It started in pregame warmup

[bandmaster]

My experience is that practice does not make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect in any activity. With this in mind, I have been coming for years to see the pregame drills that begin about 45 minutes before kickoff. I find the result of the game is usually readily apparent on the offensive side of the ball by watching the pregame practice drills.

Tonight was a good match between practice and performance.

Reggie was not sharp pregame with both short hops and overthrows, I saw passes dropped, and the receivers ran sloppy routes. Reggie also watched each receiver all the way, just as he did the entire game (AJ did this almost the entire year last year). This just irritates the heck out of me, even for a freshman - it has to show up on tape. Practice looking off the safety and then do it in the game. Otherwise we throw into double or at least tight coverage every time. The one touchdown we should have had early was foiled because the corner came off another receiver by following Reggie's eyes to the intended target in the end zone.

In Reggie's defense, I have no explanation for the horse-whipping we took on both lines. It was UGLY.

He was running for his life the entire game and he got frustrated. I doubt Whitehurst had more than a small stain on his jersey. They just flat took our linebackers out the game with their scheme. Hats off to baby Bowden - they ate our lunch.

and finally WHY NO SHOTGUN?!?!? It was not like they could forget it with Clemson killing us with it the entire night

Poor special teams, offense and defense. Beaten at the skill positions and on the line. 39-3 was a pretty accurate picture of the game.

Thank heaven next week is Vandy, but if we play like this again, we are toast against anyone.

 

[bizzybee]

For one thing, we desperately need someone who can be innovative on O and someone who can coach qb. Looking off receivers is so basic.

Can we cover anybody downfield?

 

[bizzybee]

I mean innovative playcalling. This vanilla offense will not cut it against average to good teams.

 

[bandmaster]

Can we cover anyone downfield? On base go routes, generally yes. On crossing routes or bunched up receivers, not consistently. We were actually fortunate they didn't hit all the open recievers or it would have been worse. There were at least 3 TDs they missed, including the drop in the end zone early. With Clemson's receivers, I doubt many teams will stop them if Whitehurst is given the time to throw we gave him. Frankly, it took their own coach to stop them in the first game against UGA by trying to run it. To their credit, they basically made no effort to run tonight.

 

[texstinger]

The O line plays without heart and fire. They are weak and not aggressive. After that it makes no difference whatsovever if you call a run or pass play.

 

[gnats67]

Slightly disheartening assessment. I'd say we showed up ill prepared for this game. Do the coaches put the gloves on after a good couple of performances or take them off? I hope 39-3 will fill in a few of the blanks. We have the potential but we're way off the mark.