Hello and Roll Tide!

           On Saturday morning, Alabama defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 27-25. Alabama got out to a strong 14-0 lead until South Carolina capitalized on Alabama mistakes, scoring 12 points right before the half. The game was close there on out and Alabama had to rely on their defense to close the door as time expired. Sitting at 5-1, Alabama still controls their destiny as they travel to Knoxville on the Third Saturday of October. Below are injury/depth notes, a week 7 recap, Tennessee preview, and week 8 storylines. Let’s go!

Depth/Injury Notes:

· Kobe Prentice remained out of the game on concussion protocol (expected to play)

o Cole Adams played several snaps in the slot as a result

· Kendrick Law did not play due to a lower-body injury (Expected to Play)

o Emmanuel Henderson has been returning kickoffs

· Yhonzae Pierre is listed as OUT or Saturday’s game

· Domani Jackson was carted off the field in the first half, but returned to the game

o Zavier Mincey played in his absence, allowing a 36-yard touchdown

· Keon Sabb is listed as Probable for Saturday’s game

· Daniel Hill is OUT for Saturday’s game

· Cayden Jones is OUT for Saturday’s game

Week 7 Review: South Carolina

Offense: The Alabama offense started off on the right foot with a 9 play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game. Nick Sheridan tried to punch it in twice with running backs on the 1-yard line, before Jalen rushed in for the score. After the first possession, Alabama’s offensive line had difficulty stopping the talented edge rushers of South Carolina. The next two possessions ended with 3-rd down sacks by Kyle Kennard and Demetrius Knight. The offensive line’s struggle with the pass-block forced Sheridan to lean on the run. Alabama’s next drive consisted of 7 plays, 6 of which were runs, helping the Tide to a 14-0 lead. Right before the half, Alabama completely collapsed. South Carolina scored and Caleb Odom committed a personal foul on the kickoff, forcing the Tide to start their drive from the 12. Jalen committed intentional grounding in the end zone resulting in a safety. Then South Carolina fumbled in 3 plays, but just as fast as we got the ball back, Jalen threw an interception. The Tide went from a comfortable 14-0 to 14-12 right before the half.

Alabama could not find their footing in the 3rd quarter as their possessions resulted in a punt and interception. This was Jalen’s worst game of the season as he threw 2 interceptions. The Tide got lucky early in the 4th as SC’s QB fumbled a read-option. Jalen once again ran in for a score. Finally, when Alabama needed it the most, the Tide led a 10 play, 67-yard touchdown drive. Jalen was able to find Germie Bernard for a 34-yard score.

Other than the first half of the USF game, Alabama’s offense has not been the issue this season. The Offensive Line seemed to figure things out against Wisconsin, but they were outmatched most of this game. South Carolina likely has the best Defensive Line in the SEC, yet we’ve come to expect more out of Jalen this season. The lack of a traditional run game has allowed opponents to use pass-blitzes against the Tide. Nick Sheridan needs to establish the run game, otherwise Jalen’s job will continue to get more difficult.

Defense: It seems that Alabama’s inability to stop the run against Vanderbilt was not exclusively due to their option game. South Carolina attacked Wommack’s 4-2-5 on the ground with ease for much of this game. Rocket Sanders averaged 5 yards per carry, however the situation later in the game forced South Carolina to throw the ball. If South Carolina stuck to the run game, they could have won this game. Two of their fumbles were strip sacks by LT Overton and Jihaad Campbell. While Alabama did little to stop the run, the Defensive Line beat SC’s O-Line in pass plays. The Tide combined for 4 sacks on the day as well as 7 tackles for a loss. Keon Sabb was very active totaling 12 tackles on the day. Another issue that remained week-to-week was Defensive 3rd Down conversions allowed. South Carolina was able to convert on 7 of 15 3rd down conversions. Many of these were on 3rd and long. Kane Wommack seemed inclined to trust his coverage, rather than blitz in obvious passing situations. This burned the Tide on SC’s first drive of the 2nd half as they converted 5 3rd down plays, ending the drive with a score. Similarly, the Tide let up a huge 4 & 9 play at the end of the first half. Domani Jackson was injured, forcing true freshman Zavier Mincey into the game. He, along with Malachi Moore, blew a Cover-2 zone assignment allowing LaNorris Sellers to find Bennett for a 36-yards score. Rather than trusting a freshman to protect the deep sideline, Kane should have sent the blitz and not allowed LaNorris enough time to find an open man.

While not perfect, the defense certainly had a better performance than the week prior against Vanderbilt. Alabama had a -2 turnover margin against Vanderbilt, and a positive 2 against South Carolina. The defense forced turnovers when they needed them the most. After the Safety, South Carolina had an opportunity to take the lead going into the half. Jihaad Campbell’s strip sack eliminated that threat. In the 4th quarter, Jalen threw an interception in the end zone, giving the ball back to SC with a 19-14 lead. LT Overton recovered LaNorris Seller’s fumble, positioning the Tide to reclaim the lead. South Carolina recovered an onside kick, only needing a field goal to win the game. Kane Wommack sent the blitz forcing an errant throw that was intercepted by Domani Jackson. Domani almost took a knee, forcing a safety, but Captain Malachi Moore stopped him and directed him to return the ball.

The defensive line continues to be a strength in the pass rush. The Tide are positioned well to play teams with a traditional pocket passer. That said, much of college football today relies on dual-threat quarterbacks. The Tide need to get better at closing running gaps and make more tackles in the open field. The 4-2-5 requires a lot of help from defensive backs. Our DBs are by far the youngest on the team, so there is still much to learn. I wonder if Kane will change up the scheme if teams continue to run down our throats.

Week 8 Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

This season Tennessee is 5-1, with their only loss coming in SEC play against Arkansas. This will be Kalen DeBoer’s first experience in the Third Saturday of October Rivalry. While this is DeBoer’s first matchup with the Volunteers, Alabama fans are very familiar with Josh Heupel’s squad. Josh Heupel ended Alabama’s historic 16-game winning streak in the series back in 2022. This loss still stings the Alabama fanbase who are determined to get revenge in Neyland Stadium at 2:30 on Saturday.

Josh Heupel’s team, similar to Alabama, has had a bit of a rollercoaster season. In the first 3 games Tennessee’s offense scored 191 points and their defense only allowed 13. The Volunteers continued to ride the high with a 25-15 win at Oklahoma, peaking at #4 in the AP Poll. The last two weeks are a different story: Arkansas held Tennessee to 14 points on 332 yards of total offense and they upset the Volunteers 19-14 in Fayetteville; Florida contained the potent Tennessee offense forcing them to Overtime, where the Volunteers eventually won 23-17. It seems that Arkansas found the recipe to stop Tennessee and Florida was able to copy it. The Hogs eliminated the downfield passing game by running a 3-2-6. Tennessee was forced to run the ball, where Arkansas sent linebackers on blitz to clog running lanes. Florida was able to copy this strategy, laying the foundation for Alabama.

Tennessee’s offense is led by Redshirt Freshman Nico Iamaleava. Nico is a skilled dual-threat quarterback who showed off his impressive arm in the first 3 contests. As teams limited the Volunteers ability to pass the ball, they leaned heavily on the run game. Tennessee has two skilled backs Dylan Sampson and DeSean Bishop. Sampson has rushed for 699 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Bishop is also an efficient runner, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. While opposing defenses have challenged Tennessee to run, it has been a strength of theirs all season long. Nico spreads the ball out, however his favorite target is Squirrel White. White had a productive 2023 campaign recording 803 receiving yards. He is a volume receiver for Nico, whereas Dont’e Thornton is their big play receiver. Thornton is averaging 32.8 yards per reception and has hauled in 3 touchdowns on the season. This is who DBs need to look out for when Tennessee is looking for a big play.

The Tennessee Defense is led by Senior Keenan Pili. The most recent Injury Report has Pili listed as OUT, which is a huge blow to the defense. Pili leads the team with 29 tackles and is the Captain who receives the play calls from DC Tim Banks. The Volunteers will have to look elsewhere for leadership on Saturday. One player likely to step up is Sophomore Arion Carter. Carter is 3rd in tackles on the team as he’s played alongside Pili at the linebacker position. Tennessee’s defensive line has been very productive in the pass rush as 3 D-linemen can boast 2 sacks each. Tennessee’s defense ranked 22nd last season in Points allowed per game and they’re even better this season: 4th in the country allowing 10.7 per game. Tennessee is 2nd in total yards allowed at 249.8. While the defensive line may not prove to be as difficult as South Carolina’s, the defensive unit as a whole is likely the best that Alabama has faced all season long.

Week 8 Storylines:

Can we stop the run?: The past two weeks, Alabama’s defense has been susceptible to the run. Something about Kane’s 4-2-5 has allowed teams to pick the defense apart. Alabama needs to fix this if they are to stop Tennessee. Tennessee is extremely effective running the ball, yet that is how Arkansas and Florida were able to limit the explosive offense. Arkansas used a 3-2-6, which we likely do not have the personnel for, however Kane could move to a 3-3-5 or even a 3-4 in the run game is successful for Tennessee. Let’s look out for what personnel changes are made to limit the Tennessee run game.

Get back on track, Offensive Line: Against South Carolina, Alabama’s offensive line took their first step back since the Wisconsin game. Yes, South Carolina has maybe the top D-line in the SEC, however the Tide have been very good at protecting Jalen the past few weeks. Tennessee’s unit is among the top in the SEC and will certainly try to attack Jalen in obvious passing downs. The O-Line will have their hands full and will likely be the key to winning or losing this game.

Run the Ball, Justice and Jam: It appeared last week that Nick Sheridan was uncomfortable and forced a lot of QB runs. Jalen was visibly fatigued by all of the hits he took as a result. Alabama needs to get back to the traditional run game to help out the team. If Jam and Justice can get things going on the ground, defensive adjustments will help Jalen in the passing game. The run game will limit blitzes, open up play action, and give the O-line confidence. As well, keeping the Tennessee defense on the field will help Alabama’s defense recover. Nick Sheridan has to commit to the RB run or we risk wear and tear on Jalen, our most valuable player.

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Roll Tide!

-Jake