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Why we lost...from an offensive perspective....
MinnesotaDawg
Posts: 552 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
There are a number of individual plays that, if they had gone a different way, would have won us the game. The most important, IMO, being the missed FG. However, I want to bring up a strategic decision that cost us.
We scored our final point with 28 game minutes left to play. Big problem. So what happened?
From my observations at the game, Alabama took a very risky, but necessary approach after that final UGA TD (given the score and how Georgia was systematically moving the ball). Until they tied the game, Bama started single-covering ALL our WRs for the majority of our offensive snaps....and over-covering the short routes. In our attempt to protect the lead and grind down clock with running game and short passes, we ignored countless opportunities to throw the ball down the field for big (possibly game -ending, certainly momentum swinging) plays. Essentially, Alabama sold out and we never made them pay. Considering how Fromm was spinning the ball, this seemed a like a huge lost opportunity...even at the time.
Instead, we decide to finally take a chance AFTER the game is tied on a 4th and 11 fake punt. Too late and NOT smart. If that fake was truly available, we should have used it on the 3 or 4 other times in the game that we had 4th and SHORT with ball around mid-field.
Comments
Interesting. I'm certainly not qualified to counter any of your arguments, but I think there are a few folks on here well enough versed in the Xs and Os that might could. I'd be curious what others think.
I'd have to go back and watch, I'll get around to it eventually, but off the top of my head bama was bringing WAY more pressure on Fromm in the second half. They weren't letting him have much time to attempt shots down field.
I noticed this as well. It is why I have a problem with taking the foot off the gas. Jake was hitting those contested passes all day long so, why stop doing it? Totally agree. Got to keep the aggressive mentality on in that situation.
Foot off the gas mentality. Cost us the Natty this year and next year. Scored only 7 points in the second half. I don't believe Georgia capitalized on the two turnovers as well. That hurt big time. Eerily similar second half stats with the National Championship game as well. And the Falcons/NE Superbowl. All three games, each team has only scored 7 points in the 3rd quarter.
Something in the Georgia water, I think.
We stopped scoring in the second half, that has been a pattern in our losses to Bama.
Our staff had a brilliant game plan, but Bama's staff made better adjustments.
Besides the obvious special teams disasters, two plays stick out upon rewatch:
Swift tried to juke on a third down after the interception and didn’t convert.
Fromm sliding before crossing the yellow marker and not converting. A defender was coming but one or stop more steps could’ve been the difference maker.
I certainly understand where you are coming from @MinnesotaDawg and I'm not suggesting that you are wrong (I watch UGA football for pure pleasure and never break down tape - but obviously you pick up certain things just watching). Probably just a little simplistic in your assessment.
Half time adjustments happen, but they are way overstated. Most adjustments are done after every series when players come off the field and share what they are seeing. You are right, Alabama made adjustments.
Although, I guess pulling Jalen for Tua last year was actually a fairly significant half time adjustment. But I digress.
Just like offenses show multiple formations in a given series, defenses also show multiple coverages or disguises.
But, you may also be right, I would have to watch the game again. I'm not ever watching that game again.
I agree that sometimes adjustments are overstated. But in this case, I'm not talking about halftime adjustments. I'm talking about Alabama getting desperate and taking chances on D after our 3rd qtr TD which made it 28-14. Don't know how well you could see it on TV (and I don't plan on rewatching it anytime soon), but from my view at the game, the change to consistent, single-man coverage was pretty apparent. They definitely brought more pressure, brought their whole D closer to line of scrimmage, and started overplaying our shorter routes, including RB outlets. In my mind, they were simply gambling that we'd stop attacking them down the field, and so they took a calculated risk which made them vulnerable and exposed against our WRs. We never took advantage of it, even though I've never seen Fromm more accurate down the field.
You may be right. They obviously shut us down.
Yep....this seemingly small play stuck in my mind as well. As the play developed, I thought that was going to be first down for sure.
Loved the analysis in the OP. Will be watching for more from MinnesotaDawg. He about convinced me to rewatch the game to see if I can see what he’s talking about.
Truth and they stop giving the ball to Swift that was having the game of his life...
We couldn't get enough protection for deeper passes a lot of the time it seemed. Fromm was already getting hit during the intermediate passes we attempted when he got rid of it. The injuries and youth at the o-line finally caught up with us in my opinion - Bama does have one of the best offensive lines after all. Give our O-Line a year and you probably don't see those pressures bearing down on Fromm as frequently.
That said, the O-Line did perform incredibly all things considered. This line is going to be down right nasty in the coming years.
Agreed. Maybe my memory is failing me but my impression is that after the Natty where we ran the ball too much after getting to the Q4 I felt that we actually went pass heavy in this game. With the TOP advantage we had through the third quarter I felt we should have used Holyfield more than we did this time time around. It seems that the run blocking is more advanced than the pass blocking at this early stage. Also, Cook needs to work on his motion penalties as it seems he too often gets penalized. I will have to re-watch to check my perception particularly the penultimate drive.
One thing Fromm was doing early on was throw into tighter coverage windows. He looked like a pro QB. You can't wait for your guy to get open--gotta throw to where you trust he will be. There was growth in this game and he will be unstoppable next year.
Bama also got their starting safety back from being disqualified in the first half for being disqualified for targeting in a prior game. Not enough folks talk about that. It could of been a big difference in the pass coverage. I know one sideline pass to Mecole was broken up by that guy.
That was tough... but that play was 2nd down. We should of converted 3rd and short. I don't think we got one 3rd down conversion in the 2nd half.
I don't think we took a shot at Mecole Hardman going deep. Maybe we tried and it wasn't there (coverage wise, not actually thrown) but hard to believe they had someone who could run with him.
We took one shot at the end zone with Mecole, he couldn't quite haul it in. Then later in the 4th Q it wasn't a deep shot but he was targeted on the sideline and it was a great defensive play by Shyhiem Carter. That dude played a great game. I think he had like 3-4 passes defended and he batted one ball down at the LOS I believe
Screens, can we please incorporate some screen passes within our offense. I have wondered why teams don't screen more against aggressive d-line play. There were two instances I vividly remember begging for Chaney to call a screen. Bama was blitzing and just sitting on short routes.