Alabama Football: Reviewing The West Virginia Game

Alabama football fans were in near-meltdown mode after the Crimson Tide edged West Virginia 33-23 Saturday evening. I’ve had a chance to calm down, and to watch the game again. Here are my impressions.

Cornerback Position is the Achilles Heel

Nick Saban mentioned numerous times that Cyrus Jones was the most improved player on Alabama’s defense. Cyrus Jones showed up; it’s the other side of the field Alabama should be worried about.

Bradley Sylve did well in coverage but his ball skills were severely lacking. Sylve looked lost when he ball was in the air and gave up big plays continuously throughout the game. After screaming for Tony Brown or Eddie Jackson (silly TV wouldn’t listen), you have to wonder how long it will be until a change is made. Even though the next few weeks aren’t very scary, Texas A&M’s explosive offense is approaching and you have to wonder how confident the coaching staff is with the current lineup.

With Eddie Jackson rehabilitating and Brown and Marlon Humphrey learning the playbook, the weakness on the defense may eventually become a strength; but for right now it’s a major concern. With few pass-heavy teams on Alabama’s schedule, the Tide may scoot by. However, for Alabama to be a true contender, the cornerbacks have to step up.

Landon Collins showed up and the free safety position was pretty good under Geno Smith and Nick Perry, it’s just the cornerback position that will continue to give Alabama trouble. It seemed like every time West Virginia needed a first down they just abused Sylve’s side.

I’ve been on the Tony Brown bandwagon all offseason. After Saturday night, I couldn’t be firmly more seated. Sylve is a solid corner, but the future is now. Nick Saban prefers experience over younger talent, but in this circumstance, you have to roll with the more talented. Will Sylve improve? Yes but my concern is his ceiling. He’s not going to improve leaps and bounds over the season. If he can just become more aware on the field and let his instincts kick in, Alabama will be a lot better off.

Getting the younger guys some game reps over the next two weeks will be huge for their development.

Amari Cooper: MVP

It’s well known Amari Cooper is the top wide receiver at Alabama, maybe even the SEC. Against West Virginia, Cooper showed his value. With 12 receptions for 130 yards, Cooper became Blake Sims’ favorite target. With only five other players recording a reception, two being from the running back position, it’s obvious who Sims looks for on the field. With Cooper being able to make plays after the catch, most passes from Sims were relatively easy. The screen passes bring me McElroy-to-Jones flashbacks. That’s certainly a play Alabama will be running numerous times a game.

After only seeing one pass for O.J. Howard, which resulted in an interception, Sims must learn to progress through his reads. Cooper is a great player but eventually will not be able to bail out Sims like he did last night. Only throwing a deep ball a handful of times, defenses will key in on how Sims plays with more and more game footage available. Either Sims progresses as a passer or Lane Kiffin keeps the play calling relatively simple. Either way, it’s not necessarily a bad thing having Cooper as your top target.

The Right Guard Position Battle

Leon Brown started the game for the Tide, but after three penalties, Alphonse Taylor entered in the second half. It’s been a battle all fall camp, at a position that was seemingly locked up until Brown’s injury during practice.

Despite the penalties, Brown struggled throughout the game. He was beaten off a few blocks and didn’t create many great run lanes. Taylor was a noticeable difference once he entered. With Florida Atlantic and Southern Mississippi visiting these next two weeks, the position battle won’t be over until Florida. At this point, Taylor is the favorite just based off Saturday’s performance.

Alabama Has A Kicking Game?

Adam Griffith was a man on a mission yesterday. Griffith went four of four, hitting from 47, 41, 27 and 45 yards. If Alabama continues to shoot themselves in the foot on drives, Griffith will be even more valuable.

Freshman punter J.K. Scott impressed as well. His first career punt was a 62-yard boomer that pinned West Virginia inside the 20. Scott will continue to prove his worth throughout the season.

For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel like I was about to have a stroke when the field goal unit ran onto the field. I’d rather have a touchdown, but knowing we won’t be leaving three points off the board as often eases the pain.

So About Lane Kiffin

First off, thanks ESPN for showing Lane Kiffin so much. I always wondered what a coach actually does during a game. The need to put him on the screen staring at his play sheet instead of  calling the game was great television.

Outside of that, Lane Kiffin wasn’t bad right? The offense put up 538 total yards with new starters along the offensive line and a new quarterback who isn’t exactly the passer Alabama has had the past couple years. Last season, Alabama only put up more than 538 yards twice. Against Oklahoma, the game Kiffin came in to advise, 516 yards of total offense was posted in what was basically a shoot out.

The offense will continue to grow and improve on a weekly basis and Kiffin will be even more settled in at his position here. Simply put, there’s only room for improvement.