Shoulda, Coulda, Wouda

The Ole Miss vs. Alabama game was almost all that I thought it would be. I predicted it would be a game that Ole Miss would play with Alabama for three quarters and then the Tide would roll on from there. I was proved wrong by the Rebs. It was a great game that the Rebels really should have won. They were given many opportunities but could not capitalize, combined with stupid penalties gave the Tide a three point win.

Offense: The offense continues to play better, but are still not where we need to be. I fealt like the offensive line played better than in previous games. I expected the Alabama D-Line would dominate our front, but the Rebels hung in there for the most part. Mico McSwain continues to impress me and he continues to push this offense. Michael Spurlock also had a good game, I would like to see him run a little more though. Overall the offense was average.

Defense: Wow, they really played their hearts out. The Ole Miss D stepped up and answered the call placed to them. They provided hope to the Rebel Nation that this team could win the game. They stopped a top five ranked team in the nation for the most part throughout the game. This Defense played well all over the field. Patrick Willis continues to dominate this D, but this week the rest of the D played up to his caliber also. If this defense continues to play like this we will get a few more wins this season.

Special Teams: We all know the story. While I often do not blame the game on kickers, I have to place alot of the blame on them. Although they were not the sole reason we lost. We missed two easy fieldgoals that were the difference in a win and a loss. I wish Park would put a few more yards on his punts. The bright spart in the special teams continues to be the kicks of Will Moseley placing all but one in the end zone.

The two key points in this game were the missed field goals and the two penalties against the Rebels. Ole Miss had the ball on the two yard line on a third down late in the game. All they needed were two simple yards. Instead we made stupid mistakes and received back to back delay of game penalties. The first one was the coaches faught, the second Spurlocks. It was absolutely ridiculous we allowed this to happen at such a crucial part of the game. What a difference a few seconds could have made.

Overall, while I was mad we lost, I was proud of our effort. I continue to believe in this team. While I know it is a long shot, there are five games left, all we need is four to be bowl eligible. This game would have really helped our chances. In the often overused words of Pete Cordelli "You Gotta Believe."