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re: Bama Football Tidings
Posted on 10/7/19 at 12:44 pm to CrimsonBoz
Posted on 10/7/19 at 12:44 pm to CrimsonBoz
LINK ]Alabama center, placekicker 'day-to-day' to begin Texas A&M week (BamaOnLine)
quote:
One of the players that was limited during Alabama’s bye week will be questionable for the upcoming game at Texas A&M, head coach Nick Saban shared Monday.
“Chris Owens is the only guy that has a little knee problem who may be questionable -- will be day-to-day and questionable for this game,” Saban said. “That’s the only injury update that we have.”
Owens is the Crimson Tide’s starting center and was limited last week during the media viewing periods of practice. He was actually not on the field at all during Thursday’s indoor practice session.
The redshirt junior has started four of Alabama’s five games this season. He missed the home opener against New Mexico State with an injury. When Owens was not doing drills a week ago, Landon Dickerson lined up at center with the first-team line with Deonte Brown at right guard.
Saban also provided the latest on placekicker Will Reichard, who will resume practice today.
“He hasn’t done anything for a couple weeks, so his first day where he will actually kick a ball,” Saban said. “So, we’ll just have to evaluate that. That will be day-to-day. There is competition at the punting position but difficult to say right now whether he’ll be capable of punting or what exactly his role can be in this game. Maybe he can kick, maybe he can punt or maybe he can’t kickoff, I really don’t know at this point. We’ll just have to evaluate it through the course of the week.”
Reichard has missed the last two games with a hip flexor injury. In his absence, Joseph Bulovas and Skyler DeLong have handled the kicking and punting responsibilities, respectively. As the head coach said last week, there is competition at punter entering the seventh week of the season.
Finally, Saban revealed a bit of old injury news. He said defensive lineman Raekwon Davis dealt with a shoulder injury in the Ole Miss game, but he should be healthy for this weekend’s matchup.
“He has been very good,” Saban said of Davis. “He’s worked hard, certainly tried to set a good example for some of the young guys that are playing around him. I’ve been pleased with his effort. … I think he has played more consistently this year than a year ago.”
No. 1 Alabama will travel to College Station, Texas, to face No. 24 Texas A&M on Saturday, Oct. 12.
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Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:13 pm to TidalSurge1
Nick Saban Press Conference: Preparations for Texas A&M, No Coke Bottle
8:21
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
#AlabamaCrimsonTide #BamaInsider
Nick Saban Press Conference: Preparations for Texas A&M, No Coke Bottle ??
8:21
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
#AlabamaCrimsonTide #BamaInsider
Nick Saban Press Conference: Preparations for Texas A&M, No Coke Bottle ??
Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:16 pm to RollTide66
Jaylen Waddle talks about returning to Texas for game against Texas A&M
4:45
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jaylen Waddle talks about returning to Texas for game against Texas A&M
4:45
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jaylen Waddle talks about returning to Texas for game against Texas A&M
Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:18 pm to RollTide66
Raekwon Davis talks to reporters heading into game against Texas A&M
7:35
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Raekwon Davis talks to reporters heading into game against Texas A&M
7:35
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Raekwon Davis talks to reporters heading into game against Texas A&M
Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:25 pm to RollTide66
Alabama OL Jedrick Wills says team has 'definitely' picked things up in the run game
3:57
Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jedrick Wills, Alabama offensive tackle, was one of three players that spoke to reporters on Monday. He said the team has 'definitely' picked things up in the run game and said the Crimson Tide is pursuing balance even more.
3:57
Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jedrick Wills, Alabama offensive tackle, was one of three players that spoke to reporters on Monday. He said the team has 'definitely' picked things up in the run game and said the Crimson Tide is pursuing balance even more.
Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:29 pm to RollTide66
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG2C54ZuFAg
6:18
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jedrick Wills Jr. talks to reporters heading into game against Texas A&M
6:18
Alabama Football
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Jedrick Wills Jr. talks to reporters heading into game against Texas A&M
Posted on 10/7/19 at 4:17 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]Everything Nick Saban said in first presser of Texas A&M week (BamaOnLine)
Note: Includes transcript and full video.
Note: Includes transcript and full video.
This post was edited on 10/7/19 at 8:49 pm
Posted on 10/7/19 at 9:42 pm to RollTide66
Laura Chramer
LINK ]Alabama practice report: Tide begins prep for Texas A&M By Matt Zenitz | mzenitz@al.com
quote:Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.
Alabama began its on-field prep for Texas A&M Monday afternoon.
Here are some notes from what was a short media viewing period:
— Center Chris Owens (knee) was dressed out for practice, but I didn’t see him going through any drills and he had a brace on his left knee. Owens is questionable for the game on Saturday, according to head coach Nick Saban.
— Freshman defensive end Byron Young was lined up with the first-team defensive line during drills next to DJ Dale and Raekwon Davis. Fellow freshman defensive end Justin Eboigbe, who has started the last two games, was with the second group.
— Backup cornerback Josh Jobe was back at practice after missing practice last Thursday. Jobe had a large cast on his left hand.
— Kicker Will Reichard stood around with the other specialists during the media viewing period. Saban said during his Monday press conference that Reichard would get back to kicking during Monday’s practice. Reichard previously hadn’t kicked at all since injuring his hip against Southern Miss Sept. 21.
Posted on 10/7/19 at 9:58 pm to RollTide66
Courtesy of Alabama Athletics
LINK ]Alabama injury/practice report: The latest on Chris Owens, Will Reichard by Christopher Walsh
quote:
Crimson Tide works in first cool-temperature outdoor workout of fall TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After numerous players were given some extra rest during Alabama's bye-week workouts last week, nearly everyone was on the field for Monday's practice.
That included junior center Chris Owens, although he was clearly limited,. Coach Nick Saban said earlier in the day that he was questionable for Saturday's game at Texas A&M due to a knee issue.
Defensive lineman D.J. Dale (knee) and outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (knee) were both with their position groups, as were junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (hip pointer) and junior right tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.
Freshman kicker Will Reichard (hip) was also on the practice field, but his status has yet to be determined.
"He hasn’t done anything for a couple of weeks, so today will be the first day where he actually will kick a ball," Saban said. "So we’ll evaluate that. That will be day to day.
"There is competition at the punting position, but it’s difficult to say right now whether he’ll be capable of punting or what exactly his role can be in this game. Maybe he can kick. Maybe he can punt. Or maybe he can kick off. I don’t know at this point and we’ll have to evaluate it through the course of the week."
Actually, the biggest change during the media viewing was outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri moved his position group away from reporters for individual drills.
After months of 100-type degree heat, the conditions were cloudy and 75 degrees, although with 72 percent humidity due to the weekend rain. According to The Weather Channel, the forecast for Saturday in College Station is cloudy and high of 71 degrees.
Posted on 10/7/19 at 10:09 pm to RollTide66
T.G. Paschal/BamaCentral
LINK ]Alabama's offensive line may still be unsettled, but becoming nasty by Christopher Walsh
quote:
With Chris Owens sidelined, Alabama could again have a different starting five up front against Texas A&M TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jedrick Wills Jr. called it a "warm feeling."
He was referring to some of the blocks made by University of Alabama offensive linemen that have recently become popular on social media. Just about after every game this season someone has posted video showing an opposing lineman getting launched, flattened or destroyed.
It's just about the ultimate compliment for an offensive lineman, and they're happening with more regularity.
"We kind of laugh about them," Wills said. "We laugh when we see what the defense is doing or how they react to them."
Nevertheless, after five games into the 2019 season and the Crimson Tide's offensive line remains a work in progress. That's not by design, of course, as there have been frequent changes on a regular basis.
It's not how Alabama wanted to go into its first October game, at No. 24 Texas A&M, where Kyle Field has become one of the toughest venues in college football.
"It's a loud place," said defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, and he hasn't had to deal with the deafening pre-snap screaming of 100,000-plus fans like the offense.
So when Nick Saban announced on Monday that redshirt junior center Chris Owens was questionable to play against the Aggies due to a knee issue, it made last week's practice lineup stand out a little more.
During the media viewings the first-team offensive line was, from left to right, junior Alex Leatherwood, freshman Evan Neal, redshirt junior Landon Dickerson, redshirt junior Deonte Brown and junior Jedrick Wills Jr. — plus more and more redshirt sophomore Kendall Randolph has been lining up as a blocking tight end
Wills got some extra rest, with senior Matt Womack filling in for him. By the end of the week, Owens wasn't even watching practices.
Dickerson has started all five games this season, but one at center.
Brown could be making his first start since being suspended for six games prior to the College Football Playoff.
Yet despite all the turnover, Alabama's offensive line has played pretty well.
Overall, the Crimson Tide has give up seven sacks in 170 pass attempts, one every 24.3 pass plays. It ranks second in the SEC in sacks allowed.
The 174 rushing yards per game ranks seventh in the league, which Alabama fans are not used to being so low. Nevertheless, the potential to be better is obvious. Even though the longest carry so far by Najee Harris is 19 yards, and Brain Robinson' Jr. best has been 16 yards, the team's 5.3 average per carry is third.
“We’re still working on trying to find all five guys doing the same thing on every play," Wills said. "That’s what develops that. Or just trying to develop those explosive plays rather than trying to worry about if it’s 19 or five yards. Just play by play and see if we can break a big one.”
Posted on 10/8/19 at 10:19 am to RollTide66
LINK ]A new tee could have prevented Alabama kicker Will Reichard's injury Tony Tsoukalas • BamaInsider @Tony_Tsoukalas
quote:
USCALOOSA, Ala. — The misfortune surrounding Alabama’s kicking game knows no bounds. The Crimson Tide is all too familiar with mishaps on extra points, field goals and punts, but things seemed to reach a new level of misery when Will Reichard suffered a hip flexor injury by kicking the tee on a kickoff against Southern Miss on Sept. 21.
The freshman returned to kicking activities Monday for the first time since the injury. Although his status for Saturday’s game against Texas A&M remains uncertain as Alabama head coach Nick Saban listed him as “day-to-day” moving forward.
"Maybe he can kick, maybe he can punt, maybe he can’t kick off. I really don’t know at this point,” Saban said. “We’ll just have to evaluate it through the course of the week.”
Adding to Alabama's misfortune, this could have all been avoided had the freshman’s ill-fated kickoff had happened a week later.
Against Southern Miss, Reichard was kicking off of a Ground Zero tee — a hard piece of one-inch rubber with an indention in the middle to hold the ball. Instead of kicking the ball, he connected with the unforgiving block at full force, stopping his leg abruptly enough to cause the injury.
“It’s like kicking a brick,” said Mike McCabe, Reichard’s long-time kicking coach in Birmingham, Ala. “If you hit the ground first and then the tee, just pray it’s the bottom of your cleat hitting it.”
Reichard wasn’t so lucky. Although, that wouldn’t have even mattered if he was using the new Launch Pad tee released last month. The state-of-the-art tee is shaped like a wedge and is made from a softer, flexible rubber which is pliable enough to scrunch in your hand.
“It’s the safest tee we’ve ever seen in that it’s almost impossible to kick it because it has an on-ramp on the beginning,” Launch Pad president Bill Shafer said. “If you do happen to kick the mounting apparatus, it’s so flexible that it doesn’t hurt at all.”
Had Reichard accidentally kicked a Launch Pad, his availability this week wouldn't be in question. The only problem is the tee is so new the kicker had yet to get ahold of one. Shafer said the company received its first shipment three weeks ago and began sending them to various colleges. McCabe, who runs One on One Kicking, was one of the first to receive the tee but was still in the process of testing it out before sending it along to Reichard.
“I got it about two weeks ago, and I’ve been playing with it myself to test it out,” McCabe said. “When Will got hurt and I heard what happened to him I sent him one.”
While the new tee would have come in handy a few weeks ago, there’s still plenty for Reichard and Alabama to be excited about.
Along with the added safety, the Launch Pad's flexible walls allow kickers to angle the ball forward. This gives the kicker a better chance of hitting the ball at its maximum point of impact. With the Ground Zero, kickers are limited to angling the ball either straight up and down or slightly back as the tee has no way of supporting the ball if it was leaning forward.
“If you want to hit touchbacks and drive the ball far, then you need the ball straight vertical or you’ve got to give it a slight forward lean,” said Kaare Vedvik, an NFL free agent kicker/punter who most recently kicked for the New York Jets this season. “When you lean it forward, it opens up the sweet spot of the ball making it more open for your foot to hit the ball. I’m still fairly new to using it, but I’m enjoying it so far. I like the idea behind it.”
Vedvick’s said he’s been using the Ground Zero for six years and has only spent two kicking sessions using the Launch Pad. While he says it’s too early to tell what his preference is, it’s tough to argue with the success of the new tee.
“If you kick the ball and it’s your record-long kick, it’s hard to analyze why or how it happened. But it happened when I used (the Launch Pad tee),” Vedvick said. “I was kicking from the 30, and the ball went 8 yards deep in the end zone. I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s pretty good.’ I thought it was a line drive, but we looked at the hang time and it was 4.1 which is a good hang time. So I was like, ‘Is that a coincidence or not?’
“Then I had a mishit with the same tee where I hit the ground then the tee then the ball. The ball still went 8 yards deep from the 30. It didn’t actually restrict my kick as much as I thought it would have. Usually if I hit ground and then the ball with any other tee it at least takes 10 yards off my kick.”
Shafer, who kicked at the college and semi-pro levels, says one of his hopes for the new tee is that it will open up opportunities for more kickers in the future.
“It will help out kickers who are accurate on field goals but might struggle with kickoffs,” he said. “There’s a lot of those guys out there. This will enable them to add a few more yards to their kickoffs and possibly pick up more scholarship opportunities.”
The Launch Pad is patent-pending and has been approved both at the NCAA and high school levels. Shafer said the company is still waiting to hear word back from the NFL, although the tee meets the league’s guidelines.
Now that Reichard has the tee, it should theoretically aid his already powerful leg. Through four games, the freshman has recorded 22 touchbacks on 29 kickoffs while using the Ground Zero tee.
Of course, if Reichard was to switch to the Launch Pad it would require some time getting used to. Vedvick estimates it would take him roughly two full days of kicking off the new tee to get comfortable enough to use it in a game. Although, that could change from kicker to kicker.
“The transition isn’t that hard,” he said. “In the beginning, I thought I had to swing differently because it looked different, but that wasn’t the case. I actually hit my normal balls as soon as I decided to hit the ball the same way I would hit it off the Ground Zero. I figured that out, and after five or six kicks I was good.”
It’s uncertain whether or nor Reichard will elect to use the new tee moving forward. However, at the very least, it’s one more tool Alabama has in its battle against a litany of special teams misfortunes.
Posted on 10/8/19 at 10:53 am to RollTide66
Video look at Alabama walk-on punter Ty Perine
LINK
LINK
quote:
" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Meet the walk-on hoping to solve Alabama's punting woes Tony Tsoukalas • BamaInsider @Tony_Tsoukalas The punt was met with a loud “Oh my gosh” and later left current NFL punters shaking their heads. During a training session this summer, Ty Perine lined up at the 35-yard line and unleashed a sky-scraping boot that hung in the air for 5.5 seconds before dropping inside the opposite 5-yard line.
“He’s the first punter I’ve seen at 18 years old to hit a ball that went 5.5 seconds,” said Mike McCabe, the founder of One On One Kicking who trains Perine in Birmingham, Ala. “His upside’s amazing, I mean nobody does that.”
Perine’s eye-popping punt was especially impressive considering the average hang time in the NFL is close to 4.7 seconds. It’s kicks like those that earned the Prattville native a preferred walk-on spot at Alabama and why there’s a bit of buzz around his name at the moment.
Perine, who played soccer and handled punting and kicking duties for Prattville High School, turned down a scholarship offer from Army as well as a preferred walk-on opportunity at Florida State to join Alabama this summer. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound freshman rotated with starting punter Skyler DeLong during warmups last week but has yet to punt in a game for the Crimson Tide.
Although, with the current state of Alabama’s punting game, it might be worth giving Perine a look.
McCabe, a former All-American punter at Illinois State University, founded One on One Kicking in 2002. Since then, he’s produced an impressive list of alumni including current NFL players in Los Angeles Rams all-pro punter Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Chargers punter Ty Long and Tennessee Titans placekicker Cairo Santos. Along with Perine, McCabe also trains Alabama freshman kicker/punter Will Reichard, redshirt freshman walk-on kicker/punter Trip Slyman and walk-on freshman punter Jack Martin.(See next article for discussion of Jack Martin)
McCabe didn’t get his hands on Perine until June of last year but said he’s already seen drastic improvement. He called Perine one of the most athletic players he’s ever coached and believes it won’t be long until the young punter begins to show his true potential.
“He’s progressively just getting better and better,” McCabe said. “He’s a young man that was the fastest player on the Prattville football team. He runs a 4.4. With the speed of his leg and being able to drive his body up through the ball, he can be one hell of a nice gem for that team as he progresses and keeps getting better.”
Alabama could certainly use the help. Heading into Saturday, the Crimson Tide ranked No. 127 of 130 Division I teams, averaging 35.45 yards per punt. Skyler DeLong has particularly struggled, averaging 33.8 yards on his eight attempts, with two punts traveling fewer than 25 yards. Those numbers are trending in the wrong direction as the sophomore has averaged 29.6 yards on his five punts over the past three games.
“It’s not been what we’d like for it to be,” head coach Nick Saban said of the punting game this week. “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.”
When asked if DeLong would remain the primary punter moving forward, Saban stated, “There’s competition at the position.” However, Alabama’s other scholarship option is Reichard, who missed last week after suffering a hip flexor injury after kicking the tee on a kickoff against Southern Miss. Saban said Reichard will be re-evaluated on Monday to determine whether or not he will be available for next week's game at Texas A&M.
Reichard is averaging 39.67 yards on three punts this season. He’s also 4 of 7 on field goals and 21 of 22 on extra points while recording 22 of his 29 kickoffs for touchbacks. While the freshman is able to handle every aspect of special teams, Alabama had been using him primarily as a kicker to preserve his leg for the season. Given Reichard's current status, it would be surprising if Alabama used him for both kicking and punting duties immediately following his injury.
Could that open the door for Perine to compete with DeLong in the coming weeks?
“Well, everybody on our team competes,” Saban said. “But the two guys that we have an expectation should compete and do the job better are the two guys that have done it so far in the game. But I think everybody on our team competes.”
McCabe said the biggest thing he’s worked on with Perine is consistency. One thing young punters tend to struggle with is overstriding on kicks which takes away from the power they are able to generate. That’s been the root of DeLong’s troubles as the sophomore’s elongated first step has prevented him from connecting with ball at leg lock.
McCabe works on training that out of his punters by placing a soccer goal six yards away from them during practice, forcing them to connect with the ball in roughly three and a quarter yards in order to clear the crossbar. That technique allows the punter to meet the ball with more leverage, producing the type of high-hang-time punts Perine flashed over the summer.
“It’s basically him getting that coordination and that timing down,” McCabe said of Perine. “Once that clicks, it’s like driving a stick shift — you’re not going to forget it. That’s when the balls just start ringing out. He’s got a powerful leg and can hammer kicks.”
That’s an encouraging thought for Alabama and perhaps one the Crimson Tide might consider more if its punting woes continue.
“I think in the next year, he’s going to come out doing some great things,” McCabe said. “Once he gets his consistency down, he has the ability to shock some people.”
Posted on 10/8/19 at 10:59 am to RollTide66
LINK ]Alabama Football: Crimson Tide punting woes and possible solutions by Ronald Evans
quote:
Alabama football has a punting problem and it is no small issue. What are Nick Saban’s options to solve the Tide’s punter dilemma?
Traditional theories of how to win college football games may no longer apply to high-octane offenses like the one wielded by Alabama football. Perhaps, no longer does defense win championships. Could it also be true, field position and thereby net punting yards are less important?
Whatever the answer to the question, all Alabama football fans are concerned about the Crimson Tide not having a consistent punter. Any fans who believe defenses no longer win championships, also believe the lack of enough defense can lose championships. The same can be surmised for punting. In a tight game between two evenly matched teams, net punting yards and field position could be the difference.
Alabama football is No. 113 in the FBS in net punting with an average of exactly 35 yards. Punt coverage is not the problem. The Tide’s primary punter, Skyler DeLong is averaging 33.9 yards per punt. The NCAA lists the individual punting stats of 98, FBS punters. No. 98 on the NCAA list averages 35.5 yards. The acceptable standard of a 40-yard average has been reached by 84 of the 98 punters listed by the NCAA.
What can Nick Saban do?
Saban has tried to exhibit confidence in DeLong, saying the young man does well in practice. How much longer can the Tide hope DeLong will, at some point, suddenly shed whatever holds him back in games?
True freshman placekicker, Will Reichard could permanently replace DeLong. Reichard was also a high school punter. His three college punts have averaged 39.7 yards for the Alabama Crimson Tide. There is concern voiced by Nick Saban that using the true freshman for all placekicking and punting might wear his leg down before the end of the season. Reichard is also recovering from a hip flexor injury, though he might be available against Texas A&M.
Alabama football has three punters and four placekickers on its 2019 roster. Nick Saban says there is a current punting competition in Tuscaloosa. Redshirt senior, Mike Bernier was last season’s fill-in for DeLong and Bernier averaged 38 yards on 25 punts.
Nick Saban has another, true freshman option. He is Jack Martin, who is on the roster as a preferred walk-on. Check out this assessment of Martin from the Sailer Kicking Academy.
Jack is a very talented high school punting prospect. He is great looking athlete with a powerful leg. The lefty has the ability to hit a big ball and his consistency continues to improve each time we see him. With continued hard work, he will be a special college player.
Check some of Martin’s high school highlights. Jack Martin #22 Class of 2019 P K McGill-Toolen High School Mobile, AL
Based on those highlights, Jack Martin might be the (young) man Alabama football fans are wanting.
How much are Alabama football fans worried about the Tide punting woes? More than a little and the worry will grow considerably when the season reaches November.
This post was edited on 10/8/19 at 11:10 am
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:09 pm to RollTide66
LINK ]Where things stand with Alabama’s O-line By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
quote:Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
All the buzzwords are in play with this Alabama offensive line in Texas A&M week.
The search for “continuity” resumes with a starter questionable for the 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday game in College Station. Regardless of who’s playing center with Chris Owen’s nursing an injured knee, Nick Saban said the focus is on “finishing blocks” coming off an open date.
And he’d like to get a “hat on a hat” and “create balance” against a 3-2 Aggie team that’s lost to both Clemson and Auburn to date.
The dynamic begins with the five who’ll get the start Saturday afternoon. Should Owens be unable to go, it appears as if Landon Dickerson would slide over from guard like he did in Game 2 when Owens was hurt for New Mexico State. It was the first time Dickerson had played center, a move made more challenging with the near-exclusive use of the shotgun in Alabama’s offense.
The logical replacement for Dickerson at right guard would be Deonte Brown -- a starter last year who was suspended for the first four games this fall. Starting right tackle Jedrick Wills said Monday that Brown “didn’t miss a heartbeat” during the NCAA suspension as he worked as a second-team understudy. Matt Womack started for Dickerson in the NMSU game but Brown developed a reputation as a presence in the run game that Saban noted as a crucial next step.
“I think the big focus has been to finish blocks,” Saban said Monday, “finish plays so that we can finish runs and create the kind of balance that we’d like to have offensively. I think we’ve been pretty good at getting a hat on a hat, but the big emphasis has been to finish the defensive players so we have more positive runs.”
Alabama had positive momentum in the ground game in wins over Southern Miss and Ole Miss after running for just 76 yards against South Carolina. The Tide averaged just 3.0 yards a carry in Columbia before getting 5.0 per run in the Southern Miss game and 5.2 in the win over Ole Miss.
Wills quickly defined his interpretation of Saban’s charge to finish blocks.
“Have your hat on the guy and moving your feet with a violent shove at the whistle,” Wills said.
The issue Wills sees in the film room when running plays bust isn’t overly complicated. It’s a factor in Alabama’s top two running backs Najee Harris and Brian Robinson not having a carry of longer than 19 yards in five games.
“We’re still working on trying to find all five guys doing the same thing on every play,” Wills said. “That’s what develops that. Or just trying to develop those explosive plays rather than trying to worry about if it’s 19 or five yards. Just play by play and see if we can break a big one.”
Alabama’s running game ranks 55th to this point with 174.0 yards a game. Comparing this season to last at the five-game mark, the Tide averages the same 5.3 yards a carry while attempting 40 fewer runs.
“I’m not disappointed in any way, shape or form with the offensive line and the progress they’ve made,” Saban said, “but as every group on our team would say, there are obviously things we can do better.”
Texas A&M has the nation’s No. 29 run defense allowing 108.4 of the 299.8 total yards opponents average on the ground. Clemson’s No. 25 ground game was held 101 yards below its weekly average while getting 3.7 yards per attempt in a Sept. 7 loss for the Aggies.
Pass protection has been solid, Saban said. The 6.0 sacks allowed in five games ranks 16th-fewest in the FBS while opponents have seven quarterback hurries compared to the 21 recorded by the Tide defense. The Aggies defense’s 8.0 sacks rank 97th in the country.
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:14 pm to RollTide66
WATCH: Landon Dickerson, Alabama OL start week for Texas A&M
2:24 Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Alabama's offensive line worked on a few run blocking drills and Landon Dickerson took the center position through snaps. (Oline then the focus on Centers)
1st Dickerson
2nd Dalcourt
3rd Ekiyor
4th Quick
2:24 Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Alabama's offensive line worked on a few run blocking drills and Landon Dickerson took the center position through snaps. (Oline then the focus on Centers)
1st Dickerson
2nd Dalcourt
3rd Ekiyor
4th Quick
This post was edited on 10/8/19 at 12:45 pm
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:29 pm to RollTide66
WATCH: Alabama safeties and scout-team receivers get ready for Aggies
2:37 Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Alabama's group at safety worked on high-pointing passes for interceptions, while its scout team at receiver gave the team a good look at Jhamon Ausbon, Kendrick Rogers and Camron Buckley of Texas A&M.
2:37 Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Published on Oct 7, 2019
Alabama's group at safety worked on high-pointing passes for interceptions, while its scout team at receiver gave the team a good look at Jhamon Ausbon, Kendrick Rogers and Camron Buckley of Texas A&M.
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:32 pm to RollTide66
Previewing Alabama-Texas A&M with Rodney Orr 7:40
Tide 100.9
Published on Oct 7, 2019
If you're new, Subscribe! ? LINK
Rodney Orr, creator of tiderinsider.com, joined Host Gary Harris to discuss and preview Alabama's upcoming match up against Texas A&M.
Tide 100.9
Published on Oct 7, 2019
If you're new, Subscribe! ? LINK
Rodney Orr, creator of tiderinsider.com, joined Host Gary Harris to discuss and preview Alabama's upcoming match up against Texas A&M.
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:36 pm to RollTide66
LINK ] Alabama Prepares for Matchup at No. 24 Texas A&M Crimson Tide begins preparations for 12th meeting with the Aggies By Staff Writer - October 8, 2019
quote:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama returned to the practice field Monday to begin preparations for its matchup with No. 24 Texas A&M on Saturday. The Crimson Tide worked for two hours in shells at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields this afternoon.
Alabama and No. 24 Texas A&M will meet for the 12th time in a series that dates back to 1942. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 9-2, including a 4-0 record in College Station. Alabama won last year’s meeting, 45-23, at Bryant-Denny Stadium and is 6-1 against the Aggies since Texas A&M joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012.
Posted on 10/8/19 at 12:42 pm to RollTide66
Alabama Crimson Tide on 247Sports was live.
Alabama Crimson Tide on 247Sports was live.
Instant Analysis: Monday
LINK ]
"Click Pic for BOL link" (same as the FB link above)
Since 2008, BamaOnLine.com's Instant Analysis has been a staple of Crimson Tide football coverage. That won't change in 2019, as we'll continue to provide Alabama fans with insight and interaction fresh from Tuscaloosa.
As for items we touched on during the latest edition of IA, they included:
* Chris Owens' availability and potential guard-center scenarios. Plus, other injury notes.
* Another true freshman DL making a move up the depth chart?
* Is there a team capable of winning a shootout with the Crimson Tide?
* Tons of interaction in the Q&A segment!
Alabama Crimson Tide on 247Sports was live.
Instant Analysis: Monday
LINK ]
"Click Pic for BOL link" (same as the FB link above)
Since 2008, BamaOnLine.com's Instant Analysis has been a staple of Crimson Tide football coverage. That won't change in 2019, as we'll continue to provide Alabama fans with insight and interaction fresh from Tuscaloosa.
As for items we touched on during the latest edition of IA, they included:
* Chris Owens' availability and potential guard-center scenarios. Plus, other injury notes.
* Another true freshman DL making a move up the depth chart?
* Is there a team capable of winning a shootout with the Crimson Tide?
* Tons of interaction in the Q&A segment!
This post was edited on 10/8/19 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 10/8/19 at 2:14 pm to RollTide66
Xavier McKinney - "There's a lot of my game I haven't shown"
8:28
Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Ahead of Tuesday's practice, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney discussed the improvements of the defense.
8:28
Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Ahead of Tuesday's practice, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney discussed the improvements of the defense.
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