Alabama
Kane Wommack breaks down two plays where Alabama's coverage almost proved costly
On multiple occasions, Alabama football defensive backs let South Florida receivers get behind them this past Saturday.
The Bulls looked to launch deep passes to the receivers in each of these first-quarter snaps, but USF failed to connect on all of them. It wasn’t for a lack of receivers being open, though. Each time, the Bulls created separation.
USF quarterback Byrum Brown just couldn’t find a way to hit his open receivers.
Had the Bulls connected on one or two of them, they could have easily taken a lead over the Crimson Tide late in the first quarter. Of course, it’s tricky to play the “what if” game. So we won’t go any farther than that. But the defensive backs allowing receivers to get behind them wasn’t a good thing by any means. The cost was just low.
None of the issues in coverage of these deep passing plays resulted in a big play, and after a one-possession game for most of the night, Alabama finished strong in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide beat South Florida 42-16.
Still, it’s worth taking a closer look at what allowed USF receivers to get behind Alabama ‘s secondary.
On Monday, Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack explained what happened on two of the plays where receivers ran past defensive backs.
The first play
Freshman Red Morgan was in coverage for the first deep pass of the game in which Brown overthrew receiver Michael Brown-Stephens.
Wommack said it was a technique error.
“We were denying the outside release,” Wommack said. “We forced him to release inside, which is probably the only reason they didn’t connect on that ball. We went back and looked at this a long time ago, if you look at inside release fade balls, the ones that we forced the receiver to release inside versus if he gets the outside release on you, the completion percentage is far less on an inside release. So that was probably the only thing that saved us. However, we put our eyes back in the backfield when we did get beat back inside instead of staying on top shoulder.”
The second play
Freshman Zabien Brown was in coverage for another deep throw attempt at Brown-Stephens a few minutes later.
“They were going fast three plays in a row,” Wommack said. “You’ve seen it at, Oklahoma State was probably the team that was most famous for it, but back before they would, when a guy would substitute, now we give the defense a chance to sub where back in the day we didn’t use to do that, so guys would run the next wide receiver out, the next wide receiver out. And that’s what they tried to do.”
Wommack said Alabama had a substitution issue where the Crimson Tide didn’t feel like it had time to get somebody else out there; Brown was fresh off a play where he had run down the field with a receiver for a while for a previous incomplete pass. Then Brown had to run back to cover another receiver, and fast.
“He was kind of in limbo,” Wommack said. “He wasn’t in press coverage, he wasn’t in off coverage and he just got run by because his eyes were in a bad spot.”
In conclusion
After breaking down the plays, Wommack wrapped up his answer.
“So those are things that young players have to learn,” Wommack said. “They have to get corrected moving forward and so that’s really going to be the key, is making sure that those young guys learn from those mistakes.”
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
(WHNT) — Residents of North Alabama made it out to the polls on Tuesday for the 2026 Primary Runoff Elections, and News 19 is following the results as they come in.
We are following several runoff races, including multiple state races.
News 19 is updating the election results as they become available. You can find the results for each runoff race below:
Oklahoma outlasted Georgia, winning 4-3, to move to 2-0 in the Men’s College World Series and is now one win away from the championship series.
The Bulldogs will next rematch with Texas at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.
OU freshman right-hander Xander Mercurius shined in the win, unfazed by UGA’s high octane offense, lasting 7.1 innings with nine strikeouts while holding the Bulldogs to three runs.
Check out some of the most notable numbers and moments from the contest:
- Mercurius and Georgia’s Caden Aoki both duked it out for seven-plus innings. The last MCWS game where both starting pitchers threw seven-plus innings was Game 13 in 2023
- Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder (7 IP) and LSU’s Paul Skenes (8 IP)
- They threw a combined 219 pitches
- Oklahoma handed Georgia its first loss since May 16 (Auburn)
- Oklahoma scored three runs in the first after scoring two in the first in the Sooners’ MCWS opener
- UGA went 0-for-12 with runners on base, scoring all runs via solo homers
- The Bulldogs were also 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position
- Th 4-3 victory marks the Sooners’ fourth 2-0 start in MCWS history
- Georgia’s Daniel Jackson hit his 32nd home run of the season 447 feet, the third longest homer at the MCWS since the move to Charles Schwab Field
- With brothers Kolby (Georgia) and Kyle (Oklahoma) Branch playing, the game marked the first time in MCWS two brothers played against each other in the same game. You can read more about the Branch brothers and the family here.
The Texas-Georgia game will be the second time the two have met in Omaha, with Georgia topping the Longhorns 7-1 on Saturday. Now the two will meet again in an elimination game.
OMAHA, Neb. — Alabama baseball has its back against the wall at the College World Series as the Crimson Tide opens up an elimination game against the Texas Longhorns.
The Crimson Tide was blanked in its opening game of the event, losing 9-0 to Oklahoma, and faces a Longhorns program that fell to Georgia 7-1. The game begins at 1 p.m. CT with the winner playing on Wednesday against the loser of this evening’s Georgia-Oklahoma matchup.
Follow along for live score updates and analysis from Charles Schwab Field. Be sure to frequently refresh your browser, as the most recent information will appear right below this paragraph.
Top 1 Inning
Pregame
- 12:50 p.m. CT – The national anthem has been sung and we’re about to get underway at Charles Schwab Stadium.
- 11:31 a.m. CT – The skies are completely clear and the temperature reads 77-degrees. It’s perfect weather for an afternoon baseball game.
Starting Lineups
Alabama
- CF – Bryce Fowler
- SS – Justin Lebron
- C – Brady Neal
- 3B – Jason Torres
- DH – John Lemm
- LF – Eric Hines
- 2B – Brennan Holt
- 1B – Luke Vaughn
- RF – Peyton Steele
Starting Pitcher: LHP – Zane Adams – 3.96 ERA, 8-4, 98 SO, 27 BB, 88.2 IP
Texas
- RF – Aiden Robbins
- C – Carson Tinney
- LF – Anthony Pack Jr.
- DH – Ethan Mendoza
- SS – Adrian Rodriguez
- 2B – Temo Becerra
- 1B – Ashton Larson
- 3B – Casey Borba
- CF – Dariyan Pendergrass
Starting Pitcher: RHP – Ruger Riojas – 4.04 ERA, 5-2, 113 SO, 19 BB, 75.2 IP
How to Watch: 7-Seed Alabama at the College World Series
Who: 7-seed Alabama (39-20, 18-12 SEC) vs. 6-seed Texas (45-14, 19-10)
What: NCAA Baseball College World Series
When: Monday, June 15, 1 p.m. CT
Where: Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, NE
TV: ESPN
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network. LISTEN LIVE
Series: The Crimson Tide is 1-7 all time against the Texas Longhorns, dating back to the first matchup in 1983. Alabama is 1-2 against the Longhorns since Texas moved into the Southeastern Conference in 2024.
Last Meeting: Texas defeated Alabama two games to one in a weekend series in the middle of April. Alabama struck out 49 times across the three games, but did take the Sunday matchup 2-1 to avoid being swept.
Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide swept St. John’s in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional behind two strong performances by starting pitchers Tyler Fay and Zane Adams. Alabama endured a 17-hour rain delay in game two and saw senior Jason Torres hit a seventh-inning grand slam to eliminate the Red Storm and advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1999. However, it opened with the College World Series with an uncharacteristic 9-0 loss to Oklahoma.
Last time out, Texas: The Longhorns ace Dylan Volantis took the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs and gave up four runs in the first inning. Designated hitter Ethan Mendoza got Texas’ only RBI in the fifth inning, cutting Georgia’s lead to 4-1, but that’s as close as the Longhorns got as the Bulldogs won 7-1 to stay in the winner’s side of the College World Series bracket.
Omaha Weather Information
Saturday, June 13 – Partly cloudy early, followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later in the day. High around 80 degrees. 10-15 miles per hour winds with chances of rain at 50-percent.
Monday, June 15 – Forecasts call for 79-degrees at first pitch with sunny skies and just 24-percent humidity and an eight mile per hour western wind.
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