#i even give jordan and gus stuff to do

[tabl3]

how far from the lref source material do you consider the rewrite? cause i saw my little cousin watching the show and i just did not associate your rewrite with the show NOT A BAD THING OFC i just realized that i seperate the two works a lot even if i objectively understand that the rewrite is based on the show.

so basically i was just wondering where that line was for you?? do you see them as super connected or are they completely different?

completely separate

i'd say the first two shows are like 80 percent canon to my rewrite, but nothing in ef is lols

there are some scenes i repurposed from the show in the very beginning, but other than that nothing is

basically i saw the potential and made something better out of that dumpster fire

[lab-trash]

Mission Creek Mighty Med

I posted Chapter One because I got bored. I’ll be posting chapters 2 and 3 later today.

Chapter List

“I can’t believe we have to transfer locations,” Kaz complained, “But we still have to go to school! We already have jobs!”

“Kaz, we have to graduate,” Oliver said, “We might get fired from Mighty Med, you know that there have been budget cuts,” He said. Kaz sighed, hanging up his last poster on their living room wall.

“They can’t fire us, we’re two of the best doctors on staff!”

“Changes nothing,” Oliver said. “What I don’t understand is why you think that we should have our own apartment; they offered to let us stay at Mighty Med.” Kaz let out a chuckle.

“Fair enough,” Oliver said with a shrug.

“Okay, there are two reasons for that,” He said, “First off: I’ve lived with 14 people. I’m not ready to live with over 20, all of which are basically strangers and have weird superpower sleeping habits.

Second of all: I really don’t want you to start stalking Skylar because you suddenly have 24/7 access to her. Plus, with our paychecks combined, after our raise, plus the money your mom is giving you, we can afford something not bad!”

“I’m just surprised your mom let you come. She’s hated me ever since I came out,” Kaz said with a laugh.

“She doesn’t know that you’re here. She thinks I’m getting away from you.” Kaz nodded.

“Yeah, that makes more sense,” He said with another laugh. “But hey! We’re roommates! We can finally decorate our living room and stuff the way we’ve always imagined it!”

“Yeah, I guess that’s pretty cool,” Oliver admitted. “Anyway, we start school on Monday, so we better get our stuff together,” He said. Kaz groaned.

“Why can’t we start school like… next month!”

“Because that’s not how school works,” Oliver said, slightly confused about Kaz’s statement. “We’d have to makeup a lot of work, and I think that you wouldn’t like that.”

“Fair enough,” Kaz said. “I’m going to bed. I’m so tired.” Oliver blinked.

“You barely did anything!”

“I collected all my stuff and put it through a wormhole, I did plenty!”

Oliver didn’t say any more, letting Kaz go to his room, as he put more of their comics on their bookshelf.

Monday morning, Oliver managed to drag Kaz out of bed and to Mighty Med to pick up Skylar.

“I am so excited to go to this new school!” Skylar exclaimed, walking out of Mighty Med.

The school that they were going to was only a couple blocks away from the hospital that Mighty Med was in, so it wouldn’t take long to get there.

“I mean, the old school was great, and I’m really gonna miss Jordan, but this one is so much nicer! And it’s nice to have a change of scenery.”

“It’s still a school, it’ll still be boring,” Kaz complained. Oliver sighed.

“Ignore him, he’s salty that we have to go to school even though we have jobs,” He said. Skylar nodded in understanding. “I, on the other hand, am also very happy about this new school!”

He might have still been annoyed about Skylar getting along so well with Gus. And in this new school, hopefully he’d be able to spend more time with her, being one her only old friends. In this school, he would be the Experion, but not evil.

They walked a bit in a comfortable silence, filled only with the sounds of nature and vehicles, before anyone spoke up.

“Kaz, maybe you should give this school a chance,” Skylar said, walking into the school. “I’m sure they have some sort of nerd club you can join.”

Kaz turned around, walking backwards to speak to his friends.

“Okay, I’m not a nerd, I’m much more of a geek! There’s a difference. And at least I do good things with my knowledge, I’m not like… an archaeologist. Like, what’s even the point of that?”

“Kaz, you might want to—”

Before Oliver could finish his warning, Kaz bumped into someone and he turned around.

“Ah, sorry,” He said, slightly fearful and annoyed from his own actions.

“Ooh, some new prey,” The guy said. He was taller than Kaz by a few inches, but he was so broad that it felt like much more than that. Oliver laughed nervously, stepping up in front of Kaz.

“We’re not looking for trouble,” He said “We’re just new here, he wasn’t looking where he— ahh,” He said uncomfortably as the guy picked him up and tossed him aside.

They heard someone sigh.

“Trent, leave them alone,” A girl said.

She was with three guys, two of which were around her height, but one of them was taller than even the vaguely threatening guy, Trent apparently.

“Don’t bother. Remember our first day,” One of the guys said quietly. He muttered something quietly into her ear, something the trio couldn’t hear. “I don’t feel like having another return of Spike.”

“Ooh, I hadn’t even thought of that!” The girl said happily before shoving the guy in Trent’s direction.

“Hey, shortstack, whaddya think you’re gonna do?” He said with a laugh. The guy sighed and turned to his friends.

“Really Bree? Why not send in Adam?”

“Because, Chase, that wouldn’t have been as funny,” The tall guy said, making the other two laugh. The first guy, Chase sighed and turned back to Trent.

“Well, there’s really only one way to fix this,” He said. He muttered something again. “Without breaking your body,” He said quietly. He took a breath before punching Trent’s arm and running away.

Trent, seemingly forgetting about Kaz, Oliver and Skylar, ran after him, and the rest of the friend group approached the new students.

“Sorry about him, cutie,” The girl said, making Oliver feel bashful. “He gave us a tough time on our first day of school too. I’m Bree, this is my brother Adam and our step-brother, Leo. The guy who just sacrificed his life for you guys is my brother Chase,” She introduced with a laugh.

“Oh, I’m Oliver, this is Kaz, and our friend Sky—” Kaz hit Oliver’s arm. “Connie!” He corrected. “Our friend, Connie.”

“Thanks for the save,” Skylar said happily, clutching the straps of her backpack.

“I could’ve handled that,” Kaz said, annoyed. Adam laughed.

“Yeah, but it was much funnier seeing Trent run after Chase,” He said. Leo shrugged.

“Better him than me,” He said. Oliver raised a brow in confusion, but shook it away.

“So you guys were new students too?”

“Yeah, we only came here about six months ago,” Bree said with a nod. “Before that we were… homeschooled, so it was a tough transition. We’re happy to help you guys with it if it helps,” She said.

“That’d be great!” Skylar exclaimed happily. “It’d be nice to have some friends. We just moved here, we haven’t really met anyone yet.”

“Oh, where’d you guys move from?” Leo asked as Bree started leading them to the cafeteria.

“Philadelphia,” Kaz said, speaking up for one of the first times in the whole interaction.

“Oh, wow, that’s really far,” Leo said, surprised. “Must’ve been a tough move,” He said with a light laugh.

“It wasn’t so bad,” Oliver said, knowing that they used the wormhole transporter instead of going on a plane back and forth.

“It was just the three of us, so we didn’t have as much stuff,” Skylar explained.

“Oh, are you three siblings?” Bree asked.

“Hey, just like us!” Adam exclaimed, but Kaz shook his head.

“No, no, we’re all just really good friends.” Oliver shook his head as they all sat down at a table.

“Kaz and I are good friends, me and Connie… it’s complicated.”

Kaz laughed.

“Nope,” He said. “They’re just friends.”

Chase entered the room, a tear in his flannel shirt.

“You just had to push me towards Trent! Do you know how much time I put into making sure we never interact?” He asked rhetorically. “A lot,” He said, annoyed.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you basically saved lives,” Bree said, patting Kaz’s shoulder. Kaz smiled at Chase.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” He said genuinely, confusing his friends. Chase sighed, sitting down.

“No problem,” He said. “Kind of,” He added, making Kaz laugh. “I’m just glad that I didn’t— uh… die,” He said, interrupting himself nervously.

“Has he killed people before?” Oliver asked, half-joking.

“Wouldn’t be surprised,” Leo said with a shrug.

“So, what are you guys doing here?” Chase asked.

“We moved for our jobs,” Kaz said. “Which is why I don’t understand why we still have to go to school,” He said, looking annoyed at Oliver.

“What jobs made you move? You’re only teenagers,” Chase observed. The three exchanged looks.

“Uh…” Oliver started. The bell rang. “Oh, that’s the bell, better get to class! See you guys at lunch!” He said before running off. Skylar sighed.

“Sorry about him,” She said. “He’s kind of a dork.” Kaz laughed.

“Yeah,” He agreed.

“I should get to class, I can’t afford to be late again,” Leo said, leaving the room.

“What’s my first period again?” Adam asked, legitimately confused. Chase sighed.

“Study hall,” He said. “You stay here for another 45 minutes.”

“Hey, I have study hall too,” Kaz said with a smile.

“I have geometry,” Skylar said, standing up and pushing her chair in.

“Hey, me too!” Bree said happily. “C’mon, I’ll walk with you,” She said and the two girls walked off together.

“I have to get to my AP English class,” Chase said, standing up. “But it was nice to meet you…” He trailed off, realising that he didn’t actually know any of the new student’s names.

“Kaz,” Kaz said. Chase nodded with a smile.

“It was nice to meet you, Kaz,” He said before walking off.

As soon as he left the room, Kaz hit his head against the table.

“I know, right!” Adam exclaimed, “He’s so boring.” Kaz looked up.

“Right,” He said.

[natalilysims]

Legacy Questionnaire

Thought this would be fun to do so I can look back on it after a few more generations pass and see how some answers change. This can also be done as a ‘send me a number’ game so if you want to do that you can find the original post by @melien​, here. Inspired by @an0nymousghost​, you can check out their post here!

1. When did you start your legacy? What inspired you to do it?

I started this Legacy on March 28, 2019. I usually do challenges where there are a lot of rules for each generation but I wanted to start something where I could do pretty much what I wanted and play a little bit more out of my comfort zone. And I’d seen a lot of amazing Legacies on Simblr that made me want to do my own and post it.

2. Are you following any strict rules there or just play how you want?

Nah, I’m basically just doing what I want.

3. Post the oldest picture you have from your legacy save.

The first ever Sharp house. Originally created by lilsimsie but I gave it a renovation. It’s up for download if anyone wants it!

4. What’s so special about your founder that you wanted to start a legacy with them?

She wasn’t really special to be honest. I just finally made a Sim that I managed to enjoy playing enough to not give up and start a new family like I’ve done a few times before with Legacy Challenges.

5. Favourite generation(s)

Generation 1 was probably my favourite. Which makes it sounds like I’ve enjoyed the family less and less as the challenge has gone on but that not the case at all. I think it’s because even though it was only a little over a year ago, I have a bit of nostalgia for that generation? Idk, I’m weird.

6. Favourite heir.

Probably Harper, the Gen 3 heir. 

7. Favourite spare.

Either Abi from Gen 1 or Jordan from Gen 3. 

8. Favourite spouse.

Alessia, the Gen 4 spouse. I’m gonna be really sad when I have to move on to Gen 5 and stop playing her.

9. Top 5 favourite legacy sims.

1. Jordan 2. Alessia 3. Sonny 4. Abi 5. Hayley

10. Top 3 favourite couples.

1. Safiya and Milo - the OG couple of this challenge. I have to stan. 2. Jordan and Jackson - kinda look like brothers but I just love them so much. 3. Eli and Alessia -  currently playing them and they’re so cute.

11. If you ever did any story lines, what is the one you’re most proud of?

I’m not a huuuge fan of making big story lines for my Sims but sometimes I have little things in my head about the Sims’ personality or their motivations for doing certain things that someone looking through my legacy won’t know because I don’t necessarily put them into my posts to make a huge story.

12. Any memorable moments?

Mango, a cat from Gen 2, randomly going into labour. I literally don’t know how she got pregnant.

13. Any funny moments?

None that I can think of. That’s upsetting.

14. The most unexpected twist in your legacy?

Some of the kids were unexpected twists - Harper and Hazel weren’t supposed to exist and neither was Eli but I have a problem with making my Sims have too many kids. 

15. Favourite name used on your sims?

I remember being very excited about naming Gus. And I love the name Sonny, especially for a boy. For surnames, I was really proud of Nair and Lane, even though they’re pretty basic lmao.

16. Who of your legacy sims you can relate the most to?

I don’t really relate to any but if I had to choose it would either be Abi or Harper.

17. Do you usually get attached to them or just play without deep thinking?

I get kind of attached in that I love looking back at old screenshots and remember how fun it was to play them but I don’t cry when my Sims die or anything like that because I usually have other Sims that I can move onto and focus on. And like... if I really wanted to see a Sim again, I probably have them saved somewhere.

18. Any surprise babies? What was the story?

Not really a surprise because I made it happen, but Harper and Hazel were not part of my original plan for Generation 2. I planned on Faye only having 2 kids but I was bored and when that happens I usually cure the boredom by having more kids, which I’m trying very hard to stop doing because after the excitement of having the baby is over, I can be even less interested in playing than I was initially.

19. Who of your sims has the best style?

I feel like none of my Sims have the best style, they’re all pretty generic, but if I had to choose... Jordan or Harper.

20. Who is the best genetic mix of their parents?

This is definitely a flaw of The Sims 4 and its shitty skin tones but I quite like that Max and Jordan (who are twins) have a slight mix of their parent’s genetics. Max has Harper’s hair and Cheyanne’s skin tone. And Jordan has Cheyanne’s hair and Harper’s skin tone.

Again, this shouldn’t be a thing. The kids should have a skin tone that’s in the middle of what their parents’ skin tone is but I just thought it was interesting when I noticed it.

21. Is your legacy berry, vanilla, banilla, or a mix of those?

Vanilla in the sense that they aren’t berry sims but not vanilla in the sense that I use a lot of CC and some mods.

22. Have you ever done another legacies apart from this one?

I’ve started a few, two of which I began posting on here but then deleted because I didn’t like how they were going. I was 100% expecting to give up with the Sharp family as well but it’s going pretty good so far.

23. How many generations are you aiming for? When you reach a certain milestone, are you going to continue playing or just wrap up the whole thing?

If I lose interest at any point and genuinely get bored of the Sharp family then I’ll probably stop at the end of whichever generation I’m on but ideally I want to complete 10 generations. I might take a Sim born in the final generation and use them in another legacy/challenge I start as a spouse or something but I’ll stop with the Sharp Legacy after 10.

24. Have you ever done any other challenges with your sims from the legacy?

At some point I probably will use someone from the Sharp family in something else but so far I haven’t. I will be using a Sim from another challenge/family in Sharp Gen 5 though.

25. What do you do when you feel uninspired playing the legacy?

Either stop playing The Sims 4 altogether or play another challenge/family for a bit.

26. Have you had your sims die? Which death was the hardest to take?

I’m on Gen 4 so a lot of Sims have died at this point, all from old age. So far, Harper’s was probably the hardest to take.

27. Do you have this one OTP that stands out among the other legacy couples? Tell us about them!

Jordan and Jackson. I don’t know what it is about them, I just love them so much. Sometimes I wish I made Jackson the heir. I knew that for Gen 4 I wanted to live in Sulani and do Island Living stuff but I didn’t mold Jordan into an Island Living type of Sim so it wouldn’t have fit very well.

28. Have you had a sim who you grew to like?

Eli was very unplanned and I had no idea what to name him and I was like ugh why did I do this but now I love him a lot. Originally, I named him Casper.

Bailey was also very hard to name. I’ve always really loved her, it’s just the name that I’m not sure about. I like the name Bailey but something about Bailey Sharp isn’t my fave. And Sonny and Bailey don’t go together that well imo. But at the same time, now I couldn’t imagine her having a different name so... idk.

29. Have you had a sim that you fell in love with right away?

I’m always obsessed with the first born in a generation so - Abi, Hanna, Max & Jordan, Sonny

30. Do you choose your heirs yourself or make heir polls?

I have thought about making an heir poll when I’m not sure what I want to do for the next Generation but so far, I’ve managed to figure it out so I haven’t needed a poll.

Also, when it comes to choosing an heir, I usually like to choose when they are still a child so I can kind of mold them into what I want for the next Generation as they’re growing up. So making a poll would be hard because the people voting wouldn’t know my plan and I wouldn’t want to give major spoilers for what’s to come.

31. The first legacy memory that pops up in your head?

Safiya going to a cafe to make friends but she ended up just sitting alone drinking coffee. Or when Cheyanne and Harper went on a date and Harper died...

32. The hottest sim?

Gus, Max or Brandie

33. The prettiest sim?

I feel like I’ve been very lucky with this family because all the kids have been really pretty but if I had to choose, probably either Abi, Hayley or Jordan.

34. The most unique sim?

I feel like all my Sims are pretty basic to be honest. If I had to choose... maybe Jordan? I’m not sure. 

35. Have you had any sims that remind you of someone?

I’ve never really thought about it, so I guess not.

36. Do you use other people’s sims in your legacy?

I think most of the Sims I’ve used for this Legacy are either pre-made Sims in the saves I’ve been using or I’ve made them. I don’t think I’ve specifically downloaded anyone from somewhere for my Sim to marry. I probably will do that at some point though.

37. Imagine if you had a chance to meet one of your sims. Who would it be?

That’s so weird for me to imagine but if I had to, either Jordan or Harper.

38. Do you have that one generation you wish you’d done differently?

I love Brandie and Eli so much but I sometimes wish Harper and Cheyanne had Max and Jordan and then were done with babies because 2 generations in a row with 4 babies is a bit much.

39. Your favourite non-romantic relationship in the legacy?

Harper and Hazel were fun to play with at the beginning of Gen 3 when they went to university.

40. Random fun fact about your legacy you want to share!

I’m trying to make each generation a bit different and focus on a pack. Gen 1 and Gen 2 were both fairly generic but Gen 3 had a university theme for a while and Gen 4 is Island Living. Gen 5 will probably be a mix of Island Living and Eco Lifestyle (if I can be bothered to figure out how to properly work Eco-Lifestyle).

[askauradonprep]

Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz Chapter 10

Okay, so who’s ready to see Ben meet the royal council?

- Ben’s a fidgeter when he’s nervous - he’s playing with his ring while he waits for the union. I like it.

- Ben thinks being a king can’t be so much more complicated than a candelabrum because Lumiere is always so confident in himself. I love it. There’s more to being king than confidence but I like the attitude.

- The royal advisors enter talking sports and drink spiced cider and eat sugar cookies. I love it. Fantasy tourney league indeed.

- Oh, wow! Apparently there are translator communicators that explain what animals say. I wonder if there’s an equivalent for human languages? If so, that would explain SO MUCH about Auradonian diplomacy. It’s one of the few magical devices allowed without a fuss.

- Aquatic folks are wheeled in by wheeled bathtubs. Clever.

- Genie and the fairies like to compare vacation notes. I dig it.

- Council members: Seven dwarves, Jaq, Gus, and Mary from Cinderella, Flounder, the Dalmatians (what? If anything, the people were the sidekicks), Ariel’s sisters, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and Genie. 

- It says Grumpy’s mellowed out a bit - though he still does stuff like grouse about it being sugar cookies instead of currant or chocolate chip. He asks if they’re talking budget problems.

- Apparently a lot of Auradon folks look like they haven’t aged a day in the past 20 years. Unlike the Isle citizens. Yes, they’re explicitly compared. Poverty will do that.

- Okay, so Ben brought notecards to remind him what to do, but the meeting goes poorly because apparently Adam didn’t inform the council that they were meeting with BEN. Good job, Adam.

- Genie’s apparently taken a physical form over the cloudy one, to compensate for the magic rule.

- Ben isn’t doing badly, but the kid needs to learn to say what he means - like referring to legislation by name, even if he’s not going to pass it (like the Sidekicks Act).

- Doc asks Ben how much he’s even seen the kingdom, outside castles. I mean....yeah, it’s a fair point. Suddenly the tour in D2 makes more sense.

- Doc actually brings up the goblins asking for amnesty from the Isle. That’s sweet. Which also means there’s SOME form of contact between the Isle and at least the Auradonian government - so the government, at least, absolutely knows how awful things are on the Isle. They just don’t give a shit. I question how much the public knows though. Even Ben is shockingly ignorant. 

- Okay, okay, hold up - the dwarves are apparently NOT BEING PAID to work the mines and haven’t been since Auradon was founded. Ben, we have a term for that - it’s ‘slavery’. What in god’s name is wrong with you? He tries to say that as citizens they have two months of vacation, 20 holidays and unlimited sick days, so they haven’t ‘exactly’ been working for free for 20 years. This is a bullshit argument. They’ve been working for that long, days off be damned. PAY YOUR WORKERS, BEN.

- Bashful brings up that they’ve been working without a voice or a contract for 20 years too. Ben tries to say they have a voice just by being on the council - Ben, that’s not how it works. They have no ability to vote for legislation, or elect representatives to vote in their place. They have no say in who governs. No, they do not have a voice. And I noticed you totally slid over the contract issue. Bashful asks what will happen to their families when they retire (a valid question, since they don’t own the mine and can’t pass it on) and Ben gives a mealy mouthed reply about how he’s sure his dad has a plan to take care of everyone. Meanwhile, I think the government looks more and more unethical and incompetent by the second.

- In addition to the dwarves WORKING WITHOUT PAY, apparently the mice need to make all the dresses by hand, the woodland creatures are doing all the housekeeping (at least for Snow White), Flounder collects everything for Ariel, the mermaids do undersea tours all the time even in the busy season, and all of this is without compensation other than a warm fuzzy. I...think I am actually starting to HATE Auradon. 

- The fairies are asking why they can’t use a little magic for their own housework - apparently they don’t have their wands anymore. Ben tries to ask if there’s such a thing as a ‘little magic’ and yes, there is. Honestly, I say the fairies should just take the wands back and use the magic around the house. Who’s going to stop them? Nobody gives a shit when Jordan does blatant magic in public. 

- The only one that’s mostly personal is Pongo and Perdita is in having 101 Dalmatian puppies (who are apparently still puppies 20 years later) to care for. That’s something government should help with - affordable child care, small business subsidies so Anita and Roger can hire more help, higher education subsidies, mental health care to deal with the stress - but the complaints are mostly the personal ones about it being tough to parent.

- Ben gets stressed from all the yelling and not knowing what to do and he shouts at everyone to get out. They go off to find King Adam to complain about how rude Ben was, and Ben feels like he’s unworthy to be king since he couldn’t sort things out. Ben, honey, you shouldn’t be king because you’re an incompetent kid. Which - yeah. No shit. Congrats, Adam, it’s a sixteen year old. Maybe he shouldn’t be in charge of the whole country. I’m just saying.

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Fruitvale Station (2013)

Normally, I celebrate Black History Month on my social media page by posting different achievements, key moments and important figures from the African-American experience.  There was something about 2020, however, that made me feel the need for change… mainly, it was the fact that Black Americans continued to be the victim of race-based violence at a disproportionate rate, even in the midst of a pandemic.  Based on the continued instances of said violence, I felt the need to make a shift in terms of what I shared on my timeline, so I adopted the #SayTheirNames approach.  In doing so, Oscar Grant was a clear cut name for the list, but that also made me realize that I’d never taken the time to sit down and watch Ryan Coogler’s debut film, Fruitvale Station.

On New Year’s Eve 2008, Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) begins his day staving off an argument with his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and preparing his daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) for school.  He calls his mother Wanda (Octavia Spencer) to wish her a happy birthday, and during a stop at the grocery store to pick up stuff for her party, he meets a young woman named Katie (Ahna O’Reilly) who is preparing for a party of her own.  In need of money, Oscar attempts to sell some weed to his friend, but after a moment reflecting on his last stint in jail, he dumps the weed and chooses to change his life for the better.  Oscar, Sophina and Tatiana attend Wanda’s birthday party, and afterwards, Oscar decides to celebrate New Year’s Eve night in San Francisco.  Wanda convinces Oscar to take the BART,  and during his ride, he is recognized by Katie from the grocery store.  She calls out to him, which notifies another man on the BART of Oscar’s presence, and based on their prison history, a fight breaks out.  The BART Police get involved at Fruitvale Station in Oakland, and while Oscar and a number of others are being detained, a scuffle breaks out between Oscar and two of the police : Officer Caruso (Kevin Durand) and Officer Ingram (Chad Michael Murray).  The struggle escalates, leading to the shooting and eventual tragic death of Oscar Grant on New Year’s Day, 2009.

In the hands of a lesser director, the tragic tale of Oscar Grant would be milked for every bit of emotional and dramatic beat  that can be amplified and exploited, but in the hands of Ryan Coogler (and in his debut no less), Coogler gives us a true slice of life presentation of the struggles that trip up even the most well-intentioned young men, and the underlying aspirations to eliminate them.  The tragedy that beset Grant, as commonplace as it has become these days, is about as much of a twist ending as that of the film Titanic, so instead, we are shown Oscar Grant taking stock of his life with all the pomp and circumstance of an instruction manual.  In my mind, it feels like Coogler and all involved decided to not only make Oscar Grant as relatable as possible, but also show how his last day on Earth had the same ups and downs of any other one.

The strongest aspect of this film is its immediate and deeply penetrating honesty.  Before we are properly introduced to the actors portraying their very real counterparts (properly, meaning we hear them before we see them), our first visual stimulus is the actual footage of Oscar Grant’s last moments that lead to his death.  Once the actual film starts, there are no airs put on in an attempt to make Oscar Grant an angel… instead, we are shown Oscar attempting to reconcile the broken trust in his relationship, stating his intention to sell weed in order to make money and even driving a car while operating a cellular phone.  We are also shown his attempts to connect with and support his daughter, as well as a birthday text and phone call to his mother, therefore humanizing Oscar as we join him on his tragic journey.

Using a handheld camera grounds the film in reality, making it feel more like a documentary than a dramatic retelling.  The film has a similar energy and pacing to Gus Van Sant’s Death Trilogy, particularly the film Elephant, in the way that we are shown every mundane element involved in the march toward tragedy, with the main difference being that this story is true.  The film looks great in terms of the way it captures the Bay Area, but ultimately, this film was not made as a vehicle to impress viewers with its flashiness.  This is a film with a righteous agenda, and it more than holds up its end of the bargain in terms of achieving its goals.

Michael B. Jordan has always had a knack for mixing underlying emotion and a very natural screen presence, which works well in this character study of a life cut short too soon.  Melonie Diaz matches Jordan’s natural energy, but not at the expense of displaying her sense of urgency to have the needs of her and her child met.  Ariana Neal gives a strong performance for such a young actress as she manages to be charming without being cheesy, and at times, incredibly pensive for such a young mind.  Octavia Spencer does what she does best, bringing a loving presence and a motherly sternness to her character that validates Oscar’s choices to shift his life in the right direction.  Ahna O’Reilly turns on the charm, making her the kind of beacon that a stranger would gravitate to in hopes of a connection.  Key supporting performances by Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, and appearances by Christina Elmore, Tamera Tomakili, Chris Reidell, Denzel Worthington, Jonez Cain, Jasmin Bristow and a host of others fill out the cast for this sad tale.

This film was every bit as moving and powerful as everyone said it was.  The fact that I knew how sad an ending I was headed for did not deter my enjoyment of how well the film was made, or how impressed I was by how carefully and respectfully the story was handled.  The circumstances surrounding the film are no doubt tragic, which makes this film an important piece of film and cultural history that I will do my best to share with any and everyone willing to listen.  

[auburnfamilynews]

I’ve rewatched this play a lot lately:

Obviously, a different fourth-down completion has since emerged as the go-to example for anyone delving into the intersection of Auburn victory over Georgia and good fortune/divine intervention (delete as applicable). But it’s easy to imagine prayer at work in this one, too. Given how close Aromashodu is to the goal line, his fumble seems more likely to roll into the end zone and out of bounds than anything else. It doesn’t. It could roll out the back of the end zone. It doesn’t. It could roll somewhere with an easier Georgia recovery. It doesn’t. Courtney Taylor could easily boot the recovery, as the ball is still bouncing when he reaches it. He doesn’t. Of course, Aromashodu could also just not have ever fumbled and scored a touchdown, one that would have given Georgia nearly two full minutes (at home, against one of Tubby’s more pliable defenses) to score their own game-winning touchdown. He doesn’t do that, either.

What he does is fumble. What the fumble does is stay in-bounds. What Taylor does is make the recovery. And what Auburn does immediately afterwards is run out the clock, kick a chip-shot field goal, and move to 15-7-1 against Georgia over a 23-year span.

As more than one than one gleeful Dawg has pointed out since Saturday, in the series’ 15-year-span since that play, Auburn’s gone 3-12. THREE AND BLEEPING TWELVE. A Georgia fan might argue that if not for the bounce of the ball in Athens in 2005 and Jordan-Hare in 2013, we’d be talking about a 2-14 stretch, but it’s hard for me not to feel like those two games are some form of repayment for all the do-or-die late-fourth-quarter drives Auburn hasn’t finished.

2008: Down 4, Kodi Burns drives Auburn to the UGA 21 and the UGA 14 on consecutive possessions, but fires incomplete on both fourth-downs.

2009:

2015: Down 17-10 early in the fourth quarter after a Georgia punt return TD, Sean White fumbles at his own 17 to push the UGA lead to 10. Auburn’s ensuing drive reaches the Georgia 1, where Ricardo Louis fumbles. The Tigers lose 20-13 with a minus-3 turnover margin and the pivotal special teams TD allowed.

2016: I’m not even going to discuss this.

That brings us to 2019, and 4th-and-2 on the Georgia 34 with 2:24 to play and Auburn down 21-14. Bo Nix has Harold Joiner open in the flat for an easy conversion. His throw is well behind Joiner and incomplete. Georgia wins.

If what we remember most about the 2005 play is Aromashodu bursting free and the fumble-and-recovery lightning strike, it’s also worth coming back to Brandon Cox. 4th-and-10, game down to one snap, enemy crowd filling its lungs with blood, he steps into the pocket and throws a 30-yard dart to win the game.

Contrasting this throw with Nix’s isn’t to make a scapegoat of our freshman quarterback. Nix threw 50 passes against one of the nation’s best pass defenses without an interception; he led the team in rushing; he could have no doubt accomplished more if Auburn’s tailbacks didn’t average 2.6 yards a carry.

Contrasting Cox’s throw with Nix’s is to point out that if Auburn’s going to bring this series back to parity, it’s going to take both ends of that 2005 play. It’s going to take better luck than Georgia’s lone fumble tumbling out of bounds from several yards away while Auburn’s is recovered by the Dawgs; than the officials reversing a critical late-game catch they could have easily let stand; than the accumulation of events that left Auburn with zero points from 5 separate trips inside the Georgia 40.

But it’s also going to take better execution with the game in the fourth-quarter balance: a receiver holding onto the catch at the goal line, a punt coverage unit not giving up a touchdown, a quarterback completing a routine throw on 4th down. It’s also going to take a coaching staff establishing an offense that means the defense can occasionally take the responsibility of making the game-winning plays down the stretch.

Given how competitive Auburn’s been even in defeat, 2005’s not as far away as the 14 years or Auburn’s record against Georgia since then might make it seem. But that doesn’t make the wait to get back to Cox and Aromashodu any less agonizing.

Other thoughts:

— Not that I expect anything less than the full torch-and-pitchfork response from Auburn fans who are already done with Gus, but this wasn’t remotely the same kind of loss as the Florida loss or the LSU loss. The Gators outgained Auburn by 129 yards total and 1.1 per-play, the game only in doubt due to the Tigers forcing four Florida fumbles and recovering them all. LSU’s dominance was even more dramatic: a 221-yard advantage in total offense and a plus-1.6 margin in yards-per-play. If not for a muffed punt or DJ Williams’ big third-quarter run, Auburn would have gone into their last-minute desperation drive with all of 3 points — against the same LSU defense that Ole Miss just shredded for 614 yards and 37 points.

Against Georgia, Auburn won the total yardage battle 329-251, generated 7 trips inside the opponent’s 40 to the Dawgs’ 3 (despite losing the field position battle), and narrowly shaded Bill Connelly’s win expectancy measurement. Georgia won exclusively on their ability to finish drives. While that’s obviously an important part of college football performance, that’s different from Florida and LSU winning exclusively on their ability to stuff Auburn’s whole offense in a sack.

If the Tigers had lost to the Gators and Bayou Bengals the way they lost to Georgia, the frustration level discussed in this space last week wouldn’t be nearly as elevated. But of course, if the Tigers were good enough to have lost to the Gators and Bayou Bengals the way they lost to Georgia, they likely wouldn’t have lost to Georgia at all, so.

— Towards that end: no need to decide which train Gus will board just yet. Let’s see what happens a week from Saturday.

— Tua Tagovailoa’s injury was the cruelest reminder that objectively speaking, Derrick Brown never should have returned to Auburn. I can’t remember a season where I felt more invested in any player’s continued good health than Brown’s; for him to put millions of dollars on the line to take one more shot at helping Auburn to a championship, perform the way he has, and absorb a career-damaging injury even as the Tigers’ offense betrays the teams goals he returned to pursue would be entirely too much to take.

That he’s instead stayed healthy and ascended into the uppermost tier of college football’s defensive stars — the kind Gary Danielson goes out of his way to highlight for discarding a Georgia lineman like so much used Kleenex for a national audience — is comfortably the best part of Auburn’s season-to-date. Here’s to one series against Samford, more of the same against Alabama, and — if I had my way — an immediate transition to award collection and preparation for the draft that will give him his much-deserved millions. War Eagle, Derrick Brown.

from The War Eagle Reader https://www.thewareaglereader.com/2019/11/thoughts-on-georgia-21-auburn-14/

[junker-town]

2019 would be a great time for Miami (Ohio) to win some close games

Martin’s program-building bona fides are strong, but his close-game conservatism has held the RedHawks back.

One fact of life that becomes more true to me with each passing year is that we are all paradoxes in some way. The factors that give us our best traits also give us our worst.

In football terms, Miami (Ohio) head coach Chuck Martin might be the most perfect example of this. In his five seasons with the RedHawks, he has proven to be one of the country’s most methodical program builders.

When he moved to Oxford, Miami was at an all-time low point.

The RedHawks had gone 0-12 in 2013 with an S&P+ rating of minus-29.0 adjusted points per game, easily its worst ever.

In his first year, he improved that rating to minus-18.7.

In his second year, minus-13.5.

In his third year, minus-6.1.

In his fourth year, minus-2.2.

In his fifth year, minus-0.7.

By the end of 2018, he was fielding a top-80 team for the second straight season. Miami hadn’t advanced that high in S&P+ since 2005. That is undeniable, if relatively slow, success. But those same conservative, inch-at-a-time tendencies that have served Miami well in the macro sense have backfired quite a bit in the micro.

In five seasons under Martin, the RedHawks have gone 7-20 in one-possession games. The word “conservative” takes a darker tone here in the way that Miami appears to aim for risk-free, sure-to-punt play-calling.

Maybe the best recent example of this comes from one of their rare close wins.

Late in the 2018 season, riding a close-game losing streak of nine straight dating back to the woefully conservative 17-16 loss to Mississippi State in the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl, the RedHawks exploded to a 28-7 halftime lead over an excellent Ohio. The defense had forced four punts and a turnover, but there was reason to believe that Ohio could still make a charge — the Bobcats were averaging 6.2 yards per play, after all. (Plus, in general, they had a really good offense, more than capable of scoring 21 or more points in the second half.) Miami’s offensive success, meanwhile, had been driven by the pass: Gus Ragland was 16-for-22 for 185 yards and a touchdown.

Ragland threw 10 passes in the second half, almost all of them conservative — and he completed four for 14 yards. Ohio averaged 6.7 yards per play in the second half to Miami’s 4.2, the RedHawks went three-and-out five times in seven possessions (the other two: a five-and-out and a turnover), and sure enough, Ohio had cut Miami’s lead to 30-28, then got the ball back with 30 seconds left and a chance to win with a field goal.

The Bobcats came up about 20 yards short of a field goal attempt, and the RedHawks held on after doing everything wrong.

But they were still talented enough to beat a good team! And they turned around and beat eventual MAC champ NIU the next week as well. They won five of seven to finish the year bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons. Miami had been to only one bowl in nine years before his arrival, so that’s not nothing. But the same methodical approach that has led to a steady build has kept the win total tamped down. Among active coaches, he’s at the bottom of the in-game underachievers list.

So is he a bad good coach? A great terrible one?

Either way, he’s Miami’s for another year. And at first glance, this five-year streak of steady improvement is in danger. Ragland, his two leading running backs, two of his four favorite targets, and the left side of the offensive line are all gone from a unit that has still climbed only as high as 90th in Off. S&P+ under Martin. The defense returns some play-makers but must replace about half its two-deep and do-everything linebacker Brad Koenig.

Martin just signed the third-best class in the MAC, and the foundation looks as healthy as ever. But you have to wonder if the missed opportunities through the years have soured his accomplishments a bit. And you have to wonder what might happen to the relationship if or when the RedHawks actually take a step backwards at some point. We might find out this year.

Offense

If Miami could run the ball on you in 2018, you were probably screwed. Not including Ragland, who would attempt about six non-sack carries per game, the RedHawks had four primary ball carriers: Alonzo Smith, Kenny Young (also Ragland’s second-most frequent target), Maurice Thomas, and Jaylen Bester. They were just slightly more effective in wins than losses.

Smith, Young, Thomas, and Bester in six wins: 15.8 carries per game, 199.7 yards per game, 6.4 yards per carry, 12 TDs

In six losses: 8.8 carries per game, 58.8 yards per game, 3.4 yards per carry, 3 TDs

If the run worked, offensive co-coordinators George Barnett and Eric Koehler would ride it pretty far. If it didn’t, they’d ditch it quickly and ask Ragland to save them. (Ragland would then frequently dump the ball to one of the backs on the perimeter.)

Smith and Young are gone after combining for 270 intended touches (rushes and pass targets), but Thomas and Bester (124 combined) played a role as well, and Bester was maybe the most exciting to watch of the foursome. On a per-intended-touch basis, he was the second most dangerous behind Young.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylon Bester

Bester and Thomas should expect to play a pretty large role this year, as Miami doesn’t really seem to believe in the intermediate passes. Ragland’s successor — be it Michigan transfer Alex Malzone or one of many three-star youngsters (sophomore Jackson Williamson, redshirt freshmen AJ Mayer or Michael Bonds, or true freshman Brett Gabbert) — will be asked to throw basically screens, flares ... and lots of go routes.

The best go routes option might be a tight end: junior Andrew Homer should probably be asked to play a larger role after catching 16 of 23 passes for 231 yards and three scores. His vertical presence could distract safeties and prevent them from keying on a couple of targets on the outside. Jack Sorenson (742 yards, two touchdowns) is easily the most well-rounded of Miami receivers, while tight end-sized Luke Mayock (319 yards, three TDs) is a unique matchup.

Sorenson and Mayock are the only two returnees who caught more than 16 passes last year, but players like Homer, junior Dominique Robinson (another big target), sophomore Jalen Walker, and a boatload of three-star youngsters could be ready for larger roles.

The line has to replace two starters in LT Jordan Rigg and LG Sam McCollum but still features four players who have combined for 67 career starts. Two-year starting center Danny Godlevske was third-team All-MAC in 2018.

Despite some thinning out on the two-deep, there appears to be decent talent here. We just have to find out if there’s a quarterback. Malzone, a former four-star prospect, has attempted four career passes and has completed zero; he’s the most experienced guy here. There’s plenty of potential in the fact that Martin and his co-coordinators will have five former three- or four-star prospects to choose from, but someone still has to step up.

Defense

Despite the fact that he is a former offensive coordinator, Martin’s teams have been driven mostly by defenses — the RedHawks have ranked quite a bit higher in Def. S&P+ than in Off. S&P+ for each of the past four years. They were 66th this past season, a unit defined not by any one overriding strength but by a lack of outright weaknesses. They were 60th in marginal efficiency, 30th in marginal explosiveness, and between 47th and 54th in Rushing, Passing, Standard Downs and Passing Downs S&P+.

The balance here makes me feel better about their chances to deal with loss: defensive co-coordinators Spence Nowinsky and John Hauser have to replace three of their top seven linemen, two of three linebackers, and two of three safeties.

One loss does bear a lot of weight, though. Koenig was one of the best linebackers in the country at any level. He led the team in tackles (82, nearly double anyone else’s on the team), tackles for loss (13), run stuffs (18), and forced fumbles (four), and he was second in sacks (five) and third in passes defensed (five). Losing him is like losing two good players.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Doug Costin (58)

They do still return proven talent at each level of the defense, though.

Nose tackle Doug Costin logged 10.5 TFLs and six sacks — not bad for a 295-pounder. He’ll be joined by veteran ends Ben Kimpler and Dean Lemon, and sophomore tackle Andrew Sharp could be ready for a larger role. So could sophomore end Kameron Butler, for that matter.

Linebackers Myles Reid and Ryan McWood are now the defensive anchors. Koenig was special, but Reid’s been around a while, at least. (Depth here is perilous if either of these veterans go down.)

The secondary is still super exciting as long as cornerback Zedrick Raymond is still on the field. He might be the best corner in the conference, and in Raymond and former four-star Virginia commit Mike Brown, Miami’s got a couple of dangerous, physical weapons in the back. And I haven’t even mentioned safety Bart Baratti yet — he was an interesting havoc weapon, recording nine TFLs and three sacks from the back row.

The offense has question marks, but I’d be surprised if the Miami defense wasn’t again one of the best in the conference.

Special Teams

In a conference weighed down by lots of bad special teams units, Miami’s was a happy standout. The Redhawks’ unit was as balanced as their defense, ranking in the top 20 in kick return efficiency and in the top 50 in place-kicking, punting, and kickoffs.

Better yet: those responsible for all of those positive ratings are scheduled to return — punter Kyle Kramer, kicker Samuel Sloman, and a pair of dangerous return men in Maurice Thomas and Jaylen Bester. This should again be the best unit in the conference.

2019 outlook

2019 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug at Iowa 25 -19.9 13% 7-Sep Tennessee Tech NR 37.0 98% 14-Sep at Cincinnati 44 -14.5 20% 21-Sep at Ohio State 7 -31.7 3% TBD Akron 124 17.5 84% TBD Bowling Green 123 17.0 84% TBD Buffalo 97 4.6 60% TBD Northern Illinois 76 -1.8 46% TBD at Ball State 110 5.5 62% TBD at Kent State 111 6.3 64% TBD at Ohio 82 -5.5 37% TBD at Western Michigan 75 -6.9 34%

Projected S&P+ Rk 93 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 95 / 82 Projected wins 6.1 Five-Year S&P+ Rk -8.2 (98) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 96 2018 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 6 / 2.9 2018 TO Luck/Game +1.3 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 57% (57%, 57%) 2018 Second-order wins (difference) 5.9 (0.1)

Martin’s program-building strengths have been strong enough to put his in-game weaknesses in the spotlight. Despite Miami’s obvious gains, the Redhawks are just 17-23 the last three seasons, and with just a .500 record in close games, they’d be at something closer to seven wins a year with three bowl bids.

This is probably another season that will be defined by close games. S&P+ projects three double-digit wins for the RedHawks (home games against BGSU, Akron, and Tennessee Tech), three double-digit losses (road games against Iowa, Cincinnati, and Ohio State), and six one-possession tossups. If Miami either executes better or receives better breaks, then there’s enough talent here, especially on defense, to make a conference title run.

But history suggests the RedHawks will only win one or two of those six close games. That could mean another year without a bowl.

If Martin’s been saving all of his close-game karma for a good moment, now would be the time to spend some of it. There is both a lot of opportunity, and a lot of threat, on the table.

Team preview stats

All 2019 preview data to date.

[tremendousgoateepizza-blog]

Capel Loses Quart, Speak about 'Hope'.

Chances are you are actually going to be come close to through a private fitness instructor sooner or eventually if you have actually simply participated in a health and fitness center. Elizabeth: The principle responsible for this is that just what's thus comical consequently odd about just what you merely pointed out is that even though that holds true that in a lot of ways you can receive more loan and also you can't receive even more time, individuals frequently think the contrary. Natalia Flower's launching diet plan book, The Raw Meals Detoxing Diet regimen is a 5-step think about vivid health and also maximum fat loss as well as a must on your shelf. While some receive it off their parents, and also others off standard after-school works, a bunch of all of them create their loan buying and selling outfits like manner sell traders. What makes me dodge on the concept they are certainly not financially rewarding is actually that Andy Dunn was sited in 2014 specifying that they were certainly not successful, plus the within source from my pal it would seem to verify this. Recently, discussing a contrast between some ₤ 200 boots and a ₤ THOUSAND set on this site, a pal commented that 'the second is most likely typically profit anyway'. Having an endurance objective claim meeting will certainly perform that, specifically if the youngsters are actually much younger. I would certainly suggest that amount of money would be actually a lot better spent seeing to it prescription medications are being suggested appropriately. I recognize folks who make use of financial consultants to assist them spread their funds across many different economic expenditures. Exam strips woudn't be an option if there had not been an earnings in it. There is competitors on the market therefore there has to be an explanation the costs are so higher. They have actually actually paid for to make the footwears, and therefore stand up to make a much greater loss if they do not market them. I'm additionally happy to invest some money on things I can easily endure the weekend that still appear upscale and also put-together, like denims and laid-back sweaters. For example, in the case of a youngster, that could be actually valuable to acquire language examples off the youngster, test the little one's ability to make money from methodical signs, and also review the child's analysis skills under numerous ailments. Even when you don't possess kids, that doesn't imply you cannot (or even shouldn't) produce a family members objective declaration. However, maybe this is actually one thing less scary/ organized - maybe they only place majority purchases for stuff, obtain some non-trivial markdown, and also their earnings is the distinction. A Strenuous Live is actually a compilation from pep talks as well as essays by Roosevelt on the importance of constructing the character of males and females so as for the American Republic to do well. Prospective investors must adhere to paper trading accounts till they are able to maintain a particular level from income. I am actually going back to institution and I will certainly never fall under that money is every little thing" catch again. But after that detail that there are some provisional standards connected to the money. Thanks for home siding along with individuals as well as hygienics as opposed to the earnings intent from a number of the health care market that presses excessive testing to the detriment of physical well being. Start out with the behavior from cooking food in your home once a week and also gradually raise the frequency up until you locate an equilibrium in between saving loan and also getting burnt out. Nevertheless, a young boy can certainly not happen assuming life concerns ice cream and plant fts for life. However I currently acknowledge that you could put in cash in your personal organisation that can provide you an excellent temporary capital, as well as a potential major payday later on if you ever decide to market. Simply inquire exactly what they possess-- or don't possess-- in their profile." Don't have somebody handle your funds-- or even everything else-- which places your skin in one activity, and his in another. TMZ placed in the work and also rejected the opportunity to have a quote away from context and also earnings through injuring yet another person. If they are incapable to handle their money, they could possibly also lose their residence or even home. In reality, their reason in business and also lifestyle is to accomplish precisely that, not to create cash because enhancing their wide range and standing - as an affirmation from excellence. While some men fill in order to offer a book or a suggestion, numerous merely perform that to coordinate their notions, make links, fix concerns, or even soothe stress. Our major goal with allocation is actually to educate Gus money management and also persistence along with conserving up for lasting objectives. Contact me an aged fashioned orthodox Religious, yet I really believe that we possess folks's eternal fates at concern, not a plain profit scope. That means you don't recognize the science about food items cravings as well as the science regarding the glycemic index if part command also enters your mind. What IS included: Things you can easily use to legitimately generate cash online - Every little thing coming from Earning to review software application to great ole' Adsense. Maybe the growth covered is baked with cash as well as football, but for the Big Ten on its own, that's some appetizing topping. I'll remind him that he won't have enough loan to purchase that if he gets the gum now if he's been actually chatting regarding a Lego specified he wishes. Along with http://schonekarte-blog.info 's up 12% in 2014, that variety simply appears sure to grow for Jordan, particularly due to the fact that his Jordan Brand name influences 58% from the market portion while this makes $2.5 billion in sales annually. Then you could as properly make amount of money doing that, if you like helping folks along with their computer system troubles. At $TWENTY an hour, that was actually an additional $320 a month for my other half and I. http://schonekarte-blog.info dealt with majority from our lease, giving us additional cash to put in the direction of other economic targets.

I additionally haven't attempted any of these, yet am mosting likely to begin checking into AirBnB because I maintain hearing you can actually profit off from this if you live in a good region like New York City or even LA. I likewise possess a pal that owns for Uber which says he only steers when he has leisure time and creates enough loan to take a trip from this! Swimming pool and billiards blends approach, geometry, as well as usually psychological science to succeed.

[2017isforlovers]

let me think for a second about where i’m at :) 

i just read an article on rochester that made me feel so happy. kids building their dream cities. these are the kinds of dreams i want to have space for; monorails, what-ifs, building things in the sky. especially for rochester. though now do i feel so far from it - can’t wait to go home

it’s February 4 and i’ve had an amazing first week of February i can’t track it but what i mean is i’m feeling light and happy and wanting to celebrate certain things, such as:

-going to the gym three times! :) finding the swat hiit class that really worked for me, keeping my balance in yoga and never falling, feeling strong and feeling my shoulder muscles after be all big

-i love having my own space. this room feels like it’s really for me, and i’ve never never felt that before. it is a little haven. i love my window and the light it casts on my ceiling when i flip it off. i love the big light and the little lights that i can turn on to soften it. i love just putting up things that make me happy. for a long time i’ve been putting up things because i feel like i’m supposed to, say ‘would people like this / look at it if they came in here?’ but i do not think i’m one for visual curation per se. i am one for finding things that feel funny, and if they make me laugh or happy or feel, i print them out and tape them to my wall and now it is growing and it looks good because every piece separately makes me love it and so that means i can linger on each separately. i love spreading out in my bed. i’ve had beds this size but for some reason this one makes me feel tall and snuggly. i washed my sheets and my bedspread cover. it took me maybe an hour to clean it. i love its wood floors, the hallway, knowing i’m on an all-girls hall. it makes me smile smile and feel safe and warm and have no pressure to do anything or talk to anyone. i feel close to essie’s, mccabe, parrish parlors, and not at all alone. plus little things to love about the building: its flag above me, knowing wsrn is here, the elevators (personalities) and who you meet on them, the plants near the printer, the vending machine in the basement. i feel the word ‘hope’ here and it makes me just! smile :) 

-i also feel that i feel more healthy this week. i got two pairs of new jeans and they’re cheap and kind of loose but fit well, a lot better than my other ones, and i feel free to move around and more comfortable. maybe the other jeans were cutting off my circulation. i drink a lot of water. 

-marissa unfriended me. i saw it after i sent the e-mail and there was the ‘add friend’ button. at first i laughed. it felt ridiculous and petty and fitting. like a ‘nYEH’ like a child. just now it made me anxious, like i wanted to press it just press it because i couldn’t so just do it taunt taunt taunt. so i blocked her. so now the button is gone. it felt bad but now safe again. since it happened i feel free, more relaxed, at peace. the word ‘abuse’ is right, but better now that i know it’s gone, that she blocked me out. the word abuse. all the checklists right. right now i am the hero of the story but zoey sees both sides. she know marissa hurts & thinks that no one will ever love her. people will love her but she has to learn to make space for love and not to string people up as her puppets and not to poke at them until they vomit. don’t fucking yell at me marissa. don’t. don’t. DON’T. wow i guess it’s still in me. this anger. this balled-up thing. breathe breathe breathe. in days maybe i’ll regret this. right now it feels like jordan all over again - what did i learn from that? at this rate, you will never know what she’s up to again. you will never know, okay? you gotta make peace with that though. that’s the goal, is to constantly just wish her well. i know that wherever you are, marissa, you are making the best life for yourself that you can do. i know you are doing your best. we weren’t fit and that will be true even if i see you again, in three years. for three years, four years, i will never know what you’re thinking, and for so long i had clues, or knew. now i need to tune the frequency out, even if it goes on, even if i’ll want to listen sometimes; best trust that some things you just DON’T WANT TO listen to. kill that curiosity, babe. 

-my therapist called me ‘curious’ i think this is a great personality trait and happy that i embody it, i trust it because tom called me it too. it feels so much better and easier to be than ‘caring,’ caring and thoughtful (james words) are so nuanced and contextual and hard to turn on and off but ‘curious’ is easy to remember and can be nosy but also is mostly innocent, which is me.

-i love to laugh and i loved spending last night with aaron. and this night with mira. aaron is so great & i’m so lucky he thought of me for first friday. i loved walking in chinatown with him!! and he is so friendly and good people. he has a great sense of humor too. and he hates swat which is a trait i always love in people lol. i really dig him!! too bad i am feeling so shy. 

-or should i say: i am really shy but would love a cuddle. a cuddle buddy, someone just here that i can rub their back and they can give me long kisses on the neck and tuck their head into my chest and we can hold on. and in the museum we can lean against each other. and i can hug them tight and not want to let go. when i think these things i think of tom but also gus tonight, which was strange? and hanging out with mira felt like a date. i was into it. i have crushes on literally everyone i know and like, all my close buds. i know that dating them and making out with them would actually be bomb. i just am not brave enough to pursue anything. all my life i’ve been taking what comes to me and doing the requisite amount and then it’s not right and i figure i’d rather be alone. i am lazy? i am lazy? i am afraid of being vulnerable even though in life that’s all there is to do to be more, is to step out and just say HEY [] I LOVE YOU. i would love to make out with you. your soft cheeks. and [], the way you make me laugh, the way we goof around and off each other. i fear asking for what i need [talking during sex, communicating, trying things, failing, it being mediocre, people being too nice to tell me, not having any internet stuff to prep with] and am like shit i gotta do a thesis anyway i don’t have enough time to do anything right - and so i just am gonna stay alone. in my house all balled up. in my little space. maybe my goal for the semester should just be to make out with someone :) lol would be fun - should i ask out mira agian? nahhhh lol you goof. u player. i love u 

-um whatever. gonna go now. not enough time in the world. everything is ending & we’re going to see some violence. before i have to fight and train and die for the cause, having never kissed a woman, or else kissed her in front of the bombs of the fascists before they kill her and in 30 years our faces are carved with a nickel into the sandstone before the earth explodes, cracks in two, i am happy to have felt this happiness tonight - a buzz of new friends, excitement about visiting charlotte :) :) and my sweet room. and doing a lot today

yayayay   

[rp-michael-j-caboose]

You do know Miles also wrote for Camp Camp, right. Wasn't just Jordan - Kerry and Gray wrote for it too.

That’s fair actually, I just noticed a big difference, especially in laughs, between the stuff Miles, Kerry and Gray write and the stuff they wrote with Jordan if that makes sense? (Also as I understand it Camp Camp is still mainly written by Jordan as it was kinda treated in marketing as ‘his show’).

 I still consider Jordan’s RVB episodes (which as far as I know he had the most writing control over even with Miles’ help) the best of season 14, especially the sarge-isode. And with regards to humour it felt as though shows he was involved in just left the others in the dust and took a few more risks i.e. an entire episode around a mini-hitler which turned out to be hilarious, or the haunted island episode which....well I won’t spoil the ending but it has a phenomenal twist at the end that still gives me stitches. Also when Jordan writes special RTAA episodes they can be quite funny and creative (See; The anime satire episode or the gus mcflying goat one)

Unless of course they were just willing to take more risks with camp camp as it was a newer show which, eh, I guess I could understand.

Hopefully that explains where I’m coming from a little?

[junker-town]

How the best CFB fan reaction shots happen, per a TV director

How camera crews and fans in the stands produce the moments that light up the internet, according to someone who’d know.

Now that every inch of every college football game is televised, the crowd shot is woven into all of the most memorable moments. The plays that stun you most on your couch are also the ones that stun the people there. And there, a camera always catches it.

So when Chris Davis ran back an Alabama field goal 109 yards, several guys in the Surrender Cobra posture became part of the history almost as quickly as Davis did:

And when Michigan State turned a clock-killing Michigan punt into the most stunning touchdown since the Kick Six, these fans were part of the historical record, too:

These shots aren’t always capturing devastation, though the ones that do are the likeliest to run up thousands of likes on social media.

One of 2017’s most memorable shots was after another Bama-Auburn game, when CBS’ cameras captured dozens of jubilated Auburn fans trying to leap the hedges at Jordan-Hare Stadium, then swimming in them:

Shots that are both joyous and funny tend to travel well, like these NC State fans during an upset of FSU:

Or this LSU dinosaur:

The crowd shot has become an integral part of the college football viewing experience, both on TV and the internet, particularly blogs and social media, where the best ones circulate for hours (or days) (or years) after they first air.

Wondering how they come to be, I asked someone who’d know: Steve Milton, who’s been the lead director for CBS’ college football telecasts since 2003.

It’s hard to imagine a big game broadcast without bunches of crowd shots. But figuring out when to include them at all is a challenge.

“It’s hard for us to leave the field, and instinctively, you don’t wanna leave the field,” Milton says. “You don’t wanna show people at home people in the stands watching the game. My habit is less is more. These fans have to be doing something very special that would be appreciated by the folks at home.”

It wouldn’t be difficult to put an incredibly boring crowd shot on air while more important things are happening inside the confines of the field.

“There’s a balance of overdoing it, and you’ve gotta be tentative and not go there, and put special shots on the air and not just a ton of ‘OK, it’s time to take a fan shot, just give me anybody.’ If it’s appropriate, we do it. If it’s something special, we’ll do it,” Milton says.

“Nowadays, you take a shot of a fan, and I see a fan on a monitor, and they’re looking down at their phone after a big moment ... we’re not gonna throw that stuff on the air.”

The best crowd shots come down to communication and instinct.

This is where it’s helpful to have a crew — as CBS does — that’s stayed mostly intact over the years. Camera operators and producers operate on the same wavelength.

Milton might give out an order: “OK, I wanna sweep: camera, 1, 3, and 5, sweep the crowd.”

At the next moment, they’re not all literally on the same frequency.

“They might get on with their own little channel and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna get a happy guy.’ ‘Hey, I’ve got a sad kid,’ and ‘I’ve got 10 or 12 delirious fans,’” Milton explains.

“And they coordinate that themselves. And for me, I’m like a kid in a candy store. I have a finish to a great game, and I have this great crew showing me so many shots, it’s hard for me to get them all on the air. I’m looking at a wall of delirious, happy, sad fans, and players, because we do keep cameras on the field as well.”

Once you have a good crowd shot, it’s critical to stay on it long enough for it to be appreciated, but not so long that it a) distracts from what’s happening on the field or b) starts to feel tasteless.

That sequence of Auburn fans getting stuck in Jordan-Hare’s hedges lasted six seconds, serving as the visual while Allie LaForce interviewed Gus Malzahn. Even that felt long to watch in person, but it worked because it was funny. Would it have been if it lasted longer?

“There’s some people that we just stay on that; it was free entertainment,” Milton says. “But it was time to get off it and move on.”

When the moment is sad and not happy, figuring out how long to hang on a shot carries higher stakes. At some point, especially if it’s a kid on screen, it starts to look mean. Or if it doesn’t really, it at least opens up a channel to criticism that it’s taking cheap shots.

“Especially when it pertains to young people, and I mean not students but younger folks, Milton says. “There is a line, and I’ve put a couple of kids on the air that were crying, but I think it can be appropriate.”

The calculation here: as devastating as a loss can be — and everyone acknowledges how devastating it can be — you’re not quite putting people on air at, like, a funeral.

“I don’t think watching a football game and watching your team lose can be a devastating, life-changing moment for them,” Milton says.” I think everybody’s here to have a good time.”

This can happen, too:

pic.twitter.com/NDSdA8f6Tf

— College Football by SB Nation (@SBNationCFB) October 27, 2018

When it works, the crowd shot is a uniquely great part of college football TV.

NFL telecasts have their own identities. They’re not usually supplemented, at least not in such a memorable or regular way, by shots of the crowd. That’s a feature of this level.

“I always comment that NFL is great. It is great,” Milton says.

“But the passion out here is tenfold. Sure, you have your NFL dynasties and teams that draw great crowds, great scenes, but I don’t think that pans out through the entire NFL. But out here, it’s just a wonderful scene here week to week.”

[auburnfamilynews]

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers look to polish up at home before a huge road trip!

Auburn’s 4-0, with a chance for another big win ahead of a huge road trip. Take the next two, and all bets are off for how good this season could be. First, however, we need to beat the Bulldogs. Too bad it’s at home and Ryan Sterritt doesn’t get to take his favorite SEC road trip to Starkville.

#7 Auburn (-10.5) vs Mississippi State (O/U 47.5)

SP+ would tell you this will be about a 6-7 point game, but that’s taking into account the State offense before Tommy Stevens went down. While the State offense isn’t inept with new QB Garrett Shrader, they are much more dependent on being able to run down your throats, something nobody has really done on Auburn this season. Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson have been as good as advertised, and with Tyrone Truesdell breaking out in a big way, this defensive line is monstrous against the run. If Moorhead leans into trying to establish the run with Shrader and SEC leading rusher Kylin Hill, it will be a long day against the Auburn front seven. On the flip side, if the CLANGA offense gets cute and tries to beat Auburn by throwing the ball, they’ll have to focus on winning 50/50 balls to Osirus Mitchell (6’5”, 220 lb). Shrader isn’t ever going to be confused with Kellen Mond in hitting those tight windows on intermediate routes, so I expect the Auburn secondary to win that battle.

So what does the Auburn offense need to do to win this one? I can see both offenses trying to keep the ball on the ground, so there probably won’t be a ton of overall possessions in the game. That means Bo needs to keep playing turnover-free football. The State defensive line is ranked 88th in stuff rate and 89th in sack rate, so hopefully we’ll see another performance from the offensive line similar to last weeks - not perfect by any means, but good enough that I wasn’t complaining about it.

Boobee puts up another hundred yards and a score. Nix hits at least one deep ball. JHS celebrates the best basketball team Auburn has ever produced. It’s a party. 34-14 Tigers.

-Ryan Sterritt

Auburn enters what outsiders might call a “trap game”, wedged firmly between top-10 road matchups. The notion that this would be a “trap game” didn’t really occur to me this week, though a win did feel like a foregone conclusion. Then Gus Malzahn’s Tuesday press conference happened. If there was ever a presser to listen to, it was Tuesday as Gus laid out how hyper-focused our team is, and absolutely should be after getting embarrassed in Starkville last season. And after it was over I was ready to suit up myself to kick State’s ass.

For the 5th straight week, a win or loss will be dictated by Auburn. We’re the better overall team here, with State rebuilding their defensive line and having a bit of a quarterback issue due to injury/quality of play. State’s biggest area of advantage is in the matchup of running backs, as Kylin Hill is the best back in the SEC that no one seems to be talking much about. He’s capable of punishing this defense.

Keys to victory:

Make sure defensive alignments are correct early in this game and trust your linebackers. Alignment was one of the primary reasons we got embarrassed last year in Starkville. Another was having a middle linebacker who didn’t have the lateral movement of his backup. Well now that backup is the starter, and is showing we can actually improve in the middle with a quickness that’s going to be needed in this game.

Win the turnover battle - duh. Wait, no. NO. YOU KNOW WHAT? DON’T EVEN COME CLOSE TO FUMBLING THE BALL AND GIVING THE OFFICIALS THE CHANCE TO MAKE THE WRONG CALL IN A SITUATION LIKE AROUND, SAY, THE GOALLINE. NOT THAT I’M SCREAMING FROM EXPERIENCE OF ANYTHING!

Rush for 150 yards. It sure would be nice if a vast majority of those yards came from our running backs between the tackles so I could feel a little better about the ground game outside of a big Schwartz play. It’s going to have to get better if we’re going to get to November with a chance.

For the first third of the season, it’s been ok that Bo Nix has played like a freshman. For the second third of the season we need Bo to play like a sophomore. Getting timing down with receivers this week needs to show on Saturday. We need to show that this team is getting better through the air. No better time than in the comfort of your own home at night. Find the open man, Bo. And then hit that target.

Tempting as it may be to blitz early and rattle a quarterback, trust your line to hurry throws and get to the quarterback. Let those linebackers play in space and force them off their script quickly.

I’m confident in an Auburn victory. This team embarrassed us a year ago, and we remember it. It’s time for a group of Bulldogs to enter Jordan-Hare Stadium on a Saturday night and be reminded of why losing to them is considered an embarrassment. Auburn 38 Mississippi State 16

-Josh Black

It’s a big weekend for Auburn, the Final Four basketball team is being honored, and Auburn Basketball is hosting the 3rd Ranked Recruit in America. Sorry my excitement for basketball got me carried away, back to football.

Last week was huge for Auburn and while it’s easy to look ahead to Auburn’s first trip to the Swamp in 12 years next Saturday, it’s quite evident there is none of that from the Auburn players and coaching staff. I went to the game in Starkville last year. And the nicest thing I can say about that game was.... It was bad. Really really bad.

Auburn has a little bit of payback to dish out this week and with Mississippi State still figuring out their QB situation, I look for Auburn’s defense to rise to the occasion. Auburn’s offense looked better last week at A&M and look for Bo Nix to hit a deep ball or two as he starts getting more comfortable. It’s the last home game until November and I think Auburn will take care of business and move to 5-0 on the season. Auburn 34 Mississippi State 14.

-Will McLaughlin

Big time win last Saturday. Home crowd under the lights Saturday night. Cowbells coming to town. The talking heads on the tube might say something about a hangover game. They might say something about a quarterback who hasn’t quite put it all together yet. They might say something about a dangerous Mississippi State team. But those talking heads aren’t paying attention to the right things. Auburn got embarrassed in 2018 by a Mississippi State team that wasn’t nearly as good as Auburn made them look. I don’t think that sat well with Gus Malzahn.

The key to the game will be slowing down the State rushing attack. Kylin Hill is one of the SEC’s best running backs. If Auburn can force passing situations early, the defensive line will punish whichever quarterback ends up playing. Derrick Brown is having himself a season so far. I wouldn’t be surprised with another multi-sack, multi-TFL performance from the future first round draft pick.

On the flip side, Auburn must rely on more than just big plays to its star receivers. Whitlow, Shivers, and Co. need to have another successful outing. The more Auburn carries for 8 yards on first down, the more comfortable our freshman quarterback will get running the offense.

Final note: I’m not sure when exactly the basketball team is getting honored, but I’d wager Auburn gets a big play right after it happens. That place is going to be juiced up. Auburn 35, Mississippi State 13.

-Josh Dub

Some might think I’m too confident in thinking Auburn is gonna wax Mississippi State, but I have not even begun to barn. We have a really good football team. We can’t get preoccupied on “can this team beat Georgia and Alabama?” Because we can’t beat them until November anyway. We can only beat the team we play THIS WEEK and for the last for weeks, Auburn has done just that. Auburn has won and covered. Now, Auburn looks at the first potential revenge tour victim. The Tigers can’t play Tennessee this year in order to avenge the most embarrassing loss of 2018, but they do play State. Auburn is going to grind the offensive line of the bulldogs into dust by the middle of the second quarter. This one will not be close at halftime you guys. Tigers 45 Clangs 18.

-Son of Crow

I think Auburn might have a pretty special team this year. This group is far from perfect and MUST get better if they wanna have a shot at some magic in November but so far this season, they have risen to every challenge. Mississippi State last season is the only time I can remember Kevin Steele being out schemed as Auburn’s defensive coordinator. There have been tough losses before & games where the opposing offenses had more success than you like to see but often it’s either because the opponent literally has more talent or they make some absolutely insane plays on 3rd & long. Rushing for 300+ yards using some of the same concepts Gus Malzahn has demolished defenses in the past with a QB incapable of completing a downfield pass was something entirely different.

But that’s honestly why I feel good about this game as the week has gone on. Some talking heads might call this a “trap game” but I don’t think the players see it as so. The defense especially wants redemption.

State had the best defense in the nation last year but gone are the leaders of that group (Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat & Jonathan Abrahm) plus State must sit two of their best defensive players (Lee Autry & Willie Gay) for 4 games this season due to a tutor scandal. It’s no guarantee either play this week. The Bulldog defense also has a tackling problem especially in open space. They have gone from a defense that provides some of the most pressure on QBs to one of the least havoc creating defense in the SEC. They do, however, force turnovers & get off the field on 3rd down.

Offensively, I think chances are good Auburn sees both QBs. When Tommy Stevens was healthy he gave the Bulldogs a legitimate passing threat and as a result SP+ ranked this offense #1 after the first 2 weeks. But he’s dealt with a multitude of upper body injuries resulting in the debut of freshman Garrett Shrader. Shrader is more in the Nick Fitzgerald mold where he’s not necessarily an elite passer but is a big bodied runner. He rushed 125 yards on 11 carries last week against Kentucky. Moorehead seemed optimistic that Stevens might be back this week and I doubt he wants Shrader’s first road start to be a night game in Jordan-Hare. Either way, staff must prepare for both. But the leader of this offense is Kylin Hill who leads the SEC in rushing but is also #2 in yards per carry. He’s not just getting yards because he gets lots of touches. He’s picking up chunk plays on those touches. Auburn must continue to tackle well.

For Auburn, if there were ever a time for the offense to really click this is the week. State does not have the same type of interior talent as Oregon or A&M (maybe even Tulane) which should give this OL a chance to open up some running lanes inside. But this weekend is when Bo Nix needs to prove he can hit some deep shots. For Gus’s offense to truly be great it needs that very real threat of PA pass going over your head for 50+ yards at any time. If Nix can start consistently connecting on those, this team becomes a legitimate elite calibre team.

I think heading into half this game is closer than we would like, something in the 17-7 area but an explosive 3rd quarter that includes Nix hitting a deep shot blows this game open and Auburn gets their sweet revenge. Auburn 41 State 10.

-AU Nerd

Everyone seems to think that Alpha Wolf Gus is back and that after his presser, Gus is going full John Woo on State for last year’s embarrassment of a football game. Well, I knew it would be this way after the A&M game, during the Auburn Football Review. Sure, he is only on that show for around 4 and a half minutes but when Andy brought up the State game, the look of disgust on Gus’s face was evident. State has not been tested in 3 of its games and when they were tested, against K State, they folded like a cheap suit. Auburn on the other hand has been tested against 2.75 good ball clubs and 2 of those away from home. The Tigers are now playing at home. Gimme Auburn and will set up the biggest Auburn-Florida matchup since 2006 and the biggest game at Florida in the series since 1994.

Auburn and the OVER. Auburn 42-13.

-Drew Mac

Ever been both confident and worried? Well I’m worried about how confident I am. If you only look at the surface, you see a tough MSU team that has moved the ball well facing an Auburn team with a great defense but an inconsistent offense. That would lean towards a low scoring game where the cover is made late (either a “backdoor” score by MSU to make it look closer or a “frontdoor” score by Auburn to put the game away).

That said, there are so many reasons to be confident. Auburn has played tougher defensive lines and covered. Auburn has played more dynamic offenses and covered. State may be starting a true freshman QB at night in Jordan-Hare. In State’s last trip over, they committed about 12 false start penalties in route to a 49-10 mauling. While I don’t think it will be that bad, I think Auburn controls this game at the line of scrimmage, and begins to pull away in the 3rd quarter. Don’t be surprised if we have to settle for a few FG tries, but I still think there will be enough scoring opportunities to turn this into a cover.

Auburn 37, MSU 17 (Auburn covers, OVER)

-James Jones

The last time that Auburn started 4-0 and lost the fifth game was 1988. I don’t think the Tigers are losing this one, so that streak will go on a little longer. What do we know about this team? They run the ball, but not particularly well against good defenses, and they have trouble stopping the run. When Auburn is able to move the ball on the ground, Bo Nix has been more efficient. It’s pretty simple in my eyes, and I think after a solid (and not dramatic) win over the Aggies on the road, we’re not going to get a letdown at home tomorrow night.

This Auburn team is focused since we got the stuffing knocked out of us last year in Starkville, and now it’s time to return the favor. I don’t quite envision the fast start like Arkansas 2016, but it could be close. I think we hit the ground running, and everyone feels good heading to Gainesville next week. Auburn 41, Mississippi State 14.

-Jack Condon

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/9/27/20886442/staff-picks-7-auburn-vs-mississippi-state

[auburnfamilynews]

Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images

A few more thoughts on what went on last night at Jordan-Hare Stadium...

Auburn opened the home schedule last night as Tulane came to Jordan-Hare and put up a good fight before leaving with a 24-6 defeat. Excitement was high after the season-opening win over Oregon last week, where Bo Nix hit Seth Williams for the game-winning touchdown pass with just :09 left on the clock. For sure, Nix’s week going to classes had to be something else, but the freshman seems poised.

As for the rest of the team, there were certainly areas of concern after the opener, but you could honestly chalk a lot of it up to playing a borderline top ten team. Oregon was good! They’re still really good! They’re going to have a top draft pick at quarterback and I’d wager a couple of those offensive lineman are playing on professional rosters next year as well. You can’t win every battle and win every game 50-0, sometimes the other side is competent.

Enter Tulane — the Green Wave not of old, but of the Willie Fritz type. After winning 7 games in 2018, they began this year with a huge blowout of FIU, wherein they rolled up 350 yards on the ground. The defensive line has a couple of guys that may end up in the NFL, and their quarterback was good enough to go to LSU for a little bit before transferring.

Many thought that they’d be a good test, but maybe that was typical Auburn fan stuff. Just Auburn Being Auburn. Last night, however, I think we got a little bit of Just Gus being Gus.

Before we go any further, it was an emotional night for everyone on the Plains. In the first home game since Rod Bramblett’s passing, things were going to be tough going through the gameday process without him around. He wouldn’t be on the Auburn Network stage guffawing with radio guests, he wouldn’t be giving his signature tease, he wouldn’t be calling the action, and he wouldn’t be working postgame on the field interviewing the head coach. Yeah, we’ve already been through one game, but the first home game is something else. Thankfully, there was an unreal tribute to him pregame. Rod was one of the best, and the Auburn production team put something together that stood up to his quality of work.

Forever Auburn#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/IMjvYpGFPl

— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) September 7, 2019

As for the game itself, I think we’ve all seen plenty of these kinds of matchups where Auburn runs as vanilla a gameplan as possible, but last night was something else. Typically, early on you’re going to see a script. Coaches like to plan out the first 10-12 plays or first couple of drives with things that they think will work based on what they’ve seen in film study. Then they call the game after that script ends. Here was an actual excerpt of the end of Drive Number Two for Auburn last night —

1st and 10 at AU48PENALTY TLN substitution infraction 5 yards to the TLN47.

1st and 5 at TLN47J. Whitlow rush over left guard for 3 yards to the TLN44 (SAMPLE,C.).

2nd and 2 at TLN44J. Whitlow rush up the middle for no gain to the TLN44 (JOHNSON,J.).

3rd and 2 at TLN44J. Whitlow rush up the middle for 1 yard to the TLN43 (JOHNSON,P.).

4th and 1 at TLN43J. Whitlow rush up the middle for 1 yard to the TLN42, fumble forced by GRAHAM,L., fumble by J. Whitlow recovered by TLN JOYCE,C. at TLN42.

Four straight runs and we couldn’t get a first down when we started with a 1st and 5. It was a rough sequence to watch. Furthermore, Boobee Whitlow fumbled at the end of it, and that was an unfortunate theme from the victory. Let’s just say that Boobee’s pecs may be a little jello-y today and leave it at that.

What the above suggests is that our offensive line couldn’t do anything. Against a G5 team — any G5 team — our line should be able to open enough of a hole for a running back to get the necessary yardage here. I would think that even Cadillac could check in and make those five yards. Maybe it’s a problem with our running backs. Gus Malzahn admitted that D.J. Williams took a bit of an injury on Tuesday in practice and they held him out. Harold Joiner seems destined for the wheel route role, and Shaun Shivers looks like he’ll be the gimmick back. Kam Martin checked in and had a couple nice runs, but I hate to say it... he just doesn’t quite have the flash that we need.

Instead of trying to establish a running game in the first half, because it clearly wasn’t working, we threw the ball 29 times. Have you watched Auburn football over the past forever? Because that’s not exactly been our MO ever, and definitely not with a true freshman quarterback in his second start.

Honestly, that offense would’ve been fine if we had receivers who weren’t dropping passes or getting injured like crazy. After the longest completion of the day — a 40-yard loft to Seth Williams — Williams came down on his left shoulder and didn’t come back up. He left the game and came back to the sideline in street clothes with a sling... definitely not a good sign for a team that was also missing Will Hastings late last week and other key playmakers like Anthony Schwartz for the most part overall.

Now, injuries are unfortunate and they’re not the fault of the coaching staff, but you have to find ways to make things work. Lofting a home run ball to a receiver with a broken hand isn’t quite my idea of making it work, but that’s what was called early in the game. Perhaps Auburn new that one touchdown might have clinched the game (and it would have, thank you defense!), but you’d think there would be other ways to accomplish it. I just didn’t get any of the decisions that the coaches made last night.

There was no script. There was no prep at all for Tulane! The Green Wave’s offense wasn’t much of a threat, and the defense didn’t have any trouble with them after the first drive, but still. On offense, Eli Stove was the target early and often when it didn’t seem like he had any room to move. Tulane was clearly keyed on him, but we didn’t look elsewhere. I don’t really blame Bo Nix though, because he still didn’t have much more time than he did last week. Our offensive line can’t move anyone and isn’t great at keeping him inside a calm pocket yet.

When we finally did see the running game work, it was because Boobee Whitlow came in at Wildcat (his 14-yard touchdown came out of that formation), or Joey Gatewood came in to run the zone read. As long as it works, right? Well, maybe, but we can’t run those two concepts when we need a running game against the meat of our SEC schedule. We have to be multiple. Bo is the starter, and we have to be able to make the run and the pass work with him in the ballgame.

Look, we’re 2-0, so maybe this is just hand-wringing. Maybe the coaches literally didn’t look at Tulane at all (which would still need an explanation), and we’re putting all of our eggs in the SEC play basket. We’ll be 3-0 heading into College Station, and maybe ranked even higher than #8 in the country (which is where today’s AP Poll stuck us), but after games like last night, it’s hard to see a whole lot of positive results coming from our gauntlet schedule.

Need to see the improvement this week against Kent State, though. There’s got to be some gaping holes for the backs to run through, and we need to see other guys get some real opportunities as the feature back. We need to see some more chemistry from the passing game. We need to see the kind of game that doesn’t cause ulcers, and save that kind of thing for the following week at the very least.

Last night’s a win, unsatisfying as it was, and there are 122 teams that would love to be undefeated and ranked 8th in the land right now, but I’m scared that it’ll be another “Old Overrated Auburn” situation when we see the limitations of this team finally take effect. Is that Chicken Little of me? Perhaps. We’re all conditioned to it to some extent by now.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/9/8/20856310/about-last-night-10-auburn-24-tulane-6

[auburnfamilynews]

While college basketball is gearing up, we’re only getting a few true SEC football games this weekend as the now-traditional cupcake day has arrived prior to rivalry week. The league only has three conference matchups (Missouri/Tennessee, Ole Miss/Vanderbilt, Arkansas/Mississippi State) and so there are slim pickins around college football to choose from. We found some stuff though.

Notre Dame (-10.5) vs Syracuse (O/U 65.5)

“Syracuse is ranked 12th in the CFP Playoff and if they were in the Coastal, they would likely get another crack at Clemson in 2 weeks. Still, their best win is over N.C. State and so how good is the Orange? There’s no better way to find out by going up against the Irish who will try to get 1 win away from securing their spot in the College Football Playoff. I’m hoping for a Syracuse upset (because we desperately need some chaos) but I think the Irish are the better team here. Notre Dame 38, Syracuse 23.” - Will McLaughlin

“Ever since Ian Book was inserted as the starter, this Fighting Irish squad has actually looked somewhat like a legitimate playoff team. The big question I have going into this game though is the health of Book. He missed Florida State but will supposedly be back this week. Real quick, can we all laugh about the fact that Notre Dame sat their starter against Florida State to recover so he can be good to go against Syracuse? Like they knew they would beat FSU without their starter but had to have him ready for a much stronger Syracuse team. HAHA FLORIDA STATE (it’s the little things these days). It’s the defense however that I think proves the difference. The Fighting Irish have the 3rd best D in the country according to S&P+. While I love watching Eric Dungey do Eric Dungey things and I believe the Orange make this game scary close, Notre Dame finds a way and keeps the undefeated season alive. ND 21, SYR 16.” - AU Nerd

“Goodness gracious! Who cares?! Notre Dame 32-21 or whatever.” - AU Chief

“I want Syracuse to beat the pinstripes off of Notre Dame. Syracuse 35-29.” - Son of Crow

“Sneaky good game. If it were in the sometimes air-conditioned dome, I would take the ‘Cuse. I will go with the Golden Domers however, but it will be close late and would not be shocked if the Urrrange take it out right. Take the points. ND 24, Cuse 21.” - Drew McCracken

“My heart says give me Syracuse for maximum playoff chaos, but my head says Notre Dame. The Irish defense is suffocating, even if their offense isn’t world-beating. Syracuse only wins this game if they make multiple big special teams plays, which might happen as they have the #1 ST per S&P+, largely driven by dynamite freshman kicker Andre Szmyt, who is 27 of 29 and 3-3 from over 50 this year. Notre Dame takes it 23-19.” - Ryan Sterritt

“This is the one at Yankee Stadium where Notre Dame is wearing those horrendous pinstripe uniforms right? I can’t pick them if that’s the case, or at least I can’t lay the points. Notre Dame 24, Syracuse 20.” - James Jones

“Notre Dame has a defense, they’re playing outside, and Syracuse hasn’t beaten anyone who’s decent this year. I’ll take the Irish. Is it snowing up there tomorrow? ND 38-24.” - Jack Condon

UCF (-7) vs Cincinnati (O/U 59)

“UCF gets College Gameday and the primetime attention they think they deserve. This is their toughest test of the season so far. My gut says the streak ends here and we can finally move on with our lives without UCF griping about where they should be in regards to national respect. Cincinnati 48, UCF 44.” - Will McLaughlin

“At some point, the 2017 national champion will lose. Cincinnati COULD be the team to do it. The Bearcats are ranked 29th by S&P+ making them the biggest threat UCF has seen since Memphis who they beat by only 1 point. But with the game being at home and Gameday on campus, I don’t think it happens just yet. UCF escapes again 41-38.” - AU Nerd

“My National Champs are definitely going to win this one. Reining National Champion UCF 33-23.” - AU Chief

“Nothing but respect for MY national champs. UCF 38-31.” - Son of Crow

“BEND THE KNEE FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPS!! The Knights who say NEI! with the win. UCF 42, Cincy 31.” - Drew McCracken

“My national champion is going to win this one in a shootout, 42-38.” - Ryan Sterritt

“Finally a test for the defending national champions. The Bearcats have been fantastic this year, particularly on defense. Given the struggles the Knights have had on defense, that could set up the upset. As tempting as that is, I think UCF hangs on for the win late, but they don’t cover. UCF 37, Cincinnati 31.” - James Jones

“UCF’s at home with the Gameday excitement? That stadium will be pretty packed. I also like Josh Heupel and if we did lose Gus, he might be my top choice to replace him. I’m going to keep the train going and the winning streak extends one more week. UCF 40-30.” - Jack Condon

Texas (-3) vs Iowa State (O/U 48)

“Did ya’ll know freshmen Iowa State QB Brock Purdy turned down Alabama to go to Ames? I didn’t until this week and he’s made a name for himself, as has the Cyclones and Matt Campbell. (I know who my first call would be to if well.... you know) Iowa State and Texas both sit at 5-2 in the Big 12, a game out of being in the Big 12 Championship game picture. Texas got a win last week but have struggled the last 3 weeks. The Cyclones are on a roll right now and I like the feel good story to continue. Iowa State 38, Texas 35.” - Will McLaughlin

“Ohhhh man. I’m really struggling with this one. These teams are actually built sorta similar. While Air Raid has become king in the conference, these two programs are trying to find success by relying more on a power run game and dominant defense. If you have never watched an Iowa State game, I highly recommend it. They are on the cutting edge right now for shutting down high powered Air Raid attacks. However, this week they face a power rushing attack from the Longhorns. This Cyclone squad seems to do better against spread out attacks. I think I’m gonna go with Texas again this week but this game is gonna be a battle and I probably should pick ISU. But whatever, Hook em 20-17.” - AU Nerd

“I think I’m going to have to go with the Cyclones here. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that Texas ain’t back, and this ISU team is half-way decent. Iowa State 29-27.” - AU Chief

“Iowa state has a really fun team apparently but I haven’t watched many of their games, to be honest. (I haven’t seen a single of their games). Tom Herman is not a good person. Ok. cool Hook em UT 28-25.” - Son of Crow

“Man if this was in Ames.... EH! Why not, CLONES!!!! Iowa State 38, Texas 34.” - Drew McCracken

“Texas favored, you say? The Longhorns give up big passing plays like nobody’s business, and Iowa State QB Brock Purdy can throw the ball purdy well. Cyclones 31-24.” - Ryan Sterritt

“Oh man this would be exciting to watch IF IT WEREN’T ON THE DAMNED LONGHORN NETWORK. The Cyclones have really come into their own this season. Not only is it another bowl season, they still have an outside shot at the Big XII Championship Game. Texas has been better as a favorite recently, but I think the Cyclones are dangerous enough to push them. The defenses will keep this close. Iowa State 24, Texas 21.” - James Jones

“Texas can actually do a little bit of everything on offense, and I do like watching a quarterback plunge his body into defenders with little regard for safety. I’ve heard that there are some Browns fans that want Matt Campbell as their next head coach, so take that for what it’s worth. Horns get it done at home at night. Texas 27-20.” - Jack Condon

Texas A&M (-17) vs UAB (O/U 46.5)

“What Bill Clark has done at UAB is nothing short of remarkable. His Blazers are 9-1, should be in the Top 25 College Football Rankings, and going to play in their Conference Championship Game in 2 weeks time. And any guy that calls a certain school University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa is a good guy in my book. This will most certainly be their toughest game of the year going up against the Aggies. I’m pulling for you Blazers but I think the Aggies have a little too much firepower in this one. Texas A&M 38, UAB 24.” - Will McLaughlin

“LOL JIMBO!!!!!! I will not stop laughing about him blowing that game in Jordan-Hare for a good while. This season has been stanky but we have that lovely moment to remember. Bill Clark has become the darling of many in Auburn’s fanbase and I understand why. What he’s done at UAB has been outstanding and I think the Blazers have a chance to muck things up in College Station. But Trayveon Williams is freaking good. I think he proves the difference in an entertaining 28-24 Aggie victory.” - AU Nerd

“I know earlier in the season I talked a lot of noise about Bill Clark, but this UAB team is pretty solid, and it might be time for me to start showing Bill Clark some respect. It would be pretty wild, and pretty fun if UAB beat the Aggies. With that in mind, I’m going to pick the Blazers. UAB 28-27.” - AU Chief

“Trogdor was a man, he was a dragon man, or maybe he was just a dragon but he was still TROGDORUAB 31-30.” - Son of Crow

“Man I really want to, but I don’t think Jimbo loses here....but I will be watching... Texas A&M 35, UAB 24.” - Drew McCracken

“Jimbo is going 0-3 against the state of Alabama this year. The Blazer defense is no joke, particularly in limiting the passing game. If they can find a way to contain Trayveon Williams, UAB can win this game. Blazers, 24-20.” - Ryan Sterritt

“How poetic would it be for UAB to get their first win against a power 5 team since 2004 against the man they tried to hire, but were blocked by the very board of trustees that tried to take them out of existence. As wonderful as that would be, I think A&M has too much talent on offense, and UAB doesn’t have anything offensively to threaten the Aggies. I do think the Blazers keep it close, but they never really threaten. Texas A&M 24. UAB 10.” - James Jones

“I honestly have no idea what to make of this UAB team. They’ve played nobody, but have looked really good doing so. Where do you draw the line on what matters? Since I do have a little info on the Aggies, I think their running game and rush defense wear down the Blazers enough to pound them into submission late. A&M wins 31-14.” - Jack Condon

Rams (-3.5) vs Chiefs (O/U 63.5)

“An NFL Pick? Okay. This game has been moved back to Los Angeles due to the horrendous conditions of the soccer stadium in Mexico City. Both teams are 9-1. I need big games from Jared Goff and Todd Gurley for fantasy football purposes. I think this will be a fun game and a shootout but being in Los Angeles, I’ll take the Rams. Rams 45, Chiefs 41.” - Will McLaughlin

“What the hell is this? When did we become an NFL website?

But for real, this game is gonna be awesome. These 2 coaches have broken the dumb molds of what NFL offenses are supposed to look like and instead done this novel thing where you play to the strengths of your personnel. PRETTY COOL IDEA GUS AIN’IT?! REMEMBER WHEN YOU USED TO DO COOL STUFF LIKE THAT? Man I’m getting bitter... Anyway, I really have 0 idea who wins, I just hope that for 180K to Play’s sake that Tyreek Hill scores like 4 touchdowns. Chiefs 45, Rams 42.” - AU Nerd

“Dee Ford.” - AU Chief

“Pat Mahomes is a delight. I love when a guy comes into a league and turns it on its head. It makes it seem like not such a ‘tough man’s league’ when a young kid lights it up in a ‘college’ offense. I want him to win every game. Great googily moogily. Chiefs 34-30.” - Son of Crow

“Rhode Island is playing the New Hampshire Wildcats this weekend, Jack....geez.

“Rhode Island started off strong with a 2 point win over the Blue Hens of Delaware (ranked 15th in the country at the time), and started off strong with a 4-1 record before hitting conference play but have gone 1-4 down the stretch including a confusing loss in Greensboro to the Phoenix of Elon. To the northwest, things have been just as confusing for the Hamp. Normally a power in D-1, the Wildcats enter the contest at 4-6 but have won their last 3 including a yuge win over the Dukes of James Madison. It’s a close on but I will take the Wildcats....or “Chiefs” as Jack called them. (Go Dee Ford Go!).” - Drew McCracken

“I’m in the classic predicament of facing Jared Goff in one fantasy league and playing him in another. It’s not relevant to the outcome of this game, but I thought you all might like to hear me talk about my fantasy team. I’m that guy. Chiefs 38-34.” - Ryan Sterritt

“Game of the year so far, and the highest over/under in several years for Shield Ball. Neither of these teams has much of a defense. I think Mahomes is the better quarterback, and hopefully Dee Ford makes a play or two to get the stop that the Chiefs need. If this was still in Mexico City, I think it’s a definite win. Maybe it’s a little closer now that it’s in Los Angeles. Chiefs 34, Rams 31.” - James Jones

“Dee Ford’s playing like the best pass rusher in the game right now, Patrick Mahomes is playing like the best quarterback in the game right now, and I don’t think the home field advantage for the Rams has truly been established yet. Fun game that goes down to the wire, but KC wins 42-40.” - Jack Condon

BONUS AU CHIEF PICK BECAUSE

#7 Jacksonville Sate University vs #2 Kennesaw State University (-10.5)

“JSU enters this game as a dog against an FCS opponent during the regular season for the first time in many years. The Gamecocks season ended at the hands of KSU in the second round of the FCS playoff last year. The relative newcomer Owls put a stranglehold on the Cocks’ offense, something not too many teams have been able to do in recent years, and ended JSU’s title hopes. This is JSU’s chance for revenge, but it’s going to be quite the challenge. First off, KSU is great again this year, having lost only one game and that to FBS bottom feeder Georgia State. Secondly the game is being played in Cobb County at SunTrust park, which will probably prove to be a weird experience for both teams. At least KSU only has to travel a couple of miles from their own football complex. I really don’t know who to pick here. This isn’t a playoff game, and both teams have locked up a playoff spot by winning their respective conference. I would think JSU has the revenge factor in their favor here, so with that and my personal bias in mind i’m felling a little COCKY. JSU 37-21.” - AU Chief

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2018/11/16/18098484/staff-picks-college-football-week-12

[auburnfamilynews]

Auburn’s offensive attack continues to improve and Saturday’s first half just might have been the best this offense has looked all season long.

It was a rough start for this offense in the first three weeks of the season. They weren’t necessarily bad against Georgia Southern and Mercer but eight turnovers in those games resulted in closer scores longer than Auburn fans wanted to see. It also just wasn’t pretty. Then there was the trip east to Clemson where Auburn’s offense absolutely imploded and wasted another outstanding performance by their defense. When Mercer made it a 7 point game in the 4th quarter, Auburn fans were ready to not only jump off the Gus Bus but set it on fire and send it careening off a cliff.

But then there was that delightful trip to Columbia, MO. An oasis for ailing offenses. Kerryon Johnson returned to the lineup and Jarrett Stidham was set loose on that poor secondary. The result was a feel good beatdown and some confidence heading into what was supposed to be a battle with a hard nosed Mississippi State team.

That’s when things got really fun. Auburn’s offense was as explosive as ever with 7 plays combining for 361 yards of offense and two touchdowns. All the right buttons were being pressed at the right times and Mississippi State’s defense was noticeably off balance. But Saturday’s first half just might have been the best offensive half of football Auburn has played this season. The Tigers scored touchdowns on their first five drives, effectively ending this game before halftime. It was fun to watch. But more importantly it showed what this attack can look like when the majority of it’s weapons are healthy and being used properly. Let’s take a closer look.

Improved Rushing Attack

First off, Ole Miss’s defense is really bad. According to Bill Connelly’s numbers, S&P+ ranks the Rebel defense 91st in the country. That’s not very good. However, that doesn’t invalidate Saturday’s results as it wasn’t the result itself that was encouraging, but how and why Auburn’s rushing attack worked so well Saturday. To understand that, we need to understand what had been going wrong. I have talked about this a lot in previous weeks but just to refresh your memory, here’s the three main things that have been causing Auburn’s rushing attack problems.

1.) Overloaded boxes

2.) Offensive line unable to get to the 2nd level

3.) Injuries at running back

Saturday, all three of those problems were corrected and the result was a dominant rushing attack that compiled 326 yds on 31 carries resulting in a very nice average of 6.4 yards per carry.

Let’s start with the math component. Here’s what the typical box looked like against Clemson.

Auburn has six blockers against seven defenders. As you would expect, the one man unaccounted for in this play steps up and stops Pettway in the hole for a minimal game. Clemson’s defense rarely had more than one safety deep and were keying on Auburn’s inside run game and quick screens. Now compare that to Saturday.

AU starting to get more favorable numbers in the box which is another reason running game as improved http://bit.ly/2kHZzhh

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 9, 2017

For most of the game, Ole Miss kept both safeties back which left an even number in the box for Auburn’s offense. The Rebels have six defenders to Auburn’s six blockers and that opens up a nice hole for Kerryon Johnson to pop through for a big gain. Why did Ole Miss not have an extra defender in the box? Because they saw stuff like this the previous two weeks.

Watch Stidham's eyes. Looks left first which brings other safety away from MOF. Then comes back to Hastings for TD http://bit.ly/2fQs4bi

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 3, 2017

When you start threatening teams vertically like Auburn has done the past two weeks then you start backing those safeties out of the box. The result is more favorable numbers for your run game which in turn allows big plays on the ground to happen.

But it’s not just having better numbers, it’s also about executing your blocking scheme. Auburn’s offensive line has been a work in progress this season but there’s been a noticeable improvement in recent weeks. A big part of that has been Casey Dunn’s emergence at center allowing Austin Golson to move out to left tackle and keep Braden Smith inside at guard. A chemistry is starting to form which has allowed this offense to do a better job executing combo blocks which in turn open up bigger opportunities for Auburn’s running backs. Kerryon Johnson’s longest TD of the day is a great example of that improvement.

Better angle of the masterpiece. Motion along with KJs first steps pull #43 out of his gap. Everyone does their job http://bit.ly/2xzQJZe

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

Auburn was not doing this very well early on in the season. A great example is against Mercer where Dunn doesn’t get off his man quick enough and the linebacker shoots through to blow up the outside zone.

As each week has passed, this Auburn offensive line has gotten better and better at getting to the second level resulting in an improved rushing attack.

Finally, you can have favorable numbers and great blocking but you still need someone to actually run the ball with authority. Kamryn Pettway was far from 100% against Clemson and Mercer and it showed. Kerryon Johnson has still been somewhat hobbled the last two weeks. However, Saturday gave us a glimpse at what this rushing attack could be with a healthy KJ.

Amazing how much more respect jet sweep gets these days. At least 3 OM defenders sucked in. Big time run by KJ http://bit.ly/2kIhwMG

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 9, 2017

Johnson is a complete back. He’s fast enough to beat defenses to the corner, quick enough to make guys miss and strong enough to run with power when needed. His biggest issue has and continues to be staying healthy. Hopefully, we can at least keep KJ at 90-95% rest of the year as he’s a very important part of Auburn’s resurgent offense.

Playing Under Duress

Speaking of getting better each week, Jarrett Stidham has come a long way from that first night in Jordan-Hare Stadium when he looked gun-shy and at times overwhelmed by the speed of the game. Each week he has improved but against Ole Miss I saw something that I have not seen much from Stidham this season, coolness under pressure.

Stidham was so much better under duress Saturday. Important improvement. Martin's pass blocking uh.. needs some work http://bit.ly/2xy173P

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

Auburn is using slide protection here while Ole Miss is sending a blitz off the edge. Golson gets beat by a nice swim move and Horton is slow to help. Meanwhile, Kam Martin gets run over by the blitzer (might explain why AU been hesitant to play him this season) and all of a sudden Jarrett Stidham has two rushers in his face. However, he keeps his cool, spins out of the pocket, keeps his eyes down field and delivers a rocket to Darius Slayton who makes a sick catch.

Stidham was even creating plays when things weren’t there, something he hasn’t really done all season long.

Again Stidham was making plays outside of the pocket Saturday. Always seemed under control and unphased http://bit.ly/2xzaW1p

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

All of Stidham’s options are well covered on this play. He gets good protection but recognizes he’s got to get out of the pocket before protection breaks down. Again, he keeps his eyes down field and Will Hastings does a great job of finding open space. Stidham delivers a very catchable ball while on the move and Auburn gets the first down.

It wasn’t just getting outside the pocket that was encouraging, it was also watching Stidham step up and deliver strikes even when a rusher was bearing down on him.

Finally use Barrett tendency against D. Watch #3 get sucked in. Great job by Stidham standing tall under pressure http://bit.ly/2xy187T

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

This is an incredibly important step in Jarrett Stidham’s development. This week the Tigers will face one of the better pass rushes in the SEC and still have teams like Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama on the schedule who can bring pressure as well. He won’t always have a clean pocket but if he can continue to learn when to buy time to get wide receivers open and when to step up in the pocket and deliver a strike before the pass rush arrives, this offense will be really tough to handle down the road.

About that 2nd Half

I know a lot of people are very frustrated with how that second half played out. I feel you, so was I. However, on rewatch I am not as angry at the coaching staff as I was Saturday. The 3rd quarter especially was fine as playcalling is concerned but it appeared Jarrett Stidham had checked out. After going 9 for 11 in the first half, Stidham was only 3 for 8 in the 3rd quarter and a lot of those were misfires or him trying to get way too much on a play instead of taking what the defense gave him. It should be a great teaching moment for the sophomore and hopefully next time he gets the chance to close a game out he takes full advantage.

The fourth quarter though should have been handled differently in my opinion. I really wish Auburn had set Malik Willis free and allowed him to run the offense. Not saying he needed to be chucking it deep but it could have been a great opportunity for him to get some good experience running the offense. He looked good in the few chances he got Saturday.

Finally, don’t worry about the defense. Ole Miss scored 13 points in garbage time against Auburn’s second and third team. The first team Ole Miss offense moved the ball pretty well at times against Auburn’s first team defense but that was because Kevin Steele was going to give them everything they wanted underneath. The Tigers ran a lot more zone and two high safety looks against the Rebels than they have all season long. Why? Because when Ole Miss has typically scored this season it’s been on long plays. When the field shortens, they actually become less dangerous as seen by the fact they rank 6th in offensive explosiveness but 87th in points per trip inside the 40 yard line. Auburn’s defensive game plan was to let them hit those quick routes all day if they wanted too but not allow them to have that big play over the top for a touchdown. It worked as Auburn’s first team defense held the Ole Miss offense to 10 points. Expect a return to a more aggressive scheme this week against LSU.

Life has changed for the good when we are mad about not beating a team by 30+ points instead of 20+ points.

Touchdown Auburn

Auburn’s fifth and final touchdown came with 6:38 left in the first half. That’s the definition of starting a game fast....

Watch Cox on this play. Outstanding job against an end. Also watch how long it takes LBs to move http://bit.ly/2xy18EV

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 9, 2017

Auburn’s first touchdown comes on a sweep play with Johnson following Mike Horton outside. Great job by Darius James, Jalen Harris and Chandler Cox to seal their guys and open up a lot of green space for Johnson. KJ makes a nifty little move to beat the cornerback and it’s six points for Auburn.

What Dunn does on this play is not easy. Hell of a job. Outstanding effort from NCM & Hastings as well http://bit.ly/2kG0gbc

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 9, 2017

Touchdown #2 is a lot of fun to watch. Ryan Davis has been more of a move the chains option for this offense rather than a HR hitter. On this play though you get to see his complete skillset. The play action one way sucks in most of the Ole Miss defenders. Austin Golson gets enough of the cornerback to spring Davis but it’s Casey Dunn’s block downfield that turns this play into a touchdown. Great job of getting to the defender but also not getting called for a hold. Some great downfield blocking and some nice moves by Ryan Davis finished the play off. It was nice to see one of these screens plays finally break a long touchdown.

Great read by Stidham to see blitzing S & throw fade to Slayton. Nice to see 81 back on the field. He's a playmaker http://bit.ly/2xyCRhF

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

This might have been the best play of the game. Ole Miss sends their free safety on a blitz which leaves Darius Slayton 1 on 1 with the cornerback. Kerryon Johnson picks up the blitzer and Jarrett Stidham drops a perfect ball into Slayton’s bread basket. Heck of a catch by Slayton and he does a great job getting that first foot down. Auburn has really missed him the past few weeks as he brings a bit more speed with his size and has an outstanding catch radius.

Bo Jackson, your thoughts?

Bo knows touchdowns http://bit.ly/2kI0Xk3

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

We talked about the next touchdown above but here’s another angle of it.

The OL execution on this play is a thing of beauty. Huge props to Darius James on this one http://bit.ly/2xzImwC

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

The jet sweep motion pulls three defenders away from the play including the backside linebacker who overruns his gap. Darius James does an outstanding job coming off his double team and putting that poor linebacker on his butt. All Johnson sees is open field and scoots in for the easy score. This play shows how Auburn’s ability to attack teams horizontally and improvement in combo blocks is opening bigger holes for Johnson and company.

Somehow OM doesn't have enough defenders on strong side to defend this play... Easy TD http://bit.ly/2xxHQiR

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) October 10, 2017

By this point, the Ole Miss defense was completely flustered. Auburn loads up the right side and for some reason the Rebels defense doesn’t adjust. The Tigers have superior numbers and it makes this an easy final touchdown for the offense. Auburn would try and run this later with Malik Miller but that time the Ole Miss cornerback was able to trip him up, not so much on this play.

Death Valley Part 2

Auburn has taken care of business the last three weeks and will now gear up for 3 straight road trips in the SEC. First up is a place Auburn has not had much success in, something I am sure you won’t hear mentioned much this week or in the broadcast...

This isn’t your typical LSU team. The Tigers were able to steal one in Gainesville but it wasn’t exactly a stellar performance. In fact, based on how the game played out they had a 24% win expectancy but a missed extra point proved the difference. It’s a team that is beat up on both of their lines and whose top two expected stars just haven’t looked right all year long. Everything about this game screams an Auburn victory.

But this is Baton Rouge where dumb things happen. I won’t for a second take this game for granted until the clock hits zero. Auburn should and honestly must win this game but I would not be shocked if that Bayou voo doo played tricks on us again. Here’s to hoping we put an end to this dumb streak and continue punishing LSU for letting the Mad Hatter go.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia http://bit.ly/2kILxME

[auburnfamilynews]

Prediction? Pain. None among us were correct last week. We all picked Auburn to beat Clemson on the road, and we all came up on the wrong end of those predictions. We had good reasoning, and for about 29 minutes, we all thought we had the right stuff. Instead, Auburn lost 14-6, sending the Tigers to 1-1 with a Homecoming date against Mercer here at home inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. I don’t think there’s any way Auburn comes close to seeing a competitive effort from Mercer. I don’t think there’s a likelihood that Mercer even scores on Saturday. That said, let’s get the predictions. JAMES JONES This has to be a get-right game. Don't worry about putting too much on film. Execute your passing game against something other than the scout team. If you throw a couple picks, that's okay. Get better. If Pettway plays more than the first quarter, I'll be shocked. Martin, Miller, and Barrett are better than anybody they have. It's also a good time to see some reserves on the defensive side. That'll be when Mercer breaks the shutout. Auburn 44, Mercer 7 SON OF CROW I'm predicting Auburn to air the ball out the entire first half. Both Stidham and Lindsay need a big passing game to justify a lot of their hype. I think a ton of points are scored as the offense tries to work on a lot of different things. Auburn 70, Mercer 10 TUCO Unlike most of these games, I think Auburn's offense is going to really go full speed. Auburn 63 Mercer 10. AU NERD What I think happens and what will happen will probably be much different. I want to see AU come out and work on their passing game. Give our tackles more live reps in pass protection, allow Stidham to get more comfortable and in rhythm. What I suspect happens is what always happens in games like this under Malzahn. AU will rush for 400+ yds and throw it maybe 15 times. Either way, I suspect this one isn't close. Mercer might get a score late against AU's 3rd team defense but that’s probably it. Auburn 52, Mercer 10 DUSTY MILLER As much as it pains me to call Mercer a cupcake, I suspect this will be a typical Gus cupcake game plan. Pettway gets 150 yards and 2 scores. Redzone struggles persist and Carlson tacks on a few chip shots. Take a few deep shots and maybe hit on one or two. Look somewhat sloppy or disinterested at times. Disappear in the 3rd quarter. Play solid defense and hope for no injuries. I don't expect to see much work on the passing game. OL needs reps against pass rush, WRs need to clean up routes, coaches need to implement an intermediate passing game. Why would they? Things look good in practice in shorts and shells, right? Tigers win 47-10. RYAN STERRITT Regardless of what the offense does, the defense should make this game a cakewalk. If Mercer gets past midfield more than two or three times, I'd be surprised, which should lead to short fields for our offense. As we saw in the difference between Southern and Clemson, our offense *should* be able to handle a weak Bear defense, so I'm thinking this one should be a blowout. I'll take 49*-3 Auburn. *Notice I gave a number which doesn't allow for field goals. If Daniel Carlson is kicking in any situation except for 4th and 10 or more, I won't be happy. We need the conversion practice. DR. Z This one gets ugly quickly. Auburn can come out and do their usual stuff on offense and roll Mercer. My guess is Bubba is limited and Martin gets a lotta touches. Hopefully some things get worked on in the passing game as well. Show no Mercer! Auburn 42-3 JACK CONDON I’d love to see us come out and go with a nearly-completely passing-oriented offense, but I really don’t think that’ll be the case. Perhaps Gus has heard the grumbling a little more this week than he has in the past, and that’ll make him try some different things. There’s a choice here between actually improving in a game and not looking as sharp because you’re fixing stuff, which the casual fan sees as “not dominating an inferior opponent”, and going out, running your superior athletes and getting 400+ rushing yards on the way to a 50-point win, which pleases the casual fan but does nothing to help the team get better. I’ll err on the side of optimism this week. Jarrett Stidham and the offensive line get actual real work in, he throws for 250 and a couple of long touchdowns in the first half, we see the Sean White show for much of the second half, and Auburn’s defense does its thing, shutting out Mercer. Auburn 52, Mercer 0 from College and Magnolia http://bit.ly/2wgAwrd