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Saw this elsewhere about Grubb's early scripting

Posted on 9/22/26 at 12:46 pm
Posted by Night Vision
33rd Level REC Member
Member since Feb 2018
25589 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 12:46 pm
"... here are the last 11 opening drives for Bama/Grubb spanning from South Carolina 2025 to current. 10 TOTAL opening drive points and those were against E Illinois and ECU. I think that’s beyond coincidence. There’s a clear pattern here.

With that said, I’d love to see us break this trend. Maybe Grubb likes to start the game by throwing out a little stink bait? (the hard part is looking sucky ha)

Here are results:

USCe: 3 plays, 5 yards PUNT
LSU: 8 plays, 36 yards TURNOVER ON DOWNS
OK: 3 plays, 3 yards PUNT
EIU: 8 plays, 46 yards TD
Auburn: 6 plays, 17 yards PUNT
UGA: 3 plays, 7 yards PUNT
OK: 3 plays, 5 yards PUNT
IN: 8 plays, 18 yards PUNT

ECU: 9 plays, 46 yards FG
UK: 3 plays, -12 yards INT
FSU: 3 plays, 6 yards PUNT"
This post was edited on 9/22/26 at 12:49 pm
Posted by TideSaint
God's country
Member since Sep 2008
85600 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 1:06 pm to
Posted by Diego Ricardo
Alabama
Member since Dec 2020
14250 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 1:23 pm to
So no points in 9 straight opening drives v. Power 4 opponents.
Posted by Night Vision
33rd Level REC Member
Member since Feb 2018
25589 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 1:33 pm to
Posted by Riseupfromtherubble
You'll Never Walk Alone
Member since Jun 2011
40369 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 1:53 pm to
quote:

Maybe Grubb likes to start the game by throwing out a little stink bait?


I don't think that's the case at all. Possessions are entirely too important for one to be a throw away

I think the most likely scenario is that he is going in with a set script, and we are seeing different defensive looks than the opponent has put on tape prior. So we aren't deviating from the script, and it's plays that are designed to be run against different looks.

If I'm Grubb or Deboer, my script is one play. The rest of the game it's check with me and we start attacking the weak spots immediately.

Frankly with our personnel we should be able to go fast on the opening drive and catch anybody at a disadvantage if we have Pritchett, Edwards, and Scott on the field. All 3 are well rounded enough at receiving and blocking that you can make a defense pick it's poison and then trap their personnel on the field. You can run the opening play with the tight ends in a 3 point stance and run the next play with them split out off the ball and force linebackers to cover them out into space. If the defense starts in nickel just run it down their throat. It's not rocket science, but you can't be so hard headed that you're going to run your script no matter what if it doesn't mesh with the look the defense is giving you.

Honestly, the way we've been running the ball and the way defenses are built nowadays, I'd love to see us come out in 13 personnel and just bludgeon SC to death on the first drive. Put Josh Ford next to Jackson Lloyd and just pistol whip Dylan Stewart and see how that back really feels. Put Lewis or Edwards on the other side and have Pritchett at the H. Their base defense is a 4-2-5 and the backers are 225 each. I don't care what they scheme up specifically for us, they aren't going to get bigger in the next 4 days.

Grubb reminds me a lot of BoB, but one game specifically sticks out to me where BoB just realized we had a huge advantage turning around and handing the ball off. And he did it over and over again- and we beat a top 10 Ole Miss team like a rented mule and Brian Robinson had about 170 yards rushing because they just weren't built to stop it.
This post was edited on 9/22/26 at 2:25 pm
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
5590 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 1:59 pm to
We are not the only team that starts off the game with a script.

Are we the only team that refuses to deviate from the script if circumstances dictate that?
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
5590 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:02 pm to
As someone said yesterday, we are still everyone’s Super Bowl and they are all going to come up with special stuff for us.

When we could literally out-talent people that didn’t matter as much. In the current environment we are not going to be able to out-talent people, so we have got to have the flexibility and the mindset to adjust to changing circumstances.
Posted by Syd
Member since Sep 2012
5280 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:19 pm to
He thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and stubborn. I doubt he changes, all I have is hope.
Posted by TouchdownAlabama
Sweet Home Alabama
Member since Nov 2015
2450 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:32 pm to
I don’t understand doing the same thing over and over again with failed results. It’s insanity. Hope that the UK and FSU games were a wake up calls or at least make him seriously rethink playcalling moving forward.
Posted by Lucky_Stryke
central Bama
Member since Sep 2018
3353 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:33 pm to
I think with Grubb he either cannot adjust to the personnel he has or the OL simply cannot block well enough for what he wants to do and he cannot deviate from that at all.

Somethings that have worked against him is that the OL has been atrocious. That makes it much more difficult for any play caller although he seems hell bent and not doing himself any favors with playcalling.

I agree he seems severely stubborn and IMO just waiting for the chance to bounce out of Tuscaloosa asap
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
5590 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:38 pm to
We're not getting failed results. Our offense is devouring people.

The problem is that it's taking us a while to get going and we can't afford that against the people we've got to play.
Posted by Diego Ricardo
Alabama
Member since Dec 2020
14250 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:41 pm to
I’ll give our offensive staff some alibis:

1. Alabama is always going to have the kitchen sink thrown at us unless we actually get bad like everyone else likes to act like we are post-Saban. It is hard to plan when you pretty much always get a bunch of looks you’ve never seen in the first half. I think our staff has learned that lesson or at least I hope they have by year 3.

2. In 2025 we had a veteran QB but no difference makers at RB, TE room could not block, and OL was no better.

3. In 2026 we have 4 new OL starters and a first year starter, underclassman QB.

The combo of Alabama often getting looks never shown on tape and personnel issues the last two years likely contributes to this stat.

In 2025, we were one dimensional and saw some new blitzes from the team early. In 2026, I think we’re trying to protect the young quarterback a tad.
Posted by Robot Santa
Member since Oct 2009
46642 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:45 pm to
quote:

So no points in 9 straight opening drives v. Power 4 opponents.


Not just a failure to score points but a failure to move the ball entirely.
Posted by Diego Ricardo
Alabama
Member since Dec 2020
14250 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:45 pm to
quote:

The problem is that it's taking us a while to get going and we can't afford that against the people we've got to play.


This is it really. We’ve played our easiest opponent until cupcake week in November. We cannot afford these starts going forward if the team expects to make the tournament and compete for the conference title.

If we get down 21-6 against South Carolina, they’re more likely to shut the door on us by holding us off because they don’t meltdown like FSU did before halftime. Get down 21-6 in Starkville in two weeks and their fans are probably carrying the goal posts to the cotton district at some point in that evening.
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
5590 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:47 pm to
And for the second straight week we’re playing someone who might be coaching for his job.
Posted by Funky Tide 8
Bayou Chico
Member since Feb 2009
57614 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:50 pm to
idk man, our defense is pretty salty, and our offense once it gets going is capable of lighting up the scoreboard very fast. Obviously I'd much prefer it to not take several cranks to start the motor, but I am pretty confident in saying that we are capable of coming back down 2 scores against both South Carolina and MSU.
Posted by TouchdownAlabama
Sweet Home Alabama
Member since Nov 2015
2450 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 2:53 pm to
I hope we see more of Keelon settling into games and making plays. That improvised run for a TD was exciting to see.
Posted by Riseupfromtherubble
You'll Never Walk Alone
Member since Jun 2011
40369 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 3:19 pm to
He reached 21.3 MPH on that run.

For context, the fastest speed reached in the NFL last season was Jonathan Taylor at 22.38 MPH

FSU took two "oh shite" angles on that run. You can tell he was a 400m guy in high school. He was just gliding out there.

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This post was edited on 9/22/26 at 3:23 pm
Posted by paperwasp
2x HRV 2025 Poster of the Year
Member since Sep 2014
31566 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 3:28 pm to
quote:

I think with Grubb he either cannot adjust to the personnel he has or the OL simply cannot block well enough for what he wants to do

Pin-and-pull was a recognizable part of Grubb’s run-game at Washington.

It can stress a defense horizontally and force DBs and LBs to make repeated, physical run fits.

That stress can create explosive runs and contribute to late-game efficiency.

In other words, part of our offensive identity is to grind teams early and wear them down, which frustrates and opens running lanes late.

So yes, to your comment, we haven't necessarily had the OL personnel to execute that until this season. Pin-and-pull requires more deliberate angles and movement, including precise footwork.
Posted by FightingOkra
Member since Oct 2024
491 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 4:43 pm to
quote:

we get down 21-6 against South Carolina, they’re more likely to shut the door on us by holding us off because they don’t meltdown like FSU did before halftime


They literally melted down exactly like FSU against State last week. They blew a 16 point lead they had in the first half.
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