Hidden Play: Alabama-Virginia Tech

by pantsfucious on Sep 7, 2009 1:29 AM CDT Comment 7 comments

For purposes of discussion/argument, I'm defining a hidden play as any play that has a significant impact on the outcome of the game, but is rarely discussed on the highlights or post-game analysis. Saturday's hidden play occurred with 13:20 remaining in the 4th quarter and Virginia Tech facing 3rd and less than 1 from their own 37. They were actually riding a bit of momentum, with the quarter already featuring a rare Julio drop on Bama's previous possession (on 3rd down, no less), a nice run after catch by a Hokies WR to get a 1st down, and a frantic timeout by McClain just before the Hokies snapped the ball on this 3rd down play.

Coming out of the timeout, VT lined up in the I-formation, Taylor handed off to Williams, and he took it around the right end for a 1st down at the 44. However, Tech right guard, Greg Nosal, was caught for the hold pictured above, a breakdown in fundamentals that knocked the Hokies back 10 yards ... from which they never recovered. In fact, the next several plays went like this: Taylor incomplete pass; VT punt with nifty 14 yd Arenas return; G-Mac deep to Maze for 48 yards; Ingram TD; G-Mac to Peek for 2-point conversion; VT fumble on ensuing kickoff, Bama settles for FG. In just under 3 minutes of game time, the Tide went from down 17-16 to up 27-17 and that two-possession cushion essentially meant game over.

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Oh yes...

… that was a pretty big play, no doubt about it. If they don’t hold there, we probably get the ball back deep in our own territory with only about 9-10 minutes left, but instead we get it back at basically midfield with more time than that.

That was just a bad play by the VT defender. He may have needed to do it to make the play work, but you cannot make that obvious of a hole in the direction that the run is going on a critical running down, especially with the ref standing right there.

Oh, and by the way, great stuff, I hope you keep it up in the future. I’m actually going to have a play analysis on the long pass to Maze on Tuesday, and I’ll go ahead and add this to the front page.

by outsidethesidelines on Sep 7, 2009 1:48 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I will say, though...

… we were lucky that they called that penalty, even though it was fairly obvious.

Later on, though, we weren’t so lucky. The Virginia Tech right tackle made almost the exact same grab on Dont’a Hightower on Ryan Williams’ touchdown run, and that’s what allowed Williams to break off the big run (that and our own mistake). The hold on Hightower kept him from sliding over, and Barron got sucked up too far by the run action and suddenly found himself with a terrible pursuit angle on a great back.

by outsidethesidelines on Sep 7, 2009 1:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

One more...

… with that said, I will also say that we got away with a doozy of a holding call in our own right. On the play where Julio caught the pass near the boundary that was reviewed, Drew Davis flat-out tackled Jason Worilds off the edge. I guess the refs just weren’t looking because you have to throw a flag if you see that.

If the flag is thrown there, we are facing about 3rd and 25 from about our own 38. Instead, Julio makes a great catch, we move the chains, and four plays later Upchurch puts it in the end zone to make it 16-10 ’Bama.

by outsidethesidelines on Sep 7, 2009 2:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There seemed to be some...

…pretty bad calls and no calls all night. I’m trying to remember the specifics, but we also got away with a pretty obvious pass intereference call at one point too, at least everyone sitting around me seemed to think so.

RollBamaRoll.com

by Nico2.0 on Sep 7, 2009 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least they were consistent

There were several blatant holds that were no-called, including on VT’s TD return, and Cody was getting bear-hugged most of the second quarter.

You always forget that Nebraska is a state until they pop up in the news about some guy who has 25 kids buried in his backyard
-Ripped off from Deadspin

by Stuck in the Plains on Sep 7, 2009 9:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i guess the other aspect of this play that was important...

…was that the Tide defensive line had worn the VT line down to the point it had become desperate to make the plays. no hold on this play and tyrod takes a five-yard loss. at this point in the game the VT linemen were at the point that they had to do this in order to have any kind of hope of making their assignments. which isn’t a bash on VT per se. any team worn down by a superior conditioned opponent tends to reach this point in a hard-fought game.

by kleph on Sep 7, 2009 9:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Another strange thing about this play

Though VT was lined up in the I, the fullback totally whiffs on both McClain and Reamer, who blow through the line virtually untouched. McClain goes to wrap up Williams for a 3-yard or so loss, but Reamer, going in low, or losing his balance, I’m not sure what he was doing, not only whiffs on Williams, he knocks Ro off of Williams. It’s really an unbelievable sequence and one that could’ve easily been a hidden play the other way. Gimme a minute and I’ll add it as a photo series, if such a thing is possible. Hopefully, the shots turned out OK.

"That rug really tied the room together."

by pantsfucious on Sep 7, 2009 1:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs