2018 FB G4: Louisiana 14 Alabama 56

[CajunVic]

We may in retrospect look at this game differently... albeit "decent" may still not be the right descriptor (Turbine wants to qualify to the second half). Alabama may do to all others as they did to us. Anyone that thinks we were their last pummeled victim, including the SEC foes yet to experience them, might want to keep their ignorant mouth shut until they get their day with Bama. This may be Saban's best overall team/staff/program since he's been there... and that's saying a lot.

My only criticism (knowing we are in a program rebuild) of Napier was that we needed to run clock... keeping the defense on the sideline as long as possible... abandon drop back pass plays - believing we'd a) have time to hold the pocket, and b) have time for a fake handoff or two. That's low IQ planning for Bama. And you don't let your punter try the run and kick coverage kick. You fast kick and bust one a mile high... take the 22 yards for a coverage kick... and that's that.

Again, any fan thinking any other fan critic was stomping around because we didn't have a "game plan to beat Bama" is just another idiot. Critics are looking for smart coaching. I know our player talent situation. It doesn't mean the staff can hide behind their assignments pre game or during.

Regardless, I saw nothing yesterday that I didn't already know about our talent. Our offense is a decent SBC offense. Our special teams and defense are not. This year is a mystery of sorts... since the SBC has some slugs that we can beat on a given day no matter what our talent is or isn't. Our future needs our staff to show they're a smart lot. Recruiting and being good eventually depends on it.

Another coaching faux paw was snapping the ball with 20 seconds left on the play clock. We consistently did this both against Miss State and Bama where we desperately needed to run clock while all are idle.

[CajunNation]

Couple of long developing plays may have been ill-advised, but I wouldn't say we had low IQ planning. Nape is aggressive. He did the same thing against Moo St. I like that.

[Just1More]

Couple of long developing plays may have been ill-advised, but I wouldn't say we had low IQ planning. Nape is aggressive. He did the same thing against Moo St. I like that.

You can be as aggressive as the game allows and still run time off the play clock. Napier isn't at a juggernaut program. We've seen coaches in our own history... and I see them at some G5s still to this day... that think they can play football the way they did at the P5 where they were a coordinator or positions coach. It ain't happening. Just because a coach has lofty accolades, has been involved in success, and "knows football"... you had better have a knack or develop one when you head up a G5... that scrubs the illusion your P5 upbringing will translate to solid G5 showings against great teams (even the talented G5s). I want Napier to acknowledge by what we see on the field that he knows this truth. Hud was too arrogant or perhaps ignorant to make that part of his ongoing learning. And we only beat equals and lessers... on the way to pulling a vacuum... embarrassing ourselves... tearing down the fictitious "recruiting fence around Loiuisiana", turning a blind eye or covering up the knowledge your assistant was cheating in Mississippi, and running our program back into somewhere between Baldwin's best and Bustle's worst.

Nothing I wrote is hard on Nape, too early to discuss... or anything else. We're paying him to be better than anyone we've ever had. He must learn fast. There's no magical recruiting flood of talent better than evidence on Saturday. I want to see signs... not unrealistic expectations... of serious high football (at a rebuilding G5 in the SBC) kind of IQ.

I'm not concerned the least with the weak slobbering cheerleaders. If they're hot ladies... I'll put up with them. If they're dudes... I'll gut them.

[Penrod]

Saban did say we gained and scored on their 2nd string defense in the post game talk.

By this he just mean’t it wasn’t the first team defense (which can have “2nd string” or “3rd string” players etc rotating in as situationally called for and still be the first team defense).
Alabama played a lot of players who wouldn’t ordinarily see the field on gameday. It’s like on Thanksgiving you don’t specify I went back for fourth’s or fifth’s, saying you had seconds covers it. The good confirmed by this game is we have some strong running backs and although it was mentioned somewhat in jest Alabama’s field goal kicking was exposed. I enjoyed seeing us move the ball in the second half as much as any Cajun fan and joking along the lines of we were coming, we just ran out of clock etc. But the truth is garbage time came early, Saban called off the dogs even more so than he would against some other teams. We haven’t yet seen the level of improvement we hoped we’ld see from this coaching staff, Coastal Carolina game exemplified that, Napier would concur with that statement. I don’t think anyones saying we won’t ever get there. I think we’re seeing we’re a long way away. Hope this team and Napier and staff change that.

[Rainman66]

We may in retrospect look at this game differently... albeit "decent" may still not be the right descriptor (Turbine wants to qualify to the second half). Alabama may do to all others as they did to us. Anyone that thinks we were their last pummeled victim, including the SEC foes yet to experience them, might want to keep their ignorant mouth shut until they get their day with Bama. This may be Saban's best overall team/staff/program since he's been there... and that's saying a lot.

My only criticism (knowing we are in a program rebuild) of Napier was that we needed to run clock... keeping the defense on the sideline as long as possible... abandon drop back pass plays - believing we'd a) have time to hold the pocket, and b) have time for a fake handoff or two. That's low IQ planning for Bama. And you don't let your punter try the run and kick coverage kick. You fast kick and bust one a mile high... take the 22 yards for a coverage kick... and that's that.

Again, any fan thinking any other fan critic was stomping around because we didn't have a "game plan to beat Bama" is just another idiot. Critics are looking for smart coaching. I know our player talent situation. It doesn't mean the staff can hide behind their assignments pre game or during.

Regardless, I saw nothing yesterday that I didn't already know about our talent. Our offense is a decent SBC offense. Our special teams and defense are not. This year is a mystery of sorts... since the SBC has some slugs that we can beat on a given day no matter what our talent is or isn't. Our future needs our staff to show they're a smart lot. Recruiting and being good eventually depends on it.

I understand your criticism and don't think you are an idiot, I just see it differently. In no known universe are we going to win that game, so in my mind there are only a couple of viable options.

Option 1 - Do your absolute best to keep it close, run the clock to extreme and limit possessions on both sides of the ball.

Option 2 - Use the entire playbook (which I am not convinced we did), and get as many plays in on the offense as possible, since you ran under 50 the previous week.

I would lean towards Option 2, because my philosophy for THIS SEASON is 1. WIN any game possible and 2. Develop the players and the cULture.

I am sure there are other options out there, but those were the two I was thinking of during the game.

[IHateLaState]

I say we have to hold him accountable. If he doesn’t hire a new hitting coach this off-season fire his arse. Um wait. Hold on a minute

[CajunVic]

I say we have to hold him accountable. If he doesn't hire a new hitting coach this off-season fire his arse. Um wait. Hold on a minute

After struggling at Bama in a game that the athletic department felt we should win, the new hitting coach has been reassigned for the balance of 2018 and ordered to report to football film review today to assist with implementing a new hitting strategy for this weekends game at Texas St.

Word on the streets in San Marcus are that they are terrified.

[Jacob81]

Why cant we be a smash mouth team? We have 5 backs we can rotate and an offensive line that seems better at run blocking. Defense can’t hold up for 60 min. We have to be a run first hold the ball team.

[Just1More]

I understand your criticism and don't think you are an idiot, I just see it differently. In no known universe are we going to win that game, so in my mind there are only a couple of viable options.

Option 1 - Do your absolute best to keep it close, run the clock to extreme and limit possessions on both sides of the ball.

Option 2 - Use the entire playbook (which I am not convinced we did), and get as many plays in on the offense as possible, since you ran under 50 the previous week.

I would lean towards Option 2, because my philosophy for THIS SEASON is 1. WIN any game possible and 2. Develop the players and the cULture.

I am sure there are other options out there, but those were the two I was thinking of during the game.

You don't think I'm an idiot? Can I get your name and use you as a reference?

You can't exactly show up to any football game and deviate a lot from what you're trying to install in your program. I get that. I also know the odds are massively against us in these kind of games. I see games against the likes of Alabama ones where you use tactics to keep the game as close as possible. The players don't need the humiliation any more than the fans. Running the clock down is done all of the time in football. I saw it as a given yesterday, and couldn't understand why we didn't.

No big deal. I was proud of our offense for the two second half scoring drives. I could care less whether it was 1st or 5th string Bama defensive units. We've had similar situations in our history and failed to score. It's something for these guys to build on.

Now, I just hope our defense keeps grinding, stays healthy, and focuses on improvement. We've had defenses anchored by only one or two guys bent on being great... and they carried our defense. I'd love to see that emerge... despite the analysis that we simply don't have the talent right now.

[Cajunsmike]

Why cant we be a smash mouth team? We have 5 backs we can rotate and an offensive line that seems better at run blocking. Defense can’t hold up for 60 min. We have to be a run first hold the ball team.

Coach has said he would prefer to be a run first team. When that is working the throw game becomes easier. Not a new coaching view but true nonetheless.

[TheRealZeebart]

You don't think I'm an idiot? Can I get your name and use you as a reference?

You can't exactly show up to any football game and deviate a lot from what you're trying to install in your program. I get that. I also know the odds are massively against us in these kind of games. I see games against the likes of Alabama ones where you use tactics to keep the game as close as possible. The players don't need the humiliation any more than the fans. Running the clock down is done all of the time in football. I saw it as a given yesterday, and couldn't understand why we didn't.

No big deal. I was proud of our offense for the two second half scoring drives. I could care less whether it was 1st or 5th string Bama defensive units. We've had similar situations in our history and failed to score. It's something for these guys to build on.

Now, I just hope our defense keeps grinding, stays healthy, and focuses on improvement. We've had defenses anchored by only one or two guys bent on being great... and they carried our defense. I'd love to see that emerge... despite the analysis that we simply don't have the talent right now.

J1M have not seen you in a coons age... Hope you are well, my friend!!

Z

[TheRealZeebart]

Coach has said he would prefer to be a run first team. When that is working the throw game becomes easier. Not a new coaching view but true nonetheless.

Mike, hope you guys are doing well, sir!!

Z