re: Bama Football Tidings

LINK ]Nick Saban talks Alabama bye week, Tide defense By Matt Zenitz | mzenitz@al.com

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Alabama coach Nick Saban spoke to the media during the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday morning.

Here’s a rundown of what he said:

On his reaction to the California bill that would allow players to take endorsement deals: “I don’t really have much of a reaction to it. I really honestly don’t know enough about the details. I don’t know the details of what the NCAA and the leadership will do in our conference at the university and the SEC office. I trust that these people will navigate through this like other issues and things that we’ve had in the past. I’m kind of worried about our team and how we get our team ready to play and all that. I’m not really that concerned about it or know that much about it actually.”

— On Alabama’s punting: “It’s not been what we’d like for it to be. We need to develop a little bit more consistency at the position. There has been competition at the position. These guys are very capable. I just think they’ve got to be able to execute when it’s game time and go out there and do a little bit better job for us, which we certainly feel they’re capable of.”

— On whether the team will stick with Skyler DeLong at punter: “There’s competition at the position.”

— On the benefit of having two bye weeks with Alabama having so many young players: “I don’t think there’s any question about the fact that the more repetitions that they get, the more opportunities they get to learn, the more exposure they get to things other teams are going to do to them, which you have an opportunity to do during a bye week when you don’t have to get ready for one particular team I think will help these guys, help their knowledge. You can’t really coach experience. The players just have to get experience, and I think this does offer them an opportunity to get more experience.”

— On the play of Alabama’s defensive front: “I don’t think when you stop the run — I’m sure that’s what you’re really talking about — that it’s just the defensive line. I certainly think that we are playing with some young players up there that we all need to do a better job. But it’s also how the rest of the players ... linebackers fit runs, that type of thing. I think it’s a unique situation in terms of how we play on the perimeter, how we play at linebacker, how we play up front. I think that all those areas we’re working on to improve for the future.”

— On young players improving during the bye week: “I think that’s really what you want every player on your team to do. You want to use the bye week. Either you can say: OK, this is a week off. I’m going to just kind of go through the motions. Or you can say: We’ll do quality control with every unit and every player, here’s the things I need to work on so I can play better because this is what I’ve put on tape, this is what other people see, this is what they’re going to try to take advantage of. I think you want to do it with every player. I think obviously young players probably have a little bit more room relative to their knowledge and experience and how they can sort of benefit from having this extra time. You like for some of your older players to take the same approach to it and support and help those guys do it.”

— On the team being ranked No. 1 and having won every game by a large margin: “It’s a work in progress. That’s something that you evaluate on a daily basis. I wasn’t real happy with the practice we had (Tuesday) as the first day out. Some guys did a good job. Some guys were not what we’d like for them to be. But I think they’ll learn and grow and get better as the week goes on. We’ll just keep on keeping on. I don’t think that rankings mean anything at this point. The only time rankings mean anything is at the end of the season. At the end, if you don’t end up where you want to end up, it doesn’t really mean anything. So I think everybody should be ignoring that right now.”

— On managing the defense with the offense being capable of big plays and the defense maybe having to be on the field a lot because of the offense’s ability to score quickly: “I think you know what kind of team you have. I think you’ve got to play to your team’s strengths. I don’t really think that by trying to protect some other part of the team that you take away from the team’s strengths, I don’t really know how that benefits us. Do we want to have time of possession in the game? Do we want to control the line of scrimmage and be able to make explosive players and do all that stuff on offense? I think yes we do. But I don’t think we’re going to change how we approach, how we play offense and featuring the players that we have on offense because of some other part of our team.”

— On how the California bill could affect team chemistry: “It’s a hypothetical question, which I have enough questions to answer on a daily basis that are real things that need to be addressed right now relative to our season, our team, what we’re trying to do to get better. I haven’t really thought about that nor do I care to comment on it.”

— On how Jaylen Waddle has dealt with his muffed punt from Saturday and his numbers being down on offense: “I think that every player — it’s just what we talked about before about in the bye week, where am I as a player, what do I need to do to get better, how do I need to pay attention to detail and those types of things? I certainly think that Jaylen has a lot of ability. We want him to be a very positive contributor. We want him to play with great consistency in performance and we’re going to continue to work with him so that maybe he can do that a little better. But we have a lot of confidence in him in a lot of ways to do a lot of good things for us.”

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Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.

LINK ]Nick Saban: Will Reichard should be ready for Texas A&M By Mike Rodak | mrodak@al.com

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Alabama freshman kicker Will Reichard could play when the Tide return to the field Oct. 12 at Texas A&M.

Coach Nick Saban provided an update Wednesday evening on Reichard’s status.

“We’re kind of holding him out this week until Monday,” he said. “We think he should be ready for the next game, but these things are all day-to-day and nobody can predict exactly how something is gonna heal up. We’ll find out on Monday.”

Reichard strained his flip flexor when he accidentally hit the tee during a kickoff Sept. 21 against Southern Miss. He did not play in last Saturday’s win over Ole Miss. Joseph Bulovas has kicked in his place.
Alabama Football vs. New Mexico State, Sept. 7, 2019

Reichard, a Hoover native, has converted four of seven field goals this season. After struggling in a season-opening loss to Duke, he nailed a pair of longer kicks in a Week 2 win over New Mexico State but then missed a 37-yarder at South Carolina.

Bulovas missed a 28-yard field goal against Ole Miss.

In other injury news, defensive tackle DJ Dale (patellar tendon strain) did not practice Wednesday but participated Tuesday and will again later in the week. Dale suffered his injury against Southern Miss but has played each of the past two weeks.

“We’re kind of doing that with several of our guys this week,” Saban said.

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labamafan

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After struggling in a season-opening loss to Duke, he nailed a pair of longer kicks in

Oh crap it’s worse than I thought and I’ve got either dementia or am in denial.

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That's all on me... I scanned right over that and missed it... Knowing they were talking about the two misses in Duke game.. didn't see the "opening loss" part...

LINK ]Examining the issues with Alabama’s defense By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

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A rather ominous warning came from Nick Saban in the cramped media room following Alabama’s win at South Carolina.

His defense just faced 86 snaps in a laborious 47-23 win and that worried him.

“We don’t have enough players to get through the season if we play 86 plays of defense every week,” Saban said that September afternoon in Columbia. “The defense has to get off the field.”

Those 86 snaps were significant in a historical context. It was the most an Alabama defense had to play since the 2017 College Football Playoff title game when Clemson famously wore down the Crimson Tide with 99 plays. Only once since then -- last year against Arkansas State -- had that number even eclipsed 80.

So, when Ole Miss took 88 snaps Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the alarm bells again sounded for Saban in a 59-31 win.

“If you are really controlling the game,” he said, “then that shouldn’t happen.”

It also speaks to the co-equal relationship between a quick-strike offense and their defensive counterparts doing on-the-job training for young players who never expected to be critical pieces for the No. 1 team in the nation -- at least not in 2019.

It’s also a trend that doesn’t seem sustainable with better offenses on Alabama’s schedule over the next two months. The first five opponents averaged the No. 70 total offense while the next six SEC foes average out at No. 50. That includes LSU’s third-ranked unit and No. 36 Auburn.

The biggest issue against Ole Miss was the run defense. The Rebels’ 279 yards were the most an Alabama opponent’s managed since the Sugar Bowl semifinal against Ohio State in the 2014 season when the Buckeyes had 281.

“Well, a lot of it is just mental errors,” Saban said Wednesday explains some of the issues. “I mean, you got to get off the field when you get opportunities to get off the field, especially on third down. We lost contain on a quarterback two or three times on third down where we had people covered just keep the quarterback, make the quarterback throw the ball from the pocket. You know other times we make mental errors, whether it’s gap control or how to fit plays.”

And in terms of total yardage, the 476 gained by Ole Miss was eclipsed in the past four years by only Clemson in both national-title-game wins over the Tide.

Also of note, the 20 Ole Miss third-down attempts were the most since a 2016 visit from Mississippi State.

Of course, these numbers come with asterisks.

Alabama still ranks 27th nationally on third-down defense (30.7 percent success for opponents) and is No. 38 overall.

Context is also important with the Ole Miss rushing yardage. Its 58 rushing attempts were the most from any opponent in the past five years outside of triple-option heavy The Citadel’s 60 last November. The 4.8-yard average rush for Ole Miss would have been only the fourth highest for a 2018 Tide opponent.

And 68 percent of the Rebel yards came in the second half after Alabama built a 45-10 lead. While the Tide outscored Ole Miss 31-0 in the second quarter, the Rebels managed just 50 yards on 19 snaps (2.6 per play).

What’s also notable about the 325.4 yards Alabama allows also contributes to the longer drives in a way.

The Tide is one of 15 teams in the country that hasn’t allowed a play of 50-or-more yards. It is middle of the pack at No. 65 giving up plays of 20-plus yards but nobody’s hit a play longer than 44 yards against New Mexico State. The longest run is 33 yards.

Safety Xavier McKinney after the South Carolina game scoffed at the idea of a bend-but-don’t-break label for this defense but that’s one objective view of the results to this point.

The length of opponent drives and number of defensive snaps speaks to that. South Carolina averaged 8.1 offensive snaps per drive looking only at possessions that started on the far side of the 50. The Gamecocks had five 10-plus-play drives, of which Ole Miss had just one while averaging 5.9 plays in the 13 drives starting on the Rebel side of the 50.

Opp. off. Drives* Avg. snaps 10-play drive 3-and-outs
Duke 11 5.1 0 5
NMSU 15 4.6 1 7
S. Carolina 10 8.1 5 3
USM 9 6 0 2
Ole Miss 13 5.9 1 4

*Drives starting on opponents’ side of the 50.

Alabama safety Jared Mayden said there’s a lot of positive talk on the field when momentum is building for an opposing offense.

“I mean, it’s pretty intense on the field when teams are putting together drives,” he said. “You try to control your breathing but at the same time, whatever is happening that’s making them make those drives last, you try to talk to somebody ‘Let’s get it together like we need a stop right here. No more.’ Those kinds of words.”

So, where does the offense play into this?

That 2017 CFP title game loss with 99 defensive snaps also included seven three-and-outs for the Tide offense. Well, the opposite is the issue this year with Alabama’s offense scoring faster than expected. The average drive went 5.6 snaps against Ole Miss with six scoring drives requiring six or fewer plays.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s hit a few deep-ball touchdowns, though some of the fast scoring drives came on routine plays that Alabama receivers and defensive breakdowns led to scores. Henry Ruggs’ 81-yard slant against South Carolina comes to mind, as does DeVonta Smith’s 74-yard score on the fourth play of the Ole Miss win.

“I think you’ve got to play to your team’s strengths,” Saban said Wednesday. “I don’t really think that by trying to protect some other part of the team that you take away from the team’s strengths, I don’t really know how that benefits us. Do we want to have time of possession in the game? Do we want to control the line of scrimmage and be able to make explosive players and do all that stuff on offense? I think, yes we do. But I don’t think we’re going to change how we approach, how we play offense and featuring the players that we have on offense because of some other part of our team.”

An improved running game in the last two games helped an Alabama offense that still ranks 50th of 130 FBS in terms of possession time. Its 8.3 average yards per play is also No. 2 only to Oklahoma’s 10.4. Alabama’s yardage total ranks second while its snap count is 45th.

The speed with which the Tide offense operates depends on a few factors, Smith said.

“If they’re a team that plays fast too, he’ll tell us to slow it down, give the defense a little bit of a breather,” he said. “But then again, you don’t always just want to sit up there and play the game slow. You want to use the speed of the offense.”

Alabama has an open week to find a solution to what is the epitome of a first-world problem.

However, with LSU’s newly-explosive offense a month away from visiting in what could be the most anticipated game here since the 2011 classic, there’s an urgency growing by the day to find more efficiency on the defensive side of the ball for Alabama.

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Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football true freshmen report: Shane Lee, Evan Neal, Jordan Battle 15:20
BamaInsider Alabama Football
Published on Oct 3, 2019
#AlabamaCrimsonTide #BamaInsider

Today, we take a look at which true freshmen for the Alabama Crimson Tide have played this season. In this feature, we'll look at which freshmen have started, we'll look at overall snap counts, and we'll look at which freshmen have yet to see the field in 2019.

Shyheim Carter discusses Alabama’s bye week
7:04
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 3, 2019
Shyheim Carter discusses Alabama’s bye week

LINK ]Much-needed rain forces Crimson Tide inside by Christopher Walsh

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Alabama began work on next opponent, Texas A&M, on Thursday TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama football team had another day of working on fundamentals and started preparing for Texas A&M on Thursday.

The Crimson Tide has been resting players all week during the bye.

Freshman nose tackle D.J. Dale (ankle) returned to practice, but was limited. Junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (hip pointer) was doing more during individual drills compared to earlier in the week.

For the second straight day reporters saw Deonte Brown working at left guard with Landon Dickerson at center with the first team. Chris Owens and Jedrick Wills Jr. have been among those getting some extra rest. Wills was dressed and at practice, while Owens appeared to be absent.

Alabama again worked inside in full pads. Conditions outside were sunny and 96 degrees (heat index 101) before it began raining. Tuscaloosa has been dealing with extreme heat for weeks, prompting drought conditions.

“The approach that we're taking on this bye week, and we'd like for all the players to do the same, is look at what we do this week, what you do personally, individually, as well as collectively as a unit and as a team, is to use these days as an opportunity to improve and get better,” said Saban, “and that should be the mindset that you go out there with.

“Because if you don't have that mindset, you don't have a purpose. If you don't have a purpose, you don't have very good mental energy. If you don't have very good mental energy, then you put yourself in a position to create bad habits, and maybe even put yourself at risk in some cases."

Alabama will practice again Friday, but there will be no viewing for reporters. Coaches will head out of town to recruit while players will have the weekend off.

The forecast for next Saturday’s game at Texas A&M (2:30 p.m., CBS) is sunny and 80 degrees. Barring a change in the polls, the Crimson Tide will go in ranked No. 1.

Injury rundown
Junior defensive end LaBryan Ray (foot) will be out at least another month.
Junior interior linebacker Dylan Moses: Out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Senior interior linebacker Josh McMillon: Out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Freshman running back Trey Sanders: Out indefinitely with a left foot injury.
Reserve offensive lineman Hunter Brannon is out indefinitely.
Freshman defensive lineman Antonio Alfano remains absent.

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LINK ]Alabama Football: How the bye week is going for the Crimson Tide by Ronald Evans @revansbama

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Alabama football went back to work Tuesday after taking two needed days to rest on Sunday and Monday. Wednesday included some injury news from Nick Saban.

On Wednesday, one thing was clear from Alabama football coach Nick Saban. Being voted No. 1 in the most recent polls is meaningless to Nick. As it should be. Being No. 1 in January is all that matters and January is a long time away.

Saban’s banged-up Alabama football team needed this bye week. In Tuscaloosa, bye weeks are not ‘off’ weeks. They are all about Crimson Tide football players making themselves better.

For several of those Tide players, this particular bye week is more about getting healthy. For a few, this week’s goal is to become healthier. Some extra rest will not suddenly return Terrell Lewis to full speed. It has become obvious Lewis is still weeks and maybe months away from being 100 percent.

Freshman kicker, Will Reichard is taking this week off, trying to recover from a hip flexor injury. There is a punting competition ongoing in Tuscaloosa but Reichard is not engaged in it this week.

Other ailing Crimson Tiders are D. J. Dale, Henry Ruggs III, Jedrick Wills, Chris Owens and Major Tennison. With Wills and Owens limited, the first unit offensive line at Wednesday’s practice was left to right – Alex Leatherwood, Evan Neal, Landon Dickerson, Deonte Brown and Matt Womack.

After shedding the value of a No. 1 ranking, Nick Saban sent a message to his team,

Every player creates value by being his best every time he gets the opportunity. The scoreboard shouldn’t matter. Who you’re playing shouldn’t matter. And where you’re ranked shouldn’t matter. And what somebody says on the internet shouldn’t matter. You should be playing because you want to get the self-satisfaction to know you did the best to be the best that you can be. Hopefully, that’s what we can get our players to focus on.

The Alabama Crimson Tide needs a few more winners on defense. Nick Saban said,

X sets a good example every day… He and Anfernee Jennings have been our two most productive players on defense so far.

X is, of course, Xavier McKinney – the Crimson Tide’s defensive play-caller and unquestioned leader after the injury to Dylan Moses. McKinney is the Tide’s leading tackler and also has an interception.

Nick Saban also had some words of praise for Jordan Battle. Nick said Battle is a “very bright guy” and that the true freshman “has picked up the system quickly.” For a youngster, Battle is already a physical presence on the field.
Next: In today's game, how much defense is enough?

The Aggies have a bye week as well. Jimbo Fisher’s team needs a break even more than does the Crimson Tide – but not for the same reasons.

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