The change in snap cadence cannot be overstated. DLs have been jumping our snap count all damn season and we finally made an adjustment and had UT DL off balance all night. The offsides penalties and free shots aside, it slowed their get offs. They were clearly mindful of the snap count as the game wore on. Impacted the game greatly.
We took shots early and throughout the game despite not completing many. A commitment to the downfield attack paid dividends.
More play action tonight. More tempo/no-huddle. We schemed rhythm.
Freeling looked great at LT. Massive upgrade from the turnstile Greene has been of late. Don't give up on Greene - just get him healthy. But I hope Freeling stays at LT.
Etienne is our most reliable RB, but I continue to insist Frazier is our best RB. The 69 yards he ran for tonight were HARD-earned, veteran yards. Garrison Hearst feet. And the dude has swagger and juice which our O needs. He brings energy to everything he does. Vocal in pregame.
We changed up our screen game. I absolutely hate the screen from bunch formation - too many bodies in a phone booth. We created SPACE for our screen game tonight through both formation and motion. Different personnel groups, too. Huge tendency breaker.
We pump faked a screen for a nice chunk play. Not the first time we've done it this season, but it's a good changeup coming off Ole Miss screen debacle.
Chambliss on goal line O 👀
We love pulling someone to block backside edge. It drives Brent Rollins crazy. Tonight we pulled and slipped Yurosek out for that massive first down to seal the game.
Julian Humphrey got lost again and committed another DPI early in the game. He was immediately taken out of the game and I'm not sure he stepped on the field again. Finally some accountability there. Harris is coming on and played well.
The cushions are frustrating but we clearly were choosing the pass we wanted completed - the check down. We did make a tweak at half and started pressing on 3rd/4th down any time they crossed the 50 and it paid dividends.
Beck foretold tonight in his Ole Miss postgame interview. Theorized that maybe he needed to start making plays with his legs. It changed the game. It changed HIM.
Beck was engaged tonight. He did not go straight to the bench to sit by himself. He stood often tonight, engaging with teammates between series. It was clearly a conscious change in engagement. That's leadership.
Ratledge looked like a leader. He seemed to be the energy bell cow out there on O.
Those are just some off top of my head. Kudos to the O staff, to Carson Beck, and the entire team for not being stubborn and changing what wasn't working. And not just changing, but making productive changes.
