Sunday Morning QB- September is Ovahhhh Edition

[Coach34]

Things we have learned so far this season:

1. State is who many of us thought we were coming into the season. Good QB, good RB's, an average OL, and sub-par WR's on offense and an improved Run D with lots of questions in the Secondary. These 5 games have all but solidified that stance.

2. #13 and I talked at length on the 2017 schedule podcast about how coming out of September 3-2 was a win for us. It still is. Heading into the bye week with 3 wins was paramount for us and we did that. It sets us up to get healthier and improve some problem areas for this stretch of BYU, Kentucky, @A&M, and UMass. It's a winnable 4 game stretch that could get us to 7-2 before the Bama loss. 7-3 with 2 games to go is the ideal place to be for us THIS season.

3. Having Myles out of the WR rotation really makes this group look bad. A few of us on here before the season randomly suggested that our WR's were one of the worst groups in the SEC talent-wise. Nothing has emerged to change that viewpoint.

4. Reese got an education in college football the last 2 weeks. Hang in there young man. It wont always be this overwhelming. Jenkins also learned that playing Center is an adjustment. Eiland is not ready to play at all- last night's SEC welcome was brutal. Phillips will get the same indoctrination next season after he redshirts. Need alot of growth at the OT position by next year. Center and OG will be a strength for us in 2018 though.

5. Fitz is completing 53% of his passes and throwing for 156/game so far this season. 8 TD's and 5 picks. Some people suggested he could be a little better this year but his stats take a step back due to new guys on the OL and our decline at WR. This is certainly the case so far. He has some stat-building defenses coming on the horizon though, so look for the numbers to improve some. Need Myles back by Kentucky for sure because that is going to be a physical showdown.

6. Fitz's carries per game are down 4 from 2016's 15 to 11 in 2017. Aeris is carrying more of the load so far with 73 carries in 5 games. Something to watch moving forward. While Fitz scaling back only means about 25 yards per game less rushing for him- it's 4 less chances of him housing one also. Maybe that is what Mullen sells to the dual-threat guys. We run you more early as you transition and learn to be a complete QB.

7. Watch to see if Hill gets more carries coming out of the bye week. He basically only runs the inside zone play right now when he comes in. Maybe we can teach him a 2nd or 3rd play by the time we take the field vs BYU. Off weeks are good to get back-ups more reps while the starters rest

8. Our DL is the best part of our defense, but we need Cory Thomas back asap. He is a starter plus would give some depth back to the DL

9. LB's have been a little disappointing lately. Leo isn't hitting the gaps he needs to fill on some of the zone plays inside. Got to improve there. Harris is putting up decent numbers but lacks a little speed-wise especially in coverage. Gray and McLaurin are having to make way too many tackles.

10. Our Secondary continues to be bad. Too many trick plays given up by a veteran group of guys. The wheel route to LSU, the flea-flicker to Georgia, and the 2 long passes from Auburn. Really veteran group coached by two good coaches and they arent getting it done. Has to improve.

11. So much for the "Kirby Smart cant coach" and the "Malzahn offense doesnt scare me" mantras. Kirby took over a young team last year. All he has done is recruit well and make them better. He will continue to do so. Anybody thinking Auburn would tank this year simply doesnt pay attention to talent. They returned too much and then added a quality player at QB. Stidham will continue to get better each week after sitting out last year. Too talented not to. I also mentioned in the podcast's about Mullen struggling vs 3-4 defensive teams. 13 points the last 2 weeks. We play more 3-4 D's coming up

12. Dont look now- but Kentucky is 4th in the SEC in Scoring D and 2nd against the rush. Something to watch in 3 weeks when they come to Sville.

13. Another problem we face is that A&M gets the week off before playing us at home. Lots of time to scheme on D and to get a young QB comfortable with a gameplan.

14. Kudos to Saban for letting his back-ups run their offense and not just kneeling on the ball in the 4th Q. Playing "Money for Nothing" over the stadium's soundsystem was savage. OM's D is awful isn't going to get any better. McGriff's "stop any offense" D needs some tweaking it looks like.

15. I said 7-5 before the season and see no reason to change that now. That LSU win could give us that 8-4 bump but until we throw the ball better, it's going to be tough to win on the road in the SEC. UPig and A&M both have been pretty good against the run so far.

HailState!

[bulldawg28]

Fair assessment, I'm impressed.

[Hasu Dackds]

Agree with all. We are building toward an enormous 2018. Auburn, aTm, Florida and Arkansas at home, with Kansas State, Kentucky and Ole Miss on the road. Only game we can't win is Alabama and with another year's growth, who know, maybe we can play with them in Tuscaloosa.

I consider the whole of 2017 a big practice for 2018. Anything above 6-6 is gravy IMO.

[1bigdawg]

Agree with all. We are building toward an enormous 2018. Auburn, aTm, Florida and Arkansas at home, with Kansas State, Kentucky and Ole Miss on the road. Only game we can't win is Alabama and with another year's growth, who know, maybe we can play with them in Tuscaloosa.

I consider the whole of 2017 a big practice for 2018. Anything above 6-6 is gravy IMO.

Wait till next year!**

[Hasu Dackds]

Wait till next year!**
That's right. Expecting anything otherwise is stupid. Read this.
(http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?59932-You-want-to-compete-with-the-big-boys-Put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is)

[BrunswickDawg]

The bye week is definitely well timed this year. And something to remind everyone - Fall Break is Thursday and Friday, so don't freak out if Mullen lets kids go home. They have been going full bore since July. Four days with family can be a nice recharge.

[Quaoarsking]

Why didn't we get one of these after we beat LSU?

[thf24]

You were dead right that this WR group was poor. I'm not convinced getting Myles back will help much, other than to maybe take a little attention off Gray.

[Coach34]

Why didn't we get one of these after we beat LSU?

because I work 70 hours per week. We are off this Friday so I took today off. You're welcome

[dawgday166]

because I work 70 hours per week. We are off this Friday so I took today off. You're welcome

Taco Bell (aka Sean Touhy) must be working Random Poster 70 hour weeks too. Hadn't seen him on here lately ****

[Coach34]

Not sure what happened to that guy. Seemed like a good dude

[msstate7]

Not sure what happened to that guy. Seemed like a good dude

Probably just ashamed to show up after declaring Canada and aranda elite to the point where Ed O would be good

[dawgday166]

Not sure what happened to that guy. Seemed like a good dude

He a'ight. He had some pretty decent Sunday Morning QBs at times too. His would probably be polar opposite to yours tho **

[Coach34]

Probably just ashamed to show up after declaring Canada and aranda elite to the point where Ed O would be good

Canada and Aranda are elite. LSU is losing because they are talent deficient on the OL and DL. Their turmoil with Miles is finally catching up with them. O better get back to recruiting heavily upfront in this coming class and the next

[Homedawg]

Leo's play has been the biggest disappointment of the year..

[Political Hack]

Good assessment. Hard to disagree with much of that right now.

Get to Bama 7-2! That's the goal but we've got some tough games. I also think the "easy" games might not be so easy with us being so one dimensional. We should win, but people know how to play us now.

[msstate7]

Canada and Aranda are elite. LSU is losing because they are talent deficient on the OL and DL. Their turmoil with Miles is finally catching up with them. O better get back to recruiting heavily upfront in this coming class and the next

Canada was fired from nc state 2 years ago. I don?t think elite guys get fired from mid-tier acc schools.

Aranda is good, no doubt. Wisconsin hasn?t missed a beat since he left though. Who wouldn?t have been good with white, Adams, Riley, beckwith, and godchaux all handed to hit in their last college season? Oh and key also, who is still there. I think aranda is good, not elite

[msstate7]

Leo's play has been the biggest disappointment of the year..

Has to be. The only impact play he?s had this year was in the offseason wearing the 39 jersey

[Barking 13]

16. fitz is throwing into coverage way too often (gray) when a TE is wide open.. Saw it at least 5 times in the last two games

[Commercecomet24]

Has to be. The only impact play he?s had this year was in the offseason wearing the 39 jersey

I wonder if all this ncaa stuff , lawsuits and all the crap surrounding it are weighing on him some.

[msstate7]

I wonder if all this ncaa stuff , lawsuits and all the crap surrounding it are weighing on him some.

I?m sure it has. He has to find a way to get right though

[Commercecomet24]

I?m sure it has. He has to find a way to get right though

Agree on that. He?s 20 and at that age I think most of us would be a little messed up by this.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

Leo's play has been the biggest disappointment of the year..

He does look a bit off, but willing to give him a pass.

And Logan Cooke. I don't know his average, but he was expected to be a weapon and hasn't been what we've needed. It seems worse early in games when we're fighting for field position.

[Coach34]

Canada was fired from nc state 2 years ago. I don?t think elite guys get fired from mid-tier acc schools.

Aranda is good, no doubt. Wisconsin hasn?t missed a beat since he left though. Who wouldn?t have been good with white, Adams, Riley, beckwith, and godchaux all handed to hit in their last college season? Oh and key also, who is still there. I think aranda is good, not elite

people get fired for all kinds of reasons. Canada and Aranda are considered top coordinators by everyone.

[State82]

Leo's play has been the biggest disappointment of the year..

If you were ever involved in a frivolous, bullshit lawsuit you would understand.

[PMDawg]

Things we have learned so far this season:

1. State is who many of us thought we were coming into the season. Good QB, good RB's, an average OL, and sub-par WR's on offense and an improved Run D with lots of questions in the Secondary. These 5 games have all but solidified that stance.

2. #13 and I talked at length on the 2017 schedule podcast about how coming out of September 3-2 was a win for us. It still is. Heading into the bye week with 3 wins was paramount for us and we did that. It sets us up to get healthier and improve some problem areas for this stretch of BYU, Kentucky, @A&M, and UMass. It's a winnable 4 game stretch that could get us to 7-2 before the Bama loss. 7-3 with 2 games to go is the ideal place to be for us THIS season.

3. Having Myles out of the WR rotation really makes this group look bad. A few of us on here before the season randomly suggested that our WR's were one of the worst groups in the SEC talent-wise. Nothing has emerged to change that viewpoint.

4. Reese got an education in college football the last 2 weeks. Hang in there young man. It wont always be this overwhelming. Jenkins also learned that playing Center is an adjustment. Eiland is not ready to play at all- last night's SEC welcome was brutal. Phillips will get the same indoctrination next season after he redshirts. Need alot of growth at the OT position by next year. Center and OG will be a strength for us in 2018 though.

5. Fitz is completing 53% of his passes and throwing for 156/game so far this season. 8 TD's and 5 picks. Some people suggested he could be a little better this year but his stats take a step back due to new guys on the OL and our decline at WR. This is certainly the case so far. He has some stat-building defenses coming on the horizon though, so look for the numbers to improve some. Need Myles back by Kentucky for sure because that is going to be a physical showdown.

6. Fitz's carries per game are down 4 from 2016's 15 to 11 in 2017. Aeris is carrying more of the load so far with 73 carries in 5 games. Something to watch moving forward. While Fitz scaling back only means about 25 yards per game less rushing for him- it's 4 less chances of him housing one also. Maybe that is what Mullen sells to the dual-threat guys. We run you more early as you transition and learn to be a complete QB.

7. Watch to see if Hill gets more carries coming out of the bye week. He basically only runs the inside zone play right now when he comes in. Maybe we can teach him a 2nd or 3rd play by the time we take the field vs BYU. Off weeks are good to get back-ups more reps while the starters rest

8. Our DL is the best part of our defense, but we need Cory Thomas back asap. He is a starter plus would give some depth back to the DL

9. LB's have been a little disappointing lately. Leo isn't hitting the gaps he needs to fill on some of the zone plays inside. Got to improve there. Harris is putting up decent numbers but lacks a little speed-wise especially in coverage. Gray and McLaurin are having to make way too many tackles.

10. Our Secondary continues to be bad. Too many trick plays given up by a veteran group of guys. The wheel route to LSU, the flea-flicker to Georgia, and the 2 long passes from Auburn. Really veteran group coached by two good coaches and they arent getting it done. Has to improve.

11. So much for the "Kirby Smart cant coach" and the "Malzahn offense doesnt scare me" mantras. Kirby took over a young team last year. All he has done is recruit well and make them better. He will continue to do so. Anybody thinking Auburn would tank this year simply doesnt pay attention to talent. They returned too much and then added a quality player at QB. Stidham will continue to get better each week after sitting out last year. Too talented not to. I also mentioned in the podcast's about Mullen struggling vs 3-4 defensive teams. 13 points the last 2 weeks. We play more 3-4 D's coming up

12. Dont look now- but Kentucky is 4th in the SEC in Scoring D and 2nd against the rush. Something to watch in 3 weeks when they come to Sville.

13. Another problem we face is that A&M gets the week off before playing us at home. Lots of time to scheme on D and to get a young QB comfortable with a gameplan.

14. Kudos to Saban for letting his back-ups run their offense and not just kneeling on the ball in the 4th Q. Playing "Money for Nothing" over the stadium's soundsystem was savage. OM's D is awful isn't going to get any better. McGriff's "stop any offense" D needs some tweaking it looks like.

15. I said 7-5 before the season and see no reason to change that now. That LSU win could give us that 8-4 bump but until we throw the ball better, it's going to be tough to win on the road in the SEC. UPig and A&M both have been pretty good against the run so far.

HailState!

TL;DR version: Thank God for these two blowout losses so I can finally come back and stroke my own ego!

[msstate7]

TL;DR version: Thank God for these two blowout losses so I can finally come back and stroke my own ego!

+1

[KentuckyDawg13]

No doubt.

[Coach34]

Dang at the whining women. It's bad when the truth hurts people's feelings

I also talked about a possible 4 game win streak coming up. Make sure and read the whole thing next time, not just the part that hurts your feelings

[Liverpooldawg]

Things we have learned so far this season:

1. State is who many of us thought we were coming into the season. Good QB, good RB's, an average OL, and sub-par WR's on offense and an improved Run D with lots of questions in the Secondary. These 5 games have all but solidified that stance.

2. #13 and I talked at length on the 2017 schedule podcast about how coming out of September 3-2 was a win for us. It still is. Heading into the bye week with 3 wins was paramount for us and we did that. It sets us up to get healthier and improve some problem areas for this stretch of BYU, Kentucky, @A&M, and UMass. It's a winnable 4 game stretch that could get us to 7-2 before the Bama loss. 7-3 with 2 games to go is the ideal place to be for us THIS season.

3. Having Myles out of the WR rotation really makes this group look bad. A few of us on here before the season randomly suggested that our WR's were one of the worst groups in the SEC talent-wise. Nothing has emerged to change that viewpoint.

4. Reese got an education in college football the last 2 weeks. Hang in there young man. It wont always be this overwhelming. Jenkins also learned that playing Center is an adjustment. Eiland is not ready to play at all- last night's SEC welcome was brutal. Phillips will get the same indoctrination next season after he redshirts. Need alot of growth at the OT position by next year. Center and OG will be a strength for us in 2018 though.

5. Fitz is completing 53% of his passes and throwing for 156/game so far this season. 8 TD's and 5 picks. Some people suggested he could be a little better this year but his stats take a step back due to new guys on the OL and our decline at WR. This is certainly the case so far. He has some stat-building defenses coming on the horizon though, so look for the numbers to improve some. Need Myles back by Kentucky for sure because that is going to be a physical showdown.

6. Fitz's carries per game are down 4 from 2016's 15 to 11 in 2017. Aeris is carrying more of the load so far with 73 carries in 5 games. Something to watch moving forward. While Fitz scaling back only means about 25 yards per game less rushing for him- it's 4 less chances of him housing one also. Maybe that is what Mullen sells to the dual-threat guys. We run you more early as you transition and learn to be a complete QB.

7. Watch to see if Hill gets more carries coming out of the bye week. He basically only runs the inside zone play right now when he comes in. Maybe we can teach him a 2nd or 3rd play by the time we take the field vs BYU. Off weeks are good to get back-ups more reps while the starters rest

8. Our DL is the best part of our defense, but we need Cory Thomas back asap. He is a starter plus would give some depth back to the DL

9. LB's have been a little disappointing lately. Leo isn't hitting the gaps he needs to fill on some of the zone plays inside. Got to improve there. Harris is putting up decent numbers but lacks a little speed-wise especially in coverage. Gray and McLaurin are having to make way too many tackles.

10. Our Secondary continues to be bad. Too many trick plays given up by a veteran group of guys. The wheel route to LSU, the flea-flicker to Georgia, and the 2 long passes from Auburn. Really veteran group coached by two good coaches and they arent getting it done. Has to improve.

11. So much for the "Kirby Smart cant coach" and the "Malzahn offense doesnt scare me" mantras. Kirby took over a young team last year. All he has done is recruit well and make them better. He will continue to do so. Anybody thinking Auburn would tank this year simply doesnt pay attention to talent. They returned too much and then added a quality player at QB. Stidham will continue to get better each week after sitting out last year. Too talented not to. I also mentioned in the podcast's about Mullen struggling vs 3-4 defensive teams. 13 points the last 2 weeks. We play more 3-4 D's coming up

12. Dont look now- but Kentucky is 4th in the SEC in Scoring D and 2nd against the rush. Something to watch in 3 weeks when they come to Sville.

13. Another problem we face is that A&M gets the week off before playing us at home. Lots of time to scheme on D and to get a young QB comfortable with a gameplan.

14. Kudos to Saban for letting his back-ups run their offense and not just kneeling on the ball in the 4th Q. Playing "Money for Nothing" over the stadium's soundsystem was savage. OM's D is awful isn't going to get any better. McGriff's "stop any offense" D needs some tweaking it looks like.

15. I said 7-5 before the season and see no reason to change that now. That LSU win could give us that 8-4 bump but until we throw the ball better, it's going to be tough to win on the road in the SEC. UPig and A&M both have been pretty good against the run so far.

HailState!

One of your better assessments. Props to you.

[tcdog70]

too much to overcome
1. OL is weak and then lose 55
2. DBs can't cover
3. 7 false starts--10 yards is a struggle 15 yards are drive killers
4- at least 7 dropped passes one resulted in a pick 6
5-numerous ref-17 ups.-cost us a TD and a safety. 18 gets almost knocked out and they say no- targeting--shitty. bad pass interference call and a couple of piss poor no calls against us. we would have still lost
6.Nick has to run the football--
7 wrs cannot get separation. must throw to 17 he might catch it, nobody else could..
8. bad play calling and once again a failed fake punt--have we ever been successful?
9. 4th and 2 in Auburn end and we punt into the end zone--double shitty. WTF-Dan try to win.