re: Golding is underwhelming!

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Why are DBs slow to react to the running game? Why are we getting sloppy with our tackling? Why can't we seal the edges and why are we having constant execution errors in the front 7?

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You keep raising the same issues, and you keep getting the same answers … and you keep raising the issues again.

For what it's worth …

DBs are slow to react to the running game because we run man coverage much of the time, or a matchup zone. Both of these require DBs to focus on their coverage first. When a QB drops back, the DBs are reading that key to stay in phase with the receiver they're covering. Much of the rushing damage by Ole Miss was done by the scrambling QB, or by the QB when he got the edge on a designed run. That's not necessarily the fault of the DBs.

Getting sloppy with our tackling: I'm not sure that's necessarily the case. We're out of position to make a tackle sometimes, which leads to arm tackles rather than form tackles. Most of the time we're out of position because …

More than half of our front seven Saturday were true freshmen. Not redshirt freshmen: true freshmen. They were in high school this time last year, and now they're being forced to play D1 football against guys who might be four or five years older than them, with multiple years in their offensive systems. It's not a recipe for the type of Alabama defense we've learned to appreciate.

That is also the reason we're having issues sealing the edges and having regular (not constant) execution errors in the front seven. Many of these guys have a grand total of five D1 games under their belts. When we have one, maybe two, freshmen starting on defense, they can be guided by the experienced players around them. When you have one senior in your front seven, there aren't enough experienced players to provide that guidance in-game. Expecting them to be up to the level of our normal standard is absurd.

I don't know a ton about defense, but it seems to me we're focusing on keeping plays in front of us for now. We're reading and reacting more than attacking. From a defensive standpoint, it's frustrating. From a long-term goal standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Coach Saban and the defensive staff are willing to trade yards for time, in the belief that we'll score enough early enough to put more pressure on the other team and provide a buffer for our young defense.

I'm hopeful this scheme will change as the players gain more experience. We'll see, though. In the end, the goal is to lift the trophy. Since we're ranked either 1 or 2 in the polls at the moment, we've done what we need to do to position ourselves accordingly.