Post Game Thread

[ATL1]

This one hurt. It hurt because I was given hope that Tech would prevail, and we came up short. I honestly thought Jawja would blow the doors of us, but we came out swinging and playing the game I had hoped to see all year. We were aggressive and putting the ball in the air in the first half Jawja didn't have an answer. Then the second half......................

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

blowing a 20 point lead hurts. A lot. Quite frankly, I hope our team takes away the right message. I hope they feel the sting and use it as motivation. We had them on the ropes and couldn't finish.

 

[Longestday]

Yep, all loses hurt! I sure would hate to be blown out more! Being ahead by 20 points gave too much hope for a win. I kept my hope to a minimum and that helped me a little.

We passed and we had receptions!
We had almost equal pass and rush yards in a big game!
Vad had time to throw the ball.
We limited one of the best backs in the country.
We had pressure when we dialed it up and held back for the screen when asked. Now we need to be able to switch it up when needed.
But, the other team had more points than we did at the end.

Now the only thing we really needed was one more stop on 3rd and long, make the field goal, or don't throw an interception to get the win.

 

[Boomergump]

This loss hurt more than any other in recent memory for me. There had to have been about 100 different ways we could have won the game and about 5 for them, but we couldn't get it done. I am going to resist the temptation to feel sorry for myself, because in the end, I am just blessed to be a cfb fan and a TECH fan at that. Wins wouldn't be great if the losses didn't suck.

If you are concerned about the program, there are a lot of positive things to take away from the game. Vad Lee grew up a lot yesterday and started to look like the QB and leader we all envisioned. He adds a dimension when he is able to manage the game well. Most of things we have been criticizing him for recently disappeared. He kept the ball decisively several times and got the ball turned up field, attacking defenders, instead of stringing plays out into oblivion, making nobody commit. He checked into plays going to the correct side of the field. He hit the right receiver most of the time and actually made a team pay for crashing the run so hard. We could have used that earlier in the year, but we have to keep in mind it is a growth process. I would say the light is finally starting to come on for him. He still needs to run the entirety of the TO better. It is pretty obvious most of the time we are only really running fake TO plays that are just double options. His upside is huge and if nothing else, he showed me yesterday that this isn't just a failed experiment anymore.

UGAg is a good team that has been unlucky and inconsistent. Mason is a good QB. There isn't a lot of drop off there. I have watched the guys in red play a lot of games this year. We stacked up against them as good as any of their opponents including the ones going to championship games. We are close as a program, that is what makes these losses all the more maddening.

I'm gonna watch the film, critique it, then turn my mind to next season looking at what we have coming back. It is hard to believe the off season is already here.

 

[ATL1]

Could hardly sleep.
Some grades and observations.
Offense.
QB - B
Vad played well last night. He finished with 2 passing TD's 2 Running. Ran the ball effectively for the most part. Made some good throws for the most part. First half kid was on fire with the exception of those chunk plays at the end of the half I believe he was 5 at of 6 with 2 TD's. It is very obvious Vad likes to chuck the rock around and has a gunslinger type of mentality, I'm not sure if that completely vibes with CPJ's philosophy but it sure was fun to watch. Then the second half and it was back to a more nurtured Vad. I understand, you want to bleed the clock, but taking the gas off the pedal also kills momentum.

BBacks - B
Sims ran hard and Tech had success with the dive the entire game. No, there wasn't any long runs but there was consistent pounding. I have no idea why we would drift away from it sometimes particularly in the 4th quarter and in OT. Honestly however a talent upgrade is really needed.

ABacks - B+
GOD- high gets an A+, I would say game MVP, but Attaochu & Vad are up there as well. This guy may not have size and speed, but he was wiggle, shiftiness, and surprising strength. He made plays when I thought they were stopped in the backfield, caught the passes thrown to him, and was open on an over through. With Godhigh gone next year I'm a bit concerned to who will be there to take over cause the drop off was huge in this game.

WR - B
I don't think there was a dropped pass the entire game.

OL - B
Best game they have played all year. Established the dive, moved the defensive line, and kept Vad a decent pocket. I think they were penalized twice for a false start and hands on the face.

Defense - C
Like the offense a tale of 2 halfs.
The DLine was confusing their Oline with stunts and motion and caused pressure to Mason getting him to throw in a hurry and get sacks. Once they adjusted we didn't have a counterpunch making our pressure inconsistent. That was the ball game. No pressure allowed Mason to pick apart our make shift secondary, shifting our coverages, which opened holes for Gurley the end.

Coaching - B-
We were aggressive in the first half great mix of passing and with the dive. Didn't really work out with the pitches much but my jaw was dropped at the offense. Where was THIS offense all year? He needs to understand the base, but why not sprinkle in some of the plays he's good at as well. It's very frustrating thinking about BYU and VTech games after watching the game yesterday. The second half is where the gameplan collapsed. The aggressiveness was gone, started playing ball control, which allowed them to march right back into the game.

 

[jayparr]

This loss hurt more than any other in recent memory for me. There had to have been about 100 different ways we could have won the game and about 5 for them, but we couldn't get it done. I am going to resist the temptation to feel sorry for myself, because in the end, I am just blessed to be a cfb fan and a TECH fan at that. Wins wouldn't be great if the losses didn't suck.

If you are concerned about the program, there are a lot of positive things to take away from the game. Vad Lee grew up a lot yesterday and started to look like the QB and leader we all envisioned. He adds a dimension when he is able to manage the game well. Most of things we have been criticizing him for recently disappeared. He kept the ball decisively several times and got the ball turned up field, attacking defenders, instead of stringing plays out into oblivion, making nobody commit. He checked into plays going to the correct side of the field. He hit the right receiver most of the time and actually made a team pay for crashing the run so hard. We could have used that earlier in the year, but we have to keep in mind it is a growth process. I would say the light is finally starting to come on for him. He still needs to run the entirety of the TO better. It is pretty obvious most of the time we are only really running fake TO plays that are just double options. His upside is huge and if nothing else, he showed me yesterday that this isn't just a failed experiment anymore.

UGAg is a good team that has been unlucky and inconsistent. Mason is a good QB. There isn't a lot of drop off there. I have watched the guys in red play a lot of games this year. We stacked up against them as good as any of their opponents including the ones going to championship games. We are close as a program, that is what makes these losses all the more maddening.

I'm gonna watch the film, critique it, then turn my mind to next season looking at what we have coming back. It is hard to believe the off season is already here.

Boomer, I agree with your assessment of Vads growing up. I made that same statement on another thread after the clempson game which it seemed that happened in the second half.

 

[jayparr]

Could hardly sleep.
Some grades and observations.
Offense.
QB - B
Vad played well last night. He finished with 2 passing TD's 2 Running. Ran the ball effectively for the most part. Made some good throws for the most part. First half kid was on fire with the exception of those chunk plays at the end of the half I believe he was 5 at of 6 with 2 TD's. It is very obvious Vad likes to chuck the rock around and has a gunslinger type of mentality, I'm not sure if that completely vibes with CPJ's philosophy but it sure was fun to watch. Then the second half and it was back to a more nurtured Vad. I understand, you want to bleed the clock, but taking the gas off the pedal also kills momentum.

BBacks - B
Sims ran hard and Tech had success with the dive the entire game. No, there wasn't any long runs but there was consistent pounding. I have no idea why we would drift away from it sometimes particularly in the 4th quarter and in OT. Honestly however a talent upgrade is really needed.

ABacks - B+
GOD- high gets an A+, I would say game MVP, but Attaochu & Vad are up there as well. This guy may not have size and speed, but he was wiggle, shiftiness, and surprising strength. He made plays when I thought they were stopped in the backfield, caught the passes thrown to him, and was open on an over through. With Godhigh gone next year I'm a bit concerned to who will be there to take over cause the drop off was huge in this game.

WR - B
I don't think there was a dropped pass the entire game.

OL - B
Best game they have played all year. Established the dive, moved the defensive line, and kept Vad a decent pocket. I think they were penalized twice for a false start and hands on the face.

Defense - C
Like the offense a tale of 2 halfs.
The DLine was confusing their Oline with stunts and motion and caused pressure to Mason getting him to throw in a hurry and get sacks. Once they adjusted we didn't have a counterpunch making our pressure inconsistent. That was the ball game. No pressure allowed Mason to pick apart our make shift secondary, shifting our coverages, which opened holes for Gurley the end.

Coaching - B-
We were aggressive in the first half great mix of passing and with the dive. Didn't really work out with the pitches much but my jaw was dropped at the offense. Where was THIS offense all year? He needs to understand the base, but why not sprinkle in some of the plays he's good at as well. It's very frustrating thinking about BYU and VTech games after watching the game yesterday. The second half is where the gameplan collapsed. The aggressiveness was gone, started playing ball control, which allowed them to march right back into the game.

Great post and thanks!!

 

[gtg936g]

Finch (one of my favorites) had good game and drove the NT off the LOS. I guarantee the NT for ugag is dealing with the aftershock of lining up against Finch. Beano was a difference maker at RT. The RT position has been a problem for us all year, and we finally got some pass protection. Our O line owned the D line, so they had to roll the line backers up in the gaps to stop the dive, which opened up the edge later in the game.

The game plan from ugag was to make Vad beat them throwing. They played man, and even lined the corners up in the slot away from the receiver for run support. Folks that say CPJ does not change his offense to match his players should watch the game film. CPJ called option plays that were simple reads for Vad, in effect slowing the game down for him. He did the same for Tevin early in his career. If Vad stays healthy and continues to improve he will be difficult to beat in the future. Vad had his best game of the season, except for the interception. He played aggressively, and looked like a totally different player than he did early in the season.

I thought the D got gassed. If there is one place we lack quality depth it is there. We will be in a desperate need of a pass rusher next year. ugag doubled Jeremiah after the first quarter, and contained him pretty well. I thought Gostis had a decent game, but some of his plays were made because Jeremiah got doubled. The ugag O line is a powerhouse. I am not sure if any of those guys are leaving, but they probably had 40 lbs on our D line. I hope we have some guys ready to step up in the trenches next year.

I hope we have a concerted effort in developing our corners in the off season. The angles they take are often bad. They have athletic ability, but I honestly think they are poorly coached. There is talent there, but it needs to be coached better.

I look forward to Boomer's analysis and write up on next year's team.

I would also like to commend this site for not going into full meltdown mode. This loss hurt. I lost my composure after the game, but I see a lot of positives. Much more than I did after last years game.

 

[jchens_GT]

I also appreciate this place not melting down. That loss hurt more than any since 2009. It still sucks that we lost, but we did see some encouraging things. We've gotta get over the hump.

 

[John]

I also appreciate this place not melting down. That loss hurt more than any since 2009. It still sucks that we lost, but we did see some encouraging things. We've gotta get over the hump.

Speaking of melting down:
http://deadspin.com/alabamas-kicker-should-stay-off-of-twitter-for-a-while-1474270531

 

[ybeenormal]

Sure am glad to be a tech fan. As heartbreaking as these losses are every year, I would never wish anything bad to happen to ANY SAs. A kicker getting death threats after missing a 57 yard fg attempt???? For one....saban ought to be ashamed of himself for trying that with a freshman kicker

 

[jchens_GT]

Speaking of melting down:
http://deadspin.com/alabamas-kicker-should-stay-off-of-twitter-for-a-while-1474270531

Wow.