Morning Kickoff: Crimson Tide News 10/8
By Chris Hale
Get your day started with the Morning Kickoff. All of your Crimson Tide news in one place.
Alabama football: Tide secondary might not be as bad as you think
"What Alabama coach Nick Saban doesn’t want to happen is for his secondary to play well for the majority of the game then give up a big play or two.That’s what Saban said he saw after reviewing the film from Saturday’s 23-17 loss to Ole Miss. Saban said he felt “we played pretty decent” other than “two big plays” and a few third-down situations.On one of those big plays, Saban said the secondary “didn’t play the post properly,” which led to a 34-yard touchdown from Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace to receiver Vince Sanders. The other, a 50-yard pass to Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram, happened because of a “mental error on defense.”"
After watching the game again, I have to agree that it wasn’t all that bad. Sure there was a few mistakes but Saban always says he wants to limit big plays. Two is not a bad day’s work.
Alabama special teams a sore spot
"Nick Saban liked his kicker’s mindset.Adam Griffith, he said, was “even keel — not real emotional.”For a kicker, that’s particularly high praise.“When he gets out of that a little bit, he gets right back to trying to correct it and doesn’t go haywire,” Saban explained.That was a week ago.Now that turn-the-page attitude will be put to the test.Alabama’s sophomore kicker missed two key field goals during last Saturday’s 6-point loss at Ole Miss. He made his final attempt from 44 yards out, but it did little to overshadow the Crimson Tide’s struggles on special teams."
This is a concern for me over everything else. It’s been Tide fans’ fear for the past few seasons. The TV coverage did say that the wind was blowing but I am not sure how much and if it was enough to affect those kicks like that. Hopefully, he will be settled down this weekend.
Alabama Football: How Fixable Are Tide’s Major Weaknesses?
"The potential weaknesses many pointed out for this Alabama team have persisted five games into the 2014 season.Ole Miss, in particular, exploited many of these big weaknesses en route to a 23-17 win that gave Alabama its first loss of the season. The Rebels hit several big plays in the passing game, forced turnovers the last two times Alabama had the ball and held the Crimson Tide to a season-low 168 yards on the ground.Alabama has a lot to correct if it wants to make a run at the SEC West, SEC and College Football Playoff. So how fixable are these weaknesses? Let’s take a look at a couple of the major ones."
Great read from Marc Torrence on the Tide’s weaknesses and just how hard it is to fix to them. The penalties and ball control issues should be fixed easily but we have had problems with the latter for a while now.
Men’s Golf Wins Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Title for Third Straight Year
"Three Alabama golfers finished among the top-10 individuals, as the 14th-ranked Crimson Tide men’s golf captured the 2014 Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate tournament title on Tuesday."
Baseball Kicks Off Week Three of the Fall Season
"The Alabama baseball team returns to Sewell-Thomas Stadium for the third week of their fall workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Crimson Tide will then scrimmage on Thursday and Friday afternoon to wrap up the week.The Tide will have full team practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The team will hold its annual scout day on Thursday beginning at 2 p.m. Scout day provides an opportunity for the Tide’s draft-eligible players to showcase their abilities in front of representatives from Major League teams. The team will play an intrasquad scrimmage for these scouts that afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for approximately 3 p.m."