Alabama’s Secondary Is Entering A Gauntlet Of Passing Attacks

The phrase that encapsulate the Crimson Tide’s play in opposition to the Tennessee Volunteers: large performs.

Alabama’s secondary couldn’t cease the Hendon Hooker – Jalin Hyatt connection final Saturday, as Hyatt had the very best recreation of his profession with 207 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, three of which had been over 30 yards. Hooker additionally performed along with his often elite accuracy, finishing 70% p.c of his passes for 385 yards (all of his touchdowns had been to Hyatt).

For the reason that loss, each Nick Saban and his gamers have emphasised reply successfully, together with Will Anderson’s assertion about “tucking in your shirt and being on time for conferences.” In line with Saban, the gamers have responded nicely, saying “I do know lots of people are disenchanted within the outcomes of the sport, however I don’t suppose anyone’s as disenchanted as we’re internally — gamers, coaches — so we’re all working exhausting to attempt to get it proper and so they’ve responded pretty nicely.”

It is crucial for Alabama to bounce again this week. They’re No. 6 within the AP Ballot and have arguably the hardest remaining schedule; of their remaining convention video games, all of them are SEC West opponents, and a loss, particularly to Ole Miss, would make it just about unimaginable to make the playoff as a 2-loss workforce with out a convention championship to bolster its resume.

The percentages are nonetheless within the Tide’s favor, nevertheless. In line with the Soccer Energy Index, they’ve a 65.6% probability to win the division, and the fourth-best odds to succeed in the School Soccer Playoff. To make their objective a actuality although, the secondary has to step up, and so they’ll should do it going via a gauntlet of passing offenses.

Beginning with the subsequent opponent, Mississippi State’s Will Rogers leads the SEC in passing yards and is certainly one of solely 5 FBS quarterbacks to eclipse 2,300 yards at this level within the season. Rogers has a stable pocket presence whereas throwing the ball all around the subject, and he does so whereas spreading the wealth; no different SEC workforce has three gamers with at the very least 30 catches every, and Caleb Ducking, who’s not afraid to go get it at 6-foot-5, is second with 33 catches to go along with a third-best seven touchdowns.

After the Crimson Tide’s bye week, the protection has to face LSU and Jayden Daniels, who completes his passes at a 69.23% clip, adequate for fifth-best within the SEC. He is additionally achieved so whereas solely throwing one interception. Daniels’ ball comes with some warmth on it, and he is very a lot a menace to run (whether or not that is an indication of his dual-threat skill or him operating for his life behind a nasty offensive line is as much as you). His favourite goal his Malik Nabers, who’s top-five in each catches and yards.

The gauntlet presumably ends with Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss, the leaders of the SEC West. Dart has Quinshon Judkins to lean on as his 10 speeding touchdowns are tied with Bijan Robinson for fifth in all the FBS, however the sophomore quarterback is not only a recreation supervisor. He’s the teen of the gauntlet QBs, and it reveals along with his six interceptions on the yr, but it surely should not result in any slouching on the Crimson Tide’s aspect. 

Alabama’s secondary should run the gauntlet, particularly not guys named Jordan Battle or Kool-aid McKinstry. Is that this the time  Eli Ricks lastly will get his time to shine? How will DeMarcco Hellams reply after the Tennessee recreation? Every opponent poses a menace, however the excellent news (or dangerous relying on the view) is that the largest problem of the gauntlet is Mississippi State, the identical program Alabama performed after dropping to Texas A&M final yr. It will be a full-team effort to include the Bulldog passing assault as a vital residence stretch begins.