One key to this week's game- put Banks on Moncrief....

[HammerOfTheDogs]

Jonathon Banks needs to shadow Moncrief all over the field. There needs to be at least two people on Moncrief at all times. Also, the defensive ends need to keep contain on Jeff Scott's sweeps.

One big difference between our performances against Bammer and LSU was that Bammer and LSU were psyched to play a Top 10, BCS national championship contender when they played us, while they had the same intensity for mississippi they had for Western Carolina or North Texas State.

 

[RocketDawg]

Is it my imagination, or is Banks playing with less aggressiveness this year? Perhaps he's playing not to get hurt with a career-ending injury, and I don't blame him ... but he just doesn't seem to be the same as last year.

I'm not sure Alabama considered us a "top 10 BCS contender" as much as they disliked our uppity-dness in thinking "we believe" and draping their statues with MSU shirts. So they decided to show us a thing or two. And actually, I thought we played LSU quite well and they played with no intensity until late in the game.

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

Then have Darius Slay or Nickoe Whitley help double-team him. I do think Banks will want a "highlight reel" game and play hard, the same way Deuce McAllister did against us in 2000 (all season long, he pretty much played at half-speed...until the State game, when he needed to show the NFL scouts what he could do).

 

[was21]

One key to look for: OM has a history of liking to "bamboozle" State at a critical point in the game...so some trick play will be in the plans at that point. It will probably be some kind of dipsy doodle deal that may turn the complexion of the game.

 

[ChinaDogSunflower]

I don't know if Banks is physical enough to handle Moncrief

The good news is we have Darius Slay though. Slay plays with a nasty attitude and I like it. I would like to see him on Mocrief most of the game.ETA: Forgot a word

 

[AlCoDog]

Banks or Slay should shut him down

His stats vs SEC opponenets:

34 rec, 432 yrds, 3 td's 12 yrds. per rec.

Is that supposed to be scary?

Maybe they should be worried about that secondary covering Bump:

39 rec, 523, 6 td's 13 yrds per rec (also SEC only)

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

The good news is we have Darius Slay though. Slay plays with a nasty attitude and I like it. I would like to see him on Mocrief most of the game.

I'm not sure Banks or Slay can cover him. He's that good.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

Kid yourself if ya want to but Moncrief is damn good. His numbers would be much better if Wallace could just get him the ball. He had LSU corners beat all night and had 2 td's if Wallace coulda just got the ball there. Now he had a drop or two but he is a load to cover, 6'3 215 or so. And fast and physical. What Morrow is supposed to be for us. What Robert Johnson could be

 

[AlCoDog]

Never said he wasn't good, but we've got 2 future NFL corners, one being a 1st rounder, that have held their own against better this year. As far as LSU corners, shoulda, woulda, coulda. Half the battle stopping him is whether or not his qb can throw it to him.

 

[esplanade91]

I too thought Banks was having a down year, but after rethinking it and looking at it from a different angle, offenses don't 17 with him anymore. He's always been overshadowed by someone on our team or someone else's like LSU last year. Now that he's THE guy it just seems like QB's and coaches would rather run the ball or pass it to the opposite side of the field.

 

[Coach 57]

Slay is better at man-to-man coverage than Banks. I think Banks is a good corner but Slay is better at man. It'll be mixed coverages in this game like it has been since SEC play. The key to the game isn't got anything to do with Moncrief (btw he is pretty damned good). It's stopping the zone read/read option plays FIRST anybody that can coach can see that hell even Chavis and dumbass Les Miles saw it, they just didn't execute it properly till it was almost too late.