Until half way through last season, we were losing close game after close game. Now we are winning those close games. I think the difference is the qb play. Until a few games into BA’s senior year, he was not making game winning plays towards the end of close games, and we were losing pretty much all of them. Then when he started making those plays in close games we started to finally win. AA has been making game winning plays all year. Even in the two losses, AA has played well. The td pass towards the end of the Lou Tech game, the 3rd and 4th down throws on the last offensive drive of the Ole Miss game. Those were throws that BA was missing until his senior season, but AA is making them. I think that’s the difference in us losing close games and us winning close games. It’s about the qb coming through for us in the clutch.
Partially agree/disagree. Yes, both Allen’s starting about the halfway point last year have played good, but our receiving corps are the best I remember (and that includes both the Petrino years, and the late Ford/early Nutt years). Both AA and BA have made bad throws over that time, but Hatcher, Cornelius, and Morgan (plus Reed and Holister in certain games) have played great, and bailed them out. No, I didn’t forget about Sprinkle and Henry, they’re also the best at their positions I’ve seen here. I think the receivers are making the Allen boys look great.
I must agree with freeharmonics a lot more in this discussion. QB play is the key ingredient in those late game drives that are so often necessary to win SEC games. AA definitely has what it takes in those late game situations all this season. His older brother didn’t learn that knack until half way into his senior season although he had numerous opportunities to produce those late game heroics earlier in his college career. BA had capable receivers in most of those earlier games. Have you forgot BA missing an open Hunter Henry in the endzone on next to the last play in the Toledo game? A successful play there with a TD would have won that Toledo game. Have you already forget BA’s favorite play in the clutch? Rolling to the right out of the pocket and chunking it out of bounds often when receivers were open. BA even gave one of our DB’s an eye injury while standing on the sidelines. Heads up out of bounds everywhere when the Razorbacks were in passing situations with BA. Enos was the deciding factor in the BA improvements late in his career, surely a big factor in AA development as well.
I remember Brandon Allen under throwing over and over and getting intercepted. I watched Brandon repeatedly missing the receiver in crunch time right through the Toledo game. That was also during a time that injuries were decimating the receiving corps which didn’t help. I think Enos gave Brandon the plays he could make, the talent around him got better, and, once we got the first close win, the psyche of this team changed. The play of the entire team, in crunch time, improved and there is now an iron will within these players and coaches. Nobody in the SEC looks forward to play CBB’s teams late in the year and, now, none look forward to playing us in a close game late. I like it.
That’s what a good receiving corp does, make good QB’s look great. But there has to be the trust factor there as well when a QB makes a throw to a viable spot he knows his receiver will do what needs to be done to try and make the catch.
Right now we have the best of both worlds.
I don’t disagree
Coaching is the difference… Credit coach Bielema for finding top shelf coaches to work together. Credit coach Dan Enos for training up two excellent quarterbacks, or coach Paul Rhodes training up a defensive secondary that looks nothing like last year, or coach Rob Smith shaping his defense to the injuries handed him this year. It just goes on and on! Our coaching team is UNCOMMON and I like our chances now in close games!
Now let me answer the obvious before it’s stated… Coach Bielema is now working with more young men buying into his system because they were recruited into his system.
Coaching does make a big difference-but recruiting also is big. The staff is bringing it all together now. I saw improvement in the OL play and the pass protection situations by the OL/backs. AA got a better look down field and it payed off.The defense is still a little shaky in the HUNH environment and I would like to see better setup at the snap. Looking ahead to Auburn and I think I’ll say the score will be again in the 30’s range and another thriller that we win. HOGS YA’LL.