averages 7 points per game, so that really isn’t too impressive. I’m just going to have to face it, Vanderbilt is not the team I hoped they’d be at the beginning of the year. Disappointing.
Indiana 28 - Missouri 45
So far we’ve had four SEC wins that revealed some serious weaknesses in the victors. This game was different. Missouri has emerged as the lone undefeated team in the SEC East. Yeah, that won’t last, but still, it’s impressive considering the year the Tigers had last year. Indiana came into this game with one of the best passing and overall offenses in the country, and while they put up over 400 yards against Missouri, the Tigers shut them down when it mattered. I know this sounds hypocritical after trashing Texas A&M for doing the exact same thing, but for Missouri and the offensive threat Indiana poses, this was a whole different situation. In response Mizzou sent in their own offense, which racked up over 600 yard of offense and 45 points. Statistically Missouri is now in the top 25 in every major offensive statistical category, and the top 10 in points scored. That’s pretty impressive. Sure the schedule is going to tighten up, but for now, enjoy it Tigers fans.
LSU 35 - Auburn 21
My prediction for this score was LSU 38 - Auburn 20, with LSU’s run game dominating. Well, that’s exactly what happened. With the torrential downpour all but eliminating the passing game early on, the LSU running backs ran all over the War Eagles behind an outstanding performance from their offensive line. Those guys were blowing holes in Auburn’s defensive front big enough to drive a truck through. Jeremy Hill put up 183 yards running, basically all in the first half. In their other games so far this year LSU has leaned heavily on Mettenberger and the passing game, but the weather forced them to come out with a different game plan, and the results were depressing to every team with the Tigers on their schedule. LSU looks like a complete team. The defense plays well, if not with the fire of years past, and the offense looks like one of the best, if not the best, in the SEC. I’ve been saying this was the team to watch in the SEC all year, but now I’m ready to call them outright favorites in the West. That could of course change if Alabama can get their act together, but LSU has come out firing in the opening rounds of the season.
Florida 31 - Tennessee 17
This game eventually got to be just hilarious to watch. It looked like neither of these guys wanted to win this one. Florida seemed to throw the ball right at the Volunteers every play they weren’t trying to run it up the middle, while Tennessee wasn’t throwing to anyone. The Volunteers made what I’ve seen called a “panic decision” benching their starting quarterback in favor of a freshman with little to no preparation. His start was short lived, but it saw 2 interceptions and put the former starter Justin Worley (who also threw 2 interceptions) in a no win situation. The Volunteers ended up with 6 turnovers in the game, while Florida had 3. That’s a total of 9 turnovers in a single game. I’m telling you, this one got funny. Florida starting quarterback Jeff Driskel left the game early with a broken Tibia, and will be out for the remainder of the season. Gator fans certainly feel sorry for the guy, but seeing what the offense did with backup Tyler Murphey, who averaged almost 10 yards per completion, helped. He also went the entire game without throwing an interception, which, with the defense the Gators are fielding, should be enough to win a bunch of games. Speaking of that defense, it truly is one of the best in the nation, holding Tennessee to just 220 yards of offense. Even behind that impressive offensive line the Volunteers only managed 66 yards on the ground. If the Gators can limit their turnovers, they just might come out ahead this season after all.
Rutgers 28 - Arkansas 24
This is another one of those games I got really close to predicting the exact score for. I came within three points of Rutgers (31) and got Arkansas right on the nose. The Razorbacks started out strong, even leading 24 - 7 halfway through the third quarter. I thought they could do it, I thought Arkansas would pull it out, and call into question all of my assumptions on where this team would end up at the end of the year. Nope. Didn’t happen. (So did I, and I paid for that one on my picks... we're not back to the dumpster fire just yet, but the Razorbacks should've won this one, period.) The Razorbacks gave up three touchdowns in the final quarter and a half to drop what is probably their last winnable game of the year. Arkansas managed just 283 yards of offense, with their vaunted rushing attack totalling just 101. They also committed 66 yards worth of penalties and converted just 3 of their 14 third down attempts. The lone bright spot for the game was not turning the ball over. The piggies are sitting at 3 - 1 with nothing but SEC foes left on the schedule, the weakest of which is Mississippi State. Good luck guys.
Mississippi State 62 - Troy 7
Who saw this one coming? (Well, I mean I said 45-14, so clearly I was CLOSER to seeing it coming... right? Right???) Seriously, I expected the Trojan offense to come out and give our young secondary fits, which to their credit, they did for the first three drives. Unfortunately for Troy two of those drives ended in turnovers which Mississippi State turned into 10 points. They did eventually score on their third to take a 10 - 7 deficit into the second quarter, but after that the Bulldog front 7 clamped down, hard. Troy, previously one of the most dangerous passing offenses in the nation, gained just 186 yards for the entire game. Against the most talented part of Mississippi State’s team the Trojans managed to rush for just 47 yards. That’s a good sign for the Bulldogs, who next face LSU and their potent running game (and passing game, but we’ll enjoy this win for now).
The signature play of the year so far for Mississippi State has got to be the Dak to Jameon, run fake, pass fake, back to Dak trick play that went for 36 yards and a touchdown. (Truly a thing of beauty... I just hope we have something else like that left that'll work on SEC defenses) It was beautifully designed and executed. It’s that last part that should really get State fans excited. We’ve run trick plays in the past, but even against non-conference opponents they haven’t been executed well. This one was. In fact, pretty much every play the Bulldogs ran with Dak under center (well, behind center) was executed well. This offense really rises to the challenge behind his energy and leadership. I hate it for Tyler Russell, but this is looking more and more like Dak’s team (although it looks like it’s going to take a hammering from LSU for the coaches to get on board with that).
Everybody’s been talking about the double hat trick pulled by Jameon Lewis and Dak Prescott, and while that overall athleticism will help us win games down the road, the real positive for me in this game was seeing Dak come in and dominate through the air. Against Auburn last week it was his legs, as he rushed for over 100 yards, but this week it was the passing game that gutted Troy. Sure his ability to run certainly opened up some opportunities (and some of those TD runs were absolute beauties) but Dak is finding open receivers, making reads, and completing passes. Some of his mechanics are off, like not stepping into throws (resulting in a few balls at the receivers feet), but that’s something I trust Mullen to work with him on. I said last week I was all aboard the Dak train, but now I’m really excited to see what this kid can do.
(Mr. Hooch) Thank you, Professor! And thank YOU for reading, friends! We will be back later this week with the Weekend Preview... until then #HailState and #GoDawgs!
[Editor's note: I will, however, be interspersing comments as I see fit... so there's that. All comments will be in parenthesis and in italics.]
(Professor D) Well guys this weekend lived up to its boring prediction. I was perfect in picks on the weekend, coming within 7 points of predicting 11 of the 18 teams scores. So really this week pretty much went as expected, with a couple of exceptions. Alabama didn’t look on form against Colorado State, Vanderbilt’s offense just wasn’t clicking, unlike Missouri and Mississippi State who blew out their non conference opponents. Other than that, well, it was pretty much business as usual. The Conference gets an overall grade of a D+ this week, as powerhouses Alabama and Georgia showed some struggles against easy opponents, while Arkansas flat out blew their game against Rutgers. Vanderbilt led UMass just 10 - 7 going into the 4th quarter. Florida and Tennessee were travesties, while Auburn and LSU looked exactly as advertised in their match-up. Missouri represented the conference well against Indiana, while Mississippi State did the same against Troy. Overall this is still looking like a very disappointing season for the SEC. Yeah I said that last week, but I’m going to keep saying it until someone steps up to the plate to shut me up. The best part of this weekend though? No SEC team allowed another team to score 40+ points for the first time all season. It’s about (damn) time.
Alabama 31 - Colorado State 6
Alabama’s defense looked pretty good this week against Colorado State. Of course, that was against Colorado (damn) State. The defense wasn’t really the issue for Alabama though, surprisingly. It was the offense that really struggled in this game, at home, against the (damn) Colorado State Rams. That’s (damn) scary. That’s the type of showing that screams future upset. The stat that should chill Bama fans to the bone is the Crimson Tide’s rushing yards. They had just 66 on 21 (damn) attempts. The other scary stat? 2 - 10 on (damn) third down conversions.That would be bad against any foe, but against the SEC, that’s an almost guaranteed loss, and this was not a (damn) good defense they were facing. The Tide led just 17 - 6 going into the 4th quarter, and 7 of those points came on a return of a blocked (damn) field goal. So really, the Tide offense led just 10 - 6 after the third. That’s unacceptable for this (damn) team, and officially puts them on upset watch this week against Ole Miss. I’ll never understand how (damn) Alabama held on to their number 1 ranking this week.
Georgia 45 - North Texas 21
My prediction for this game had Georgia scoring 48 and holding North Texas to 17. A final of 45 - 21 makes it look like everything went to plan, and as far as offense goes for Georgia, it did. They put up 641 yards of offense behind Aaron Murray’s 408 yard showing through the air. The run game contributed an additional 191 yards as the Bulldogs piled up the points late. Georgia’s defense also did pretty good, holding North Texas’ offense to just 7 points. So if the offense was clicking so well, and the defense found some rhythm, how the heck was this game tied 21 - 21 early in the third quarter? Well, see there’s more than just offense and defense in football. There’s also special teams, and Georgia’s looked terrible. The Mean Green were not only able to return a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, but they also blocked a punt and fell on it in their own end zone. That’s 14 points given up by Georgia’s special teams. Sure the rest of the team looked good, but that could cost them some otherwise close games. If the defense keeps improving, and the special teams can not suck, this team is starting to look like the powerhouse I hoped they’d be in the beginning of the year.
Texas A&M 42 - SMU 13
Whelp. That went about as expected. Manziel threw for 233 yards and ran for another 102. The rest of Texas A&M’s offense accounted for about 200 or so yards. More than enough to take on the Mustangs of SMU. The downside to this game for the Aggies is that the defense showed very little improvement after being thrashed by Alabama’s offense. They allowed 434 yards of offense in a bend-don’t-break style of defense. Sure they held SMU to just 13 yards, but how will that hold up against power offenses like LSU? Analysts will tell you that with A&M’s fast paced offense opponents are bound to put up big yardage numbers, but even so, 434 to the Mustangs is worrisome. But, that said, the Aggies came out with the big win they needed after last week.
Massachusetts 7 - Vanderbilt 24
Vanderbilt is in trouble. The Commodores were facing a UMass team with one of the worst defenses in the country, and only managed to score 24 points. When you consider that 14 of those points came in the 4th quarter, when the SEC level depth had worn the Minutemen down to the bone, and this game is even more troubling. The good news for Vanderbilt is the defense was able to hold UMass to just 7 points, of course UMass only averages 7 points per game, so that really isn’t too impressive. I’m just going to have to face it, Vanderbilt is not the team I hoped they’d be at the beginning of the year. Disappointing.
Indiana 28 - Missouri 45
So far we’ve had four SEC wins that revealed some serious weaknesses in the victors. This game was different. Missouri has emerged as the lone undefeated team in the SEC East. Yeah, that won’t last, but still, it’s impressive considering the year the Tigers had last year. Indiana came into this game with one of the best passing and overall offenses in the country, and while they put up over 400 yards against Missouri, the Tigers shut them down when it mattered. I know this sounds hypocritical after trashing Texas A&M for doing the exact same thing, but for Missouri and the offensive threat Indiana poses, this was a whole different situation. In response Mizzou sent in their own offense, which racked up over 600 yard of offense and 45 points. Statistically Missouri is now in the top 25 in every major offensive statistical category, and the top 10 in points scored. That’s pretty impressive. Sure the schedule is going to tighten up, but for now, enjoy it Tigers fans.
LSU 35 - Auburn 21
My prediction for this score was LSU 38 - Auburn 20, with LSU’s run game dominating. Well, that’s exactly what happened. With the torrential downpour all but eliminating the passing game early on, the LSU running backs ran all over the War Eagles behind an outstanding performance from their offensive line. Those guys were blowing holes in Auburn’s defensive front big enough to drive a truck through. Jeremy Hill put up 183 yards running, basically all in the first half. In their other games so far this year LSU has leaned heavily on Mettenberger and the passing game, but the weather forced them to come out with a different game plan, and the results were depressing to every team with the Tigers on their schedule. LSU looks like a complete team. The defense plays well, if not with the fire of years past, and the offense looks like one of the best, if not the best, in the SEC. I’ve been saying this was the team to watch in the SEC all year, but now I’m ready to call them outright favorites in the West. That could of course change if Alabama can get their act together, but LSU has come out firing in the opening rounds of the season.
Florida 31 - Tennessee 17
This game eventually got to be just hilarious to watch. It looked like neither of these guys wanted to win this one. Florida seemed to throw the ball right at the Volunteers every play they weren’t trying to run it up the middle, while Tennessee wasn’t throwing to anyone. The Volunteers made what I’ve seen called a “panic decision” benching their starting quarterback in favor of a freshman with little to no preparation. His start was short lived, but it saw 2 interceptions and put the former starter Justin Worley (who also threw 2 interceptions) in a no win situation. The Volunteers ended up with 6 turnovers in the game, while Florida had 3. That’s a total of 9 turnovers in a single game. I’m telling you, this one got funny. Florida starting quarterback Jeff Driskel left the game early with a broken Tibia, and will be out for the remainder of the season. Gator fans certainly feel sorry for the guy, but seeing what the offense did with backup Tyler Murphey, who averaged almost 10 yards per completion, helped. He also went the entire game without throwing an interception, which, with the defense the Gators are fielding, should be enough to win a bunch of games. Speaking of that defense, it truly is one of the best in the nation, holding Tennessee to just 220 yards of offense. Even behind that impressive offensive line the Volunteers only managed 66 yards on the ground. If the Gators can limit their turnovers, they just might come out ahead this season after all.
Rutgers 28 - Arkansas 24
This is another one of those games I got really close to predicting the exact score for. I came within three points of Rutgers (31) and got Arkansas right on the nose. The Razorbacks started out strong, even leading 24 - 7 halfway through the third quarter. I thought they could do it, I thought Arkansas would pull it out, and call into question all of my assumptions on where this team would end up at the end of the year. Nope. Didn’t happen. (So did I, and I paid for that one on my picks... we're not back to the dumpster fire just yet, but the Razorbacks should've won this one, period.) The Razorbacks gave up three touchdowns in the final quarter and a half to drop what is probably their last winnable game of the year. Arkansas managed just 283 yards of offense, with their vaunted rushing attack totalling just 101. They also committed 66 yards worth of penalties and converted just 3 of their 14 third down attempts. The lone bright spot for the game was not turning the ball over. The piggies are sitting at 3 - 1 with nothing but SEC foes left on the schedule, the weakest of which is Mississippi State. Good luck guys.
Mississippi State 62 - Troy 7
Who saw this one coming? (Well, I mean I said 45-14, so clearly I was CLOSER to seeing it coming... right? Right???) Seriously, I expected the Trojan offense to come out and give our young secondary fits, which to their credit, they did for the first three drives. Unfortunately for Troy two of those drives ended in turnovers which Mississippi State turned into 10 points. They did eventually score on their third to take a 10 - 7 deficit into the second quarter, but after that the Bulldog front 7 clamped down, hard. Troy, previously one of the most dangerous passing offenses in the nation, gained just 186 yards for the entire game. Against the most talented part of Mississippi State’s team the Trojans managed to rush for just 47 yards. That’s a good sign for the Bulldogs, who next face LSU and their potent running game (and passing game, but we’ll enjoy this win for now).
The signature play of the year so far for Mississippi State has got to be the Dak to Jameon, run fake, pass fake, back to Dak trick play that went for 36 yards and a touchdown. (Truly a thing of beauty... I just hope we have something else like that left that'll work on SEC defenses) It was beautifully designed and executed. It’s that last part that should really get State fans excited. We’ve run trick plays in the past, but even against non-conference opponents they haven’t been executed well. This one was. In fact, pretty much every play the Bulldogs ran with Dak under center (well, behind center) was executed well. This offense really rises to the challenge behind his energy and leadership. I hate it for Tyler Russell, but this is looking more and more like Dak’s team (although it looks like it’s going to take a hammering from LSU for the coaches to get on board with that).
Everybody’s been talking about the double hat trick pulled by Jameon Lewis and Dak Prescott, and while that overall athleticism will help us win games down the road, the real positive for me in this game was seeing Dak come in and dominate through the air. Against Auburn last week it was his legs, as he rushed for over 100 yards, but this week it was the passing game that gutted Troy. Sure his ability to run certainly opened up some opportunities (and some of those TD runs were absolute beauties) but Dak is finding open receivers, making reads, and completing passes. Some of his mechanics are off, like not stepping into throws (resulting in a few balls at the receivers feet), but that’s something I trust Mullen to work with him on. I said last week I was all aboard the Dak train, but now I’m really excited to see what this kid can do.
(Mr. Hooch) Thank you, Professor! And thank YOU for reading, friends! We will be back later this week with the Weekend Preview... until then #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Friday, September 20, 2013
MSU v Troy
Vanderbilt at UMass - Vanderbilt travels to New England to take on the MinuteMen of UMass, and if this isn't an absolute trouncing by the Commodores then James Franklin needs to reevaluate his life choices.
Vandy 55 - UMass 10
North Texas at Georgia - Georgia gets an easy win and the Mean Green make some mean green. Everything will go according to plan between the hedges and Georgia will be looking ahead to their showdown with LSU coming up next...
Georgia 49 - North Texas 13
Arkansas at Rutgers - The Razorbacks have redemption on their minds as they go on the road to face the Scarlet Knights. Last year Rutgers handed Arkansas a gut-wrenching loss and the Hogs have not forgotten. The matchup to watch here is how well Rutgers' defense can stop Arkansas' downhill running game. Arkansas won't get the kind of production they're used to through their last 2 games, but after four quarters it will be enough to overwhelm the Knights.
Arkansas 27 - Rutgers 17
Tennessee at Florida - The Vols travel to the Swamp to take on the Gators this weekend, but the likelihood of walking away with a win seems slim to say the least. Tennessee had a better shot at upending Florida last year than they will this Saturday. There are just too many questions for the Volunteers and not enough answers.
Florida 30 - Tennessee 13
SMU at TAMU - The Aggies are going to beat up on one of their favorite punching bags to blow off some steam after losing to Bama last week. The last time SMU beat Texas A&M was 1984, and aside from a 21-21 tie 10 years later it's been all Aggies. Expect more of the same...
Texas A&M 47 - SMU 9
Colorado St. at Alabama - No. Just... no. I'm not wasting my digital breath.
Alabama 100 - Colorado St. 0
Auburn at LSU - Probably the one SEC game worth watching unless you're a fan of some other SEC school. A few short years ago this would've been a highly touted match. Now it's going to be a rebuilding Auburn getting worked over by a reloaded LSU, complete with shiny new offense! Make all your requisite Tiger puns now...
LSU 42 - Auburn 21
Missouri at Indiana - This is a tough one for me to pick, as I'm not really familiar with either team to any great depths. Missouri was nailed hard by injuries last season, but now all those contributors are back. Indiana is typically a decent Big Ten team by all accounts. Both of the coaches are familiar with each other's style. Missouri had the luxury of a bye week going in to this game, which in my mind just sort of offsets the home field advantage for Indiana. All in all this is a tough call, but I'll go with Mizzou...
Missouri 37 - Indiana 27
Troy at MSU - "We just need to put our heads down and get through this without taking any injuries. Get some of the 2nd and 3rd stringers some playing time, etc." These are all surface thoughts, but remembering the fact that Troy very nearly knocked MSU off last season puts it in perspective. The Auburn loss was tough to watch because I could see it slipping away in those last 2 minutes (you can ask the Professor, we talked about it at length while it was transpiring).
So now we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and look ahead. The Bulldogs will get a very convenient bye week next weekend, giving them two weeks to prepare for hosting LSU the following weekend. Conventional wisdom would dictate that the LSU game will be a loss. We won't learn a whole lot about our team by tuning up on Troy. It's all about what team takes the field two weeks from Saturday. If it's the team that took the field in the first half of the Auburn game then the Bulldogs could very well pull off their biggest upset of the Dan Mullen era. If it's the team that took the field in the final two minutes of the Auburn game it will be a long, cringe-filled day.
But all that postulation is for another day... As to this game, Troy will test our secondary, and that is somewhat scary, but I just see the Bulldog offense as too well balanced to be stopped by Troy's defense. I'm giving our secondary the benefit of the doubt since they were serviceable for 90% of that Auburn game, but if they don't get back to form, and do it quickly, you can kiss your dreams of another bowl appearance goodbye. I don't think it'll come to that just yet, though...
MSU 45 - Troy 14
So that's my take on things... now let's hear from the other half. Professor?
(Professor D) Guys I’m going to be honest with you, week 4 of college football sucks. We might get some unexpectedly good games out of Florida v. Tennessee and Auburn v. LSU, but don’t count on it too much. I mean, Missouri plays Indiana, and that might be a fun game to look at the box score for when it’s all over, but I don’t expect much out of watching that game. If you’re a Mississippi State fan (who else reads this? Seriously, if you’re not a Mississippi State fan and you’ve found your way onto this blog, comment, we want to know, cause that’d be awesome) you’ve got to be apprehensive about Troy this weekend. No two ways about it folks, as bad as last weekend was, this Saturday has the potential to be worse, and boring to boot.
Alabama v. Colorado State
There isn’t much you can say about most of these games, but there especially isn’t much to say about this one other than “Let’s meet the Colorado State Rams!” like it actually matters. Speaking of things that really matter about this game, my middle school mascot was the Rams before they changed to be the Panthers my eighth grade year, or maybe the year after I left, I don’t really remember. Anyways, Colorado State is a team without any major strength. They’ve got a decent running game, but that’s more because they’ve got a slightly-below average passing game. Well, I think that’s enough meet the Rams, cause really, who cares. This one is going to get out of hand as Alabama’s fourth string would have to try really hard not to put up points in this one.
Alabama 57 - Colorado State 13
Georgia v. North Texas
Speaking of games you can’t really say much about, here’s another one! Georgia has the potential to be a powerhouse this year if they can figure out their defense. Of course Alabama and LSU don’t look like they’re too settled on that side of the ball either so hey, who said you needed defense to win in the SEC anymore? They certainly won’t need it to win this one. The Mean Green have one heck of a music college by the way, maybe they’ll give a concert at halftime. That would be more entertaining than this game is going to be (no seriously, they’ve got one of the best music programs in the world. Southern Miss can’t hold a candle to these guys… congratulations if you realize why that’s significant). Aaron Murray is about to go nuts y’all, and Gurly is going to enjoy not rushing against ranked defenses.
Georgia 48 - North Texas 17
Texas A&M v. SMU
Seriously could this week possibly be more boring! How is Arkansas v. Rutgers the game I’m looking forward to the most!?! Texas A&M and SMU used to play quite a bit, and I’m glad to see them sticking it out, but the Mustangs might regret this one when it’s all over. Sure, SMU has one mean passing attack, and well, we all saw Texas A&M’s defense last week, so maybe they’ll score some points, but, you know, Johnny Manziel. He will probably have more yards than SMU’s entire team by the time this is over, and Mike Evans will have more receiving yards than most teams will have total passing yards this weekend. Another one that’s going to get rough folks.
Texas A&M 56 - SMU 24
Massachusetts v. Vanderbilt
Just about the only interesting thing about this game is it isn’t being played at Vanderbilt. Yup, the Commodores are going on the road. While Vandy hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far this year, that doesn’t mean they won’t wipe the floor with a UMass team that has failed to win a game against Wisconsin (can’t blame them there), Maine (okay you can blame them for that one), and Kansas State (ehhhh). Vanderbilt, like another SEC team, is looking to get back up to 0.500 for the season, and faces a steep climb in the future to get up to the 9 win goal they (the fans) have set for themselves. By the way, something to watch for, Massachusetts hasn’t scored more than 14 points in a game yet this year, and average just 7.
Massachusetts 10 - Vanderbilt 42
Indiana v. Missouri
This game earns its spot on the list mostly because I’m not sure Mizzou is back up to it’s pre-SEC days just yet. They are certainly looking better than last year, but Indiana has an offense that just won’t quit. The Hoosiers are averaging 50 points per game behind a really good passing attack. The Tigers’ secondary will definitely be tested this weekend, as will their offense as they try and keep up with Indiana. On paper with these two teams, and the homefield advantage going the way of Indiana I should probably pick the Hoosiers to win. It may be too early, but I’m giving Missouri the SEC bump and picking them in a shootout.
Indiana 38 - Missouri 42
LSU v. Auburn
Seven years ago, back in the Tuberville era at Auburn, this would have been the game to watch this weekend, along with Florida and Tennessee. Those days are long gone though, and while LSU remains a powerhouse, Auburn has fallen to the wayside. They’re going through a bit of a resurgence right now under Malzahn, gotta give them that, but they are in no way up to the Tigers level (btw, Auburn will be referred to as the War Eagle’s for this article). One thing I’m looking forward to in this game is seeing how LSU’s defense does against the War Eagle’s (see, told you so) running game. The Tigers are largely untested this year, and this game really gives them a chance to flex some muscles. The other big thing I can’t wait to see is how LSU’s offense does against an SEC foe. If the Tigers look on form, watch out, they could be making a run at the title this year.
LSU 38 - Auburn 20
Florida v. Tennessee
This game could be really good. Tennessee has a turnover happy defense that perfectly matches Florida’s throw-the-game offense. The big battle in this game though is the Gator defense against the Volunteer’s offense, and I don’t see that swinging Tennessee’s way. This one is either going to be a close victory for the Gators, or a blow out for them. I just don’t see a scenario where the Volunteer’s win this game. Points could be at a premium with Florida’s offense, but the defense will give them the win in the end. This is one of two games (outside of the State game I will be attending) I would like to watch this weekend.
Florida 24 - Tennessee 16
Rutgers v. Arkansas
Annnddd here’s the other one I want to see. Rutgers was on the cusp of real national prominence as a football team a few years ago, and while the program has lapsed a bit, they’re still pretty good. They’ve got one of the best rush defenses in the league, so while they’re not stellar on offense, they’re good enough to get some wins. The problem for the Scarlet Knights (I’ve always loved that name) is Arkansas comes in with one of the best run games in college football. There also isn’t a whole lot of good film on the Razorbacks yet, as they haven’t played anyone of interest. For Arkansas this game marks the beginning of the tough part of the schedule, meaning, the rest of it. A win here would send them to 4 - 0, and I still don’t think they’ll make a bowl game. Of course, if they blow out Rutgers, that could foreshadow a couple more wins down the road. A loss would basically end Arkansas’ season. If they can’t beat the Scarlet Knights, there really aren’t any winnable games left on the schedule for them. Getting to four wins if they end up 3 - 1, would require a big upset.
Rutgers 31 - Arkansas 24
Mississippi State v. Troy
Anybody with a memory should be terrified of this game. Troy almost, probably should have, got us last year. The Trojans (no imagination on that mascott) took the Bulldogs down to the wire at their house, where they’ve knocked off quite a few big football powerhouses before, but this year they come to Davis Wade. Unfortunately for State fans, they’re bringing one of the best passing offenses in the country. Against our secondary, that’s the stuff nightmares are made of. I don’t mean to bash our pass defense, they’re young and they’re fighting hard, but they are definitely the weakness of this otherwise-dominant defense. The front seven are going to have to get pressure on the quarterback to give our corners a chance. Not just pressure, but constant pressure. Troy’s quarterback can tear you apart even under fire, but anyone starts to break down when they’re on their back every other play going into the fourth quarter. We’re going to need that kind of game from our defensive line.
Troy’s only loss this year came to the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who despite their loss to Auburn are still one of the best teams not in a major conference this year. That should be good news for the Bulldogs though, as the Red Wolves strength is certainly the run game. Mississippi State ought to have one of the best rushing attacks around, but a mixture of play calling and poor offensive line play has really cut down their productivity. Not to mention Perkins not being 100%, which shouldn’t be the case this game. The offensive line does have the benefit of not facing an SEC defense this week, which should translate into better offensive production. Think halfway between Auburn and Alcorn State.
Now let’s get on to the big question. Quarterback. This offense looks so much better with Dak under center. After the Auburn game, there is no questioning that. But can you really justify benching the all-time leading passer in school history? I don’t think so, although the coaches seem to be grasping at excuses to do just that, not that I blame them. Tyler Russell suffered a concussion against Oklahoma State, and the Bulldogs have been incredibly cautious about returning him to active status. Some of that may be he simply hasn’t passed the concussion test, but I think the coaches are using it as an excuse to play Dak. Even if Russell passes the test this week, the “he hasn’t practiced with the team this week” line will probably come up and bench him anyway. Hopefully the Daktion swings our way and we can play him in the second half to get him more comfortable, because as much as State fans may hate it, if he’s healthy, Russell will be our quarterback.
This game could go a lot of ways, but I’m trusting our home crowd to pull this one out for us. It’s a white out, and rain is in the forecast, so guys, grab your sunglasses and come on out!
Mississippi State 38 - Troy 27
(Mr. Hooch) And that's a wrap! Great stuff from the Professor as always! Once again you'll have to excuse the lack of flare on the blog this week... I know that 37 pieces of flare is the standard here, but I just couldn't get around to it this week. And if you get that reference you probably understand WHY I don't have 37 pieces of flare. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and be sure to spread the love! Facebook, Twitter, Google+, full page ad in the New York Times... we're not picky, just spread the love! Until next time #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Vandy 55 - UMass 10
North Texas at Georgia - Georgia gets an easy win and the Mean Green make some mean green. Everything will go according to plan between the hedges and Georgia will be looking ahead to their showdown with LSU coming up next...
Georgia 49 - North Texas 13
Arkansas at Rutgers - The Razorbacks have redemption on their minds as they go on the road to face the Scarlet Knights. Last year Rutgers handed Arkansas a gut-wrenching loss and the Hogs have not forgotten. The matchup to watch here is how well Rutgers' defense can stop Arkansas' downhill running game. Arkansas won't get the kind of production they're used to through their last 2 games, but after four quarters it will be enough to overwhelm the Knights.
Arkansas 27 - Rutgers 17
Tennessee at Florida - The Vols travel to the Swamp to take on the Gators this weekend, but the likelihood of walking away with a win seems slim to say the least. Tennessee had a better shot at upending Florida last year than they will this Saturday. There are just too many questions for the Volunteers and not enough answers.
Florida 30 - Tennessee 13
SMU at TAMU - The Aggies are going to beat up on one of their favorite punching bags to blow off some steam after losing to Bama last week. The last time SMU beat Texas A&M was 1984, and aside from a 21-21 tie 10 years later it's been all Aggies. Expect more of the same...
Texas A&M 47 - SMU 9
Colorado St. at Alabama - No. Just... no. I'm not wasting my digital breath.
Alabama 100 - Colorado St. 0
Auburn at LSU - Probably the one SEC game worth watching unless you're a fan of some other SEC school. A few short years ago this would've been a highly touted match. Now it's going to be a rebuilding Auburn getting worked over by a reloaded LSU, complete with shiny new offense! Make all your requisite Tiger puns now...
LSU 42 - Auburn 21
Missouri at Indiana - This is a tough one for me to pick, as I'm not really familiar with either team to any great depths. Missouri was nailed hard by injuries last season, but now all those contributors are back. Indiana is typically a decent Big Ten team by all accounts. Both of the coaches are familiar with each other's style. Missouri had the luxury of a bye week going in to this game, which in my mind just sort of offsets the home field advantage for Indiana. All in all this is a tough call, but I'll go with Mizzou...
Missouri 37 - Indiana 27
Troy at MSU - "We just need to put our heads down and get through this without taking any injuries. Get some of the 2nd and 3rd stringers some playing time, etc." These are all surface thoughts, but remembering the fact that Troy very nearly knocked MSU off last season puts it in perspective. The Auburn loss was tough to watch because I could see it slipping away in those last 2 minutes (you can ask the Professor, we talked about it at length while it was transpiring).
So now we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and look ahead. The Bulldogs will get a very convenient bye week next weekend, giving them two weeks to prepare for hosting LSU the following weekend. Conventional wisdom would dictate that the LSU game will be a loss. We won't learn a whole lot about our team by tuning up on Troy. It's all about what team takes the field two weeks from Saturday. If it's the team that took the field in the first half of the Auburn game then the Bulldogs could very well pull off their biggest upset of the Dan Mullen era. If it's the team that took the field in the final two minutes of the Auburn game it will be a long, cringe-filled day.
But all that postulation is for another day... As to this game, Troy will test our secondary, and that is somewhat scary, but I just see the Bulldog offense as too well balanced to be stopped by Troy's defense. I'm giving our secondary the benefit of the doubt since they were serviceable for 90% of that Auburn game, but if they don't get back to form, and do it quickly, you can kiss your dreams of another bowl appearance goodbye. I don't think it'll come to that just yet, though...
MSU 45 - Troy 14
So that's my take on things... now let's hear from the other half. Professor?
(Professor D) Guys I’m going to be honest with you, week 4 of college football sucks. We might get some unexpectedly good games out of Florida v. Tennessee and Auburn v. LSU, but don’t count on it too much. I mean, Missouri plays Indiana, and that might be a fun game to look at the box score for when it’s all over, but I don’t expect much out of watching that game. If you’re a Mississippi State fan (who else reads this? Seriously, if you’re not a Mississippi State fan and you’ve found your way onto this blog, comment, we want to know, cause that’d be awesome) you’ve got to be apprehensive about Troy this weekend. No two ways about it folks, as bad as last weekend was, this Saturday has the potential to be worse, and boring to boot.
Alabama v. Colorado State
There isn’t much you can say about most of these games, but there especially isn’t much to say about this one other than “Let’s meet the Colorado State Rams!” like it actually matters. Speaking of things that really matter about this game, my middle school mascot was the Rams before they changed to be the Panthers my eighth grade year, or maybe the year after I left, I don’t really remember. Anyways, Colorado State is a team without any major strength. They’ve got a decent running game, but that’s more because they’ve got a slightly-below average passing game. Well, I think that’s enough meet the Rams, cause really, who cares. This one is going to get out of hand as Alabama’s fourth string would have to try really hard not to put up points in this one.
Alabama 57 - Colorado State 13
Georgia v. North Texas
Speaking of games you can’t really say much about, here’s another one! Georgia has the potential to be a powerhouse this year if they can figure out their defense. Of course Alabama and LSU don’t look like they’re too settled on that side of the ball either so hey, who said you needed defense to win in the SEC anymore? They certainly won’t need it to win this one. The Mean Green have one heck of a music college by the way, maybe they’ll give a concert at halftime. That would be more entertaining than this game is going to be (no seriously, they’ve got one of the best music programs in the world. Southern Miss can’t hold a candle to these guys… congratulations if you realize why that’s significant). Aaron Murray is about to go nuts y’all, and Gurly is going to enjoy not rushing against ranked defenses.
Georgia 48 - North Texas 17
Texas A&M v. SMU
Seriously could this week possibly be more boring! How is Arkansas v. Rutgers the game I’m looking forward to the most!?! Texas A&M and SMU used to play quite a bit, and I’m glad to see them sticking it out, but the Mustangs might regret this one when it’s all over. Sure, SMU has one mean passing attack, and well, we all saw Texas A&M’s defense last week, so maybe they’ll score some points, but, you know, Johnny Manziel. He will probably have more yards than SMU’s entire team by the time this is over, and Mike Evans will have more receiving yards than most teams will have total passing yards this weekend. Another one that’s going to get rough folks.
Texas A&M 56 - SMU 24
Massachusetts v. Vanderbilt
Just about the only interesting thing about this game is it isn’t being played at Vanderbilt. Yup, the Commodores are going on the road. While Vandy hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far this year, that doesn’t mean they won’t wipe the floor with a UMass team that has failed to win a game against Wisconsin (can’t blame them there), Maine (okay you can blame them for that one), and Kansas State (ehhhh). Vanderbilt, like another SEC team, is looking to get back up to 0.500 for the season, and faces a steep climb in the future to get up to the 9 win goal they (the fans) have set for themselves. By the way, something to watch for, Massachusetts hasn’t scored more than 14 points in a game yet this year, and average just 7.
Massachusetts 10 - Vanderbilt 42
Indiana v. Missouri
This game earns its spot on the list mostly because I’m not sure Mizzou is back up to it’s pre-SEC days just yet. They are certainly looking better than last year, but Indiana has an offense that just won’t quit. The Hoosiers are averaging 50 points per game behind a really good passing attack. The Tigers’ secondary will definitely be tested this weekend, as will their offense as they try and keep up with Indiana. On paper with these two teams, and the homefield advantage going the way of Indiana I should probably pick the Hoosiers to win. It may be too early, but I’m giving Missouri the SEC bump and picking them in a shootout.
Indiana 38 - Missouri 42
LSU v. Auburn
Seven years ago, back in the Tuberville era at Auburn, this would have been the game to watch this weekend, along with Florida and Tennessee. Those days are long gone though, and while LSU remains a powerhouse, Auburn has fallen to the wayside. They’re going through a bit of a resurgence right now under Malzahn, gotta give them that, but they are in no way up to the Tigers level (btw, Auburn will be referred to as the War Eagle’s for this article). One thing I’m looking forward to in this game is seeing how LSU’s defense does against the War Eagle’s (see, told you so) running game. The Tigers are largely untested this year, and this game really gives them a chance to flex some muscles. The other big thing I can’t wait to see is how LSU’s offense does against an SEC foe. If the Tigers look on form, watch out, they could be making a run at the title this year.
LSU 38 - Auburn 20
Florida v. Tennessee
This game could be really good. Tennessee has a turnover happy defense that perfectly matches Florida’s throw-the-game offense. The big battle in this game though is the Gator defense against the Volunteer’s offense, and I don’t see that swinging Tennessee’s way. This one is either going to be a close victory for the Gators, or a blow out for them. I just don’t see a scenario where the Volunteer’s win this game. Points could be at a premium with Florida’s offense, but the defense will give them the win in the end. This is one of two games (outside of the State game I will be attending) I would like to watch this weekend.
Florida 24 - Tennessee 16
Rutgers v. Arkansas
Annnddd here’s the other one I want to see. Rutgers was on the cusp of real national prominence as a football team a few years ago, and while the program has lapsed a bit, they’re still pretty good. They’ve got one of the best rush defenses in the league, so while they’re not stellar on offense, they’re good enough to get some wins. The problem for the Scarlet Knights (I’ve always loved that name) is Arkansas comes in with one of the best run games in college football. There also isn’t a whole lot of good film on the Razorbacks yet, as they haven’t played anyone of interest. For Arkansas this game marks the beginning of the tough part of the schedule, meaning, the rest of it. A win here would send them to 4 - 0, and I still don’t think they’ll make a bowl game. Of course, if they blow out Rutgers, that could foreshadow a couple more wins down the road. A loss would basically end Arkansas’ season. If they can’t beat the Scarlet Knights, there really aren’t any winnable games left on the schedule for them. Getting to four wins if they end up 3 - 1, would require a big upset.
Rutgers 31 - Arkansas 24
Mississippi State v. Troy
Anybody with a memory should be terrified of this game. Troy almost, probably should have, got us last year. The Trojans (no imagination on that mascott) took the Bulldogs down to the wire at their house, where they’ve knocked off quite a few big football powerhouses before, but this year they come to Davis Wade. Unfortunately for State fans, they’re bringing one of the best passing offenses in the country. Against our secondary, that’s the stuff nightmares are made of. I don’t mean to bash our pass defense, they’re young and they’re fighting hard, but they are definitely the weakness of this otherwise-dominant defense. The front seven are going to have to get pressure on the quarterback to give our corners a chance. Not just pressure, but constant pressure. Troy’s quarterback can tear you apart even under fire, but anyone starts to break down when they’re on their back every other play going into the fourth quarter. We’re going to need that kind of game from our defensive line.
Troy’s only loss this year came to the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who despite their loss to Auburn are still one of the best teams not in a major conference this year. That should be good news for the Bulldogs though, as the Red Wolves strength is certainly the run game. Mississippi State ought to have one of the best rushing attacks around, but a mixture of play calling and poor offensive line play has really cut down their productivity. Not to mention Perkins not being 100%, which shouldn’t be the case this game. The offensive line does have the benefit of not facing an SEC defense this week, which should translate into better offensive production. Think halfway between Auburn and Alcorn State.
Now let’s get on to the big question. Quarterback. This offense looks so much better with Dak under center. After the Auburn game, there is no questioning that. But can you really justify benching the all-time leading passer in school history? I don’t think so, although the coaches seem to be grasping at excuses to do just that, not that I blame them. Tyler Russell suffered a concussion against Oklahoma State, and the Bulldogs have been incredibly cautious about returning him to active status. Some of that may be he simply hasn’t passed the concussion test, but I think the coaches are using it as an excuse to play Dak. Even if Russell passes the test this week, the “he hasn’t practiced with the team this week” line will probably come up and bench him anyway. Hopefully the Daktion swings our way and we can play him in the second half to get him more comfortable, because as much as State fans may hate it, if he’s healthy, Russell will be our quarterback.
This game could go a lot of ways, but I’m trusting our home crowd to pull this one out for us. It’s a white out, and rain is in the forecast, so guys, grab your sunglasses and come on out!
Mississippi State 38 - Troy 27
(Mr. Hooch) And that's a wrap! Great stuff from the Professor as always! Once again you'll have to excuse the lack of flare on the blog this week... I know that 37 pieces of flare is the standard here, but I just couldn't get around to it this week. And if you get that reference you probably understand WHY I don't have 37 pieces of flare. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and be sure to spread the love! Facebook, Twitter, Google+, full page ad in the New York Times... we're not picky, just spread the love! Until next time #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Weekend recap: Week 3
Oh mah gad! We actually have a recap!!! I'm pushing this out early in the week, meaning no dressing it up, I'll just run down the list and say a few words about each game... I missed 2 picks from this past weekend, and I really hate that I was wrong about ours because I felt like that was our game to lose. So anyway here we go...
Louisville 27 - Kentucky 13
I credited the Cardinals with more offensive punch, but the results were pretty much what I expected outside of that. The Wildcats don't need to be too discouraged by this loss, they are still moving in the right direction as a program, but it takes time. (Just ask any MSU fan....)
Arkansas 24 - USM 3
The Razorbacks took care of business, and the defense locked down better than I expected. Kudos to all my friends in Arkansas, I know it's nice to win the games you're supposed to win handily...
Oregon 59 - Tennessee 14
Tennessee jumped up on the Ducks early, but I had a feeling it wouldn't last 60 minutes and sure enough Oregon got rolling and couldn't be stopped. The Vols are another team that shouldn't let this one loss linger too long in their minds. They should continue to improve as the season wears on...
Alabama 49 - TAMU 42
This game was even better than I expected, and it came right down to the wire. On a Nick Saban team the defense is traditionally going to be the major strength, which is why I expected Bama to limit the Aggies' offensive production more than they did, but perhaps that's a credit to A&M's players and coaches. The Tide Rolls on...
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Not much to say about this one. The Tigahs did what they deaux... The next two games should show us what the Bayou Bengals are really made of, though.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Vandy played a good game but the Gamecocks were the better team when it's all said and done. It's tough for Vandy, but if anybody knows what it's like playing extremely talented opponents week in and week out, it's another middle-tier SEC team... #AllTheFeels, bro...
Ole Miss 44 - Texas 23
Well, turns out my pick here most certainly WAS a mistake... Texas is far worse off than I imagined. Credit to OM, they have improved greatly to go on the road and win this game in the manner they did, but it turns out all the talking heads were right about how depleted Texas was. I'm still looking forward to that Egg Bowl on Turkey Day...
Auburn 24 - MSU 20
So first let me say this: I did NOT like the call of going for two on our opening touchdown. That speaks volumes to me about what Dan Mullen is playing for here, and I didn't like what I saw. Auburn caught us napping and went for two, kudos to Gus for pulling it off. But you HAD to know we would at least be considering it, so when we lined up to go for the two point conversion you better believe Auburn's players/coaches/fans/comatose followers could see that coming and were well prepared.
And what is the logic there??? Go for two and get it, great, you're tied, but go for two and miss it, wonderful, now you're down 2. Down by 1 or down by two doesn't matter, you say? Think, I say. If we had kicked the PAT we'd be down by one. Then when we scored again we kick the PAT again, suddenly we're up by 6. Then when we hold Auburn to that FG on their second score we're up by 3... I said all this during the game as it was playing out, so this isn't exactly hindsight talking, but ultimately on that last drive, if we had been up 4 instead of 3 as Auburn is driving the field that puts the pressure of "we HAVE to get a TD, can't settle for a FG" in their heads, which certainly wouldn't have hurt matters. Instead when our secondary goes MIA on that final drive and Auburn eats the clock up and scores WE are down by 4, and that anxiety is in our helmets. I just don't like that call, Dan... you fucked up, there.
I said that winning the turnover battle would win the game for us, and I was more or less right, I just didn't count on some ridiculous luck... like a State defender batting a pass out of the sky... and right into the hands of the QB who just threw it, who then scampers for 37 yards. The ball did not bounce our way a few critical times, and that definitely hurts, but it's something you can't control.
The positive takeaway from this game is practically EVERYTHING ELSE, though... this was our game to lose, and I feel like our team played their best game with the exception of the final 2 (and most crucial) minutes. Defense looked good, offense moved the ball well with Dak in... and speaking of Dak, I tried to give Russell the benefit of the doubt and not just spew the typical "put in the backup QB" crap, but Dak fits in this offense so much better than Russell. Russell sits in the pocket too long, always has. That probably isn't going to change. Dak at least tucks the ball and runs when the pocket collapses, and although he ran more than we'd really like him to this game he produced solid yardage and moved the chains. If Dak Prescott can make Les Koenning look like the man actually deserves his paycheck then play his ass. Period. I still want Les gone, though...
And now for Professor D's take on this weekend's action... Take it away, Professor!
(Professor D) The SEC just cannot get its act together right now. Alabama is giving up 42 points, Tennessee suffered their worst loss in over a century, and Kentucky… well Kentucky was Kentucky. The one good win for the conference came when Ole Miss took down Texas, but considering the Longhorns game against BYU last week that might not be as impressive as it sounds. Overall the conference is getting a D+ this week. Arkansas went into the locker room against Southern Miss, who is now on a 15 game losing streak, up 10 - 3. It could have been a lot worse this week if not for LSU’s handling of Kent State, and Ole Miss trouncing Texas in the second half. Also I might, just a bit, be projecting my frustration over the last portion of the Mississippi State game onto…. you know what, I just remembered Miami and Clemson. The SEC deserves that grade this week, it’s cumulative. This is going to be some painful recaps, I don’t think I was pleased with the outcome of a single game this weekend. At least the Saints won again.
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Alright I lied. I was pleased with this game. Zach Mettenberger looks good in the Tigers new offense. Like I said in the preseason, LSU’s defense isn’t what it has been the past two years, but man this offense. Mettenberger threw for 264 yards on just 13 completions…. of 18 attempts. That’s impressive. The even better news for the Tigers? They put up 307 yards rushing, led by Jeremy Hill’s 117 yard performance and Terrence Magee’s 108, and supported by Alfred Blue’s workhorse-type 56 (low right? still averaged over 5 yards per run). That’s just… stupid. Two 100 yard rushers, and all anyone can talk about is how good this passing game is. Unfair? Not really. Mettenberger is that good right now, making reads, taking care of the football, and letting his team work for him. Additionally, these LSU receivers are quietly starting to build up a pretty good reputation. It feels like the rest of the SEC is still sleeping on these guys, but I think Alabama better get ready. Yeah Texas A&M has a great offense, but so does LSU, and you won’t be scoring 49 against the Tigers. It’s going to be a crazy finish, here’s to hoping the Tigers can return some respect to the SEC down the stretch.
Arkansas 24 - Southern Miss 3
It took some time but Arkansas finally got on board late in the first quarter with a touchdown against a Southern Miss team that they should have been running all over. Literally, with those young, talented, running backs. Arkansas eventually got it going on the ground rushing for , which was good, because they totaled 69 passing yards for the game. They didn’t really need it though, not with the SEC’s leading rusher, and the SEC’s third place rusher. Seriously guys, the run game in the SEC is pretty impressive. LSU, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State all have a stable of running backs. It’s become the new thing the SEC can hang their hats on, cause it certainly isn’t defense this year. Although, the Razorbacks did hold the Golden Eagles to just 3 points, thanks to a pair of interceptions and some stiff 3rd down defense. Overall, I was pretty disappointed in Arkansas performance in this game, I hoped to see something more out of the passing game, even if the starting quarterback went out in the first quarter, you’ve got to be better than 69 passing yards. That isn’t going to cut it for the rest of Arkansas schedule.
Kentucky 13 - Louisville 27
This Kentucky defense is for real. They basically lived in (probably former now) Heisman hopeful Teddy Bridgewater’s face for most of this game. The problem is the Wildcats just don’t look comfortable in their offense yet. There were drives where that Air Raid looked good, and then there were times where it just looked embarrassing. I think Kentucky is on its way out of the bottom of the SEC East with this new coach and this new approach. If the defense can keep playing to this level Kentucky may see a few games go their way this year (careful Mississippi State).
Oregon 52 - Tennessee 14
So I realize Oregon is really good at scoring points and has had probably the best offense ever seen in college football the past few years, but come on Tennessee. You’re SEC, we’re supposed to have defenses in this league, although they all seem to have left us this year. I didn’t really expect the Volunteers to win this game, but I did expect them to score more than 2 touchdowns. This offense had been looking so good, as had the defense to be honest. I’m not sure the Ducks are the best measuring stick for this team, but much like Arkansas, I expected better. Not only did Oregon pass for 471 yards, they rushed for 216. That’s insane against an SEC team. This has to stop guys. Georgia allows 40+ twice in a row, Alabama gives up 40+. Florida and South Carolina don’t look strange being among the SEC’s best defenses, but Mississippi State and Kentucky? Come on (Yeah I left out LSU, they’ve got to play a high powered offense before we really get a look at this defense, and Alabama, you don’t get to say anything about how good your defense is after giving up 40 points).
Texas 23 - Ole Miss 44
I was pretty close predicting this game. I had Texas 24 and Ole Miss 38. Heh, I’ll call that a win, as it’s the best part of this game. I know I wanted Ole Miss to win, but it still hurts. Considering how bad the Longhorn’s run defense is right now Ole Miss looks like a pretty balanced offense. The defense doesn’t look half bad either. Overall TSUN is looking sort of like Vanderbilt from last year. Too bad they play in the SEC West, where wins are a little harder to come by. As good as they’re doing, they aren’t in the same class as Alabama, Texas A&M, and LSU. To be honest I’m not sure they’ll run the table against Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State either. Yeah, I’m not talking much about the actual game Ole Miss played, but that’s because Texas is in free fall, which don’t get me wrong, I enjoy, I just wish it was anybody else taking advantage of it. TSUN rushed for over 200 yards in this game, and didn’t look bad on defense against the run or the pass. Still not sure they deserve their ranking, but they’ll have a chance to prove it next week against Alabama.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Woo another game I got pretty close to calling! South Carolina 34 - Vanderbilt 21 was my prediction, and hey, that’s not bad. I was really hoping the Commodores would come out and do something special, but the Gamecocks were just too dominant. The score says this was a 10 point game, but it was never really in question as South Carolina led 35 - 10 going into the fourth. There are some teams you can score 25+ points in a quarter against, Clowney, I mean South Carolina, isn’t one of them. That said the Gamecocks still have some issues to work out, as they had three turnovers. Offensively they looked good, especially considering how much better Vanderbilt’s secondary is then normal, but defensively it’s still all Clowney. It shows in the fourth quarter when he starts getting tired. Vanderbilt on the other hand, has to go back to the locker room and figure something out. They’re a complete team, with one of the best receiving corps around. They’ve got to figure out how to get things going earlier in the game. This team is disciplined though, they committed zero penalties in the loss.
Texas A&M 42 - Alabama 49
Yeah, Game of the Century, right. Texas A&M started off great but the offense sputtered at times. Normally I’d say this is because Alabama has a great defense, but allowing 628 yards just doesn’t scream good defense. I hated everything about this game in the end. Texas A&M couldn’t stop the Tide after the first quarter. Their defense looked atrocious. The only thing keeping them in the game: Mike Evans. Not Johnny Manziel? No, while Johnny Football was impressive his two interceptions really negate everything else he did. Case and point was that unbelievable escape-from-defenders-scramble-for-twenty-seconds-heave-it-forty-yards-for-a-ten-yard-gain pass that got negated by an interception in the endzone on a stupid throw later in the drive. Manziel just couldn’t get out of his own way. Mike Evans, on the other hand, made his case for best receiver in the league. He’s pretty much the Calvin Johnson of college football. That kid can run, catch, jump, he’s just really fun to watch. Everyone knows he’s getting the football, and defenses plan accordingly, but it doesn’t matter. When Manziel does crazy antics for seven seconds and needs a receiver to get open, Evans finds a way. Johnny Football wouldn’t look half as good as he does without this smart, talented receiver backing him up. Alabama’s offense, meanwhile, looked polished. They put up 568 yards of offense and were balanced most of the game. This offense is impressive. Much like LSU this year, this is not the Alabama we’ve come to expect. The Crimson Tide controlled the clock to perfection this weekend, owning a 10 minute advantage in time of possession, so why was this defense unable to hold the Aggies to under 40 points? Well the secondary just isn’t up to standard this year, neither are the linebackers, or the defensive line to be honest. This defense looks underwhelming against top-tier opponents, and with Georgia and LSU on the schedule, that could spell trouble. Wait, no, I forgot, Alabama doesn’t play any of the top four teams out East. Come on Tigers.
Auburn 24 - Mississippi State 20
Except not these Tigers. I said in my predictions Mississippi State had to be ready when the Tigers came roaring in the 4th quarter. Well, we weren’t. I had high hopes for this game. Dak Prescott looked impressive. I know I was on the other side of this argument last week, but I’m jumping ship. Play Dak. The play calling is so much better when he is in the game. This offense clicks. He proved these past two weeks he can make the throws and protect the football. He also proved he might just be a better runner than we anticipated. He looks like an every-down back as a quarterback, which was great because Perkins didn’t look 100% in this game. Mississippi State put up a respectable 415 yards of offense, perfectly balanced 213 - 202 between the passing and rushing attacks, respectively. That balance allowed the Bulldogs to control the clock and throttle Auburns impressive running backs. So what happened? Well Auburn put up 339 yards of passing, the Bulldogs committed 5 penalties to Auburns 1, and our play calling really sucked late in the game. We knew this secondary was young, and they were going to give up plays at times. 339 yards against them is excusable. What isn’t excusable was the change in play calling late in the game on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. With a young secondary that impressive Mississippi State front 7 has got to keep pressure on the opposing quarterback. What happened to our blitz packages halfway through the 3rd quarter?
Offensively the playcalling was electric in the first half. Dak was slinging it across the field, when we ran the ball no one knew who was going to get it or where they were going. It was the spread-option in full force, it was what we expected when Dan Mullen first came to town, and it worked. It threw Auburns talented defense into panic mode and led to some pretty impressive, game controlling drives. Honestly, Mississippi State looked like the dominant team right up until the last drive of the game. So why did we revert back to running the ball with just one back in the backfield, abandon the play-action pass, and just give up on everything that was great about the first half? Because as soon as we got the lead we changed to a mindset of “Don’t Lose” as opposed to “Win,” and it cost us big time. I really like the defense Mississippi State is fielding right now, but I’m going to call for that Offensive Coordinators head again this week. The Bulldogs have to find a way to score in the last 3rd of the game. It is ridiculous we lost this game, and it could keep us from playing in a bowl game. That said, and I know we’re all tired of hearing this, this team showed some real potential in this game with a lot of young players. I want a new offensive coordinator bad, but let’s not make any other changes before next year, cause if we can figure out this offensive line thing it might be a lot of fun. That said, looking at the schedule, there are still 5 more wins out there for us to get a bowl game, but we’re starting to get thin. The Bulldogs can’t afford to throw another game or we’re going to have to pull something out of our ears against South Carolina, who is probably our best chance of an upset outside of Ole Miss. Come on Baseball season, practice starts October 4 and is open to the public.
(Mr. Hooch) And there you have it, friends! An actual weekend recap! So blah blah blah, share the love, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, carrier pigeon... just do it! Until later this week, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Louisville 27 - Kentucky 13
I credited the Cardinals with more offensive punch, but the results were pretty much what I expected outside of that. The Wildcats don't need to be too discouraged by this loss, they are still moving in the right direction as a program, but it takes time. (Just ask any MSU fan....)
Arkansas 24 - USM 3
The Razorbacks took care of business, and the defense locked down better than I expected. Kudos to all my friends in Arkansas, I know it's nice to win the games you're supposed to win handily...
Oregon 59 - Tennessee 14
Tennessee jumped up on the Ducks early, but I had a feeling it wouldn't last 60 minutes and sure enough Oregon got rolling and couldn't be stopped. The Vols are another team that shouldn't let this one loss linger too long in their minds. They should continue to improve as the season wears on...
Alabama 49 - TAMU 42
This game was even better than I expected, and it came right down to the wire. On a Nick Saban team the defense is traditionally going to be the major strength, which is why I expected Bama to limit the Aggies' offensive production more than they did, but perhaps that's a credit to A&M's players and coaches. The Tide Rolls on...
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Not much to say about this one. The Tigahs did what they deaux... The next two games should show us what the Bayou Bengals are really made of, though.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Vandy played a good game but the Gamecocks were the better team when it's all said and done. It's tough for Vandy, but if anybody knows what it's like playing extremely talented opponents week in and week out, it's another middle-tier SEC team... #AllTheFeels, bro...
Ole Miss 44 - Texas 23
Well, turns out my pick here most certainly WAS a mistake... Texas is far worse off than I imagined. Credit to OM, they have improved greatly to go on the road and win this game in the manner they did, but it turns out all the talking heads were right about how depleted Texas was. I'm still looking forward to that Egg Bowl on Turkey Day...
Auburn 24 - MSU 20
So first let me say this: I did NOT like the call of going for two on our opening touchdown. That speaks volumes to me about what Dan Mullen is playing for here, and I didn't like what I saw. Auburn caught us napping and went for two, kudos to Gus for pulling it off. But you HAD to know we would at least be considering it, so when we lined up to go for the two point conversion you better believe Auburn's players/coaches/fans/comatose followers could see that coming and were well prepared.
And what is the logic there??? Go for two and get it, great, you're tied, but go for two and miss it, wonderful, now you're down 2. Down by 1 or down by two doesn't matter, you say? Think, I say. If we had kicked the PAT we'd be down by one. Then when we scored again we kick the PAT again, suddenly we're up by 6. Then when we hold Auburn to that FG on their second score we're up by 3... I said all this during the game as it was playing out, so this isn't exactly hindsight talking, but ultimately on that last drive, if we had been up 4 instead of 3 as Auburn is driving the field that puts the pressure of "we HAVE to get a TD, can't settle for a FG" in their heads, which certainly wouldn't have hurt matters. Instead when our secondary goes MIA on that final drive and Auburn eats the clock up and scores WE are down by 4, and that anxiety is in our helmets. I just don't like that call, Dan... you fucked up, there.
I said that winning the turnover battle would win the game for us, and I was more or less right, I just didn't count on some ridiculous luck... like a State defender batting a pass out of the sky... and right into the hands of the QB who just threw it, who then scampers for 37 yards. The ball did not bounce our way a few critical times, and that definitely hurts, but it's something you can't control.
The positive takeaway from this game is practically EVERYTHING ELSE, though... this was our game to lose, and I feel like our team played their best game with the exception of the final 2 (and most crucial) minutes. Defense looked good, offense moved the ball well with Dak in... and speaking of Dak, I tried to give Russell the benefit of the doubt and not just spew the typical "put in the backup QB" crap, but Dak fits in this offense so much better than Russell. Russell sits in the pocket too long, always has. That probably isn't going to change. Dak at least tucks the ball and runs when the pocket collapses, and although he ran more than we'd really like him to this game he produced solid yardage and moved the chains. If Dak Prescott can make Les Koenning look like the man actually deserves his paycheck then play his ass. Period. I still want Les gone, though...
And now for Professor D's take on this weekend's action... Take it away, Professor!
(Professor D) The SEC just cannot get its act together right now. Alabama is giving up 42 points, Tennessee suffered their worst loss in over a century, and Kentucky… well Kentucky was Kentucky. The one good win for the conference came when Ole Miss took down Texas, but considering the Longhorns game against BYU last week that might not be as impressive as it sounds. Overall the conference is getting a D+ this week. Arkansas went into the locker room against Southern Miss, who is now on a 15 game losing streak, up 10 - 3. It could have been a lot worse this week if not for LSU’s handling of Kent State, and Ole Miss trouncing Texas in the second half. Also I might, just a bit, be projecting my frustration over the last portion of the Mississippi State game onto…. you know what, I just remembered Miami and Clemson. The SEC deserves that grade this week, it’s cumulative. This is going to be some painful recaps, I don’t think I was pleased with the outcome of a single game this weekend. At least the Saints won again.
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Alright I lied. I was pleased with this game. Zach Mettenberger looks good in the Tigers new offense. Like I said in the preseason, LSU’s defense isn’t what it has been the past two years, but man this offense. Mettenberger threw for 264 yards on just 13 completions…. of 18 attempts. That’s impressive. The even better news for the Tigers? They put up 307 yards rushing, led by Jeremy Hill’s 117 yard performance and Terrence Magee’s 108, and supported by Alfred Blue’s workhorse-type 56 (low right? still averaged over 5 yards per run). That’s just… stupid. Two 100 yard rushers, and all anyone can talk about is how good this passing game is. Unfair? Not really. Mettenberger is that good right now, making reads, taking care of the football, and letting his team work for him. Additionally, these LSU receivers are quietly starting to build up a pretty good reputation. It feels like the rest of the SEC is still sleeping on these guys, but I think Alabama better get ready. Yeah Texas A&M has a great offense, but so does LSU, and you won’t be scoring 49 against the Tigers. It’s going to be a crazy finish, here’s to hoping the Tigers can return some respect to the SEC down the stretch.
Arkansas 24 - Southern Miss 3
It took some time but Arkansas finally got on board late in the first quarter with a touchdown against a Southern Miss team that they should have been running all over. Literally, with those young, talented, running backs. Arkansas eventually got it going on the ground rushing for , which was good, because they totaled 69 passing yards for the game. They didn’t really need it though, not with the SEC’s leading rusher, and the SEC’s third place rusher. Seriously guys, the run game in the SEC is pretty impressive. LSU, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State all have a stable of running backs. It’s become the new thing the SEC can hang their hats on, cause it certainly isn’t defense this year. Although, the Razorbacks did hold the Golden Eagles to just 3 points, thanks to a pair of interceptions and some stiff 3rd down defense. Overall, I was pretty disappointed in Arkansas performance in this game, I hoped to see something more out of the passing game, even if the starting quarterback went out in the first quarter, you’ve got to be better than 69 passing yards. That isn’t going to cut it for the rest of Arkansas schedule.
Kentucky 13 - Louisville 27
This Kentucky defense is for real. They basically lived in (probably former now) Heisman hopeful Teddy Bridgewater’s face for most of this game. The problem is the Wildcats just don’t look comfortable in their offense yet. There were drives where that Air Raid looked good, and then there were times where it just looked embarrassing. I think Kentucky is on its way out of the bottom of the SEC East with this new coach and this new approach. If the defense can keep playing to this level Kentucky may see a few games go their way this year (careful Mississippi State).
Oregon 52 - Tennessee 14
So I realize Oregon is really good at scoring points and has had probably the best offense ever seen in college football the past few years, but come on Tennessee. You’re SEC, we’re supposed to have defenses in this league, although they all seem to have left us this year. I didn’t really expect the Volunteers to win this game, but I did expect them to score more than 2 touchdowns. This offense had been looking so good, as had the defense to be honest. I’m not sure the Ducks are the best measuring stick for this team, but much like Arkansas, I expected better. Not only did Oregon pass for 471 yards, they rushed for 216. That’s insane against an SEC team. This has to stop guys. Georgia allows 40+ twice in a row, Alabama gives up 40+. Florida and South Carolina don’t look strange being among the SEC’s best defenses, but Mississippi State and Kentucky? Come on (Yeah I left out LSU, they’ve got to play a high powered offense before we really get a look at this defense, and Alabama, you don’t get to say anything about how good your defense is after giving up 40 points).
Texas 23 - Ole Miss 44
I was pretty close predicting this game. I had Texas 24 and Ole Miss 38. Heh, I’ll call that a win, as it’s the best part of this game. I know I wanted Ole Miss to win, but it still hurts. Considering how bad the Longhorn’s run defense is right now Ole Miss looks like a pretty balanced offense. The defense doesn’t look half bad either. Overall TSUN is looking sort of like Vanderbilt from last year. Too bad they play in the SEC West, where wins are a little harder to come by. As good as they’re doing, they aren’t in the same class as Alabama, Texas A&M, and LSU. To be honest I’m not sure they’ll run the table against Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State either. Yeah, I’m not talking much about the actual game Ole Miss played, but that’s because Texas is in free fall, which don’t get me wrong, I enjoy, I just wish it was anybody else taking advantage of it. TSUN rushed for over 200 yards in this game, and didn’t look bad on defense against the run or the pass. Still not sure they deserve their ranking, but they’ll have a chance to prove it next week against Alabama.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Woo another game I got pretty close to calling! South Carolina 34 - Vanderbilt 21 was my prediction, and hey, that’s not bad. I was really hoping the Commodores would come out and do something special, but the Gamecocks were just too dominant. The score says this was a 10 point game, but it was never really in question as South Carolina led 35 - 10 going into the fourth. There are some teams you can score 25+ points in a quarter against, Clowney, I mean South Carolina, isn’t one of them. That said the Gamecocks still have some issues to work out, as they had three turnovers. Offensively they looked good, especially considering how much better Vanderbilt’s secondary is then normal, but defensively it’s still all Clowney. It shows in the fourth quarter when he starts getting tired. Vanderbilt on the other hand, has to go back to the locker room and figure something out. They’re a complete team, with one of the best receiving corps around. They’ve got to figure out how to get things going earlier in the game. This team is disciplined though, they committed zero penalties in the loss.
Texas A&M 42 - Alabama 49
Yeah, Game of the Century, right. Texas A&M started off great but the offense sputtered at times. Normally I’d say this is because Alabama has a great defense, but allowing 628 yards just doesn’t scream good defense. I hated everything about this game in the end. Texas A&M couldn’t stop the Tide after the first quarter. Their defense looked atrocious. The only thing keeping them in the game: Mike Evans. Not Johnny Manziel? No, while Johnny Football was impressive his two interceptions really negate everything else he did. Case and point was that unbelievable escape-from-defenders-scramble-for-twenty-seconds-heave-it-forty-yards-for-a-ten-yard-gain pass that got negated by an interception in the endzone on a stupid throw later in the drive. Manziel just couldn’t get out of his own way. Mike Evans, on the other hand, made his case for best receiver in the league. He’s pretty much the Calvin Johnson of college football. That kid can run, catch, jump, he’s just really fun to watch. Everyone knows he’s getting the football, and defenses plan accordingly, but it doesn’t matter. When Manziel does crazy antics for seven seconds and needs a receiver to get open, Evans finds a way. Johnny Football wouldn’t look half as good as he does without this smart, talented receiver backing him up. Alabama’s offense, meanwhile, looked polished. They put up 568 yards of offense and were balanced most of the game. This offense is impressive. Much like LSU this year, this is not the Alabama we’ve come to expect. The Crimson Tide controlled the clock to perfection this weekend, owning a 10 minute advantage in time of possession, so why was this defense unable to hold the Aggies to under 40 points? Well the secondary just isn’t up to standard this year, neither are the linebackers, or the defensive line to be honest. This defense looks underwhelming against top-tier opponents, and with Georgia and LSU on the schedule, that could spell trouble. Wait, no, I forgot, Alabama doesn’t play any of the top four teams out East. Come on Tigers.
Auburn 24 - Mississippi State 20
Except not these Tigers. I said in my predictions Mississippi State had to be ready when the Tigers came roaring in the 4th quarter. Well, we weren’t. I had high hopes for this game. Dak Prescott looked impressive. I know I was on the other side of this argument last week, but I’m jumping ship. Play Dak. The play calling is so much better when he is in the game. This offense clicks. He proved these past two weeks he can make the throws and protect the football. He also proved he might just be a better runner than we anticipated. He looks like an every-down back as a quarterback, which was great because Perkins didn’t look 100% in this game. Mississippi State put up a respectable 415 yards of offense, perfectly balanced 213 - 202 between the passing and rushing attacks, respectively. That balance allowed the Bulldogs to control the clock and throttle Auburns impressive running backs. So what happened? Well Auburn put up 339 yards of passing, the Bulldogs committed 5 penalties to Auburns 1, and our play calling really sucked late in the game. We knew this secondary was young, and they were going to give up plays at times. 339 yards against them is excusable. What isn’t excusable was the change in play calling late in the game on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. With a young secondary that impressive Mississippi State front 7 has got to keep pressure on the opposing quarterback. What happened to our blitz packages halfway through the 3rd quarter?
Offensively the playcalling was electric in the first half. Dak was slinging it across the field, when we ran the ball no one knew who was going to get it or where they were going. It was the spread-option in full force, it was what we expected when Dan Mullen first came to town, and it worked. It threw Auburns talented defense into panic mode and led to some pretty impressive, game controlling drives. Honestly, Mississippi State looked like the dominant team right up until the last drive of the game. So why did we revert back to running the ball with just one back in the backfield, abandon the play-action pass, and just give up on everything that was great about the first half? Because as soon as we got the lead we changed to a mindset of “Don’t Lose” as opposed to “Win,” and it cost us big time. I really like the defense Mississippi State is fielding right now, but I’m going to call for that Offensive Coordinators head again this week. The Bulldogs have to find a way to score in the last 3rd of the game. It is ridiculous we lost this game, and it could keep us from playing in a bowl game. That said, and I know we’re all tired of hearing this, this team showed some real potential in this game with a lot of young players. I want a new offensive coordinator bad, but let’s not make any other changes before next year, cause if we can figure out this offensive line thing it might be a lot of fun. That said, looking at the schedule, there are still 5 more wins out there for us to get a bowl game, but we’re starting to get thin. The Bulldogs can’t afford to throw another game or we’re going to have to pull something out of our ears against South Carolina, who is probably our best chance of an upset outside of Ole Miss. Come on Baseball season, practice starts October 4 and is open to the public.
(Mr. Hooch) And there you have it, friends! An actual weekend recap! So blah blah blah, share the love, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, carrier pigeon... just do it! Until later this week, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)