Highly impressed with Coach Doug Nussmeier's playcalling.

[crizzle]

The offense is very entertaining IMO. Not saying that it was anything close to boring before he got here, but the variety he brings keeps you on your toes. I agree with the post about Jims plays not focusing on 20+yrd plays. Its real nice seeing the refs carrying the chains as far as they have been

 

[BamaDMD]

Does Coach Nuss coach the qb's also? I think Ely did a great job yesterday coming in for AJ. It made me a little more at ease if McCarron goes down.

 

[Florida Tom]

The Biggest difference to me is Red Zone, last year I hoped we could get a FG, this year the closer they get the better they get. Huge difference IMO.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

I think it was Herbstreet who said Coach Nuss gets agressive in the Red Zone. We are going deep down the field now. Both those were lacking in the past. RTR.

 

[NationalTitles18]

In fairness to our departed former OC, AJ's injury probably hampered some play-calling last year.

That said, I really like the flow of the calls this year. Nussmeier has been quite effective as a play-caller and I no longer worry whether we can finish drives.

 

[lincoln_osiris]

I would like to say that Coach Mac called one of the best games I have ever seen in the SEC championship vs Florida. I also like the aggressive plays in the red zone this year.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

In regards to the idea that it appears CNS has let CDN have more free reign...

I think it also helps that this is really the first time since Coach Saban started his Alabama coaching career that he has a QB that can make all of the throws for more than 1 season. No offense to JPW and GMac, who when finally paired with CJM, were able to significantly upgrade our offense and run it in a game-manager role, I just feel CNS is allowing more free reign because we have an experienced QB that can make every single type of throw any QB needs to make.

 

[mlh]

I always felt like our playcalling was very predictable under CJM. We beat people because we were bigger and stronger and wore them down. This year our playcalling has been much less predictable. Aside from being more aggressive we've introduced the I backfield, we're doing some good things with Simms, and giving the opposing DC more to worry about. Of course, the more aggressive passing game may simply be the result of AJ's development. But I really like what I've seen so far from Coach Nuss.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I always felt like our playcalling was very predictable under CJM. We beat people because we were bigger and stronger and wore them down. This year our playcalling has been much less predictable. Aside from being more aggressive we've introduced the I backfield, we're doing some good things with Simms, and giving the opposing DC more to worry about. Of course, the more aggressive passing game may simply be the result of AJ's development. But I really like what I've seen so far from Coach Nuss.

I wonder if we'll see that option read with Sims in any other context other than mop-up duty.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I wonder if we'll see that option read with Sims in any other context other than mop-up duty.

I think the option read with Sims is what we're going to use to keep LSU's defense "caged up". I know McCarron had a lights out game January 9th but we cannot expect him to be that perfect again and we cannot expect LSU to lay that kind of egg with game prep again either. I think CNS and staff are using this mop up duty to get Sims and the offense used to running it in live game action. I would also bet this package is being perfected at practice during the week. I just don't see CNS "trotting out" the same game plan as last November AND January 9th. But the first day I coach a college football game will be my first.

 

[2003TIDE]

I think the option read with Sims is what we're going to use to keep LSU's defense "caged up".

I hope not. To do this we have to take one of our best weapons on offense off the field.......

 

[cbi1972]

I think the option read with Sims is what we're going to use to keep LSU's defense "caged up".

I hope not. To do this we have to take one of our best weapons on offense off the field.......

If I am LSU and I see Blake Sims taking snaps, I am relieved.

 

[2003TIDE]

If I am LSU and I see Blake Sims taking snaps, I am relieved.

Exactly. It's not like the zone read is a foreign concept to their defense. They saw it all the time last year during practice when Jefferson was the QB.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I hope not. To do this we have to take one of our best weapons on offense off the field.......

I assume you mean AJ? I think it depends on how good Sims gets at the passing element of it. When we go to BR we will be walking into a hornets nest of built up emotions and fierce determination to avenge January 9th. It also will more than likely be the gateway game to the SECCG. So we will have to pull out all the stops and be on the "offensive" rather than the "defensive". I can't think of anything better than putting Chavis and his group on their heels to have to deal with this kind of wrinkle. I think it would loosen their defense up and slow them down a bit. This is under the assumption we get used to running it and perfected between now and November 3rd.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

I loved Jim McElwain and I think I'm going to end up loving CDN more. I have been highly impressed at his performance for a first time signal caller. The timing of when he calls plays has been point on so far and it seems it doesn't take him very long at all to adjust on the fly to what the defense is doing. Hope he sticks around a while.

CDN may be an improvement over CJM. I like the sequence of plays called better.
Ya can't argue with results either...

 

[Ole Man Dan]

I assume you mean AJ? I think it depends on how good Sims gets at the passing element of it. When we go to BR we will be walking into a hornets nest of built up emotions and fierce determination to avenge January 9th. It also will more than likely be the gateway game to the SECCG. So we will have to pull out all the stops and be on the "offensive" rather than the "defensive". I can't think of anything better than putting Chavis and his group on their heels to have to deal with this kind of wrinkle. I think it would loosen their defense up and slow them down a bit. This is under the assumption we get used to running it and perfected between now and November 3rd.

Against Arkansas, the Blake Sims 'Stroll' into the end zone
was a thing of beauty.
Arkansas didn't have a clue, neither did the cameramen
filming the game.
We had 6 before they found the ball.
That play was more deserving of 'The play of the game', than Arkansas kicking the ball thru the end zone.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

If I am LSU and I see Blake Sims taking snaps, I am relieved.

Well, we keep running it for some reason and I doubt it is simply to eat up time and plays in blowout games. If that were the case then why not run our standard offense and let him get used to that? It makes no sense (or at least it doesn't to me) to have a player run an offense that we never have any intentions of using. What benefit does it do that player if he has to legitimately go in a game unexpectedly? To me it is the definition of wasted time to do that. I think we're practicing it for a reason and the only team on our regular schedule I see that would even need to consider it would be the who's. But I've been wrong many, many times before.

 

[2003TIDE]

Yeah. I meant AJ. I still think LSU's weakness is its secondary. So, I'd rather have him over Sims. If we get yds on the ground, it will be because we line up and run right at and over them.

I could be wrong, but like another poster said we'll know more about LSU after UF,USCe, and A&M.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Yeah. I meant AJ. I still think LSU's weakness is its secondary. So, I'd rather have him over Sims. If we get yds on the ground, it will be because we line up and run right at and over them.

I could be wrong, but like another poster said we'll know more about LSU after UF,USCe, and A&M.

I agree on all points. It seems the Reid kid who made the spectacular play against us last season in Tuscaloosa on the questionable interception/catch is not having a stellar year so far. I'm not sure if that's indicative of the overall performance of their secondary but I've read on several of their boards about Reid's pedestrian season so far.

But back to the Blake Sims package. I just cannot fathom who else that package is for other than LSU, and I cannot see CNS wasting plays on an offensive package that he has no plans of using. But we'll see. I think as we get further into the meat of the SEC schedule we'll get a better picture of how much better this LSU team is than last year. From an offensive perspective they haven't really impressed me like all the offseason chatter lead me to believe. Les isn't passing the ball up and down the field and until I see otherwise, I don't think he'll do it in our game either. Mettenberger will still be a first time SEC starter come November 3rd.

 

[RBTider]

The thing I've noticed and like is when we get a turn-over, we go for the score right away. I've always thought a team should do this, but we didn't take advantage of it under previous coaches. I still like Jim McElwain.

Roll Tide!!!