Asked in the post game press conference about the lack of touches for TJ Hammonds Coach Bielema replied that they felt it might be best to go with the two older running backs.
Somebody should remind the coaches that Whaley and TJ Hammonds are both Sophmores and before you know it they will have wasted TJ’s talent if someone doesn’t remind them that he is one of only a few players on this team that can actually make game changing plays.
These guys are quite simply an awful coaching staff!
They put him in and he had like one or two runs for two yards and then they never put him in again. They did the same thing earlier in the year with Chase Hayden. The stupidity just continues.
I don’t see why the coaches would fret about getting Hammonds out in space against LSU but I guess their concerns were LSU’s speed on the front 7. It just seems in this type of a physical SEC match-up you would need a mobile QB as a threat to loosen up LSU’s defense on every play and not key on one obvious “speedy” threat in Hammonds. They and their coaches studied and knew our players just as well. The OL DID win some battles I grant them this and play calling did work some. But AA just not able to make a couple of throws–maybe one would have been a TD. We practically gave LSU the final 7 points due to a very short field after Cole Kelly could not push for the 1st down up the middle. But I am starting to believe that maybe we go with a more mobile QB as 1st year starter or co-starter next season to complement the speedsters we will have on offense next season at RB (including physical back in Williams who will be a soph) and WR as well as the play-calling. Cole Kelly would be more effective as change of pace QB off the bench IMO or being a part-time starter but also giving change of pace by going with a dual threat QB. Bottom line I see him most effective in 50/50 playing time with a moblie QB but NOT as a full-time starter.
And this pretty decent LSU team would have given #1 (or #2) Alabama a tighter game or maybe won had Etling connected on his deep throws last week like he did in this game. LSU will always have NFL talent at just about every position. Meanwhile former Arkansas QBs Brandon Allen and Ryan Mallet are on an NFL roster as well as the defensive standouts from 3 years ago in OLB Martrell Spaights, DL Darious Philon, and star DE Trey Flowers. Hog fortunes can only began to starting pointing upwards starting with very solid core of young players on the squad (freshmen/rs fresh/sophs) in addition to current recruits but most importantly securing a decent dual threat QB moving forward. Just my 2 cents.
They do a poor job of getting playmakers the ball for sure but we were unable to set an edge today or open holes. What I personal don’t want to see happen is Hammonds getting hurt when hopefully he can run behind a quality Oline next year.
For this year he should be able to impact the Moo U and Misery game.
Core 5, Williams is a graduate transfer. This is his last year.
Core5,
I believe the post was referring to Malek Williams, Freshman RB from Florida.
I appreciate the effort and physicality that D Williams from S Carolina brings. Great blocker and really good with screens along with Whaley who should be more improved next season. His ceiling not reached yet IMO. If M Williams can be developed in bringing similar impact as David Williams next season would be of great benefit. It can be done when looking at impact Rawleigh Williams brought as a sophomore So those two power backs in addition to Hayden and electric TJ Hammonds should work. Hammonds will need more touches based on game changing ability.
One of our team captains Santos Ramirez was quoted being worried about focus at halftime. I get a sense maybe CBB was satisfied that the game was close at halftime? Maybe a sense of surviving LSU for one half. If some of the players (I wonder which of the ones Ramirez referenced were laughing) feel this way about surviving that 1st half with a close game, they unnecessarily may feel outmatched. I think at halftime you need a fiery assistant coach or two to put the fight into the team. This should always be the culture at halftime because that other team in the opposite locker room wants to destroy you at every turn. I think CBB knows the real fighters on his team. If every player fights for Hog pride any game can be winnable no matter the 4 and 5 stars on the other side nor the Sun Belt teams who also refuses to lay down and go home w/o a fight for all 4 quarters against an SEC team (eg. Troy’s upset road win versus LSU; Coastal Carolina’s close loss to the Hogs)