The time for moral victories is running out, BUT...

[Fayettechill14]

There are no moral victories against Georgia, LSU, or Missouri. The team knows this.

Some observations:

1. Defense is significantly better every single week. Make all the Kiffin jokes you want, Robb Smith's defense shut down that offense. Alabama's 222 total yards are the fewest for Alabama since 2008, and the best effort by Arkansas' defense since Kentucky in 2012...and that game was called in the third quarter by lightning. Last full game with that little yards was Missouri State in 2011.

2. Linebackers are especially dominant. Brooks Ellis and Martrell Spaight are the best LB combo since.... ? Maybe Miller and Petty in the early 2000s?

3. Offensive line still has to prove itself in the fourth quarter. Not counting sacks, our second half included 8 rushes for 12 yards, long of 5. Can't do that. Chaney had to abandon the run when it wasn't working. Which means...

4. ...Brandon Allen is a serviceable quarterback, but he's not an all-American. He played well enough to win, but still was asked to lead a game winning drive at the end. Not fair to him.

5. Receivers are still the weakness. Alabama's secondary is its weakness (although it's still really good) but the DBs still smothered Arkansas' receivers. Hatcher got open once, and Wilson got open once, and other than that every single pass had to be force-fed to tight ends who have physical mismatches. KJ Hill and others coming in will change that, plus Hatcher should be better next year.

6. I don't look too much into the blocked XP. Alabama also blocked a critical one against Ole Miss. They're really good at that, for some reason.

7. I think Georgia is the breakthrough. Georgia's offense without Gurley is slightly worse than Alabama's, and the defense is significantly worse. I think we shut down their offense for the most part and win a 27-20 kind of game.

[Dark Helmet Hog]

Well said.

[Fayettechill14]

FWIW, I had us losing to Alabama 31-17 and beating Georgia anyway. Seeing this defense made me even more confident.

[Dr. Starcs]

Good post chill.

I'll feel a lot better if Philon is good to go Saturday.

I wanna see these kids rewarded with a win.

[moses_007]

There is no such thing as a moral victory.  A loss is a loss is a loss is a loss.

[kiddhog]

so you are saying this is a moral victory ? with BAMA playing about as bad as a Bama team has played under Saban and still winning.. i agree our defense played great! but in the end we lost and should not have.... but there is always next week???

[BassinHawg]

WE. WON'T. BEAT. GEORGIA. PERIOD!

[Dark Helmet Hog]

These tough losses hurt, but our record is exactly what I thought it would be at this point. We have also been much more competitive than I expected.

Bama still has one of the best defenses in the nation, and for what it's worth I believe we had more total yardage than Ole Miss.

[Jek Tono Porkins]

I was very pleased with the defense. Something else; Amare cooper (or however the hell you spell his name) was completely shut down. He's a heisman candidate, may not be after tonight. Credit to Robb smith, you could tell a lot of that was scheme. I specifically remember a red zone play where it looked like cooper had one-on-one coverage before the snap but it was disguised coverage. Sims got confused and then flowers smothered him. This team is very close and I also think they get that win at Georgia. This was the first time that fans were able to trust the defense in a game. That hasn't happened in YEARS. It hurts to lose and especially when we make so many mistakes, but there's no such thing as a good loss. They're always ugly and you always beat yourself. I don't know why people pencil in teams as automatic losses but then act pissed when we lose.

[Danny J]

WE. WON'T. BEAT. GEORGIA. PERIOD!

Sure we will......

[bigbadhog]

Still may not win an SEC game until 2015

[Fayettechill14]

WE. WON'T. BEAT. GEORGIA. PERIOD!

Why do you think that? Georgia's defense has been spotty, and without Gurley I have some questions about their offense. Hutson Mason is an average QB, and they don't have as many WR/TE talents as Alabama.

[BallHog1]

so you are saying this is a moral victory ? with BAMA playing about as bad as a Bama team has played under Saban and still winning.. i agree our defense played great! but in the end we lost and should not have.... but there is always next week???

Bama played bad, our defense played great. Have you considered there might be some kind of relationship between those two things?

[S.A.D.C]

There is no such thing as a moral victory.  A loss is a loss is a loss is a loss.

This continues to be the dumbest thing said here.  There absolutely are moral victories. Now- I would argue this wasn't one.  AandM wasn't one...we should have won both those games. Actually- maybe this was one.  You think the players have a different outlook after giving away the game and losing by 1 pout this year vs the beat down last year?  I bet you $100 every player in that locker room thinks we would win if we played again tomorrow- how many thought that last year?  That would be the definition of a moral victory.

But- it is still a loss- and a loss is a loss is a loss.  That part is absolutely true..

[Fayettechill14]

One more point...

It was a field position battle, and we lost it. Came away with zero points in two short fields early on, and then were pinned at our own 15 on just about every possession the rest of the game. Alabama is the best team in college football at preventing long drives. Kickoff returns were awful, but Marshall getting hurt didn't help.

[hview]

Thank you, very well stated. I too think we take down Georgia. I just hope some of our key defensive players aren't too banged up.

[Fayettechill14]

Thank you, very well stated. I too think we take down Georgia. I just hope some of our key defensive players aren't too banged up.

Hearing Philon, Spaight, Ellis, and Gaines are all fine. They were shaken up at various intervals during the game.

[East TN HAWG]

I thought UGA looked good against MO today.

[ricepig]

One more point...

It was a field position battle, and we lost it. Came away with zero points in two short fields early on, and then were pinned at our own 15 on just about every possession the rest of the game. Alabama is the best team in college football at preventing long drives. Kickoff returns were awful, but Marshall getting hurt didn't help.

We lost 100 yards by not fielding the punts tonight, no excuse. I realize Bama fumbled two, we recovered one, and touched another we got, but you can't sit back 60 yards and not come up to catch a high punt.

[S.A.D.C]

I thought UGA looked good against MO today.

Indiana looked good agains MO a couple weeks ago too...

[Dark Helmet Hog]

I thought UGA looked good against MO today.

MO really helped out with that.

[Fayettechill14]

Missouri threw four picks and doesn't have a running game. That's how the game got out of hand. Georgia didn't dominate with the running game (Chubb had 3.8 ypc) and even then Mizzou's run defense is horrendous.

[East TN HAWG]

P

Missouri threw four picks and doesn't have a running game. That's how the game got out of hand. Georgia didn't dominate with the running game (Chubb had 3.8 ypc) and even then Mizzou's run defense is horrendous.

They are bad but going into this week MO rushing defense was ranked higher than ours. 

UGA is a good team with out Gurly.  They will be ranked 11 or 12.  Maybe we win or not, but they will be favored.  To dismiss UGA performance today because they were playing MO is stupid.  UGA destroyed a team that will be playing in a bowl game. It was a very good performance.  We have not beaten anyone of MO quality. 

[Pigsknuckles]

There is no such thing as a moral victory.  A loss is a loss is a loss is a loss.

I feel your pain, and, in principle, I agree, but after 45 years of riding the Razorback Roller Coaster this is the best I have ever felt about a loss. Did we have the opportunity to win? Yes, on more than one occasion. Did we have the opportunity to embarrass ourselves, yet again, on national TV? Yes, on more than one occasion. Still, following two seasons of being Bama's doormat, we rise to scare the crap out of them. We came up short tonight, but our staff, and team took a great step forward to exorcizing some of the demons that have recently shadowed us. Still, as you languish, "a loss, is a loss, is a loss. To that, I respectfully agree, but we are on the way up again, and I'll not miss that ride.

[hawgon]

With this style of football where every yard counts, I cannot fathom any sort of acceptable reason why we don't have someone on the team who can at least do a Rosse Moreale impersonation and go out there and catch a punt.  And for the life of me, I can't figure out why the coaches don't think it is important enough to beat the bushes and hold open tryouts if necessary.

Field position absolutely killed us tonight and we gave up fifteen or twenty yards every single change of possession simply because we don't field punts.

[bpoecell]

WE. WON'T. BEAT. GEORGIA. PERIOD!

Georgia posted the ugliest shutout I've ever seen today. They're extremely sloppy. If we play against them like we played tonight we'll win by two scores.

[Pigsknuckles]

With this style of football where every yard counts, I cannot fathom any sort of acceptable reason why we don't have someone on the team who can at least do a Rosse Moreale impersonation and go out there and catch a punt.  And for the life of me, I can't figure out why the coaches don't think it is important enough to beat the bushes and hold open tryouts if necessary.

Field position absolutely killed us tonight and we gave up fifteen or twenty yards every single change of possession simply because we don't field punts.

As I posited to my brother on the way to the game. We do not have a punt returner, we have a punt observer.

[Rooster Hogburn]

Watching this team is like watching bay watch without Pamela anderson

[Uberanubis]

P
They are bad but going into this week MO rushing defense was ranked higher than ours. 

UGA is a good team with out Gurly.  They will be ranked 11 or 12.  Maybe we win or not, but they will be favored.  To dismiss UGA performance today because they were playing MO is stupid.  UGA destroyed a team that will be playing in a bowl game. It was a very good performance.  We have not beaten anyone of MO quality. 

we have not played any one of MO quality. they are not a good football team this year.

[Oklahawg]

With this style of football where every yard counts, I cannot fathom any sort of acceptable reason why we don't have someone on the team who can at least do a Rosse Moreale impersonation and go out there and catch a punt.  And for the life of me, I can't figure out why the coaches don't think it is important enough to beat the bushes and hold open tryouts if necessary.

Field position absolutely killed us tonight and we gave up fifteen or twenty yards every single change of possession simply because we don't field punts.

If you watched the punts you'd know the answer. DJ Dean did a servicable job at PR. It is not normal for a punter to boom one 50 yards on the fly. Some advantageous rolls where you are coached (correctly) to get out of the way so you don't do what Bama did in the first quarter.

[Oklahawg]

The painful part of tonight's game - really, the entire season - is we see more improvement than most thought possible. Rather than losing by 24 and going, "gosh, we are getting better," we stood toe to toe and are playing the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game.

I am pleased. And, frustrated, but I am fundamentally pleased. I am even more sold on CBB and want the entire staff back for the long haul.

[Harleigh Hog]

Georgia is good enough on defense to sell out and stop the run. Alabama showed exactly how to do that by stacking the line and run blitzing. Bad as I hate to say it, it will be on BA to throw it around well enough to get them out of it. Not just the occasional big third down play, but consistently enough to make them respect it.

Extremely happy with the improvement of our D, but until we prove otherwise I just don't think we can score enough to win.

[hawgon]

If you watched the punts you'd know the answer. DJ Dean did a servicable job at PR. It is not normal for a punter to boom one 50 yards on the fly. Some advantageous rolls where you are coached (correctly) to get out of the way so you don't do what Bama did in the first quarter.

We haven't fielded a punt, in three games save that one we fielded late tonight.  So, don't give me that crap about Alabama's punter.

[Calling All Hogs]

Georgia was playing on a high from the Gurley suspension trying to show they could play in spite of the suspension and Missouri appeared to be hell bent on turning the ball over every chance they got. I don't read a lot into that game as far as how Georgia will play against us.

[kiddhog]

Bama played bad, our defense played great. Have you considered there might be some kind of relationship between those two things?

Nope - i stated our defense played great. defense played well enough to win for sure.. however, we were given two fumbles(no points), at all. As well as our defense played they dropped two INT's that hit them right in the hands...but at the end of the day our offense , special teams and coaches did not perform well enough to win.  I thought the defense absolutely did... my point was these "moral Victories" are getting very old... we were the better team today yet we lost.... we were the better team against aggies, yet we lost....At some point you got win!

[AHSC412]

The painful part of tonight's game - really, the entire season - is we see more improvement than most thought possible. Rather than losing by 24 and going, "gosh, we are getting better," we stood toe to toe and are playing the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game.

I am pleased. And, frustrated, but I am fundamentally pleased. I am even more sold on CBB and want the entire staff back for the long haul.

Best post I have read all night. Sums it up perfectly. Unfortunately, some people are just too stupid to realize that.

[Oklahawg]

Best post I have read all night. Sums it up perfectly. Unfortunately, some people are just too stupid to realize that.

Thanks.

[Oklahawg]

We haven't fielded a punt, in three games save that one we fielded late tonight.  So, don't give me that crap about Alabama's punter.

Don't let facts interfere with your rant.

We fair caught two tonight, and one vs No Illinois. We also returned 3 vs No Illinois + A&M. Anemic production, but raw yardage does not explain everything.

UA opponents are getting over 50 yards on over 25% of their punts. That is not all a problem with the "punt observer" (I like that, btw, very nice).

To critique punt return issues one has to be able to assess if the ball was catchable - don't want to commit a Bama gaffe and try to field a ball that shouldn't be fielded.

That said, PR game is not elite level. Liking what I see from other aspects of special teams returns/coverage units.

[hog911]

We will get crushed by the Georgia team I watched today. Our only possible SEC wins are against LSU and Mizzou. But even then I wouldn't count on it. I'm starting to think we don't know how to win in the SEC, unless you count moral victories! See integrity!

[WarPig88]

I understand why some think we are vastly improved. But honestly, we were so bad last year that any improvement would have been vast.

The reality of tonight is that we just played the second weakest Bama team that Saban has fielded on our home field and lost even with a monumental effort by our defense.

If you think that this particular scenario will be happening the majority of the time in the future then you haven't paid attention much for the last couple of decades or you are in your 20s.

Yes we are improved. Yes it should inspire hope. But we are still a LONG ways from being a good team much less a player for the SEC West Championship Rep. Especially with the rise of Miss and Miss St.

We have got to get more explosive on offense to take that next step. I mean how much better a defensive performance does it take to win a game like tonight's?

[redeye]

1-2.  I completely agree.

3. We only ran the ball 8 times (5 in 3rd Q, 3 in the 4th) and that's enough to know you need to abandon the run?    I don't think so and especially not for a team built to run.  You want a balanced offense?  We threw the ball around 25 times in the 2nd half, compared to our 8 runs.

Our line isn't built to pass protect that much and I question the effect it has on them?  Does it tire them quicker having to hold blocks, in contrast to opening holes?  Anyone know?

4-5.  I completely agree with your 4th point on it being unfair to Allen, but will note that he missed some open receivers on critical downs.

6.  Alabama is very good at blocking XP's, but that's not a valid excuse imo.  We need to work on place-kicking.

7. I hope you're right about Georgia and think you may be.  After that, we travel to Starkville and that's gonna be very difficult.  If we're still winless in SEC games after that, however, how great would it be to get our first win against LSU in Fayetteville?

I almost hate to bring this up, but we need to stop being afraid of Alabama.  You can see our players second-guessing themselves and playing tight the entire game, which we've done for several years now against Alabama.  Alabama's a great team, but we put them on a pedestal higher then they deserve and then wonder why we can't reach them.  That starts with fans who are constantly letting players know they can't win.