Tag: Halftime

Halftime Report: Alabama vs. Tennessee

Alabama has looked great through the first half as they lead Tennessee 28 to 10 heading to halftime.

Star wide receiver Jalen Waddle suffered what looks to be a pretty serious ankle injury on the opening kickoff and that’s all Alabama fans can think about right now. It was hard to see Waddle being loaded into an ambulance, and losing him will be a hard pill to swallow.

Unfortunately, it looks like Waddle will miss the remainder of the season, according to Alabama head coach Nick Saban,

After Waddle went down, the Crimson Tide showed its depth at the receiver position by plugging in sophomore Slade Bolden, who came in and contributed immediately. He and John Metchie lead Alabama in receiving yards heading at halftime.

Metchie has three receptions for 88 yards and Bolden has four receptions for 81 yards. Metchie made an outstanding catch in the second quarter that led to a touchdown.

Mac Jones has looked terrific thus far. He’s completed 13 of 15 passes for 254 yards. Jones also snuck in a touchdown at the one-yard line for Alabama’s second touchdown of the day. The first touchdown of the day came from Najee Harris who has had an outstanding game himself. He’s rushed for 49 yards on 11 carries and a pair of touchdowns.

Alabama’s defense looked great to start the game but showed weakness in the second quarter allowing the Vols to sustain two long drives that resulted in a field goal and a touchdown. The Vols touchdown came on a touchdown pass from Jarrett Guarantano to freshman receiver Jalin Hyatt. That’s was Hyatt’s first catch of the game and the first touchdown of his career.

Alabama leads Tennessee 28-10 heading into halftime and the Tide have truly dominated this game from the start. Jones has picked apart this Tennessee defense all first half and I don’t see that changing in the second half. The defense will need to review a few things at halftime as Guarantano has made a couple of big plays throughout the first half.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama Football as the second half of Alabama vs. Tennessee is set to kickoff soon.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Halftime Report: Alabama vs. Georgia

Alabama, Georgia match up as the two remaining strongholds within the SEC, the defensive strength of UGA faces off against Mac Jones.

After an interesting start to the game that had early interceptions for both starting quarterbacks, plenty of punts and a couple of trips to the end zones for both teams. Nick Saban and Alabama will head into their lockerroom trailing Georgia 24-20.

Mac Jones continues to try and execute the deep passes, something he has done well this season. In the first half, Jones threw for 224, two touchdowns and an interception on 15 completions on 22 attempts.

The wide receiver corps of Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and John Metchie III have been unable to gain yardage through short passes, instead opting for numerous shots down the field against a dangerous Georgia secondary.

Overall, the Alabama pass catchers have been the consistent contributor for Alabama’s chances of winning, with DeVonta Smith being the star on six receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.

The Alabama run game has proven effective against Gergia’s defensive front when compared to other ground-game attempts against the Bulldogs in games prior. Opponents averaged roughly 57 rushing yards per game against Georgia, the Crimson Tide have totaled 74 yards, with Najee Harris having 80 on 13 carries and Jones lowering the total due to -13 yards in the first half.

Pete Golding’s defense entered this game looking to improve upon a disappointing performance in the Crimson Tide’s Week 3 performance against Ole Miss.

Georgia’s Stetson Bennett IV put a small, but noticeable dent into Alabama’s secondary with a strong passing attack, headlined by junior James Cook (4 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD), that included 12 completions on 25 attempts for 177 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

A shared backfield for the Bulldogs combined for 91 yards and a lone touchdown on the ground.

Will Reichard hit a career-high 52-yard field goal to cut Georgia’s lead to four.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama Football as the second half kicks off.

 

Cowboys trail Browns 31-17 at the half

The Cowboys trail the Browns 31-17 at the half in Week 4 of the very young NFL season.

For a few minutes of this Week 4 encounter, Cowboys fans thought they were in for yet another back and forth shoot out. It was, for a few series.

The Cowboys have found themselves with another two turnovers on offense in which leading to 14 points from the Cleveland offense. Baker Mayfield has had this way with the Cowboys secondary thus far. The Cowboys defense has given up over 300 yards of offense in one half of football.

The Cowboys also cant seem to get off the field either. The Browns rushing attack doesn’t even have and or need the likes of a Nick Chubb.

The Cowboys also find themselves on the wrong side of history. The Browns haven’t scored this many points in a first half since 1991 and have continued their offensive assault with 30 plus points in three straight games.

Both Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have both put the ball on the AT&T Stadium turf and the Browns quickly took advantage of both momentum and field position.

The bright spots of the first half for the Cowboys is the aforementioned Prescott who has two touchdown passes. One, rookie CeeDee Lamb’s first career touchdown catch and a second, a laser to Amari Cooper over the middle.

The Cowboys trail 31-14 at half and if they want any shot at accomplishing yet another comeback, it starts with getting off the field on defense. The Browns will receive the second half kickoff.

Halftime report: Alabama vs. Texas A&M

Alabama finishes the first half of their Week 2 contest vs. Texas A&M with a strong showing by Mac Jones and a shaky start by the defense.

The Alabama crimson Tide lead the Texas A&M Aggies 35-14 heading into halftime during SEC’s second week of action.

In Alabama’s home opener, Mac Jones got his second start of the season and wasted no time trying to get ahead of the tough Aggie defense with a 78-yard touchdown pass to redshirt-freshman wide receiver John Metchie III.

Overall, Jones threw for 271 yards on 15 completions through 19 attempts and one interception in the first half. The sole interception set up a one-play series for Kellen Mond and Texas A&M that resulted in a quick 17-yard touchdown.

The pass catchers combined for 273 yards and two touchdowns in the half. With Metchie (118 yds), Smith (51 yds) and Waddle (55 yds) being the only true wide receivers to reel in receptions.

Najee Harris continues to be the offensive spark for Alabama, running for 36 yards on 10 carries for two touchdowns.

The defense has not yet found consistency in 2020. They allowed 148 passing yards, 71 rushing yards and two passing touchdowns. However, Daniel Wright did return an interception 48 yards for a touchdown late in the first half to extend the Alabama lead

While Mond was able to find success through the air with 11 completions on 22 passing attempts for 148 yards, two touchdown passes and a lone interception, the combined rushing attack by Isaiah Spiller, Ainias Smith and Mond, Himself, could become an issue for the Alabama defensive front in the second half. The three of them have combined for 16 carries for 71 yards.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama football as the second half kicks off.

 

Florida vs South Carolina Halftime Update: Gators take 10-point lead into locker room

The Florida Gators lead the South Carolina Gamecocks after 30 minutes of play at The Swamp by a score of 24-14 thanks to some solid play.

The Florida Gators lead the South Carolina Gamecocks after 30 minutes of play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., by a score of 24-14 thanks to some solid play by the home team led by the two Kyles.

Florida’s offense looked mostly sharp in the first half, with the exception of a couple of dropped passes and a costly fumble that led to South Carolina’s second touchdown. Additionally, the defense still might have something to be desired after getting bowled over on the Gamecocks’ opening drive, but appeared to get their footing later on in the half.

Nonetheless, the Gators took a 10-point lead into the locker room well on their way to victory if they can continue their trajectory. Here is a look at some highlights and notes from the opening half.

[lawrence-related id=25010]

First Half Highlights

  • Before kickoff, the Gators took a knee in the end zone in recognition of those killed by police in a display of solidarity with social justice movements;

  • Florida won the toss and elected to defer the opening kickoff, giving the Gamecocks the ball first to open the game;

  • South Carolina marched 75 yards down the field on 12 plays to open the game with a touchdown, with the Gators’ defense looking porous — Donovan Stiner missed one tackle and got bowled over on another during a drive that only had one third down;
  • Florida answered back with a 75-yard drive of their own on eight plays, taking only 4:19 off the clock in the process as Trask went 3-for-3 passing and Dameon Pierce carried the ball five times for 27 yards and a TD;

  • After forcing a three-and-out possession for South Carolina the second time around, Florida drove 69 yards on five plays finishing with the Kyle-to-Kyle connection for the TD and the lead;

  • Florida forced a punt on the Gamecocks’ next possession but coughted up a fumble on the first play afterwards, leading to South Carolina’s second touchdown and final score of the half;
  • True freshman Xavier Henderson makes 19-yard catch on a 54-yard drive that resulted in a field goal after a failed third-and-goal play by Kyle Trask;
  • Trent Whittemore also made a nice 26-yard reception on Florida’s second touchdown drive;

  • Florida’s defense toughened up on SC’s last drive of half which lasted only 0:19, including sack which led to Florida’s third touchdown on the day;
  • And that third touchdown landed in the hands of Kyle Pitts with a little over a minute to go.

First Half Notes

  • Both teams dropped some passes that should have been caught;
  • Florida’s offense featured a balanced attack, including a tidy little option run by Trask with 2 minutes left to extend the scoring drive;
  • Pitts has caught a touchdown in each of the last six quarters played.

[lawrence-related id=25010,25005,24990,24979,24969]

[vertical-gallery id=25011]

Florida vs Ole Miss Halftime Update: Gators take 28-14 lead into locker room at half

The first half was a thrilling one, even if it was a bit difficult at times to watch as a Gators fan as Ole Miss put up a fight.

The opening game of the Florida Gators’ 2020 football opener kicked off officially 12:04 p.m. EDT at after both teams and coaching staffs kneeled on the sidelines in a showing of solidarity with social justice efforts. As the broadcast began, there was an eerie silence behind the announcers on ESPN in lieu of the typical cacophony of cheers during a typical college football season of past years.

But as we all know, this is not a typical year, and the fact that the Southeastern Conference — among others — were able to navigate its way to opening day.

The first half was a thrilling one, even if it was a bit difficult at times to watch as a Gators fan. Clearly, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin came out with a diverse game plan and his team executed well over the first 30 minutes.

First Half Notes

  • Ole Miss opens the game with a 9-yard pass from Matt Corral to Elijah Moore, going on to converts their first four first downs while pounding the ball on the ground though they ultimately gave up the ball on downs deep in UF territory;
  • Shawn Davis gets ejected for targeting with 11:30 in the first quarter on a call that could have gone both ways, but could have been a sign of rust after a COVID-tainted offseason;

  • Gators scored their first touchdown of the year with a 13-play, 77-yard drive that took nearly five minutes. On third and goal from the one, quarterback Kyle Trask faked the handoff and rolled out, finding an open Kyle Pitts for the first touchdown of the year;

  • Ole Miss answered back with a pair of long throws by Corral — first a 28-yard toss to Elijah Moore to get into Florida territory, then a heave to Dontario Drummond for 46-yard to tie up the score;
  • Two plays into their next possession, Emory Jones inexplicably came into the game after Trask had looked sharp and threw an interception to A.J. Finley at Ole Miss’ 45-yard-line; three plays later, Ole Miss gave the ball back on an interception by five-star freshman Gervon Dexter off Corral;

  • Florida’s third touchdown was scored by Kadarius Toney, who had a heck of a first half getting 97 yards on four touches — one carry for 50 yards and three receptions for 47 yards; expect to see more from the “Human Joystick” in the second half;

  • Speaking of a great first half, Trask looked as sharp as expected coming into the first game of his final collegiate season, completing 17-of-24 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns, continuing the pass-heavy trend from last season that gave Trask the pedestal on which to rise.

  • Trevon Grimes finished the first half with a touchdown after catching two passes for 34 yards in a fine start to his senior season, which is packed with high expectations;

  • Pitts closed out the first half with a five-catch, 75-yard effort along with two touchdowns to his credit to help the Gators roll into the locker room at the half.

So yeah… that was quite a first half for Florida!

Stay tuned to Gators Wire for more in the second half and in the post-game.

[lawrence-related id=24262,24261,24245,24242,24181]

[vertical-gallery id=24253]

Alamo Bowl halftime recap

In a great position to win their third straight bowl, if UT can replicate their first half in the second half, they will pull out a victory.

After a solid first quarter for the Longhorns, the second quarter started out even better with a 71-yard punt return from D’Shawn Jamison, setting Texas up inside their own 10-yard line.

Two plays later, Collin Johnson broke wide open in the back of the end zone, giving the Longhorns their first touchdown of the night. It was Johnson’s first score since the Kansas State game.

Utah’s offense remained stalled to start out the second quarter, only gaining 25 yards on eight plays. Two sacks from Ta’Quon Graham and Joseph Ossai mixed with a false start from the offensive line forced the Utes back.

After only throwing for 33 yards in the first half, Ehlinger finally found his groove throwing the ball down the field. First, Johnson had a big play for 23 yards and then Devin Duvernay got a 40-yard reception down the sideline.

The Longhorn got cute on the next play, as Duvernay lost eight yards on a reverse. That play killed the Texas drive, making it 4th and 2 after Ehlinger managed nine yards on third down.

Tom Herman decided it was worth to go for it, but after good pressure from the Utes, Ehlinger threw an interception to Utah’s Javelin Guidry. Originally called a drop, the referees reviewed it, putting the Utes on the one-yard line.

Getting the first turnover of the game, Utah finally started to get their offense rolling to close the half. A big 26 yard run from running back Zach Moss got the Utes into Texas territory for the first time.

Just when it started to go well for them, an ineligible man downfield and an intentional grounding penalty killed the drive. They were forced to punt for the fifth time.

Texas is playing really well, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Shutting an explosive Utah offense was not something expected from the Longhorns, but is no doubt welcomed. Besides the turnover, everything has gone right for Sam Ehlinger and the offense.

In a great position to win their third straight bowl game, if Texas can replicate their first half in the second half, they will pull out a victory.

You can catch the second half of the Alamo Bowl on ESPN.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]