My thoughts on the Arkansas game

[CadaverDawg]

1) "Just win, Baby". We did.

2) Gotta get Dak healthy or we're done

3) I'm not sure if the last 2 games Dan has purposefully tried to keep Dak in the pocket, but that shit has to stop. Dak is clearly a better passer when he can either make a quick decision, or extend the play with his legs. When he is kept in the pocket, he looks confused and timid. When he extends plays and improvises, we see things like the Ross TD (and Jameon TD vs LSU). You have great legs...Use them to allow time for your less then stellar WR's to get open.

4) Speaking of those WR's, they have to be better at route running. They have taken a step back the last few weeks. They run a half assed route and then just stop. You can't do that. DeRunnya is still running decent routes, and Fred Ross, my boy, has emerged in a BIG way. And I can't say enough about JRob's improvement as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Everybody else needs to tighten up in the route running and not give up on the play.

5) I know Dan feels like teams want to stop our running game, so he feels the need to come out and pass to try and open it up. I disagree with this formula. Dak is not a great enough passer yet, and his accuracy relies a lot on the play action element, so I don't like us airing it out for a majority of the first 3 offensive series. Run the damn ball to open up the play action pass. Wanna pass? Call more screens to WR as an extension of our run game.
I thought our play calling lacked creativity overall yesterday....one of Dan's most poorly called games of the year offensively....but we still won so that's good.

6) Our defense is stepping up, especially in the red zone...but boy it makes me nervous seeing us give up so many long conversions. We are also not blitzing much at all. Is that to try and avoid the big play? Maybe.. But we can't just allow the QB to sit back there for 8-10 seconds and expect our Corners to maintain coverage. Gotta get more heat. Hopefully that was just because we knew who we were playing and liked our chances if we didn't give up any big plays. If so, that's cool with me. I have faith in our D in big games.

7) Where did this sudden influx of penalties come from? Glad to get them out of the way in a Win. Our overall play was super sloppy, but again, it was a win. It does concern me that we haven't played a clean game since becoming #1, but I feel confident we will be ready for Alabama on the road. We better, because if we roll in there like we did against UK or Ark....we will be beaten badly.

8) Jamoral Graham - He is still a super talented player and will be fine. The coaches should have just told him to fair catch everything. His struggles started when he started trying to return the punts. We are getting greedy. At the beginning of the year we just wanted someone who could field a punt where we wouldn't lose field position....we got it with Graham. But now we're asking him to do more, and you see what happens. He is still a Freshman. Fred Ross....My boy.....Somebody said Fred Ross would be a great return man. Can't remember who*.

9) Great atmosphere, great crowd, football weather, was awesome. Video board usage, too many acknowledgements, students embarrassing us by speeding through the acapella National anthem (and Maroon White song as always), and traffic after the game, was all pretty terrible. But the student turn out and enthusiasm was awesome, so I'll take the song stupidity.

It was a big win and that's all that matters when you're #1.

That's all I've got.

[defiantdog]

I don't feel any sympathy towards Graham. Big time players make big time plays. If he doesn't step up now, someone else will. Gray and Dear could easily step up next year and take his spot. He shouldn't be having this much trouble.... I think Pack is doing the majority of the punt returns for OM and he's been fine. Graham needs to step up before he gets left behind.

I agree with our defense.... they were fantastic. I loved how we stayed away from the mass substitutions. We did that mainly because Arkansas doesn't play a hurry up offense like we've been used too.

And it's difficult to blitz a team like Arkansas. They are too good at the run and we had to respect that for the most part. Overall, I hope we got the nerves and pressure of being number 1 out of the way.... it's time to finish this and make our way to Atlanta.

[smootness]

I agree with you about throwing early. I think our passing always needs to play off of our running game. I love when we come out and just ram it down people's throats on the first drive. And I don't think the element of surprise matters. When we line up and come right at you, you can't stop it, even if you know it's coming.

I think Dak staying in the pocket more is purely because he isn't 100%. He wasn't extremely hobbled, but he was definitely affected and hasn't had quite the same quickness and speed. He would have run for 100+ on Arkansas easily if he had been fully healthy.

We need to let him rest a lot this week and next in practice and only play him about a quarter vs. UT-Martin.

[thf24]

3) I'm not sure if the last 2 games Dan has purposefully tried to keep Dak in the pocket, but that shit has to stop. Dak is clearly a better passer when he can either make a quick decision, or extend the play with his legs. When he is kept in the pocket, he looks confused and timid. When he extends plays and improvises, we see things like the Ross TD (and Jameon TD vs LSU). You have great legs...Use them to allow time for your less then stellar WR's to get open.

This is why I'm almost certain Dak will be back next year barring a bad decision, no matter what accolades he ends the season with. His passing game right now is absolutely dependent on his ability to get out of the pocket and run the ball, and his running style is not viable in the NFL. I think he has the talent to eventually be an NFL pocket passer, but he's not there yet and won't be by April.

[smootness]

I don't feel any sympathy towards Graham. Big time players make big time plays. If he doesn't step up now, someone else will. Gray and Dear could easily step up next year and take his spot. He shouldn't be having this much trouble.... I think Pack is doing the majority of the punt returns for OM and he's been fine. Graham needs to step up before he gets left behind.

Why would you not feel any sympathy for him? I don't think we should keep sending him out there, but he's a State player with a lot of potential who is struggling. Why wouldn't we rally behind him instead of casting him aside? Yes, he needs to step up...but he has plenty of time. Not all players develop at the same rate or are ready to go immediately. He had very little time with the team before the season started since he was late getting into school.

[sleepy dawg]

Regarding #9...

The students are great, and very important to our success... So don't get all pissy students when we say that you cannot keep rhythm for shit.

As everyone knows, the students (who lead all fans in cheers) screw up the pace of the "maroon white fight" song every week, but proved their lack of rhythm with the national anthem. The rest of the stadium seemed to have no issue.

Not sure exactly when they lost their rhythm, but someone needs to help them find it.

[justwin]

justwin


1) "Just win, Baby".

[Goat Holder]

2) Gotta get Dak healthy or we're done

3) I'm not sure if the last 2 games Dan has purposefully tried to keep Dak in the pocket, but that shit has to stop. Dak is clearly a better passer when he can either make a quick decision, or extend the play with his legs. When he is kept in the pocket, he looks confused and timid. When he extends plays and improvises, we see things like the Ross TD (and Jameon TD vs LSU). You have great legs...Use them to allow time for your less then stellar WR's to get open.

Those are the two hard-hitters.

Mullen is going all Croomy and making it anther Omarr Conner situation. You see this a lot, especially with mobile QBs who think they have to turn into a drop back guy to get drafted. Florida tried to run Tebow less in 2009, etc. etc. Go with the strengths. Turn Dak loose, let him move around. His passes sail on him from the pocket. Cam Newton is the only guy since Donovan McNabb that I've seen who is as good from the pocket as he was on the run. Most guys, it's one or the other.

[gravedigger]

Great recap. Couldn't agree more about the pocket being the problem. If we stay there our offense dies.

[defiantdog]

Why would you not feel any sympathy for him? I don't think we should keep sending him out there, but he's a State player with a lot of potential who is struggling. Why wouldn't we rally behind him instead of casting him aside? Yes, he needs to step up...but he has plenty of time. Not all players develop at the same rate or are ready to go immediately. He had very little time with the team before the season started since he was late getting into school.

I did support him, but he's had this issue in nearly each game he's been back there. I'm simply saying that he needs to get it together because we are getting talent we haven't gotten in the past at his position.

[defiantdog]

I'll agree with you CD.... F Ross is stepping up the last two games. I'll give it to this team.... When someone struggles, it seems someone else steps up.

[smootness]

I did support him, but he's had this issue in nearly each game he's been back there. I'm simply saying that he needs to get it together because we are getting talent we haven't gotten in the past at his position.

I agree that he's had that issue a lot, which is why he won't be back there anymore. I just don't know why our fans wouldn't support our own players. If you want to cricitize, get on Mullen for continuing to put him in there. But 'suck it up and get better or else I have no sympathy for you' isn't really that helpful an attitude for a fanbase to have. I lose my patience with players when they have a bad attitude or stop caring or do something off the field to hurt their team. I will never stop supporting a player who is doing everything they can but is struggling on the field with something.

[smootness]

Mullen is going all Croomy and making it anther Omarr Conner situation.

No, he isn't. How can we say that we have to get Dak healthy on one hand, then criticize Mullen immediately for not running him more? We need Dak's running most in the Bama and Ole Miss games, not the Kentucky and Arkansas games. I guarantee you that if Dak gets back to 100% (and honestly, probably even if he doesn't), he will start running like crazy again and getting outside the pocket. It's what Mullen always wants to do.

[Sienfield]

Very good Cadaver

My guess about no blitzing is that there was no need since their QB couldn't hit the ocean from a boat and also we were playing the run.

and why are people saying Dak is injured. He only looked that way after being knocked down and limped down the field after the long pass. He looked ok the rest of the game. He wore the boot as a precaution this week. Harping on Dak being injured reminds me of OM homers talking about Bo last year.

[smootness]

Very good Cadaver

My guess about no blitzing is that there was no need since their QB couldn't hit the ocean from a boat and also we were playing the run.

and why are people saying Dak is injured. He only looked that way after being knocked down and limped down the field after the long pass. He looked ok the rest of the game. He wore the boot as a precaution this week. Harping on Dak being injured reminds me of OM homers talking about Bo last year.

He wasn't really limping the rest of the game, though he looked like he was favoring that leg at least once later in the game as well. But he wasn't as decisive or as powerful on his runs last night; that was the telltale sign to me. He isn't 100%; he was good enough to be effective, but if he had been 100%, that game wouldn't have been close.

I don't see it as an excuse. He was fully healthy for most of the Kentucky game and we struggled at times, yet we still put up a ton of yards and points. Last night we didn't, largely because Dak wasn't as much of a threat in the option game.

[Goat Holder]

No, he isn't. How can we say that we have to get Dak healthy on one hand, then criticize Mullen immediately for not running him more? We need Dak's running most in the Bama and Ole Miss games, not the Kentucky and Arkansas games. I guarantee you that if Dak gets back to 100% (and honestly, probably even if he doesn't), he will start running like crazy again and getting outside the pocket. It's what Mullen always wants to do.

I agree he runs him, but he runs him between the tackles. Sorry, I figured we all agreed on that and it was obvious. Which is good, that's his strong suit. But he's also proven to be able to escape the pocket and make plays down the field. He does both of those better than he does sitting in the pocket. I haven't noticed Mullen running many plays with Dak sweeping to the outside to pass.

[Maroonthirteen]

I think you hit it all. It almost felt like we were calling plays and defenses conservative. Also, I agree on chunking the ball around to start. Lets get a couple of TDs up before we work on our passing game. But I think Dak staying in the pocket is more about his ankle sprain rather than trying to work on his pocket passing.

[defiantdog]

Those are the two hard-hitters.

Mullen is going all Croomy and making it anther Omarr Conner situation. You see this a lot, especially with mobile QBs who think they have to turn into a drop back guy to get drafted. Florida tried to run Tebow less in 2009, etc. etc. Go with the strengths. Turn Dak loose, let him move around. His passes sail on him from the pocket. Cam Newton is the only guy since Donovan McNabb that I've seen who is as good from the pocket as he was on the run. Most guys, it's one or the other.

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