Game Week Thread Week 2, 2023: Texas @ Alabama

[conVINCEd 21469]

16 minutes ago, Bama Llama said:

This weekend I have to drive my wife, daughter, and two of my wife’s best girl homies to a family wedding, mandatory attendance by me or life as I know it ends. No fucking way will I be able to preserve isolation. I’ll be like the insufferable asshole on the insurance commercial wreaking havoc at the wedding and reception trying to watch the big game. God dammit all. I hereby curse alla yinz with innumerable video reviews. 

Godspeed.  Roll Tide. Post videos.

[TexasFan21 1275]

Am I missing something or did Finkley log any snaps against Rice? Figured he would make an appearance of some sort or maybe being saved for this weekend?

[Atticus 3973]

Yea, he played a good amount. Looked okay, his jersey is #1.

[Modessit 5601]

 

LHN isn’t really a factor much longer, but FuboTv offers it regardless of location. 
 

Wyoming game is on LHN.

[txhorns 2409]

LHN has a ton of non football games/events that are awesome to watch.  Basketball (men and women), baseball, volleyball, and softball are all awesome to watch.  I will pay for it to watch all of those sports until I no longer can.

[Sgt Hulk 13716]

3 hours ago, Bama Llama said:

This weekend I have to drive my wife, daughter, and two of my wife’s best girl homies to a family wedding, mandatory attendance by me or life as I know it ends. No fucking way will I be able to preserve isolation. I’ll be like the insufferable asshole on the insurance commercial wreaking havoc at the wedding and reception trying to watch the big game. God dammit all. I hereby curse alla yinz with innumerable video reviews. 

Newest apple update won’t show the pics you posted 

[4th and 5 4914]

6 hours ago, ztejas said:

That's great but ESPN+ doesn't give you ESPN. 

[Hookem2147 21299]

FCB with a few team updates 

Spoiler

A quick team update from Wednesday’s practice: It sounds like sophomore right guard DJ Campbell was practicing with the ones on Wednesday and is now back in consideration for the start on Saturday against Alabama.

Sophomore Cole Hutson, who started every game at right guard last season, was held out of Saturday’s game against Rice because he was “nicked up” last week, according to coach Steve Sarkisian. But Sarkisian indicated Monday that Hutson would be available this week, and, according to two team sources, Hutson practiced with the first-team offense on Monday after Campbell started off the week in a boot.

But the boot was more precautionary, according to one source, and Campbell was able to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said.

That source said both Campbell and Hutson will be available for Saturday’s game with Campbell back in consideration for the start.

— With so much on the line between No. 11 Texas and No. 3 Alabama on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN), I turned to a former coach in the Big 12 who is familiar with the personnel of both teams to size up the Longhorns coming out of Week 1 and to break down how things could play out in Tuscaloosa.

The coach said Steve Sarkisian’s biggest concern coming out of the season opener should be the interior play of the offensive line.

“Week 1 is the first time you’re going up against someone other than your own defense and Rice was doing a lot of exotic stunts and pressures that their coaches got from the NFL. That’s not an excuse for not getting any movement, but it looked like Texas’ interior guys’ heads were spinning. And when you’re thinking, you’re not firing off and just playing. You’re hesitant, and that’s a bad place to be as an O-lineman. If they play like that again Saturday, Alabama’s defense will dominate the line of scrimmage. But I expect Texas’ O-line to be a lot more focused and determined on Saturday. They have to get more movement up front to have any kind of running game.”

— I asked former Texas All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos (1997 and 1998) for his thoughts on the O-line coming out of the Rice game.

“It was a first game,” Neil said. “Texas’ line is talented. They just need to execute better, and I think they will. As the season goes on, I think this line will be good."

The coach said the play of Texas’ interior offensive line “will be the difference in the game against Alabama.”

“Whoever wins the matchup between Texas’ interior O-line and Bama’s interior D-line will probably win the game,” the coach said. “Texas’ guys don’t need to be perfect. They just need to protect Ewers and give him enough time to find some receivers, so Texas can throw to set up the run if that’s how it needs to go.”

— As far as the game plan is concerned, the coach said Sarkisian kept it vanilla on offense against Rice.

“[Sarkisian] ran their basic, bread-and-butter stuff,” the coach said. “Sark didn’t use his usual motions or show any unique formations or personnel groupings because he knew they’d be fine against Rice. Last year, against Alabama, Sark was using a lot of different motions, stacked receiver formations and really setting plays up. Last year, against Alabama, Sark motioned [Xavier] Worthy into a stacked formation, and then Ewers hit him on the go route. Later, he did the same thing and had Worthy stop at 15 yards for a nice gain. I expect to see a complete, fully evolved game plan on Saturday.”

The coach said Rice couldn’t cover Worthy and that “Worthy could’ve caught 20 passes in that game if Sark was really scheming for it.”

“What will be interesting is if Bama tries to go one-on-one with Worthy by putting (cornerback) Kool-Aid McKinstry on him or if [Nick] Saban doubles Worthy and takes his chances with a guy like AD Mitchell in single coverage,” the coach said. “I could see Mitchell or Sanders going off if Ewers can find them in single coverage. Sark did a lot of max protection last year, keeping nine guys in and only sending two guys out on routes, so we’ll have to see how much Sanders is out on routes. Texas didn’t have a big-target, deep threat like Mitchell last year, and now they do. And he’s been on the big stage against Alabama in the national championship game two years ago. The environment Saturday shouldn’t faze him.”

— On Ewers going 0-of-6 on passes that traveled 20 yards or more through the air, the coach said, “I’m sure Sark wants Ewers to start hitting a few of those or defenses will start sitting on the underneath routes and daring Ewers to throw it deep.” 

— While some were disappointed in the performance of Texas' offense against Rice, namely because of the miscues up front in the first half and Ewers' 0-of-6 performance on deep balls, the coach said the Longhorns’ play in the third quarter “was what we were expecting.”

“The first half was definitely choppy,” the coach said. “They didn’t run it very well, and Jonathon Brooks dropped a walk-in touchdown pass. Honestly, they looked soft. But they got into a nice rhythm on offense in the third quarter and it was what we were expecting — mixing the run and pass and scoring touchdowns on three straight drives.

“Ewers got hit hard in the first half, and sometimes we’ve seen him lose some sharpness when he’s taken hits. But he came out strong, went 5-of-7 passing in the third quarter, including the touchdown to AD Mitchell and the sudden-change, one-play touchdown pass to JT Sanders. Jaydon Blue had a big [19-yard] run on third-and-6. Quinn picked up a [first down on] third down with his legs. Quinn played well with the exception of those missed deep balls. One of those was a great throw to Sanders in the end zone, but [Jordan] Whittington brought his man right to the ball and kind of broke up the pass.”

Several players, including Ewers, said this week they were most proud of answering a sluggish first half with a strong third quarter, which hasn’t always been the case for Texas under Sarkisian.

“We definitely needed that,” said Sanders, whose 44-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter came one play after Jett Bush jumped on a Rice fumble.

“Rice came out there to play, and we weren't executing to the best of our ability that first half,” Sanders added. “We [were] known as a can’t-finish-in-the-second-half team, so to come out in the second half and do what we did — score on three touchdown drives, back-to-back-to-back — it was a great feeling for us."

Ewers said, “I think the way I came out in the second half was really good. I was focused more on stepping up in the pocket instead of going side to side. So that's where it starts. That's, my main focus.”

— When it comes to Texas’ defense, the coach said he expects the Longhorns’ defensive line to match up well against Alabama’s offensive line.

“From what I’ve watched of Bama, I think Texas’ D-line will hold up just fine against Bama’s O-line in terms of the traditional running game,” the coach said. “Now, [Alabama quarterback] Jalen Milroe, him having the ability to use his legs on broken plays could be a factor. But as far as designed running plays, I think Texas’ defense will hold up well, because Bama’s O-line wasn’t getting much push against Middle Tennessee, either.”

— On Texas senior defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat, who played 28 of 51 snaps against Rice and finished with five tackles, three quarterback pressures and two quarterback hits, the coach said: “If T'Vondre Sweat keeps playing like he’s playing, he’s going to make a ton of money next year in the NFL. Sweat dominated whenever he was in the game. It was one of the most impressive D-line games I’ve seen from a Texas player in a long time.”

— On Texas senior defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat, who played 28 of 51 snaps against Rice and finished with five tackles, three quarterback pressures and two quarterback hits, the coach said: “If T'Vondre Sweat keeps playing like he’s playing, he’s going to make a ton of money next year in the NFL. Sweat dominated whenever he was in the game. It was one of the most impressive D-line games I’ve seen from a Texas player in a long time.”

— The coach was also impressed with middle linebacker Jaylan Ford’s depth when dropping into coverage.

“I always thought it was hilarious last year that Jaylan Ford had so many interceptions [four] last year because he would never get deep enough in his pass drops,” the coach said. “Against Rice, he got deep enough. It’s hard for linebackers to drop 20 to 25 yards and know what's behind them and what's in front of them. That's why you see so many teams attack that part of the field because pass drops aren’t really a natural thing for linebackers to do. But they have to do it in today's game.”

— The coach said freshman cornerback Malik Muhammad stood out against Rice.

“I like Ryan Watts a lot at the boundary corner,” the coach said. “And he’s gonna get pushed all season by a freshman. Muhammad’s gonna be really good, and a guy they can rotate into games with confidence.”

The coach also said he’s impressed with the way cornerback Terrance Brooks, who at 5-feet-11-inches has remade his body. Brooks arrived at Texas weighing 210 pounds, then got down to 195 last season.

“Now, he’s listed at 200 pounds and looks like he’s replaced bad weight with 10 or 15 pounds of muscle,” the coach said. “A guy like Barryn Sorrell looks really strong now. He was like 252 pounds last year and is listed at 261 now. Same thing, he looks like he’s put on really good weight. Kudos to [Texas strength coach] Torre Becton for the work he’s done with these guys.”

— When I asked how Saturday’s game in Tuscaloosa would play out, the coach said, “It’s Texas on the road, so you’re not quite sure which team you’re gonna get. If they come out sluggish in that environment, they’ll get beat by two or three scores. If they’re truly bonded and on a mission, like Sark has said they are, and they come out focused and determined, it will be a game to the end that could go either way — just like last year.

“It’ll come down to the interior of Texas’ offensive line against the Alabama D-line and which quarterback goes out there and wins it — Quinn Ewers or Jalen Milroe? If the Texas defense could get Milroe to make a big mistake early, that would help quiet the crowd and give Texas some momentum.

“I will say this, I have more faith in Sark to dial up offense than I do in Tommy Rees, and I’m not saying Rees is bad in any way. We’ve seen Sark come up with some dynamic game plans, and we know he has the kind of weapons he wants this season. I’m not sure we’ve seen Rees’ chops yet based on what he did at Notre Dame. I do think Alabama upgraded at defensive coordinator in Kevin Steele over Pete Golding.”

— There’s been a lot of talk this week that Saturday’s game is an opportunity for Sarkisian and Ewers to both show they can operate at an elite level.

“I think with all the work we put in, you know, this offseason and what we went through last year, I think we're all really ready for that next step,” Ewers said.

 

[Fud 9552]

Bama boards think Arnold is the better matchup for Worthy since he's more athletic than Kool-aid. If Arnold is moved to NB because Moore is replacing Key at safety, then Arnold obviously won't be covering Worthy outside 

[Atticus 3973]

Yea, they’ll probably try to man up on Mitchell with koolaid. General public seems to be underestimating our receivers against their secondary.

[Red Five 40859]

I don't think we saw Neyor or Cook until the real garbage time against Rice. Wonder if that changes. 

[honolulu horn 6158]

8 minutes ago, Red Five said:

I don't think we saw Neyor or Cook until the real garbage time against Rice. Wonder if that changes. 

Yeah I was surprised not to see Neyor out there until garbage time. 

[closetojumping 62736]

31 minutes ago, Fud said:

Bama boards think Arnold is the better matchup for Worthy since he's more athletic than Kool-aid. If Arnold is moved to NB because Moore is replacing Key at safety, then Arnold obviously won't be covering Worthy outside 

Hahahaha. What!?! Arnold against Worthy? Uh, yep, give me that one, please. 

[Hookem2147 21299]

I don't think we showed any 10 personnel last Saturday. Cain seemed to be the first WR off the bench. I'm sure Neyor and Cook will see snaps each week but our top 3 WR's seem to be clear. And I'm sure someone will comment and say Mitchell doesn't deserve to play if he doesn't block but are we sure a guy coming off a major knee injury or a true freshman are going to offer more in that regard? 

[PTINS 3472]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:13 AM, Atticus said:

Our offense will be fine, and we will have plenty of success next week on that side of the ball.  We keep Milroe in the pocket, we turn him over, we win the game.

Just gotta protect Quinn and avoid falling in love with the deep ball next week.  They've been preparing for this game for a while, and it is clearly one that everyone wants on the wall.

I think we will see a more Sark like cohesive offense Saturday. 4 WR sets w/ Whittington & Cook inside, looking for a LB matchup.

QE will be fine. The 0-fer on long throws is overblown. The deep outs were 40+ yard throws, 10 yards deep and 35 yards across the field. I would prefer a methodical chink & dink, 10 play drive down the field, throwing deep on 2nd & short. Keep the offense on the field and the defense fresh.

I agree the key is Texas OL v. Alabama DL.  Time for the tenacity we saw from watching the tape.  

[Fud 9552]

2 minutes ago, PTINS said:

I think we will see a more Sark like cohesive offense Saturday. 4 WR sets w/ Whittington & Cook inside, looking for a LB matchup.

 

I'll be shocked if we see many "4 WR sets", unless Sanders gets injured, or if Sark is really in his bag and is subbing in a WR for a RB 

[Atticus 3973]

They aren’t gonna take Sanders off the field much, he’s our X-factor. But they might use Cook to spell Worthy after a deep route/deep crosser/long punt return

Anyone else see Jaylon Ford lining up and rushing off the edge against Rice? I have a feeling we’re gonna confuse the hell out of Proctor in this game. 

[Hookem2147 21299]

What's the story on Proctor and Latham as pass blockers? They will have almost 100 pounds on our edge guys. Is the only shot someone like Ethan Burke has is to bend the edge?

[closetojumping 62736]

8 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

What's the story on Proctor and Latham as pass blockers? They will have almost 100 pounds on our edge guys. Is the only shot someone like Ethan Burke has is to bend the edge?

There is no story on Proctor. He's played one game. The whole interested CFB world will find out whether he can pass block on Saturday. Latham gets a ton of love, but there's a reason he wasn't the choice at LT and it had nothing to do with run blocking.

[ousux 5597]

This weekend I have to drive my wife, daughter, and two of my wife’s best girl homies to a family wedding, mandatory attendance by me or life as I know it ends. No fucking way will I be able to preserve isolation. I’ll be like the insufferable asshole on the insurance commercial wreaking havoc at the wedding and reception trying to watch the big game. God dammit all. I hereby curse alla yinz with innumerable video reviews. 

Wow, which of the 4 will be toting your balls in their purse? Out of all the games this season, this one should be non-negotiable.

[Red Five 40859]

15 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

What's the story on Proctor and Latham as pass blockers? They will have almost 100 pounds on our edge guys. Is the only shot someone like Ethan Burke has is to bend the edge?

We could put all 360 lbs of Cam Williams at LT if we wanted to. Just because they're enormous doesn't mean we can't get around them. 

[Codaxx 5740]

28 minutes ago, Fud said:

I'll be shocked if we see many "4 WR sets", unless Sanders gets injured, or if Sark is really in his bag and is subbing in a WR for a RB 

If we dont see any, Babers is going to get in a fetal position and cry.

[Fud 9552]

3 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

If we dont see any, Babers is going to get in a fetal position and cry.

I haven't listened, but we can still very much spread them out out of 11 personnel 

[Codaxx 5740]

Just now, Fud said:

I haven't listened, but we can still very much spread them out out of 11 personnel 

He is obsessed with empty personnel. We probably see a little of it. Sanders isnt coming off the field though. Sark used to split Bijan out in these looks, this year he may swap out a RB for a WR. Last year Bijan was one of the best receivers, that isn the case at RB this year. 

[Hookem2147 21299]

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Hookem2147

[Fud 9552]

1 minute ago, Codaxx said:

He is obsessed with empty personnel. We probably see a little of it. Sanders isnt coming off the field though. Sark used to split Bijan out in these looks, this year he may swap out a RB for a WR. Last year Bijan was one of the best receivers, that isn the case at RB this year. 

Is he specifically calling for four wide receivers, or to go empty with our normal 11 personnel grouping? Those are obviously two different things 

Empty is a formation, not a personnel grouping, and yes I'm aware of the potential "well someone like Bijan is functionally a WR" talking point 

[Codaxx 5740]

10 minutes ago, Fud said:

Is he specifically calling for four wide receivers, or to go empty with our normal 11 personnel grouping? Those are obviously two different things 

Empty is a formation, not a personnel grouping, and yes I'm aware of the potential "well someone like Bijan is functionally a WR" talking point 

Just empty look. He hasnt delved into, if he wants it 5 WRs, 4 WRs + Sanders, or 11 personnel in empty. I would guess its 4+Sanders, given the depth at WR, but that is a guess. 

[Fud 9552]

4 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Just empty look. He hasnt delved into, if he wants it 5 WRs, 4 WRs + Sanders, or 11 personnel in empty. I would guess its 4+Sanders, given the depth at WR, but that is a guess. 

Sark will almost certainty go empty in 11, and keep the defense in nickel. Taking Sanders or a RB off would be pretty surprising

[NoName 16352]

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

 And I'm sure someone will comment and say Mitchell doesn't deserve to play if he doesn't block but are we sure a guy coming off a major knee injury or a true freshman are going to offer more in that regard? 

i thought it was noted that Gunnar Helm was the one who actually blew the block on that specific play?

[Duane Moore 5237]

3 minutes ago, NoName said:

i thought it was noted that Gunnar Helm was the one who actually blew the block on that specific play?

[Hank Kingsley 20942]

Wonder if we'll see more Keilan this week. 

 

[Codaxx 5740]

14 minutes ago, NoName said:

i thought it was noted that Gunnar Helm was the one who actually blew the block on that specific play?

that play aside, he did whiff on a WR screen. I think it was Whitt, who was on the receiving end of a missed block

[perfectchaos007 6643]

1 minute ago, Hank Kingsley said:

Wonder if we'll see more Keilan this week. 

 

Hopefully just on kickoff returns. He’s speedy and does well with space to run through but not great between tackles and Bama’s D line won’t give him much him many windows to run through 

[Had Enough 2081]

i thought it was noted that Gunnar Helm was the one who actually blew the block on that specific play?

He’s our least favorite of the options. I’m not sure if it was decided that it’s ok to not block what would have been the LILB. Think it was left to each person to decide for themselves.

[Hookem2147 21299]

10 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

Wonder if we'll see more Keilan this week. 

 

It's probably a safe bet that he's going to get more than the 2 touches he got against Rice.

[gmr548 16580]

I would prefer a methodical chink & dink, 10 play drive down the field, throwing deep on 2nd & short. Keep the offense on the field and the defense fresh.

1.) Good thing Sark doesn’t have a track record of not being able to help himself from taking deep shots, and opposing D coordinators totally don’t bait him and publicly call him out on this without consequence.

2.) The fuck did you hear chink and dink from?

I would prefer a methodical chink & dink, 10 play drive down the field, throwing deep on 2nd & short. Keep the offense on the field and the defense fresh.

1.) Good thing Sark doesn’t have a track record of not being able to help himself from taking deep shots, and opposing D coordinators totally don’t bait him and publicly call him out on this without consequence.

2.) The fuck did you hear chink and dink from?

[NoName 16352]

8 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

1.) Good thing Sark doesn’t have a track record of not being able to help himself from taking deep shots, and opposing D coordinators totally don’t bait him and publicly call him out on this without consequence.

only have to hit 1 of them for it to be worthwhile, unfortunately Texas under Sark has very very low odds on that specific play.

they eventually will have one game where they hit like 4 50+ yard TD passes in 1 game. hopefully it's THIS game vs like @Iowa State

 

[pyrohornIII 4814]

58 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

He is obsessed with empty personnel. We probably see a little of it. Sanders isnt coming off the field though. Sark used to split Bijan out in these looks, this year he may swap out a RB for a WR. Last year Bijan was one of the best receivers, that isn the case at RB this year. 

This set is where I'm thinking Keilan.  He's got good enough hands and shiftiness to demand good coverage.

[BurntOrange&White 39933]

Some 21 personnel to attack the Bama linebackers will be nice

[BurntOrange&White 39933]

Some 21 personnel to attack the Bama linebackers will be nice

[Hookem2147 21299]

Dunlap with his OL breakdown from last week (long article fyi)

Spoiler

Skill Player Snap Counts and Game-by-Game Percentages of Offensive Snaps (2023 Through Week 1)

***please note that exact snap-count numbers may differ from other sources at times, as the Deep Dig does not count plays as offensive player snaps that are blown dead due to penalty, punts, extra points, field goals, spiked balls, victory formations, kneel-downs, etc.***


Personnel-Grouping Frequency Overall and by Game (2023 Through Week 1)


Tight End Total Snap Counts and Alignment Data (2023 Through Week 1)


Team Target Share By Week (2023 Through Week 1)



Deep Dig OL Grading Scale (each snap by each player is graded as its own independent event)


OL Grades (Rice)

LT Kelvin Banks - 67 snaps
1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 pin, 3 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 77.99

LG Hayden Conner - 67 snaps
4 run-stuffs allowed
1 facemask penalty
DEEP DIG GRADE: 73.96

C Jake Majors - 67 snaps
2 run-stuffs, 1 QB hit allowed
1 knockdown
1 false start penalty
DEEP DIG GRADE: 73.81

RG DJ Campbell - 56 snaps
1 sack, 1 pressure, 1 QB hit, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 knockdown
1 false start penalty
DEEP DIG GRADE: 74.11

RT Christian Jones - 67 snaps
1 pressure allowed
1 pin, 2 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 78.54

Reserves

LT Trevor Goosby - 4 snaps
DEEP DIG GRADE: N/A

LG Neto Umeozulu - 15 snaps
1 run-stuff allowed
DEEP DIG GRADE: N/A

C Conner Robertson - 4 snaps
DEEP DIG GRADE: N/A

RG Malik Agbo - 4 snaps
DEEP DIG GRADE: N/A

RT Cam Williams - 4 snaps
DEEP DIG GRADE: N/A




OL Grades by Week (2023 Through Week 1) - Individual player grades across the season are color coded from RED (WORST) to WHITE (MEDIAN) to BLUE (BEST)
****WILL BEGIN WHEN WE REACH 2-GAME MINIMUM COMPARISON THRESHOLD****

OL Snaps-per-Disruption Allowed (2023 Through Week 1)



2023 OL Snaps-per-Disruption Allowed Versus Historical Precedent (Last 11 seasons)
****2023 PLAYERS TO BE ADDED WHEN WE REACH 100-SNAP MINIMUM THRESHOLD****


QUICK FINAL THOUGHTS

There is good news and there is bad news about the offensive line.

Let's start with bad news - and it's bad.

The interior of the Texas offensive line played completely unacceptably versus a bad opponent in Rice; a team littered with sub-athletes who were often just bringing 3-to-4 against 5. And the three players on the Texas interior didn't just struggle against the Owls, they played at historically unacceptable levels.

By Deep Dig Grade, Hayden Conner played the worst game of his career at Texas, continuing a concerning trend that started in the Kansas State game in 2022, where his overall play took a downturn that has seemingly continued through last week's opener.

Jake Majors, who played the second-worst game of his entire career at Texas of 25 games behind only a baaaad game for all involved at night in Arkansas circa 2021, is getting overextended and losing balance. As he's exerting himself to try and generate the extra push off the line of scrimmage that is expected by staff and fans alike, he's lunging and taking risks that can result in negative plays. His center of gravity is all over the place in the run game and he's losing his feet because of it.

The mystery of why Cole Hutson started in front of DJ Campbell last season is no longer a mystery. While Campbell still has loads of upside and actual, tangible flashes on his resume to point to as proof, he is still in the beginning stages of his development curve as a player. He does not move well in all directions as dominantly as he can straight ahead of at 45-degree zone angles. To be a well-rounded and dependable OL at this level, you truly need to be able to move and operate in eight different directions and Campbell isn't there yet. He's a liability in pass protection not only because of missed assignments, but also due to a truly mind-boggling fact: the same DJ Campbell who will plant opponents on their backs with elite pin blocks in the run game using raw power and motor can't handle a bull rush. He gets pushed back way too easily, allowing the pocket to degenerate from the inside due to a really weird failure to anchor.

It's probably a good thing that we don't add the snaps-per-disruption allowed numbers to the historical data chart above, because you can just eyeball where these three guys sit in that particular metric compared to 68 other 100-snap qualifiers after the Rice game alone. For those who might not understand what we mean by this, here's what: if the interior offensive line played at its Rice level for the rest of the season, Jake Majors would have played the fifth most-disruption-per-snap season in the history of the Deep Dig. Hayden Conner would have played the 4th-most, while DJ Campbell would take the crown at the very bottom of the whole, entire list.

That's the bad news.

The good news? Well, to start, there is reason for believing that the issues are correctable as Coach Sark spoke about at his Monday PC. Indeed, it was not coachspeak when Sark said that it felt like every time a bust came from the line's interior, that it felt like a one-off ... "They took turns with some simpler errors," was the quote. So, we looked into that and it's *pretty much* true. Among all snaps where disruption was allowed, 10 in total, on only four of those times would we classify the issue as systemic -- or, involving more than just one lineman on a solo assignment. If we consider that, in this regard, there were only four true blocking plays that looked to have gone busto from the start of the 67 the starters each put on the board, it does not seem like an insurmountable task to fix.

There's also the fact that Texas is probably going to have to get another line in the game personnel-wise for Alabama. As much as it pains us to say, it may be helpful to have DJ Campbell on the sidelines for now while he's still developing, now that we've seen some concerning aspects of his game that still need a little work. Neto Umeozulu came in for Campbell when he was hurt, but on 15 snaps, it was pretty obvious that Neto -- who like Campbell, should eventually be great at Texas -- still needs time. He was as bad or worse a pass blocker than anyone else on that interior and also allowed a run-stuff. His 15 snaps did not qualify for a Deep Dig grade as the minimum threshold is 20, but he will not be the immediate savior here.

Fans will say what they will about Cole Hutson, and Lord knows he's been on the brunt end of criticism here in our dark basement on many occasions. But, one thing he does have (and that the grouping of Banks, Conner, Majors, Hutson and Jones have collectively) is a good game together versus an Alabama team last year that boasted very high-level NFL talent in the front 7 that could be argued as better than this year's. In the Alabama game last year, these 5 guys played individually from the perfectly-acceptable level in Hutson and Majors through the good level with Conner and Jones to the high level with Banks. They have a good game against Bama on their resume.

Now, Hutson might not be ready. He might be hurt or limited. Maybe we'll find out more from Sark at his press conference Thursday after practice. The other option would then be Cam Williams who simply has to get a shot at some point. He's like a great wall of China when you stick him at right guard and his length and true, observed ability to anchor in pass protection will be beneficial in reacting to and countering any inside stunts the Tide attempts to bring Saturday night. At the very least, he's a formidable obstacle in space any way you slice it. We've also seen him play very well in this capacity during last spring's Orange-White game where he started in place of the then-injured Hutson and Campbell.

Christian Jones and Kelvin Banks are great.

Banks didn't even play a great Kelvin Banks game and he's still just a tremendous guy to watch play football. After giving up an uncharacteristic sack on the very play before, Banks bounced back with this classic Banks-style play where he showed off great athleticism to not only recover from an initial stumble, but to engage a man in free space and attach himself to him like white on rice until the opponent is in the dirt.

Christian Jones played the 4th-best game of his career at Texas and is off to an incredible start, being the best offensive lineman the Horns had on the field on Saturday. There is only optimism about these two players.

And there's reason for optimism going into the Alabama game. Among all aspects of Week 1 -- offensively or defensively -- only the interior OL truly concerned us, and we've outlined possible solutions and the reasoning for them. Here in our dark basement, we understand that it can be hard to step out into the bright, hot sun for the first time in quite a while, and we're willing to chalk it up to butterflies and rust. So, let's see what happens next.

Onward to Tuscaloosa.

 

[Red Five 40859]

17 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

For those who might not understand what we mean by this, here's what: if the interior offensive line played at its Rice level for the rest of the season, Jake Majors would have played the fifth most-disruption-per-snap season in the history of the Deep Dig. Hayden Conner would have played the 4th-most, while DJ Campbell would take the crown at the very bottom of the whole, entire list.

Ok, so not the greatest game from our interior OL. Got it. 

[Hookem2147 21299]

1 minute ago, Red Five said:

Ok, so not the greatest game from our interior OL. Got it. 

I thought his note about Neto not looking much better pass pro wise was interesting as well. 

[Red Five 40859]

Just now, Hookem2147 said:

I thought his note about Neto not looking much better pass pro wise was interesting as well. 

Things sure went quickly from "We have 8-9 guys we're gonna play" and "How do we get all of them on the field" to "Um who do we have on the roster that we can put on the field in the interior?". 

[Codaxx 5740]

16 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Ok, so not the greatest game from our interior OL. Got it. 

I know i should have more patience, but Connor still floundering around is killing me. I can give Campbell and Neto some slack, because they have next to 0 experience and have higher ceilings.

[gmr548 16580]

Things sure went quickly from "We have 8-9 guys we're gonna play" and "How do we get all of them on the field" to "Um who do we have on the roster that we can put on the field in the interior?". 

[Atticus 3973]

The only saving grace is that it is game 1, but Conner isn’t gonna magically become more athletic. Throwing Neto in there could create cohesion issues, especially on the road. Whichever lineup presents the most consistency overall should be played, even if the “average performance” is a bit lower. 

[Longhornlove 4831]

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

I thought his note about Neto not looking much better pass pro wise was interesting as well. 

PFF had him at around 25 for pass pro

[Fud 9552]

Update from a Bama site on Key

“Black jersey and brace all week…on a bike nearly all of yesterday…doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t play…but dude hasn’t practiced at all.”

[LTtxfan 49188]

Nvm

Edited September 7, 2023 by LTtxfan