Well, Saturday was depressing, but it happens. We weren’t “not ready.” We took it to them from the opening kickoff and held them to FGs early. As the game wore on, we couldn’t control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball, and we made ridiculously dumb penalties.
· We missed a sure TD down 9-7
· We held them the next possession, forcing a punt, about the get the ball back down 9-7, before the leaping penalty. They’re punting it to us with 5:08 to go from their 31. We stand to get good field position.
· We completely screw up the end of the half. Kirby admitted as such. But, we were certain we couldn’t block Holland and were fearing a sack. Then we missed the kick.
· Alas, our D goes 3 and out to start the 2nd half and Mecole muffs the punt at our 23.
Boys, You can say all you want about how we lost composure or the crowd got to us or we got man-handled up front. Maybe all 3 of those things happened. Maybe it all worked together. But, had auburn missed a FG, given us 2 free possessions from our punts, and mis-fired on their long TD pass. It would have been a different game. They executed. We didn’t. It ain’t rocket science. Once it got 23-7, that’s when the place got rockin’, but it was mighty quiet after Nick scored early, and it would have been quiet if Ridley was running across the goal-line. And maybe we wouldn’t have started to feel like we’ve got to make those plays.
There is no ‘annual egg-laying.’ We have put a number on Auburn a few times in the last 12 years in kind of inexplicable ways. 2011 and 2014 come to mind. Both of those at home when things got sideways and the crowd got pumping. Ohio St. got one handed to them in Iowa City. It’s college football.
I do think we saw some deficiencies on the OL that is mostly about youth. We do still start 2 freshman, and the entire right side of the line will start as juniors the next time we’re in Jordan-Hare. We do have a freshman QB. He wasn’t the problem, but he didn’t look like a wiley veteran. It reminded me of Zeier in Tuscaloosa in ’91 when we lost 10-0. He got slung around that night and so did Jake on Saturday. Z rebounded and so will Jake. To me, that’s who Jake reminds me most of. And, for my money, Murray and Zeier were the best 2 we ever had.
We didn’t tackle well, but it’ll get fixed. We’ll win the next 2 and see where we’re at. Win the next 3 and we’re in. 15-0 would have been sweet, but I’ve always said I want to get to the Benz 11-1. That’s all the ever really matters. Even if we’d have won, we’d be in a stretch to make the 4 while losing in Atlanta. Bama in. ACC champ in. OU prob. In. Wisky in if they win. Or, would they put us in over Big 10 champ OSU? Or, would we get the nod over Miami if they lost to Clemson seeings as how they curb-stomped the team we beat by 1? Winning ATL is the only sure way.
What do we want? We want the Cocks to beat Clemson and Clemson win the ACC. Then, we got to N.O. if we win. And I want Bama. I think we’re a better match-up with them, and I also think we’ve got to climb that mountain at some point. Might as well be now.
Go Dawgs!
Beat Kentucky!
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