Kane Wommack isn't willing to accept anything in a win that he wouldn't in a loss when it comes to critiquing his Alabama defense.
That standard was made clear Monday when he took responsibility for the defensive breakdown that led to the Crimson Tide's only touchdown allowed against East Carolina. The play came on a busted coverage zone assignment when Pirates quarterback Mitch Griffis connected with wide receiver Tyler Johnson for a 68-yard gain, setting up a passing touchdown from Griffis to wide receiver Jeremiah Melvin at the goal line.
In hindsight, it was one play that stemmed from a botched defensive call and snowballed from there, but the bigger takeaway was what Wommack was able to identify as the root of the problem: communication.
Kane Wommack knows Alabama must do a better job commuicating defensively
“We did have a miscommunication piece on the opposite side of the ball when we’re in that coverage,” Wommack said to reporters Monday. “The ball was in the middle of the field, and they were going tempo. They got to an empty play. I could have put us in a better situation there. I could have put us probably in a better call to start with.
"Ideally, when they’re running four verticals down the field, you want to get a reroute on that number two receiver. We did not get a reroute, so now all of a sudden, he’s running down the seam quickly. There was a communication that should have been made on the back end with our middle third player, who, when they come out in that formation, we say Hey, there’s the threat of being able to run four verticals here, and that did not happen. So, we kind of lost the middle presence of the defense in that regard. Both Bray (Hubbard) and Zabien (Brown), between the two of them, we got to do a better job of holding off that seam in the hook drop and then creating more overlap in the defense as well. A number of things broke down, including that I could have put them in a better situation there.”
Wommack's early-season self-accountability was evident in his willingness to put the mistake on himself rather than pinning it on his players. But with Alabama set to open SEC play on the road against Kentucky this Saturday, he also understands the importance of correcting it now.
“It’s something that we will make sure we address because whatever you put on tape, you’re going to see it again,” Wommack said.
Lack of communication has been a recurring issue for Alabama's defenses in recent years, and it could be the one kryptonite standing between this year's secondary and reaching its ceiling.
The talent is there. The experience is there. But none of that matters if the Tide aren't locked in on the same page when offenses speed up and force the defense to communicate on the fly.
Wommack's corrections will be tested immediately as the Crimson Tide defense now prepares to face first-year starter Kenny Mincey and the Wildcats' offense after seeing the transfer quarterback light it up by completing 18 of 27 passes for four touchdowns and 301 yards in Kentucky's 45 to 13 season-opening victory over Youngstown State.
It'll be interesting to see what improvements Alabama's secondary makes when the lights are brighter, the margin for error is smaller, and the opponent is more equipped to expose them. The picture response to that question could go a long way towards determining whether the Tide finally conquers its weaknesses or allows its kryptonite to derail its season.
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