3rd and longs will suck against Bama - no doubt. Which is why I hope we come out using the passing game (particularly Dickson and maybe even Shepard) to create some 2nd and 4 situations.
A guy has one good game against a really bad, beaten #98 defense and he's the next Hershel Walker? Scott gained 112 yards against them doing the kind of power running that we've been asking for. Ridley has earned himself some playing time, but I think it's a bit early to leapfrog him over Scott and Williams until he shows what he can do against an SEC defense in the first quarter.
I hope we do have some kind of running game against Bama. Like him or not Saban has great DB's that are very disciplined. Too much air time could cost us if not careful. Maybe a good running threat will affect that discipline and give our receivers a little separation. One thing I have noticed watching Bama this year is you have to be very accurate with the long ball or the red shirts will get it, JJ hasn't showed that yet, although he is looking like he is learning and improving. Hawthorne was saying it looked like the light bulb was starting to come on for him, just needs to be a little faster with the long delivery.:tigerhead
I was very, very impressed with Ridley. I didnt at all expect him to be nearly as good as he is. I expect him to start next year over Murphey. Ive never been too impressed with Murphey. Ridley runs similar to Scott but appears to have a better ability to cut. Its difficult to say because it was at the end of the game but I think Ridley might be our best runner right now. Would have to see him with and against the first string. Im a Scott backer but this kid looked damn good. There is absolutely no need to burn a redshirt on Ford for just a few plays.
When I heard some of the comments from other running backs about Ridley in practice, I thought he might be something special, but he's been hurt and we just haven't seen anything of him. I thought he was still unable to play.
I didnt think he was reay either but he looked damn good last night. He came in on the final drive of the game and gashed up the Tulane D. The second string OL was blowing up some nice holes but his cutting ability and quickness are very evident. When he has to he lowers the pads and makes a hole. I was very impressed with Ridley. He looks very quick for someone who was said to be 4.6 coming out of HS.
Good points. No argument there. Seeing Ridley's effort late in the game against a beaten Tulane team's #2's was encouraging, but the coaches start CS for a reason. If Ridley spells him with a few good runs, awesome, and that should be the approach at this moment in time. I am just encouraged at Ridley's effort and how he looked this early coming off a knee injury like he had. Agree about how big runs end up being contagious to the OL.
Reminds me of when the Richard Murphy hype train got going around here. One solid spring game performance and people were looking at him like the next Walter Payton. Are people really that dumb that they think Ridley showing out in mop-up duty should tell us something? Good to see him do well coming off the injury, and I have high hopes for him next season, but people are getting awfully carried away, putting him above our 1100 yard, 18 TD guy.
Agree, except it's PAyton...and Scott is our 1100 yd 18 TD guy. (The majority of them happened AFTER the 4th game of the year, even though LSU-SIU seems to think Scott did nothing after the 4th game of the season) :hihi: - Don't know about the others, but I was very happy to see the WAY Ridley ran. He was not afraid to cut, and he ran hard. He hit the hole immediately, and he displayed good vision in doing so. Can he do it against better competition? Dunno. But he looked really confident in his ability and strength...and that's a great sign coming off of surgery...THIS spring.
I love when people get into their strawman arguments... I never said anything that you just said I said. I said it will not constantly work game in and game out in the SEC, it didn't work last year and it didn't exactly work this year either. Let me see it was offensive line's fault last year too. Look Scott is a strong guy but running one play basically is not going to cut it... the fact is every team is going to plug that up and have been. What you are doing is trying to rewrite history... it is PAINFULLY obvious it has not work constantly and isn't going to. I called it before the beginning of the year and I got raked over the coals by everyone.... and you know what? I WAS RIGHT. Scott is a great tiger there is a place and time for him, but he has limited ability as a TB.... my proof... the last two years. So keep on rewriting history... it's an awful play, every team wishes they could just call I formations runs right up the middle... they don't because it's not going to constantly work. That play sucks, it sucked last year, it sucks this year and if they run it 10-20 times a game next year it will suck then too. 2008 stats it was over at the 5th game of last year... other then the Georgia game basically a dud and an offense killer against SEC teams. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/gamelog?playerId=183547&year=2008 By this year it wasn't even working against the Cajuns. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/gamelog?playerId=183547&year=2009 Look, I love the guy... but that play is not going to work constantly, it hasn't worked constantly. Now you can continue to put a square peg in a round hole if you wish. Here are the stats against SEC teams since Mississippi state game which was actually the 5th game last year. The one game I thought he was effective which they stopped running him was against Florida this year.... other than that... that play simple is not going to work week in and week out against SEC teams, that doesn't mean he can't have a big play or a big game.... but it just kills the offense flow. 12 35 2.9 16 61 3.8 21 144 6.9 24 92 3.8 10 10 1.0 12 28 2.3 6 15 2.5 19 95 5.0 13 53 4.1 10 20 2.0
