Down 37-10 he puts in Croyle, still recovering from a separated shoulder. Ga's D coordinator, with the human compassion of Hitler, goes in for the kill. He's just doing his job which says a lot about the "win at all costs" mentality. But...Shula's decision is nothing short of GROSS negligence. Don't think I'd want my son playing for him.
Assuming you're serious, Yes. Croyle is out for the year after he got slammed to the turf on his shoulder on his 2nd play.
SabanFan...I thought you meant he put him back in again after that... SF, he went the entire 2nd half with the injury last week, it was not silly to suppose that he might have been able to go. Shula is not devoid of sense. Croyle also felt he could go. He said as much in the media. Now, he's out for the year, and that's a tragic blow, but it's something that happens from time to time. I don't think it was a coaching error, though. I thought you meant that he went back in after that 2nd play...
My response is a resounding BULLSHIT! Of course Croyle says he can play. He's young, competitive, 10 feet tall and bulletproof. He has no say in the decision. They were down by 27 freaking points and they were not going to win against Georgia's defense regardless of the QB. It was a bad call, just as it was incredibly stupid to play him in the 2nd half last week. But, it goes to show you the emphasis on winning at Bama. Shula's honeymoon is still on but he doesn't want it shortened by too many losses. Hell with the kids, let's go for the W.
Just to clear up a few misconceptions. First of all Brodie was cleared to play. Brodie suffered the shoulder separation in the Oklahoma game and had been playing with it since then. It is on his non-throwing arm. He took a hit in the Arkansas game and came back in to finish the second half. At the time Brodie was put in the game, Spencer Pennington had made no first downs and the offence was not moving the ball at all. Coach Shula decided to let Brodie go in to try to spark the offense a little. Brodie took a hit on the second play and was back out of the game. Brodie is not out for the season. Coach Shula just said that Brodie's injury may have been agrivated enough for him to miss the So. Miss. game but would not know till he gets the injury report Sunday morning. The injury to Spencer Pennington appears to be more severe since it is on his throwing arm. Since Spencer Pennington was injured in the game it seemed inevitable that Brodie would have been put in the game when that happened. Last year LSU had Florida put away very late in the game. Instead of putting in the backup QB, Coach Saban leaves in Matt Mauck. Mauck is hurt and lost for the season. Coach Saban's decision was also questioned at that time, and could not be said to be clearly wrong. We have players on the field with casts, sprains and what have you. Now we are facing a Southern Miss team with probably our 3rd string QB and backing him will most likely be the scout team QB. I hope this fills in many of the blanks and inaccuracies the media posed. Alabama has a beat up team playing a tough schedule. Every team we have lost to is ranked in the top 20. Nine games without an off week is brutal and add to that, every team we have played either has an off week or plays a cupcake. Georgia was the first team we played that wasn't undefeated when we met them. LSU will also have the week off before playing Alabama. Auburn is the only team on our schedule that actually has a tough game the week before, they play Georgia. * disclaimer: Any team Mississippi State plays is a tough game.
The game was NOT "put away" at the time and Mauck had not injured that same ankle the week before. You can put any spin you want to on it. The fact is that the game was lost and Croyle had no business being in there.
Saban Fan...You really did confuse me...So, he WAS put back into the game already down...I think that is a bit of a senseless move, but honestly, it's Shula's call, and this Bama fan actually cleared some of it up... As for your mischaracterization of his comments about the Mauck injury and the status of the game, I'll say this... Nowhere did he say that Mauck's ankle was injured the week before. Now if you mean that you want to compare why Croyle was in the game with an injury already, then I can somewhat understand, but Shula's got a team of medical experts who he's consulting. He's not out there like a high school coach. His judgement and that of the coaches around him are to be trusted. The game was NO LONGER IN DOUBT, Saban Fan...and that's the bottom line...Florida was SALTED away by LSU at the point he was in, and there is no spin you can put on it, sir...I apologize for differing with you, but it's a simple fact. That game was out of reach for Florida...
