Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
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Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
Obviously, the quicker this one can be put in the rear-view mirror, the better. But here are some lingering thoughts.
1. The coaching staff came out swinging. It was as though the staff said, it's going to take every bit of ingenuity and recklessness we've got to beat a team like Alabama on the road, and even then we'll need some luck. In the first quarter, I saw more imagination in the offensive play-calling than I've ever seen from Lynch... misdirection, pre-snap movement, etc. On its second drive, Vandy got three first downs and a field goal, and you thought, if Vandy can do this all evening, we might make it a fight. But Bama answered with a too-easy TD drive. Down 14-3 early in the second quarter, Lea rolled the dice and decided the game hinged on whether his team could make a 4th-and-1 from its own 34. It couldn't, and Lea was right, the game hinged on it. Bryce Young threw a 34-yard TD, game over. Vandy never got past the Alabama 44 again.
2. Looks like we have lost another defensive lineman; Bradley Mann was on crutches at the end of the game. He wasn't playing a ton of snaps, but he provided depth. The decimation at defensive line continues.
3. Vandy was also missing two offensive line stalwart starters, Castillo and Cox. Gage Pitchford got his first start at LG in place of Castillo; he is 20 pounds lighter than Castillo. Gunnar Hansen, a soph LT, had the unenviable job of holding out Will Anderson. Bama sacked A.J. Swann five times, and Anderson got three of them.
4. And Quincy Skinner missed another game with injury. Vandy is badly needing another option at receiver besides Sheppard (who was the closest thing to a bright spot the offense had) and McGowan. Gamarion Carter, back off suspension, played and had one target and one catch but wasn't a factor. Receivers were blanketed all night by Nick Saban's DBs.
5. Besides punting 10 times, 182-pound Matt Hayball was credited with three solo tackles and a forced fumble for the punt team. Good for him! He might have been the MVP. But that's really a sign of just how abysmal the punt coverage was. Bama had 88 yards in punt returns (ON TOP OF its 628 yards of offense). That seems to happen against every team we play; that bleeding needs to stop.
6. The No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Ole Miss game next week is a big one. If Ole Miss wins, the Rebs should vault into the Top Ten before their Nashville visit. If they lose, they could come in with a hangover. I'll be rootin for the Cats. Kentucky has already won a big SEC road game this year and looks to me to be the better team, but they struggled with Northern Illinois at home more than I thought they would. And Ole Miss struggled some with Tulsa, which (like VU and UK) had to come from behind to beat Northern Illinois. Comparative scores is a dangerous game, but It suggests to me that Vandy might not be separated from the Cats and Rebs as much as people think.
1. The coaching staff came out swinging. It was as though the staff said, it's going to take every bit of ingenuity and recklessness we've got to beat a team like Alabama on the road, and even then we'll need some luck. In the first quarter, I saw more imagination in the offensive play-calling than I've ever seen from Lynch... misdirection, pre-snap movement, etc. On its second drive, Vandy got three first downs and a field goal, and you thought, if Vandy can do this all evening, we might make it a fight. But Bama answered with a too-easy TD drive. Down 14-3 early in the second quarter, Lea rolled the dice and decided the game hinged on whether his team could make a 4th-and-1 from its own 34. It couldn't, and Lea was right, the game hinged on it. Bryce Young threw a 34-yard TD, game over. Vandy never got past the Alabama 44 again.
2. Looks like we have lost another defensive lineman; Bradley Mann was on crutches at the end of the game. He wasn't playing a ton of snaps, but he provided depth. The decimation at defensive line continues.
3. Vandy was also missing two offensive line stalwart starters, Castillo and Cox. Gage Pitchford got his first start at LG in place of Castillo; he is 20 pounds lighter than Castillo. Gunnar Hansen, a soph LT, had the unenviable job of holding out Will Anderson. Bama sacked A.J. Swann five times, and Anderson got three of them.
4. And Quincy Skinner missed another game with injury. Vandy is badly needing another option at receiver besides Sheppard (who was the closest thing to a bright spot the offense had) and McGowan. Gamarion Carter, back off suspension, played and had one target and one catch but wasn't a factor. Receivers were blanketed all night by Nick Saban's DBs.
5. Besides punting 10 times, 182-pound Matt Hayball was credited with three solo tackles and a forced fumble for the punt team. Good for him! He might have been the MVP. But that's really a sign of just how abysmal the punt coverage was. Bama had 88 yards in punt returns (ON TOP OF its 628 yards of offense). That seems to happen against every team we play; that bleeding needs to stop.
6. The No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Ole Miss game next week is a big one. If Ole Miss wins, the Rebs should vault into the Top Ten before their Nashville visit. If they lose, they could come in with a hangover. I'll be rootin for the Cats. Kentucky has already won a big SEC road game this year and looks to me to be the better team, but they struggled with Northern Illinois at home more than I thought they would. And Ole Miss struggled some with Tulsa, which (like VU and UK) had to come from behind to beat Northern Illinois. Comparative scores is a dangerous game, but It suggests to me that Vandy might not be separated from the Cats and Rebs as much as people think.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
7. From all appearances, no thought was given to inserting Mike Wright as a change of pace, or even giving him some reps in garbage time. Instead, the thought seemed to be, let Swann gain valuable experience in a hostile environment. Vandy fans probably need to get it into their heads: this is Swann's team now. Mike Wright has his fans, and I am among them, but unless or until something happens to Swann, all the eggs are in the Swann basket going forward. And that's probably a good thing. Wright's lackluster performance vs. Wake Forest was probably his "swan song" (OK, terrible pun).
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
All well and good re: Mike Wright at QB. I think Swann deserves that role. But the staff HAS to get Wright involved in the offense. He is clearly one of the team’s top 5 offensive weapons. I understand needing some time to work him into some change of pace/wildcat offensive sets. Lea, himself, said they’d be crazy not to find ways to use him. That needs to happen after the off week.
Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
I've been doing a little comparative score analysis. We beat Hawaii by 53; Alabama beat us by 52; Alabama would beat Hawaii by 105.
Vandy fans have been complaining about the cushion since the adoption of the forward pass, but I believe the cushion was larger in this game than any other VU game that I have watched.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
For the record Ray Davis took a snap in the Wildcat one time, and he was eaten alive.UltimateVUFan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:59 pm All well and good re: Mike Wright at QB. I think Swann deserves that role. But the staff HAS to get Wright involved in the offense. He is clearly one of the team’s top 5 offensive weapons. I understand needing some time to work him into some change of pace/wildcat offensive sets. Lea, himself, said they’d be crazy not to find ways to use him. That needs to happen after the off week.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
It's more about speed and size and strength than it is about schemes and cushions and trickeration.
A while back I watched the 59-0 2017 loss again. Apart from turnovers, we might actually have played better in that game.
A while back I watched the 59-0 2017 loss again. Apart from turnovers, we might actually have played better in that game.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
Marie Antoinette knew in advance she was going to the guillotine. But it still sucked when it happened.
Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
Yes, yes, the pun was terrible but likely true!BrentVU wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:06 pm 7. From all appearances, no thought was given to inserting Mike Wright as a change of pace, or even giving him some reps in garbage time. Instead, the thought seemed to be, let Swann gain valuable experience in a hostile environment. Vandy fans probably need to get it into their heads: this is Swann's team now. Mike Wright has his fans, and I am among them, but unless or until something happens to Swann, all the eggs are in the Swann basket going forward. And that's probably a good thing. Wright's lackluster performance vs. Wake Forest was probably his "swan song" (OK, terrible pun).
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
Kentucky and Ole Miss have moved up to Nos. 7 & 14 in the AP poll; Ole Miss is No. 11 in the Coaches'.
A team from the Eastern part of our state has moved up to No. 8/9.
A team from the Eastern part of our state has moved up to No. 8/9.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
Whatever scheme you come up with for Wright, if it's got him taking the snap it will probably only work once. So save it for a game that's close enough to matter. A few games later you might be able to show the same look but do something totally different with it.UltimateVUFan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:59 pm All well and good re: Mike Wright at QB. I think Swann deserves that role. But the staff HAS to get Wright involved in the offense. He is clearly one of the team’s top 5 offensive weapons. I understand needing some time to work him into some change of pace/wildcat offensive sets. Lea, himself, said they’d be crazy not to find ways to use him. That needs to happen after the off week.
I think it would be better for Wright and for the team if you put him in a more conventional runner or receiver role.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
I’ve said multiple times I want to see him in a split back set alongside Davis. So many options. Though honestly, the way McGowan plays as a receiving back, he and Wright in a split back set behind Swann could be intriguing.alathIN wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:14 pmWhatever scheme you come up with for Wright, if it's got him taking the snap it will probably only work once. So save it for a game that's close enough to matter. A few games later you might be able to show the same look but do something totally different with it.UltimateVUFan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:59 pm All well and good re: Mike Wright at QB. I think Swann deserves that role. But the staff HAS to get Wright involved in the offense. He is clearly one of the team’s top 5 offensive weapons. I understand needing some time to work him into some change of pace/wildcat offensive sets. Lea, himself, said they’d be crazy not to find ways to use him. That needs to happen after the off week.
I think it would be better for Wright and for the team if you put him in a more conventional runner or receiver role.
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Re: Thoughts on Vandy's loss to Alabama
To me the wildcat formation is the least creative play in college football. It all but says that the "QB" is going to run so pack the line and stop it.BrentVU wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 4:03 pmFor the record Ray Davis took a snap in the Wildcat one time, and he was eaten alive.UltimateVUFan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:59 pm All well and good re: Mike Wright at QB. I think Swann deserves that role. But the staff HAS to get Wright involved in the offense. He is clearly one of the team’s top 5 offensive weapons. I understand needing some time to work him into some change of pace/wildcat offensive sets. Lea, himself, said they’d be crazy not to find ways to use him. That needs to happen after the off week.