This game was odd. Maybe it was just the second quarter, but this game was downright bizarre for me. Take a look at some of these numbers (keep in mind I've had a few beers).
- Up 28-0 at one point
- Up 558 yards
- Gave up 17 unanswered at one point
- A&M had, what, 7 sacks?
- A&M had 5 turnovers
- Won by three TDs.
LOLWUT? This was by far our sloppiest offensive game, and somehow we managed to win big. I mean if you want to know how bizarre this game was, much maligned safety Howard Matthews absolutely killed Vanderbilts momentum with his pick to start the second half. HOWARD MATTHEWS. I'm so very confused. I have no idea what to think right now, but I'll tell you what I'm celebrating this huge win. Let's get into some quick thoughts
Offense
Sloppy. Effective. But sloppy. That 28 point lead aside, this was a sloppy game for our offense...but in that sloppiness we still put up ungodly points and ungodly yards.
Johnny was Johnny, but sometimes I wonder whether he'd be better served to stay a year in college to improve his decision making. There were plays where Johnny could have thrown the ball a couple of yards short and made a quick completion, but instead forced the ball into a tight spot for the glory play. Sometimes the easier play is best.
WRs had a decent game. Evans had a "quiet" game with only 77 yards, but how about Malcome Kennedy. That one boneheaded drop aside, Kennedy is turning into a trustworthy, reliable receiver for us.
RBs...sigh. Feast or famine. Trey Williams averaged 10.8 yards a carry but was benched after an ill timed fumble (why does he get benched but Labhart doesn't)? Tra Carson catches the fumble-itis and leaves us having to rely on Brandon Williams, who (much to my suprirse) was able to gain a ton of yards up the middle and around the end. Just such an odd game, right?
Backups performed admirably, and I'll tell you right now. Kenny Hill is your legitimate #2 behind #2. The kid is going to do big things for us. The Hill to Quiv combo was fun to watch and we also seem to call a more consistent gamplan when Hill is in the game...better combination of runs and passes.
Defense
Second quarter aside (and even the scores then were more about missed big plays and not long extended drives) the Defense had their best game all year. Stuffed stuff up the middle. Did a good job of swarming out to the edges. However many sacks. I MEAN SERIOUSLY. WE ALMOST DOUBLED OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF SACKS. THE DRUNK PART OF ME WANTS TO CHANT WRECKING CREW BUT I KNOW BETTER.
Personnel was different as well. Noel Ellis got a significant amount of playing time, and it seemed like Daeshon Hall was on the field the entire game. Donnie Baggs got the start at OLB. We tried different things and I think that it worked. Maybe it's silly, but I find that we perform better out of a four man front instead of a three. Either way, defensively (aside from the big plays) did their job.
That's all I have. Good game overall. I'm very intrigued to hear your thoughts because I'm sure I missed a lot.
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