For almost 12 quarters of football, the Alabama defense didn't allow their opponents to score a touchdown. For almost 200 minutes of game time, the defense kept opposing offenses in check, pushing back potential drives, whether by the sheer force of their defensive line, the ferocity of their linebackers, or the step-for-step man and scheme coverages of their secondary. Throw in a few penalties here and there by the offenses and close-to-the-goal-line became at-least-we-got-three. The defensive philosophy in Tuscaloosa is akin to the string of a hunter's bow: bend, don't break.
Instilling this philosophy and folding it into the ability and psychology of the Alabama defense has been a work in progress for Nick Saban, but one that's seen fruit early on. During last year's regular season, the team began to show signs that the philosophy was translating into the playing. Though the heralded offensive line of a year ago garnered the vast amount of attention for leading the hit-you-in-the-mouth attitude and performance, the defense wasn't that far behind. Actually, it was primed to hit even harder.
Key to its development was Rolando McClain's second year as signal caller for the defense; an amazing feat considering he was doing so in his actual second year with the team. His comfortability in that role allowed him to tutor true freshman Dont'a Hightower during the 2008 season. Entering 2009, McClain and Hightower had had a year together of playing in the system and it's no wonder that Alabama bullied its way to a No. 1 defensive ranking in the country. The loss of Hightower was feared to not fully show up until this past week's Tennessee game; it could be argued that his absence was most felt in the lack of pass rush provided by the acclaimed defense as they battled the Volunteers.
What was obvious, especially in Tennessee's first few drives, was their offense's ability to connect on quick slant routes and passes to their running back, whether in the flat or sneaking out of protection to streak down the sidelines. These were the passes that killed the Tide against Florida and Utah to finish last season; they were the passes that brought significant yardage for Tennessee; they are the passes that have the most potential to break the defense.
While the secondary does a (mostly) good job in man coverage, these slant routes can cause quite a bit of trouble, especially if the linebackers are rushing the quarterback. The secondary, though, is still quite stout, even in the face of those routes. Mark Barron has done a wonderful job stepping into Rashad Johnson's shoes in the safety role vacated by the now-NFL talent. Javier Arenas is a great lock-down corner and has emerged as a leading tackler; his blitzes from the edge have contributed greatly to the Tide's pressure on the quarterback. But when the secondary is in man coverage or in a zone scheme, slants are where this defense bends, trusting its linebackers and secondary to use its speed to contain those routes to four to seven yard gains.
On Saturday, after spending almost seventy percent of the second half on the field, the defense snapped. It was a crossing route over the middle; there was confusion on the coverage; the Vols did what two previous teams could not by getting in the end zone. It was a great run and, in the end, a lot to ask a defense. Playing smash-mouth football for all those minutes, carrying an offense over the last few games, and holding itself to such a high standard (McClain was quoted as being frustrated at giving up any yardage) wears out unit, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I fully expected the field goal to make it through the uprights. The kicker had already missed one and had another blocked. Tennessee hung in a game many thought they had no business being in; the matched Alabama's toughness and stinginess, with fewer studs in their stables at that. The famed football gods seemed to have been calling for the end of Bama's run through the regular season; they seemed to be calling for accountability for its lack of offensive output, its over-reliance on it defense; its at-times suspect special teams; and its confident-sometimes(ok, more often than not)-arrogant fans. It seemed too poetically correct not end with a Tennessee victory.
And yet it didn't. The football never made it past the line of scrimmage. It never rose higher than the extended arm of Terrence Cody, who was flanked behind by a ridiculously-high-flying Julio Jones in case Cody's paw missed. But it didn't. Cody had broken through the line again; he had blocked a field goal yet again.
On a day when the defense finally bent and broke, it also recovered. It dug deep within, looked itself in the mirror, and said, "Our season is not yet finished."
Marcel Dareus and Brandon Deaderick plowed through the line from the max block scheme. Jackson and Arenas sprinted around the edges, diving like cross-fired missiles in front of the attempt. Cody made his way through as well, swatting away the football and holding onto to destiny.
To battle with LSU. To the cowbells of Mississippi State. To a date with Chattanooga. To the plains of Auburn.
But first, and more importantly, to an off week for recovery. So the bow can be restrung.
Showing posts with label Alabama Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alabama Football. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Blocked FG and Rammer Jammer
I can't tell which is louder: the shrieks of delight, relief, and excitement when the kick is blocked or Rammer Jammer (which starts around 1:25).
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Initial Thoughts from Tennessee game
Sheesh.
-- I thought McElroy was going to get back in the groove this game and early on it looked like the passes to Julio were giving him that confidence. A few dropped passes, some great plays from the Tennessee secondary, and interesting/questionable play-calling kept the momentum from building.
-- Not getting a touchdown near the end of the second quarter hurt a lot. I'm ok with throwing to Julio in that area; he's got the advantage by far. But the drive was made on the back of Ingram and he didn't get the ball on second or third down.
-- The lack of a pass interference call was tough. I understand not making it due to Julio appearing to turn and not continue on his route. At the same time, a player is not allowed to hit another like that before contact with the ball is made. It's a moot point if Ingram gets the ball.
-- Lundquist and Danielson mentioned Saban's comments about this being the game that Hightower's absence might be seen the most. I'm sure that contributed; it seemed like the Vols had a lot more than 76 yards rushing.
-- Why is Dareus covering a tight end on that last pass play? Why does a lineman pick up a tight end in coverage? Where were the linebackers? What kind of coverage scheme was that?
-- It looked like one of the refs said something to McClain and Julio after the block about the ball still being alive, at which point McClain jumped on it. The ref may not of verbally said anything, but he definitely pointed in the direction of the ball and looked at a couple of players. How is that none of the Tennessee or Alabama players knew that a blocked field goal is still a live ball until somebody falls on it? I saw a YouTube clip this week of a high school team blocking a last second kick, only to have the other team pick up the ball and run it in for a touchdown, claiming the win. I was quite worried as the ball sat there untouched for what seemed like several seconds.
-- Bama needs this bye week. They're tired. The announcers mentioned McClain telling them that he didn't get his legs back until Thursday. A positive to take away is that eight games are finished and there are only four to go in the regular season. This break may be exquisitely timed, giving the team the rest needed to finish strong.
-- Crompton's passes were right on target and his pass protection was very good. Outside of Dareus' sack in the fourth quarter, the defensive line didn't get back to him as I thought they would. And when he had time, he placed the ball in some very tight windows for his receivers.
-- As the SEC Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl, and today's game showed, quick slants and screens are the best way to attack our defense. Kareem Jackson looked pretty bad on several plays, getting beat off the line.
-- I like Verne. I think he does a good job. But his mistakes seem to be getting more and more frequent. When introducing Alabama's offense, he didn't attempt to pronounce Vlachos' (/vlay hos/) name at all, just skipped right over it. He referred to "this Auburn team" in the fourth quarter when talking about Alabama. Danielson does a pretty good job covering for him, and I know there are a lot of things going on in a live telecast, but it seems like it's more than simple mistakes. It's similar to Corso on Gameday; he's really struggling and their broadcast today wasn't as sharp or hitting because they had to pause for Corso almost every time, losing rhythm and momentum. At one point, Fowler asked Corso about Arkansas/Ole Miss and Corso kept talking about Auburn/LSU; Herbstreit followed up with Auburn/LSU talk, as did Desmond, but Des finished his comments referencing Fowler's original question. Maybe Fowler jumped something and it was his mistake, but it seemed to me Corso was struggling. And I think Verne is as well.
-- Bama's got LSU at home, Mississippi State on the road, Chattanooga at home, and Auburn on the road. Having two weeks to scheme for LSU will be nice; that's going to be another really tough game that may come down to the final minute like today. Mississippi State's going to be a tough game too; they'll be pumped. They're giving Florida all they can at the time of this writing. Chattanooga should be a good game to fine-tune things for Auburn, but might serve as a trap game. And you never know about Alabama-Auburn. Their weaknesses seem to be a perfect match for our strengths, but it's a rivalry game and the Tide has struggled at Jordan-Hare.
-- I thought McElroy was going to get back in the groove this game and early on it looked like the passes to Julio were giving him that confidence. A few dropped passes, some great plays from the Tennessee secondary, and interesting/questionable play-calling kept the momentum from building.
-- Not getting a touchdown near the end of the second quarter hurt a lot. I'm ok with throwing to Julio in that area; he's got the advantage by far. But the drive was made on the back of Ingram and he didn't get the ball on second or third down.
-- The lack of a pass interference call was tough. I understand not making it due to Julio appearing to turn and not continue on his route. At the same time, a player is not allowed to hit another like that before contact with the ball is made. It's a moot point if Ingram gets the ball.
-- Lundquist and Danielson mentioned Saban's comments about this being the game that Hightower's absence might be seen the most. I'm sure that contributed; it seemed like the Vols had a lot more than 76 yards rushing.
-- Why is Dareus covering a tight end on that last pass play? Why does a lineman pick up a tight end in coverage? Where were the linebackers? What kind of coverage scheme was that?
-- It looked like one of the refs said something to McClain and Julio after the block about the ball still being alive, at which point McClain jumped on it. The ref may not of verbally said anything, but he definitely pointed in the direction of the ball and looked at a couple of players. How is that none of the Tennessee or Alabama players knew that a blocked field goal is still a live ball until somebody falls on it? I saw a YouTube clip this week of a high school team blocking a last second kick, only to have the other team pick up the ball and run it in for a touchdown, claiming the win. I was quite worried as the ball sat there untouched for what seemed like several seconds.
-- Bama needs this bye week. They're tired. The announcers mentioned McClain telling them that he didn't get his legs back until Thursday. A positive to take away is that eight games are finished and there are only four to go in the regular season. This break may be exquisitely timed, giving the team the rest needed to finish strong.
-- Crompton's passes were right on target and his pass protection was very good. Outside of Dareus' sack in the fourth quarter, the defensive line didn't get back to him as I thought they would. And when he had time, he placed the ball in some very tight windows for his receivers.
-- As the SEC Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl, and today's game showed, quick slants and screens are the best way to attack our defense. Kareem Jackson looked pretty bad on several plays, getting beat off the line.
-- I like Verne. I think he does a good job. But his mistakes seem to be getting more and more frequent. When introducing Alabama's offense, he didn't attempt to pronounce Vlachos' (/vlay hos/) name at all, just skipped right over it. He referred to "this Auburn team" in the fourth quarter when talking about Alabama. Danielson does a pretty good job covering for him, and I know there are a lot of things going on in a live telecast, but it seems like it's more than simple mistakes. It's similar to Corso on Gameday; he's really struggling and their broadcast today wasn't as sharp or hitting because they had to pause for Corso almost every time, losing rhythm and momentum. At one point, Fowler asked Corso about Arkansas/Ole Miss and Corso kept talking about Auburn/LSU; Herbstreit followed up with Auburn/LSU talk, as did Desmond, but Des finished his comments referencing Fowler's original question. Maybe Fowler jumped something and it was his mistake, but it seemed to me Corso was struggling. And I think Verne is as well.
-- Bama's got LSU at home, Mississippi State on the road, Chattanooga at home, and Auburn on the road. Having two weeks to scheme for LSU will be nice; that's going to be another really tough game that may come down to the final minute like today. Mississippi State's going to be a tough game too; they'll be pumped. They're giving Florida all they can at the time of this writing. Chattanooga should be a good game to fine-tune things for Auburn, but might serve as a trap game. And you never know about Alabama-Auburn. Their weaknesses seem to be a perfect match for our strengths, but it's a rivalry game and the Tide has struggled at Jordan-Hare.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
C'mon, Mal
Maybe he was asking to gain an advantage. Maybe he was trying to bring something back. Maybe he wanted to spark his team. Whatever the reason, Lane Kiffin went through the appropriate SEC channels to request that his football team could wear their orange jerseys on Saturday against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. For many years, the NCAA has had a rule that the visiting team wear white jerseys, unless the home team wanted to wear white, in which case the visiting team would wear their colored jerseys.
Up until last year, this rule seemed to be slightly innocuous outside of games in Baton Rouge, most home teams wore their colored jerseys on their home turf. Last season, USC and UCLA decided to go back to both teams wearing their home colors in their match-up. They asked the Pac-10 about this and found out that if a visiting team did not wear white, it would be penalized by the loss of a timeout. In a classy move, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel agreed to, and did, call a timeout immediately after USC was charged with one because they were not wearing white jerseys. After the season, the rule was changed so silly losses of timeouts wouldn't win out over common sense and sentiments towards tradition.
Unfortunately, Mal Moore doesn't share the same sense of nostalgia in the Alabama-Tennessee game that Neuheisel and Carroll had towards UCLA-USC. After clearing the SEC brass, word came to Alabama's athletic director about allowing Tennessee to wear orange and, in turn, grant Alabama permission to wear crimson next year in Knoxville. According to a statement released by Alabama, Moore called his counterpart on Rocky Top and "had a good conversation" and "told him that it is our desire to maintain the custom of the visiting team wearing their visiting jerseys."
Moore talked with Nick Saban about the issue, but Saban told reporters that he's never had anything to do with uniforms, emphasizing the point by revealing that his wife picks out his clothes. Saban also mentioned that as long as his guys wore their traditional unis, he didn't care what the other team wore; he told Moore it was his decision to make.
Now, in part thanks to Forbes magazine naming Saban the most powerful man in sports based on his control of the program he coaches, it's well-known that Saban holds the power in his hands to make this happen. As he told reporters, it seemed that he was indifferent and left the decision to Moore. The fact that Moore actually approached Saban confirms the amount of power held by the head coach. However, Moore is the Bama lifer; Moore was around when the Bear prowled; Moore has seen this program rise and fall and rise and fall and rise again; Moore should know better. At the same time, it is a bit disappointing that Saban didn't share the same sense of nostalgia that the Los Angeles coaches had last year.
Maybe this week wasn't a good time for this to come up. Saban is well aware of Alabama fans and their desperate love for their football team. He never wants to give any edge to an opponent or give them an advantage on purpose. This may turn out to be a lose-lose situation in that allowing the Vols to wear orange could have given them a bit of extra motivation, while denying it gives Kiffin a bit of fodder to sprinkle on his players' shoulders. As a spectator and as a fan, I think it would have been visually enjoyable to watch the game with both teams sporting their primary colors. I think it's going to take a lot more than extra orange material on the field to give Tennessee a better chance against the Tide. I guess I wish Saban (in this case) would have told Moore to go ahead and allow it, especially so that as Alabama rolled into Knoxville next year, the crimson on the field would bring out and highlight all the crimson in the stands.
There is still a chance that orange jerseys will show up on the field on Saturday. If a road team chooses to wear non-white uniforms as directed in the rules, they will be penalized 15 yards after each kick-off at the beginning of both halves. Maybe Kiffin decides to put his team in a bit of a hole and try it out. As poor as Alabama's special teams have played on kick-offs, this may be a good game for that. If so, good for him; it might be the first incident he's been a part of that I'd give him a little respect for.
Ultimately, Moore stands responsible. Saban gave him the power to make the choice and he decided against crimson versus white. Too bad for the fans.
Up until last year, this rule seemed to be slightly innocuous outside of games in Baton Rouge, most home teams wore their colored jerseys on their home turf. Last season, USC and UCLA decided to go back to both teams wearing their home colors in their match-up. They asked the Pac-10 about this and found out that if a visiting team did not wear white, it would be penalized by the loss of a timeout. In a classy move, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel agreed to, and did, call a timeout immediately after USC was charged with one because they were not wearing white jerseys. After the season, the rule was changed so silly losses of timeouts wouldn't win out over common sense and sentiments towards tradition.
Unfortunately, Mal Moore doesn't share the same sense of nostalgia in the Alabama-Tennessee game that Neuheisel and Carroll had towards UCLA-USC. After clearing the SEC brass, word came to Alabama's athletic director about allowing Tennessee to wear orange and, in turn, grant Alabama permission to wear crimson next year in Knoxville. According to a statement released by Alabama, Moore called his counterpart on Rocky Top and "had a good conversation" and "told him that it is our desire to maintain the custom of the visiting team wearing their visiting jerseys."
Moore talked with Nick Saban about the issue, but Saban told reporters that he's never had anything to do with uniforms, emphasizing the point by revealing that his wife picks out his clothes. Saban also mentioned that as long as his guys wore their traditional unis, he didn't care what the other team wore; he told Moore it was his decision to make.
Now, in part thanks to Forbes magazine naming Saban the most powerful man in sports based on his control of the program he coaches, it's well-known that Saban holds the power in his hands to make this happen. As he told reporters, it seemed that he was indifferent and left the decision to Moore. The fact that Moore actually approached Saban confirms the amount of power held by the head coach. However, Moore is the Bama lifer; Moore was around when the Bear prowled; Moore has seen this program rise and fall and rise and fall and rise again; Moore should know better. At the same time, it is a bit disappointing that Saban didn't share the same sense of nostalgia that the Los Angeles coaches had last year.
Maybe this week wasn't a good time for this to come up. Saban is well aware of Alabama fans and their desperate love for their football team. He never wants to give any edge to an opponent or give them an advantage on purpose. This may turn out to be a lose-lose situation in that allowing the Vols to wear orange could have given them a bit of extra motivation, while denying it gives Kiffin a bit of fodder to sprinkle on his players' shoulders. As a spectator and as a fan, I think it would have been visually enjoyable to watch the game with both teams sporting their primary colors. I think it's going to take a lot more than extra orange material on the field to give Tennessee a better chance against the Tide. I guess I wish Saban (in this case) would have told Moore to go ahead and allow it, especially so that as Alabama rolled into Knoxville next year, the crimson on the field would bring out and highlight all the crimson in the stands.
There is still a chance that orange jerseys will show up on the field on Saturday. If a road team chooses to wear non-white uniforms as directed in the rules, they will be penalized 15 yards after each kick-off at the beginning of both halves. Maybe Kiffin decides to put his team in a bit of a hole and try it out. As poor as Alabama's special teams have played on kick-offs, this may be a good game for that. If so, good for him; it might be the first incident he's been a part of that I'd give him a little respect for.
Ultimately, Moore stands responsible. Saban gave him the power to make the choice and he decided against crimson versus white. Too bad for the fans.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"I'll Tell You at the End of this Year"
Chris Low is ESPN's SEC blogger and does a good job covering the conference, especially the Tide. Here's a good piece on Coach Saban.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tennessee Possibilities
In the realm of possibilities, an SEC football game covers the gamut. The history of the conference is littered with great teams losing to inferior competition on the one Saturday they did not show up as they did during the rest of the season. In the last two years, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Arkansas have played that role on the national stage, contributing blemishes to otherwise-undefeated national champions Florida (2008, lost to the Rebels 31-30) and LSU (2007, lost to the Wildcats 43-37 and to the Hogs 50-48, both in overtime).
Forecasting a game obviously requires considering the possibility that a team may not play as well as it should. I read an article in a South Carolina newspaper last week predicting a 21-20 upset of the Tide, which haunted me a bit even as Ingram rammed over the goal line to make it 20-6 because two touchdowns, an extra point, and a two-point conversion would have brought that author's vision to fruition. Fortunately, his Kool-Aid did not fully factor in the punch of Alabama's defense; but the table had been set most of the evening for the Gamecocks to steal a win in Tuscaloosa. It is this table-setting that could possibly reappear on the Third Satarday in October (plus one).
Though the Vols do not possess the maybe-they'll-forget-about-us-in-their-schedule cover that South Carolina held, they do come off a bye week after their under-fire quarterback finally showed that he can hit a receiver in the numbers instead of the helmet. (To be fair, his receivers remembered they were supposed to be catching the ball and not avoiding it like it had H1N1.) Their defensive coordinator, who blueprinted the gameplan that kept his overmatched team in the game Florida, has had an extra week to scheme against Ingram and Co. Their head coach, though, decided to fly around in a helicopter with some of his free time; if Crompton hadn't finally played well, I would have followed that shenanigan with something about bringing the helicopter because that would be his only chance at an aerial attack...stupid Georgia game. Yet, even that stunt doesn't fully assuage the possibility of another game like the Vols-Gators wrestled through earlier this season.
The one thing Kiffin has done right as far as his verbal assaults on the league goes is stay away from Saban. He did mention taking coaches from other schools, but that's been but a blip compared the school yard flirting, I mean, taunting he's focused towards Urban Meyer. Maybe I'm giving Kiffin too much credit, but it seems he recognizes Saban is not someone to mess with. Saban won't jump in like Meyer, publicly anyway. Behind the closed doors of the locker room, there's no doubt that St. Nick offers more curses than blessings to Kiffin and his Rocky Top bunch. Surely Kiffin doesn't think that Lance Thompson is going to provide extra insight into how to stop the Tide. Or that niceties are going to keep Bama's coach from letting the real hounds loose.
When Alabama has played Saturday night ESPN games the past couple of seasons, they've been close and exciting. CBS telecasts have frequently been less dramatic, save the LSU heart-stopper from last year. With the Tide struggling offensively the past two weeks, it seems they're due to have a break-out game, especially since Tennessee's defense is so highly regarded. The obvious match-up this game is the Bama offense versus the Vols defense; sometimes the obvious gets turned on its head. Here's hoping Julio's knee gets to 100% this week; that McElroy's confidence returns to 2nd-half-Va-Tech levels; that Ingram introduces Eric Berry to his shoulder pads again and again; that McLain, Cody, and crew get to snack on Crompton Crunch; and that alternative lyrics to Rocky Top can be heard on CBS. RTR.
Forecasting a game obviously requires considering the possibility that a team may not play as well as it should. I read an article in a South Carolina newspaper last week predicting a 21-20 upset of the Tide, which haunted me a bit even as Ingram rammed over the goal line to make it 20-6 because two touchdowns, an extra point, and a two-point conversion would have brought that author's vision to fruition. Fortunately, his Kool-Aid did not fully factor in the punch of Alabama's defense; but the table had been set most of the evening for the Gamecocks to steal a win in Tuscaloosa. It is this table-setting that could possibly reappear on the Third Satarday in October (plus one).
Though the Vols do not possess the maybe-they'll-forget-about-us-in-their-schedule cover that South Carolina held, they do come off a bye week after their under-fire quarterback finally showed that he can hit a receiver in the numbers instead of the helmet. (To be fair, his receivers remembered they were supposed to be catching the ball and not avoiding it like it had H1N1.) Their defensive coordinator, who blueprinted the gameplan that kept his overmatched team in the game Florida, has had an extra week to scheme against Ingram and Co. Their head coach, though, decided to fly around in a helicopter with some of his free time; if Crompton hadn't finally played well, I would have followed that shenanigan with something about bringing the helicopter because that would be his only chance at an aerial attack...stupid Georgia game. Yet, even that stunt doesn't fully assuage the possibility of another game like the Vols-Gators wrestled through earlier this season.
The one thing Kiffin has done right as far as his verbal assaults on the league goes is stay away from Saban. He did mention taking coaches from other schools, but that's been but a blip compared the school yard flirting, I mean, taunting he's focused towards Urban Meyer. Maybe I'm giving Kiffin too much credit, but it seems he recognizes Saban is not someone to mess with. Saban won't jump in like Meyer, publicly anyway. Behind the closed doors of the locker room, there's no doubt that St. Nick offers more curses than blessings to Kiffin and his Rocky Top bunch. Surely Kiffin doesn't think that Lance Thompson is going to provide extra insight into how to stop the Tide. Or that niceties are going to keep Bama's coach from letting the real hounds loose.
When Alabama has played Saturday night ESPN games the past couple of seasons, they've been close and exciting. CBS telecasts have frequently been less dramatic, save the LSU heart-stopper from last year. With the Tide struggling offensively the past two weeks, it seems they're due to have a break-out game, especially since Tennessee's defense is so highly regarded. The obvious match-up this game is the Bama offense versus the Vols defense; sometimes the obvious gets turned on its head. Here's hoping Julio's knee gets to 100% this week; that McElroy's confidence returns to 2nd-half-Va-Tech levels; that Ingram introduces Eric Berry to his shoulder pads again and again; that McLain, Cody, and crew get to snack on Crompton Crunch; and that alternative lyrics to Rocky Top can be heard on CBS. RTR.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Alabama 20, South Carolina 6
Alabama's defense played an outstanding game last night. Rolando McLain continues to show that he is one of the top players in college football. His leadership, his play-making, his decisions, and his vicious hits should put him on Heisman lists around the country. This defense has lost its second-best linebacker already in Hightower and played last night without their top defensive back (Arenas) and still dominated, even as its offense couldn't stay on the field for extended drives. A lot of credit needs to go to McLain for being the leader and the glue for this unit.
Nationally, Mark Ingram will get the most publicity for his play against South Carolina last night and he is very much deserving of it. He gained over 100 yards after contact; he looked to hit the defenders even after what looked to be a painful knee-injury, one that added many creases to my furrowed brow. He just kept running and churning, doing so behind an offensive line and wide receivers who put some licks of their own on the Gamecocks' defense. Though the Crimson Tide's offensive line couldn't seem to keep the pocket intact consistently, they did open holes that Mt. Cody could have gotten through with a date. From the looks Spurrier was giving on the sidelines, I expected his Carolina cap to quickly become a visor. Ingram, always humble and acknowledging of his teammates, stood out like that visor of yore, making the SC defense feel like SEC defenses did when Spurrier's aerial assault stormed through the conference in the 90s. Ingram's performance on Homecoming night was typical of his play all season: get stronger as the game progresses. It culminated with a six-play, Ingram-focused touchdown drive that finally took some pressure off the defense and created a fog in the stadium from the collective exhale of the 92,000 plus in attendance on a chilly night.
This win places Alabama in the number two spot in the first BCS rankings of the 2009 season. Florida is number one, but the margin between one and two is closer than that of two and three. It might serve Alabama well to lurk behind Florida over the next few weeks; Saban seems to get more out of his players when he can load multiple chips on the shoulders of his men. Hopefully, as they prepare for Tennessee this week, their practice time will help the offense regain its rhythm in the passing game; they're going to need it for a rested and improving Volunteer bunch. As tough as Ole Miss and South Carolina played the Tide, Monte Kifffin presents a bigger challenge schematically. Tennessee may not have the depth or experience that Bama's face the past two weeks, but their schemes may allow that weakness to be balanced out. Saban impressed me in his first season with how seriously he faced the Tennessee rivalry, using an onside kick to open the game and take away any hope the Vols entered Tuscaloosa with in that 2007 match-up; I think he'll have a few schemes of his own and hopefully a trick or two up his sleeve. Tennessee is in a no-lose situation coming into this game, making them possibly even more dangerous than South Carolina was this week. Unfortunately for them, entering Bryant-Denny is hazardous to a team, especially one whose offense has struggled on the road like the Vols have. Just ask those Gamecocks.
Nationally, Mark Ingram will get the most publicity for his play against South Carolina last night and he is very much deserving of it. He gained over 100 yards after contact; he looked to hit the defenders even after what looked to be a painful knee-injury, one that added many creases to my furrowed brow. He just kept running and churning, doing so behind an offensive line and wide receivers who put some licks of their own on the Gamecocks' defense. Though the Crimson Tide's offensive line couldn't seem to keep the pocket intact consistently, they did open holes that Mt. Cody could have gotten through with a date. From the looks Spurrier was giving on the sidelines, I expected his Carolina cap to quickly become a visor. Ingram, always humble and acknowledging of his teammates, stood out like that visor of yore, making the SC defense feel like SEC defenses did when Spurrier's aerial assault stormed through the conference in the 90s. Ingram's performance on Homecoming night was typical of his play all season: get stronger as the game progresses. It culminated with a six-play, Ingram-focused touchdown drive that finally took some pressure off the defense and created a fog in the stadium from the collective exhale of the 92,000 plus in attendance on a chilly night.
This win places Alabama in the number two spot in the first BCS rankings of the 2009 season. Florida is number one, but the margin between one and two is closer than that of two and three. It might serve Alabama well to lurk behind Florida over the next few weeks; Saban seems to get more out of his players when he can load multiple chips on the shoulders of his men. Hopefully, as they prepare for Tennessee this week, their practice time will help the offense regain its rhythm in the passing game; they're going to need it for a rested and improving Volunteer bunch. As tough as Ole Miss and South Carolina played the Tide, Monte Kifffin presents a bigger challenge schematically. Tennessee may not have the depth or experience that Bama's face the past two weeks, but their schemes may allow that weakness to be balanced out. Saban impressed me in his first season with how seriously he faced the Tennessee rivalry, using an onside kick to open the game and take away any hope the Vols entered Tuscaloosa with in that 2007 match-up; I think he'll have a few schemes of his own and hopefully a trick or two up his sleeve. Tennessee is in a no-lose situation coming into this game, making them possibly even more dangerous than South Carolina was this week. Unfortunately for them, entering Bryant-Denny is hazardous to a team, especially one whose offense has struggled on the road like the Vols have. Just ask those Gamecocks.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)