The 2011 college football season is rapidly coming to a close, and Alabama prepares to say goodbye to a senior class that has provided the program with exciting moments and great memories. This class will be looking to add its forty-sixth victory in four years, and Coach Nick Saban said he believes this is the class that changed the culture of the Tide football program and got them going in the right direction.
Tomorrow’s opponents, the Eagles of Georgia Southern are no pushover at 9-1, and despite being an FCS foe the offense they run is something the Tide players have not faced. The option offense and stout defense will certainly be a change of pace for Tide players and coaches, but they look forward to the challenge.
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Georgia Southern may not be of the same caliber as the Tide, but they field several outstanding players and are one of the best FCS teams around. An upset win over the Crimson Tide would easily be the biggest in their program’s history. Realistically there isn’t much chance Georgia Southern leaves Bryant-Denny with a win, but they’ll certainly be looking forward to proving they can at least compete with the Tide.
On Offense: When the Tide offense is on the field the player to watch is No. 66 Brent Russell for Georgia Southern. Brent is the Eagles’ best defensive player and leads the team in sacks with five. He is an All-American defensive tackle and will be lined up opposite Tide center William Vlachos. This is the premier matchup of the game and it will be fun to see these two elite linemen slug it out.
The Eagles defense is giving up 199 yards per game passing, 123 yards per game rushing and the strength lies with the defensive line. They have a total of 23 sacks on the year, so keeping those guys off of AJ McCarron will be crucial. Tide offensive tackle Barrett Jones is still day-to-day, but coach Saban said he likely won’t play unless necessary. In his absence, senior Alfred McCullough will be called on again to perform well.
With the Eagles yielding 123 yards per game on the ground to FCS foes, it seems likely Trent Richardson will have his way with the defense fairly early, get his 100-plus yards and rest the remainder of the game. This is senior week, and there should be many seniors on the field throughout the game that haven’t seen much playing time.
The Eagles average a little over one interception per game, so Tide receivers will have their chances. Dropped passes, missed throws and miscommunication in the passing game have been all too common for the Tide and they will be looking to clean up those mistakes. Advantage here goes to the Tide offense: look for them to take the lead early and let senior players that haven’t seen much playing time finish the job.
On Defense: The Crimson Tide defense has been preparing all week to face one of the best option attack offenses in all of football, regardless of the league they play in. Georgia Southern presents a much different test for this Tide defense, but they match up very well with the Eagles. GSU has rushed for an astounding 3,204 yards on the year, and averages 320 yards per game on the ground. Impressive numbers, but unfortunately for the Eagles, Alabama only gives up a little over 50 yards per game.
The key to winning this battle is simply discipline, playing physical and paying attention to what’s going on; something the Tide excels in. GSU runs the ball effectively and lulls defenses to sleep, then hits them with a big pass play over the top. Staying alert and into the game will be the hardest part for Tide defensive backs. If they get caught napping it could mean an easy six for the Eagles.
The most important aspect will be the linebacker play for the Tide. They will have to be careful not to over-pursue with all the misdirection that will be thrown at them. The Alabama linebackers are used to going full speed into the offensive backfield in pursuit of the ball, but this weekend they’ll have to have a little more patience and let the play come to them.
Possibly the most important thing Tide defenders will need to watch for is cut blocks. The Eagles’ option offense utilizes cut blocking along the line of scrimmage, which poses potential hazards every time the ball is snapped. Alabama’s defense has the advantage in this matchup much like they have all year long, and Georgia Southern has definitely faces their toughest challenge of the year.
Special Teams: Alabama special teams and specialists should have opportunities galore to make some big plays in this game. The Eagles are solid on special teams but just don’t field the firepower to hurt the Tide. Alabama will be looking to force the Eagles to punt early and often.
Marquis Maze has been hobbled with an ankle injury but hasn’t missed any playing time as a result. With Maze being one of the senior leaders on this team, playing his last game in Tuscaloosa, he will be looking to go out with a bang. It has been exciting watching Maze work his punt return magic this year, and the hope is that he will deliver one last time for Tide fans.
Several Tide seniors will likely to get some special teams play this weekend for their final home game and they will all be looking to deliver some memorable hits. That spells trouble for Georgia Southern punt and kickoff return teams, but it will definitely get the crowd going.
Speaking of the crowd, the largest crowd Georgia Southern has played in front of all year was just over 50,000 fans; the 102,000-plus Tide faithful will provide a twelfth man advantage for the defense; as if this defense needs it.
Alabama heads to Auburn next week for the Iron Bowl, and need to do so with a healthy team. Getting a win is always the number one goal, but doing so injury-free is almost as good as two wins. With Alabama just an Oklahoma State loss away from getting a shot at the national title, they need big wins this week and next week in the Auburn game.
Auburn faithful would easily consider their entire season resurrected if they can so much as put a scare into this Alabama team and keep them from being voted into the BCS title game. It’s crunch time, and Alabama needs to play the way they’re capable of playing, leaving no doubt in the minds of voters, and let the cards fall where they may.