Alabama Football: Tide’s report card vs. Southern Miss
By Dakota Cox
Alabama football’s report card vs. Southern Miss
Inside Linebackers: B+
The struggles of the defense so far this season haven’t been due to the inside linebackers. There are some tackling concerns, but the group has been relatively solid so far this season. Other than one error on an RPO read, the group had another solid game.
Southern Miss had a mobile quarterback, but the inside linebackers held him in check for most of the game. It wasn’t perfect, but they avoided any back-breaking plays. With Southern Miss’s option offense, the stress fell on the entire front seven. They held for most of the game, and this will be a key next week as Lane Kiffin will try to exploit the linebackers.
Outside Linebackers: A-
Will Anderson could genuinely shine in the NFL right now, and he’s only a sophomore for Alabama football. He does everything right, and his tackles make you wince in the stands.
Anderson took care of his assignments in this game as he attacked the mesh point in the option. He’s in charge of hitting the running back, and he did just that.
Drew Sanders had another great game as well. He has the speed to step back in coverage, and this adds another wrinkle to Alabama football’s defense. That is crucial as the Tide try to figure out ways to put stress on opposing offenses. This is certainly one way to do just that, and it will be fun to watch as the season progresses.