Hello and Roll Tide!

Alabama escaped William-Brice Stadium with a win needing a 4th quarter comeback. The Tide looked dead for most of this game then put together scoring drives when they needed it the most. This concludes a gauntlet of 5 consecutive Conference games that included 4 ranked opponents. Alabama will use their BYE week to recover as they prepare for LSU. It looked as if Kalen DeBoer would lose yet another game against an unranked opponent, but the team dug in and changed the narrative. As ugly as the game was, a win is a win. Below are injury updates, depth notes, a week 9 recap, and week 9 storylines revisited. Let’s go!

Injury Updates:

  • Gino VanDeMark did not play after being listed as a Game Time Decision
  • Isaiah Horton exited with an injury in the 2nd quarter and did not return. He is expected to be ready for LSU
  • Lotzier Brooks was a late addition to the injury report and missed the South Carolina Game. He is back at practice

Depth Notes:

  • Jaedon Roberts started at Right Guard and took every offensive snap
  • Wilkin Formby took 59 snaps at Right Tackle, while freshman Michael Carroll only played 10 snaps
  • Rico Scott filled in as WR3 with Horton and Brooks injuries
  • Daniel Hill led running backs with 33 snaps, Jam took 31, Kevin Riley only 2
  • Dijon Lee started at Cornerback and led the entire group with 70 snaps
  • Justin Hill saw a career high 22 snaps at WOLF behind Yhonzae (61)

Week 9 Recap: South Carolina

Offense: Alabama’s offense was stagnant for most of the game on Saturday. Their first 3 drives went 3-and-out, 3-and-out, then fumble. They put together a 9 play, 81-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter then did not score until there was 2:16 left in the 4th quarter. Ty was not efficient, completing 56% of his passes gaining 253 yards (5.9 yards per attempt). He missed a few open throws that would have converted on 3rd down. Ty’s protection did allow 10 pressures and he was sacked twice. Wilkin Formby had the tough task of defending Dylan Stewart. This led to 4 pressures and a tackle for a loss. Worth noting, Jaeden Roberts played every snap along the line and did not allow a pressure. Daniel Hill also struggled in pass protection, allowing a sack and two pressures. Ty was also forced into obvious passing situations as yet again the offense was unable to run the football. Running backs took a total of 13 carries for 36 yards (2.8 ypc). Germie was once again called into action, rushing 3 times for 23 yards with a touchdown. The offensive line cannot generate push up front and when they do create running lanes, defenders quickly collapse them. Alabama can only find success running outside whether that is via jet sweeps or toss plays. Another issue working against the Tide were drops. Germie Bernard has been solid all season, but he recorded his first drop of the season. Rico Scott also dropped a slant and Ryan Williams had a crucial 4th down drop. He continues to make acrobatic catches, though they may be a result of him not trusting his hand. It did not look entirely necessary for Ryan to leave his feet on the 4th down catch, but he did and was unable to maintain possession as he hit the ground. While there were plenty of pain points, Alabama did win because they made big plays. Daniel Hill was very effective in the passing game, catching 4 passes for 76 yards. In two instances, he made the first man miss then flew down the field for huge gains. On 3rd & 19, Hill broke a tackle and gained 21 yards for the first down. Similarly, Ty found Hill in a scramble drill for a 41-yard gain that extended the touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter. Germie Bernard continues to be Alabama’s Swiss army knife. Germie scored two touchdowns out of the backfield: Late in the 4th quarter, Germie motioned to RB then ran to the flat beating his man to the endzone; Germie’s game-winning touchdown was a direct snap to him, who faked a flip to Ty, then ran 25-yards for the score. He also hauled in 4 other passes. Outside of the drops, Ryan was productive catching 7 passes for 72 yards. He played with high effort, often spinning for more yards and initiating contact with defenders. As poorly as the Tide looked on Saturday, they escaped a true SEC Road game with a win.

Defense: Alabama’s defense played well, spending more time on the field than their offense. The defense had a tough task containing LaNorris Sellers. Sellers attempted 32 passes and rushed 18 times. Bama did record 2 sacks and were in position for more, but Sellers was able to break free. Bama pressured Sellers 26 times with Yhonzae Pierre and Deontae Lawson leading the way. The biggest highlight as a result of pressure came in the 1st quarter. LT Overton forced Sellers to take his check-down but the ball bobbled off of the running back and into DaShawn Jones hands. Justin Jefferson helped him maintain balance as Jones ran it back for a pick-6. Adding to pressures, the linebackers and secondary were very physical at the point of attack, combining for 5 pass deflections. In run defense, the Tide allowed only 3.0 yards per carry on 37 rushing attempts, recording 7 tackles for a loss. The three headed monster of Justin Jefferson, Deontae Lawson, and Nikhai Hill-Green were great in run support and spied LaNorris well. Each ended the contest with 7 tackles. Deontae Lawson may have had his best performance of the season. Highlight plays include a pass breakup on 3rd down after spying Sellers, a physical tackle for a loss with Tim Keenan, then a game-changing forced fumble late in the 4th quarter. The defensive line is finally shaping up behind the efforts of Tim Keenan and James Smith. James Smith plays with a high motor, often timing up the snap well. James blew up the line on 3rd & 2 in the Red Zone, forcing South Carolina to attempt a field goal. He did have two offsides penalties, but that’s just a risk that comes along with his high effort. Tim Keenan also plugged several rushing lanes and recovered Deontae’s forced fumble. The Alabama defense continued to have success in the red zone. They allowed only 1 touchdown on 3 of South Carolina’s red zone visits. Alabama is 7th in the nation allowing opposing teams to score on only 70% of their red zone trips.

Special Teams: Blake Doud had his best performance as a member of the Crimson Tide. Doud punted the ball 5 times averaging 55.4 yards per punt. 3 of them were downed inside the 20 and he had a long of 60 yards. After struggling for most of the season, it seems that Doud has figured it out. Conor Talty did not attempt any field goals but he did make all 3 PATs. On punt return, Jaylen Mbakwe made a critical mistake running into the football, allowing a recovery by South Carolina. It looked like Nyck Harbor illegally blocked Jaylen into the ball, but without any flags thrown, this is a mistake that cannot be made.

Week 9 Storylines Revisited:

Can Bama establish the run?: Alabama was unable to establish the run game. The interior offensive line was unable to create any push inside. Instead, they went to quick screen passes which can be viewed as an extension of the run game. Ryan, Jam, and Daniel Hill all benefited from outside screens. As long as wide receivers continue to block with effort, screens may have to replace the traditional run game.

Will the Defensive Line maintain momentum?: Alabama’s defensive line was very effective on Saturday. Sellers was constantly under pressure and the line limited running backs to 3.0 yards per carry. James Smith, LT Overton, Yhonzae Pierre, and Tim Keenan wreaked havoc on SC’s offensive line. The line being productive has helped all facets of the defense.

Don’t look ahead: The Alabama offense came out flat. Focus seemed to be lacking from the jump. Ty missed throws, which is very uncharacteristic. The Tide may have missed something in preparation but they were able to step up late in the 4th quarter when they needed it most.

What does Alabama need to focus on most over the Bye week? Reach out with any questions or comments. If you know of anyone who wants to join the newsletter, send their info my way.

Roll Tide -Jake