Game Balls
I didn't get to this Saturday but didn't want to overlook it, either, so here are the five guys I'd give them to:
1. Kyle Allen: 10-13, 162 yards, 3 TDs and was surgical in taking Ball State apart. That's what A&M's been looking for. Looked really good throwing on the run or out of the pocket (more on that in a bit). Very impressive overall in a short, effective stint.
2. Devante Harris: First career pick six. More importantly, he's played strong in coverage and doing a great job when passes come his way. He had a couple of breakups against ASU and had one right before his pick six Saturday.
3. Christian Kirk: This kid is two games into his career and he's probably already one of the top 5 special teams/offensive threats in the nation. He keeps this up and he's an All-American. The big one, not the freshman one.
4. Kwame Etwi: The Aggies were short-handed Saturday night at running back and Etwi came through in a huge way, becoming the first A&M back to run for more than 100 yards this season. He's fast and elusive and he may have made it so that the Aggies AREN'T shorthanded when they have to go to him.
5. Alonzo Williams: It may not show up in the stat sheet (3 tackles), but for the second consecutive game Williams led the defensive tackles in hammering interior of the opposing team's offensive line and shutting down the running game. After picking up 74 yards in two carries, BSU managed just a little more than 20 yards total offense the rest of the first half. Williams blew up BSU's first attempt inside the one and re-established the tone for the defense. He's off to a fine start to 2015.
Something in the passing game I like
Just did some digging and came up with this stat: since coming back into the game against ASU in the 4th quarter, Kyle Allen is 16-19 for 272 yards and 4 TDs. Of course, since that time they've been able to keep him largely upright. One thing they did a lot of this weekend (and a bit vs. ASU) was roll the pocket to buy Allen some more time. It also clears throwing lanes, but that's not as relevant for Allen as it would be for, say, Kyler or Tate Martell. This weekend, Allen used it to his advantage, hitting RSJ for a couple of big receptions and the score to Jeremy Tabuyo. If he's comfortable throwing on the move like that (and he sure looked like it Saturday), that opens up an entirely new dimension to the offense that defenses may not have thought about. Accurate or not, Allen is labeled by most opponents as a pure pocket passer and they try to attack the Aggie interior line to get him. If he's rolling out, then they've eliminated that threat and have given him a second or two more to scan the field. That's an eternity in football. And, if if the other guys have blitzed up the gut, then you're going to have man coverage that one of the four wideouts will almost certainly exploit.
Anyway, something I found interesting.
Meanwhile, on the ground...
The Aggies averaged 5.5 YPC Saturday night and ran for 270 yards. Tra Carson didn't touch the ball after the middle of the 2nd quarter and was on his way to well over 100 yards rushing when he got pulled. There were a lot of big holes to run through and the offensive line (1s at least) were much more physical. They've got a long, long way to go, but there was visible improvement.
How good is Christian Kirk?
I asked Kyle Allen that after the game. He told us this: "Spav says that, if you think Christian can get some yards, I have no problem with you checking a play to him."
In other words, if the kid in his second game can get open, change the offense. Of course, you would never know it's his second game, because he gets everything so well. His work ethic is already well-knowon across the conference, and he's been a college student for...oh, seven months. Crazy.
What's with Speedy?
I saw the question pop up again Saturday, so here's what I know. I know he's playing, a good bit. I also know he's not starting, regardless of what the Kyle Field scoreboard says. Allen isn't targeting him. He's looking at Kirk first, RSJ second and Reynolds third (which is amazing, because he's been at his best previously looking at Reynolds first). Kyler DOES target him. A lot. NOTE FOR CLARIFICATION: This does not mean Allen is freezing Speedy out. That is not how he plays. He has three other targets he's more comfortable with right now.
So why isn't he starting? I have no concrete info on that and nobody's talking. But do remember that Speedy was suspended for the last two weeks of spring practice for disciplinary issues, and he refused to apologize to either the rec person he yelled at or Sumlin. This could be a battle of wills -- and secure head coaches don't lose those.
Thanks for nothing, guys
This was a crappy week for the SEC. Embarrassing may be selling it short. Toledo beats Arkansas, Auburn beats Jacksonville State in OT and Tennessee gags away a win against a loudmouthed and seriously overrated OU team.
Net result: the conference of champions looks average. Thanks for that. But you know who loves it (quietly)? Texas A&M. Well, at least the first two. Nobody likes that goat-BLEEP in Knoxville. (ANOTHER NOTE FOR CLARIFICATION: We're talking about the end result, a UT loss when they blew a 14-point lead in the 4th. It's not calling Butch Jones an abuser of sheep.)
First, we see the prescience of the AY reader, who repeatedly wondered why the heck Auburn was a top 10 team and A&M was unranked. The excuses were Will Muschamp (outdone by John Chavis demonstrably to date), Gus Malzhan's offensive brilliance (see Sumlin, Kevin) and Jeremy Johnson being a Heisman candidate (he currently has a 3:5 TD:INT ratio; Allen sits at 5:1).
Yeah, whatever. Jacksonville State was a real punt away from beating them at Jordan Hare. Auburn's defense has NOT improved to date; JSU picked their secondary apart Saturday. Johnson looks frequently clueless and their running game has been very average. The change in offensive scheme has not been good so far. LSU is up next for Auburn and that could send the Tigers into a tailspin.
The tailspin may have already started at Arkansas, where they picked up 560 yards of offense and only managed 10 points. They were sloppy, scored once on 5 redzone trips and had 9 penalties for 85 yards. On the plus side, the Hogs can note their offensive production, that Brandon Allen threw for 412 yards, the fact that they only gave up 16 points -- but they lost. To TOLEDO.
Here's a bigger problem for Arkansas: they've got that super line that is supposed to chew people up in a run-first offense. They want to run the ball and stop the run. They can't run. Alex Collins had 20 carries for 54 yards Saturday, and had a long of 21. In other words, he had 19 carries for 33 yards the rest of the game. If Arkansas is one-dimensional -- and Keon Hatcher was lost for at least six weeks, depriving them of their best wideout -- that means Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall will get turned loose.
Oh, and I hate you so much right now, Butch Jones.
Huh
When Dino Babers was the OC at A&M, he was terrified of the forward pass. He was replaced by Kevin Sumlin three games into the 2002 season and the Aggies promptly started throwing it all over the joint. Now the coach at Bowling Green, Babers has become an "offensive genius" with a run-and-gun pass first offense.
Wonder where he got that?
SEC power rankings
1. Alabama. It's real close between the top 3.
2. A&M. ASU's dud this weekend costs them.
3. Ole Miss. That Nick Toth defense sure looked great. FOR THEM TO EAT ALIVE
4. UGA. Now the unquestioned favorite out east.
5. LSU. Beat Mississippi State in Starkville, which is never easy.
6. Mizzou. Played like crap against Arkansas State. But everyone after the top 5 played like crap.
7. Kentucky. Enjoy it. You'll never be this high again.
8. Auburn. JACKSONVILLE STATE? YOU'RE OFF THE TEAM!
9. Florida. Played like crap against East Carolina. At least it's an FBS team.
10. Mississippi State. Rough one to lose. Also not very good.
11. Tennessee. Screw you guys.
12. Arkansas. TOLEDO? ALSO OFF THE TEAM
13. South Carolina. OBC has a team that is BAD.
14. Vanderbilt. Who else?
A note of congratulations
To one Matthew Davis, a good friend of this space. He has single-handedly pulled SMU out of the Bottom 10 for the first time...well, since we started it on here.
The Bottom 10
10. Louisville (0-2): Should Bobby Petrino's entrance music be "Born to be Wild" or "Girls Girls Girls" by Motley Crue? With the motorcycles revving up at the start of the latter, I'm going that way. Oh, and your team sucks, Bobby.
9. Arkansas (1-1): TOLEDO
8. UTEP (0-2): Has been outscored 117-33. That's an average of 56-17 (or thereabouts).
7. Akron (0-2): Has scored 10 points total in two games.
6. Texas (1-1): Rice shoved the ball down your throat. No gift points and you lose.
5. Vanderbilt (0-2): Poor guys are permanent residents.
4. Kansas (0-2): Coach Beaty may go 0-12. That sucks.
3. Idaho (0-2): Outscored 104-37. Lawdy.
2. Tulane (0-2): Making a big push for numero uno. Outscored 102-17 to date.
1. Wyoming (0-2). Losing two is bad enough. But losing one to North Dakota? Not North Dakota State, NORTH DAKOTA. An FCS team known for its hockey program.
I didn't get to this Saturday but didn't want to overlook it, either, so here are the five guys I'd give them to:
1. Kyle Allen: 10-13, 162 yards, 3 TDs and was surgical in taking Ball State apart. That's what A&M's been looking for. Looked really good throwing on the run or out of the pocket (more on that in a bit). Very impressive overall in a short, effective stint.
2. Devante Harris: First career pick six. More importantly, he's played strong in coverage and doing a great job when passes come his way. He had a couple of breakups against ASU and had one right before his pick six Saturday.
3. Christian Kirk: This kid is two games into his career and he's probably already one of the top 5 special teams/offensive threats in the nation. He keeps this up and he's an All-American. The big one, not the freshman one.
4. Kwame Etwi: The Aggies were short-handed Saturday night at running back and Etwi came through in a huge way, becoming the first A&M back to run for more than 100 yards this season. He's fast and elusive and he may have made it so that the Aggies AREN'T shorthanded when they have to go to him.
5. Alonzo Williams: It may not show up in the stat sheet (3 tackles), but for the second consecutive game Williams led the defensive tackles in hammering interior of the opposing team's offensive line and shutting down the running game. After picking up 74 yards in two carries, BSU managed just a little more than 20 yards total offense the rest of the first half. Williams blew up BSU's first attempt inside the one and re-established the tone for the defense. He's off to a fine start to 2015.
Something in the passing game I like
Just did some digging and came up with this stat: since coming back into the game against ASU in the 4th quarter, Kyle Allen is 16-19 for 272 yards and 4 TDs. Of course, since that time they've been able to keep him largely upright. One thing they did a lot of this weekend (and a bit vs. ASU) was roll the pocket to buy Allen some more time. It also clears throwing lanes, but that's not as relevant for Allen as it would be for, say, Kyler or Tate Martell. This weekend, Allen used it to his advantage, hitting RSJ for a couple of big receptions and the score to Jeremy Tabuyo. If he's comfortable throwing on the move like that (and he sure looked like it Saturday), that opens up an entirely new dimension to the offense that defenses may not have thought about. Accurate or not, Allen is labeled by most opponents as a pure pocket passer and they try to attack the Aggie interior line to get him. If he's rolling out, then they've eliminated that threat and have given him a second or two more to scan the field. That's an eternity in football. And, if if the other guys have blitzed up the gut, then you're going to have man coverage that one of the four wideouts will almost certainly exploit.
Anyway, something I found interesting.
Meanwhile, on the ground...
The Aggies averaged 5.5 YPC Saturday night and ran for 270 yards. Tra Carson didn't touch the ball after the middle of the 2nd quarter and was on his way to well over 100 yards rushing when he got pulled. There were a lot of big holes to run through and the offensive line (1s at least) were much more physical. They've got a long, long way to go, but there was visible improvement.
How good is Christian Kirk?
I asked Kyle Allen that after the game. He told us this: "Spav says that, if you think Christian can get some yards, I have no problem with you checking a play to him."
In other words, if the kid in his second game can get open, change the offense. Of course, you would never know it's his second game, because he gets everything so well. His work ethic is already well-knowon across the conference, and he's been a college student for...oh, seven months. Crazy.
What's with Speedy?
I saw the question pop up again Saturday, so here's what I know. I know he's playing, a good bit. I also know he's not starting, regardless of what the Kyle Field scoreboard says. Allen isn't targeting him. He's looking at Kirk first, RSJ second and Reynolds third (which is amazing, because he's been at his best previously looking at Reynolds first). Kyler DOES target him. A lot. NOTE FOR CLARIFICATION: This does not mean Allen is freezing Speedy out. That is not how he plays. He has three other targets he's more comfortable with right now.
So why isn't he starting? I have no concrete info on that and nobody's talking. But do remember that Speedy was suspended for the last two weeks of spring practice for disciplinary issues, and he refused to apologize to either the rec person he yelled at or Sumlin. This could be a battle of wills -- and secure head coaches don't lose those.
Thanks for nothing, guys
This was a crappy week for the SEC. Embarrassing may be selling it short. Toledo beats Arkansas, Auburn beats Jacksonville State in OT and Tennessee gags away a win against a loudmouthed and seriously overrated OU team.
Net result: the conference of champions looks average. Thanks for that. But you know who loves it (quietly)? Texas A&M. Well, at least the first two. Nobody likes that goat-BLEEP in Knoxville. (ANOTHER NOTE FOR CLARIFICATION: We're talking about the end result, a UT loss when they blew a 14-point lead in the 4th. It's not calling Butch Jones an abuser of sheep.)
First, we see the prescience of the AY reader, who repeatedly wondered why the heck Auburn was a top 10 team and A&M was unranked. The excuses were Will Muschamp (outdone by John Chavis demonstrably to date), Gus Malzhan's offensive brilliance (see Sumlin, Kevin) and Jeremy Johnson being a Heisman candidate (he currently has a 3:5 TD:INT ratio; Allen sits at 5:1).
Yeah, whatever. Jacksonville State was a real punt away from beating them at Jordan Hare. Auburn's defense has NOT improved to date; JSU picked their secondary apart Saturday. Johnson looks frequently clueless and their running game has been very average. The change in offensive scheme has not been good so far. LSU is up next for Auburn and that could send the Tigers into a tailspin.
The tailspin may have already started at Arkansas, where they picked up 560 yards of offense and only managed 10 points. They were sloppy, scored once on 5 redzone trips and had 9 penalties for 85 yards. On the plus side, the Hogs can note their offensive production, that Brandon Allen threw for 412 yards, the fact that they only gave up 16 points -- but they lost. To TOLEDO.
Here's a bigger problem for Arkansas: they've got that super line that is supposed to chew people up in a run-first offense. They want to run the ball and stop the run. They can't run. Alex Collins had 20 carries for 54 yards Saturday, and had a long of 21. In other words, he had 19 carries for 33 yards the rest of the game. If Arkansas is one-dimensional -- and Keon Hatcher was lost for at least six weeks, depriving them of their best wideout -- that means Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall will get turned loose.
Oh, and I hate you so much right now, Butch Jones.
Huh
When Dino Babers was the OC at A&M, he was terrified of the forward pass. He was replaced by Kevin Sumlin three games into the 2002 season and the Aggies promptly started throwing it all over the joint. Now the coach at Bowling Green, Babers has become an "offensive genius" with a run-and-gun pass first offense.
Wonder where he got that?
SEC power rankings
1. Alabama. It's real close between the top 3.
2. A&M. ASU's dud this weekend costs them.
3. Ole Miss. That Nick Toth defense sure looked great. FOR THEM TO EAT ALIVE
4. UGA. Now the unquestioned favorite out east.
5. LSU. Beat Mississippi State in Starkville, which is never easy.
6. Mizzou. Played like crap against Arkansas State. But everyone after the top 5 played like crap.
7. Kentucky. Enjoy it. You'll never be this high again.
8. Auburn. JACKSONVILLE STATE? YOU'RE OFF THE TEAM!
9. Florida. Played like crap against East Carolina. At least it's an FBS team.
10. Mississippi State. Rough one to lose. Also not very good.
11. Tennessee. Screw you guys.
12. Arkansas. TOLEDO? ALSO OFF THE TEAM
13. South Carolina. OBC has a team that is BAD.
14. Vanderbilt. Who else?
A note of congratulations
To one Matthew Davis, a good friend of this space. He has single-handedly pulled SMU out of the Bottom 10 for the first time...well, since we started it on here.
The Bottom 10
10. Louisville (0-2): Should Bobby Petrino's entrance music be "Born to be Wild" or "Girls Girls Girls" by Motley Crue? With the motorcycles revving up at the start of the latter, I'm going that way. Oh, and your team sucks, Bobby.
9. Arkansas (1-1): TOLEDO
8. UTEP (0-2): Has been outscored 117-33. That's an average of 56-17 (or thereabouts).
7. Akron (0-2): Has scored 10 points total in two games.
6. Texas (1-1): Rice shoved the ball down your throat. No gift points and you lose.
5. Vanderbilt (0-2): Poor guys are permanent residents.
4. Kansas (0-2): Coach Beaty may go 0-12. That sucks.
3. Idaho (0-2): Outscored 104-37. Lawdy.
2. Tulane (0-2): Making a big push for numero uno. Outscored 102-17 to date.
1. Wyoming (0-2). Losing two is bad enough. But losing one to North Dakota? Not North Dakota State, NORTH DAKOTA. An FCS team known for its hockey program.
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