Alright, we’ve got a barnburner potential on our hands tomorrow…so how do we avoid the same result as last year? Well, for starters…
I agree with the sentiment. We shot ourselves in the foot too often and too quickly last year, which lead to the hole we were in in the first half. Avoiding costly turnovers and letting Thorson do his job would help. Alabama can throw forty-yarders to receivers, but when they’re starting from our 40 versus their 10, it makes a world of difference.
Another thing that can flip the field, literally, is Sanford itself.
Another Red and Black piece, so be warned, though I agree with their selections. Going to Alabama, at night, was not optimal. We likewise have to make Sanford as big of a factor as possible on Saturday night, especially if it’s raining at all (fingers crossed for good weather)…but if it is raining, does that factor better for us, or them? Alabama is heavily reliant on the pass, so it could work out to be an advantage. Just ask a Tennessee fan.
One last thing…
You know what will make Daylen, or anyone else in the secondary, for that matter, have an easier time Saturday night? Let’s try influencing Simpson…while the eyes will be on the secondary, what’s happening across the front? A shutdown corner is rare to find, but having one in the midst of a weakened front is harder. Hopefully, Simpson leaves Sanford with a filthy jersey and some Dooley field turf still stuck in his helmet. Speaking of, I’d love to see a lot more of this on Saturday…
What do you think are the keys to the game?
Go Dawgs!
If we can’t get pressure on the QB we are all going to need a lot of Tums and bourbon even in victory because it’s going to be a nail biter. If we don’t let him sit back there and survey the field, then I think we win handily. In the NC years, we were not all world in sacks, but they collapsed the pocket and got the QB out of rhythm and off his mark. A sack at the end would be nice but just make him have to constantly speed up the clock in his head and we will be fine. I suspect that all our DBs that have been drafted high in the last few years should send some of their NFL paychecks to all those DL and LB that made that happen in the last few years. They may have been good but those guys pressuring the QB made them great.
Turnovers. I’ll take a 0, just not a minus.
1)We need explosive offensive plays in bunches; likewise we have to limit ‘Bama explosives and make them sustain drives.
2) To attain #1 we have to somehow contain their QB in the pocket. While often a chucklehead against everybody else, the (thankfully) departed Milroe ate us alive. We can’t afford Simpson to run free in that manner.
Blocking, tackling and turnovers. Football is a simple game, execute and you win.
Let’s start by not immediately going down 14-21 points this time around. No slow start.
I’m getting older and cant remember quite like I once did but I don’t remember Jam Miller being all that big of a deal last year. It’s weird to me that he’s being talked about so much. I remember last year being Milroe right, Milroe left, and our offense just not being able to do anything for an entire half. Jam Miller is welcome to show up as far as Im concerned as long as Milroe isnt with him.
For all the talk about “We ain’t got no pass rush, Paaaaaaaaaaawl!” what seems to get ignored is how quickly quarterbacks are getting rid of the ball against us. We heard this same complaint last season and then we went to Austin and suddenly the pass rush showed up because Quin Ewers was a statue in the pocket.
Yeah…opposing QBs have been taking the snap and snapping the ball…hard to defend that if the guy is in the groove and throwing darts. That’s a growing problem for defenses..the down side of that is “more throws, more picks, more drops and more misses”…as things even out over a whole game. Tennessee took us to the woodshed in the first quarter doing it.
When new words are added to the (any of) dictionary for 2025, “Paawwwwwwl” needs to be one of them.