With the offense struggling again, a lot was put on the plate for the Alabama defense. And Kane Wommack's unit answered the bell time and time again, keeping LSU out of the endzone and holding the Tigers to just three field goals in a 20-9 Tide win.
Plenty of Alabama fans - myself included - have been, perhaps unfairly, overly critical of Wommack. But his defense continues to get better week in and week out.
Against LSU, Alabama forced three fumbles and recovered two. In the first quarter, with the offense unable to get anything going, senior LB Nikhai Hill-Green forced and recovered a fumble that led to the first points of the game for the Crimson Tide. Hill-Green has gotten better each, combining with Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson to give Alabama strong play from the inside 'backers.
Late in the first half after a missed Connor Talty chip-shot field goal, Alabama's defense forced a quick three-and-out to get the ball back in the hands of Ty Simpson and the offense with a minute to go. The effort was rewarded, with Simpson engineering a quick touchdown drive to put Alabama up 17-3 at halftime.
In the second half, Alabama's first three offensive possessions went punt-fumble-punt. The defense allowed only two field goals, helping the Crimson Tide hang on to a 17-9 lead in the fourth quarter. After Simpson fumbled on a strip-sack, LSU set up at the Alabama 38-yard line. A LT Overton sack of Michael Van Buren thwarted the Tigers' chances of getting into the endzone.
After Talty booted through a 44-yard field goal to finally give fans a chance to breathe, it was Yhonzae Pierre continuing his game-wrecking ways. Pierre got a strip-sack of Van Buren, recovered by freshman London Simmons, to shut the door for good.
Reinforcements are on the way to help Alabama's defense reach another level
Alabama held LSU to just 232 total yards, including just 59 yards on the ground. Pierre and Overton combined for three sacks, and Alabama's defensive line consistently harassed both LSU QBs.
And that's happening without one of the most talented players on the defense: third-year Wolf LB Qua Russaw, who forced Pierre into a backup role early in the season. Pierre's backup days are over. He's simply been too dominant off the edge not to play starter's snaps.
But Russaw's imminent return will help bolster the Tide's pass rush. Both Noah Carter and Justin Hill have played well in backup roles, but getting the bulk of those snaps to Russaw changes a lot for the Tide's defense. And Wommack will undoubtedly look to find ways to get both Russaw and Pierre on the field together as much as possible on passing downs.
Wommack is learning what buttons to press and what calls to make. He's evolving with the defense. Nobody will mistake this version of LSU's offense with the 2019 Tigers, but it was still a dominant effort defensively that Alabama absolutely had to have to earn the win.