Alabama Football: 3 Things to Watch For Against Western Kentucky
By Kevin Ross
Alabama opened up the 2012 season against a legitimate opponent from a BCS conference, unlike most highly-ranked teams. The Crimson Tide dispatched the Michigan Wolverines with extreme prejudice, in brutally efficient fashion. As enjoyable as that victory was, it is now behind us and the bakery is open as Alabama welcomes cupcake Western Kentucky to Tuscaloosa.
In all likelihood, the Hilltoppers will travel to Bryant Denny Stadium, take a beating and cash a big check for their efforts. While the outcome may never be in doubt, there are a few things I think Tide fans should be looking for as the warmup to the SEC season continues.
Kickoffs. Despite the new rule moving the kickoffs forward by five yards, Cade Foster failed to kick a touchback in his eight opportunities. I will concede that it is possible that his leg was tired by the second half, but with Alabama’s questionable history of kickoff coverage, getting the ball into the end zone will be important in SEC play. Beating LSU will be difficult enough as it is without having to worry about Odell Beckham breaking a long kickoff return.
Punting. We likely will not see much of Cody Mandell this week, but it will be beneficial in the long run for Alabama to punt a few times. Against Michigan, Mandell punted four times with an average of 47 yards. He also dropped two punts inside the 20-yard line. During the 2011 season, Mandell only averaged 39.3 yards per punt, so the improvement was a pleasant surprise. If the trend continues over the course of the season, it could be a huge asset for the Crimson Tide. An improvement of about eight yards per punt may not sound like much, but it basically forces the opponent to gain an additional first down on the ensuing drive in order for them to score.
Gaining a single first down is difficult enough against a Nick Saban defense, so every additional yard between the opponent and the end zone will provide Alabama with an advantage.
Deep pass coverage. Against Michigan the Tide gave up two pass plays of over 20 yards, both the result of double moves by wide receivers. While it is true that Michigan was dead and buried by the time they scored their two touchdowns, giving up long pass plays could be a cause for concern with Tyler Wilson and Arkansas looming in two weeks. I realize that against Denard Robinson Alabama could not afford to aggressively rush the outside linebackers due to his running threat. It will be interesting to see how much the game plan changes against Western Kentucky. If the pass rushers are turned loose, the time needed for double move routes to develop should be nonexistent.
The best possible outcome for a cupcake game like this is for Alabama to win easily, sustain no injuries to either team, and get backups some valuable live game reps. If Alabama can dominate without showing too much to Arkansas and Western Kentucky can use the money they earn from this game to improve their program then both sides will have had a productive day.
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