Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE
With three games now in the books, Alabama’s regular season is now a quarter of the way complete. None of the Tide’s games have been close but we can still glean some observations from the demolition of Michigan, Western Kentucky and the program formerly known as Arkansas. Presented here are some areas for excitement and also for improvement as Alabama enters the heart of the SEC season.
The Maturation of a Young Secondary: Coming into the 2012 season there were questions about how the defense, especially the secondary, would perform due to heavy losses to the NFL draft. Defensive backs Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick became first-round picks, leaving big shoes to fill. Fortunately the defensive backfield is anchored by multi-year starter Robert Lester, who brings with him vast amounts of game experience and football knowledge. Another mitigating factor for the young unit is the policy of giving underclassmen playing time if they have talent and earn it on the practice field. During the 2011 season players such as Dee Milliner, Vinnie Sunseri and HaHa Clinton-Dix gained valuable playing time, both on defense and special teams ensuring that a big game atmosphere would not be new to them in 2012. The secondary is quickly becoming a strength of the Alabama defense this season. Against Michigan, Milliner was tested early and often, and responded by playing the game of his life. Denard Robinson probably still has nightmares about being run over by Milliner after Dee threw a receiver out of bounds, intercepted a pass then steamrolled him as he tried to make a tackle. Sunseri and Clinton-Dix have also logged interceptions this season and should continue to improve as the season progresses. Unlike other teams in the state, youth is not an excuse at Alabama, it is an asset.
Contribution from Freshmen: I must admit that I questioned the decision to burn the redshirt of running back Kenyan Drake in garbage time of the Michigan game. Upon further thought, it looks like a smart move. Not only is Drake playing well, but so is fellow first-year back T.J. Yeldon. Eddie Lacy is gone after this season, and Yeldon is almost certainly a three-year player, so getting Drake experience will pay dividends down the line. Freshman receiver Amari Cooper has also been performing at an extremely high level through the first three games. His emergence will make it difficult for opponents to load the box against the run, and force teams to use defensive backs to cover him, Kenny Bell and Kevin Norwood. I look forward to seeing what Cooper does in the coming weeks as his confidence grows. Another pass catching weapon will be invaluable against LSU, since they have a multitude of talented defensive backs.
Focus on the Process: Much ado was made about coach Nick Saban’s “rant” during a press conference leading up to the Western Kentucky game, where he chastised reporters for not giving the proper respect to the opponent. Seeing sportswriters whine like babies was fun enough, but Saban had a bigger point to make with his lecture. He wanted to make sure his players were laser focused on the task at hand, not looking down the road to Arkansas. Although the Tide beat Western Kentucky 35-0, any Alabama fan with an ounce of objectivity would say that the team did not play particularly well. The offensive line allowed numerous sacks, and their play was not nearly up to the level that it needs to be to have a shot at winning the SEC West. Following the Western Kentucky game, it can be said that the team got Saban’s message. Against Arkansas the performance was absolutely dominant. Both the first and second team offensive lines opened up holes big enough for even Lindsay Lohan to drive safely through. Also during that pig roast, Eddie Lacy seemed to regain his swagger. Having Lacy running hard and hitting his stride will help Alabama play their signature brute-force style and wear down opponents.
Penalties: Not everything through the first quarter of the season has been a unicorn rodeo however. Against Michigan and Arkansas, the defense has committed big yardage penalties for hitting quarterbacks late and interfering with receivers. While some of the matter can be chalked up to Alabama’s physical style of play, those infractions simply cannot happen against Tennessee, Missouri and LSU. I am confident that the issue will be cleaned up in the coming weeks; it needs to be. It will be difficult for opponents to score against Alabama all season, the defense doesn’t need to be handing out any gifts to make the task easier.
After waiting what felt like an eternity for the season to finally get underway it is absolutely flying by. All signs point to it being another special one though, and we should enjoy every minute.
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