Tiger Blues in Nashville
by crashmattb on Oct 4, 2008 11:15 PM CDT
20 comments
Good evening (morning), Auburn fans. Yes, that sick feeling in your stomach is well justified after watching our Tigers accomplish something Auburn hadn't done since 1955...lose to the Vanderbilt Commodores. Unfortunately, I was there to witness the historic win (loss) in person. First off, let me congratulate the Dores on finally beating my Tigers for the first time since before my parents were even born. Their coaches wanted it more, and their team wanted it more. Heck, their fans wanted it more. And in a way, I wish I couldn't say that this loss is a huge surprise. Honestly folks, we've had to endure watching 6 games of an under-performing offense and pathetic (ignorant, bush-league, horrible) play-calling. So, what happened this evening at Vandy Stadium was...in a way...inevitable.
At the beginning of the game our team looked prepared and determined to win this game, and our offense moved the ball very well. Of course, we were running that "3 yards and a cloud of dust" offense instead of the spread formation. However, Franklin's play-calling showed very early signs of ineptitude when AU failed to score despite being inside the 5 yard line for 4 full plays. I was 8 rows up from the end zone and watched in amazement as Ben Tate was pounded up the middle on pretty much the same play on 1st down, 2nd down, 3rd down, and even 4th down. Franklin's lack of creativity in that situation was absolutely mind-blowing. As much speed and versatility that our many backs have, Franklin chose the "stuff it down their throats" maneuver with no success.
And so after a stop by our defense, we got the ball back for another shot. We managed to move the ball well very well with a 9 play, 49 yard march ending with a Rod Smith TD reception. Game on! And before we knew it, the AU defense picks off a pass by Nickson giving the ball right back to the offense again. The AU offense takes advantage by only taking 2 plays to score on the Dores. At that point all I could think about it is how much better our offense looks, and even thought that the rout of the Dores was on its way. Then...Wes "sophomore blues" Byrum misses a simple extra point. What? Really? Well, the way our offense looks, I don't think one point will matter. With 3:09 left in the 1st Quarter that should have been a justified thought, however it would be the last time Auburn got the opportunity to put points on the board.
What we saw tonight was more confusing than any loss should have been. How does an offense go on a 1st quarter tear to 13-0 (should've been 21-0) and then completely drop off the map? They simply didn't show up once Byrum missed that extra point. Why? Well, I will admit that the players made some mistakes and missed several opportunities to gain the momentum back, but this was a loss predicated by the offensive coaching. There was a change in philosophy at some point where Franklin was allowed to switch back to his spread formation and the Auburn offense never found rhythm once that switch was made. That is why we as a fan base are truly justified in questioning the competency of Tony Franklin. This guy really has no clue...
I do agree that our offense has been in decline since the 2005 season, and Tuberville most definitely deserves to shoulder some blame for this team's performance to date. However, the Al Borges days seem like a dream compared to what we had to endure tonight. I've never seen a coach misuse so much talent as Tony Franklin has done this season. At this point I believe we may have just witnessed the end of his career at Auburn, although Tubs may keep him around until season's end. So where do we go from here? Does Auburn return to the Power-I offense and begin to fully utilize the talented running backs? Does the Chris Todd era officially come to an end as well? I'm at a loss when thinking about where the Auburn season goes from here, but Tubs needs to take full control before this completely tears the team apart.
What makes it all worse is that I call Nashville home, and must endure some of the weirdest and most humbling taunts from a fanbase ever...from Vandy fans. Ouch!
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Well said
I don’t know if we’d go to an I formation, because we don’t have a true fullback. The two TE set though looked great, didn’t it? Sure opened up our passing game (when we needed it) in the first quarter…
War Damn Eagle!
by PowerOfDixieland on Oct 5, 2008 12:13 AM CDT reply actions
I don't want to ever hear an Auburn fan...
Talking about Miles’ decision to go for the TD in 2007 ever again. Tubby passed up the field goal on the opening drive of the game! The beginning of the game is when you play conservative and take the points! 3pts on the first drive and AU wins this game, despite the debacles the rest of the game. End of story. Horrible game management there. The blame here is team wide. Players (penalties), Franklin (play calling) and Tubbs (game management).
Nowhere near the same level of stupidity
Our O line had been pushing them around. We had four chances from the 3 to punch it in, couldn’t do it. Maybe a FG wins the game. Maybe Byrum misses the FG (he kinda sucks, y’know?). But that’s nowhere near Miles’ level of stupidity. If Miles’ decision didn’t work and was a fatal error (LSU lost the game) people would still be screaming at him about it. For this one from Tubby, nobody’s really mad or perplexed except you.
War Damn Eagle!
by PowerOfDixieland on Oct 5, 2008 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Byrum...
Could have missed, but our FG kicker could have as well. The point is our FG was 40yds, and yall’s was 19. Our kicker was under 50% from that yardage at that point in the year, and Byrum is probably 90% from 19 yds out this year (counting XPs which are same distance). Our play was on 3rd down, yall’s was on 4th. If our play fell incomplete, we try the FG after. Yall had just ran the same play 3 TIMES IN A ROW, and failed. You are right, there is no comparison of stupidity. EVERYONE TAKES THE POINTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER IN A TIE GAME!! Our gamble was late in the game FROM BEHIND!!
Absolute worst call I’ve ever seen.
You're looking at things through purple/yellow/corndog colored glasses Jonno
Worst call you’ve ever seen? You must not have seen a whole lot of football. With the defense we have you can assume (if we didn’t get the TD) we’d either get a safety, a turnover, or a punt to give us great field position. It was the third, but you get the point. You can say a FG wins it, but if we kick the FG (and MAKE it, I’m having a hard time envisioning Byrum making ANYTHING right now), we kick off, and Vandy gets it away from its own goalline. The rest of the quarter (and thus, the game) could be different. I stand 100% behind the call to go for it on 4th down. I’m not sure about the playcalling on the 1st-4th downs right there, but IMO it was the right call. It’s also the call Tubby makes 100% of the time.
What if Flynn had underthrown and Powers had intercepted?
If you really truly think going for it on 4th and goal from the 1 in the first quarter is dumber than throwing a bomb in the end zone with seconds left when a FG will win it, you need to have your head examined. You are a complete homer.
War Damn Eagle!
by PowerOfDixieland on Oct 5, 2008 9:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Looking at the outcomes is completely wrong
If I were playing you in golf, and I decided to hit the ball backwards to start a par 3, and it hit a rock, then bounced off a tree, hit another few rocks, and went in the hole for a hole-in-one, while you hit yours the conventional way, but hit it into the pond in front of the green, would you say that my decision was better based on results? If we both did it 10 times, who would get the better result more?
War Damn Eagle!
by PowerOfDixieland on Oct 7, 2008 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions
That's just something we're gonna have to agree to disagree on
We’re like McCain and Obama last night, lol
War Damn Eagle!
by PowerOfDixieland on Oct 8, 2008 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Jonno
That is a great point I was thinking when Tubbs went for it on fourth and 1, why not kick the ball with the anemic Offense and a great D ? That and the missed extra point was the diffrence
I was there too
The fans did a complete 180from before the game to after. There is no feeling worse than having a Vandy fan talk to trash to you and having to just take it ’cause they won. My patience has worn out something must be done. Thanks for nothing Franklin. Tubbs grow a pair and run YOUR football team cause at the end of the day it is gonna be YOUR ass on the line.
Are you really Serious
Is it just me or does Chris Todd look like he could care less out there. Like he has no kind of expression when he messes up. the other night he slid to fall then throws the ball up…. what kind of move was that. Our boys are scared out there!!! Or maybe they are just so confused they would rather not be out there. I live in Tuscaloosa so I catch hell from all the Alabama fans…. I am just wondering if Tuberville is truly standing behind this Joker Franklin or is he trying to stay positive.
Either way Franklin has messed our boys up out there. They are confused and lack confidence. If we didn’t have such an awesome defense we would probably be getting beat a lot more then we are now. They just get tired because they are out there pretty much the whole game.
Gotta remember
Todd wasn’t recruited byAuburn. He came in Franklin’s suitcase. You be the judge of whether that affects his desire to see the team win. I like to think that being an athlete it wouldn’t matter, that winning is what athletes want, but seeing him on the field and seeing his body language and level of desire makes me question that. A buddy of mind said this weekend that Todd’s stats in his last year of JUCO were something like 6TD’s and 9INT’s. I don’t know if that is exactly right but if it is even close to that it makes you wonder what the hell he is doing in orange and blue. Also, do we have him on scholarship, if so that is ridiculous.
Partly right.....
Todd’s stats at Hutchinson CC
Attempts: 212
Completions: 104
Interceptions: 8
Yards: 966
TDs: 6
You’re right….not very good!!! Until you look at how many sacks…..
30, in 8 games – 3.75 sacks/game
Since I doubt any of us have seen film of his juco games. We had better hold judgement on his performance based solely on stats because those stats also indicate problems with the offesive line and possibly the receivers.
Not saying he is a stud who deserves to start in the SEC, just saying that 30 sacks is a ton of sacks and should make you wonder if he was always under pressure thus resulting in hurried throws.
maybe he just can't get out of his own way....
At the Vandy game he was sacked one time and the line men just ran him down. He is not very athletic.
not to mention
the time he sacked himself
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