Sugar Bowl Preview- Part Two: Bama Offense vs Utah Defense
December 27, 2008
By Terry Pellman (TerryP)
External factors.
I keep coming back to them when I break down this game. In part one of our preview, we looked at them from more of a fan and team point of view. Now, we’ll get into a few of them from an “on the field perspective,” then delve into the match-up between the Crimson Tide offense going against the Utah Ute defense.
Like any other post-season, this winter is beginning to be filled with coaching changes. Utah hasn’t been exempt from this theme recently losing their defensive coordinator, Gary Andersen, to the Utah State program as their next head coach.
One might suspect this could have an impact on the Sugar Bowl and how prepared Utah is for this game. Yet, it should have no impact on the outcome what-so-ever.
When looking at Utah’s coaching staff, and in this case the defensive coordinator position, it’s important to take a few steps back.
Utah’s head coach, Kyle Whittingham, spent 11 years as an assistant coach for the Utes before taking over as head coach for the departing Urban Meyer. Ten of those years were spent as the defensive coordinator.
The defensive scheme Whittingham brought to the Ute program was one his father, also a coach on defense, has worked with for years. Now, even with the departure of Anderson, it’s highly unlikely we will see any variance in how Utah prepares for their game against Alabama or what results they have on the field.
Many in the media have talked about how this is a battle between the defensive-minded Nick Saban and the Utah offense. But, the reality of the situation shows these are two coaches who “cut their teeth” in football by coaching defense.
The Matchup
It’s a safe assumption to say if you asked anyone who has the slightest bit of interest in this game “what do you think Alabama is going to do” they’ll give you the same answer.
Run the ball, sprinkle in a little play action pass just to keep the defense honest, and play with as few mistakes as possible.
Just as Alabama has had success running the ball throughout the 12 games already played this year, you can expect Alabama to once again have success against the Utah defense.
By no means is that discouting the talent Utah has on the defensive line. They have been a very good run defense in 2008.
While I do see where Alabama has an advantage, it isn’t found with the defensive ends on the Ute line. The combination of Paul Kruger and Koa Misi has had a lot of success both in run and pass defense this season. Their run defensive prowess is evidenced by the fact they lead this Utah defensive line in the number of tackles (both in the top five on the team) and Paul Kruger is the better of the two.
Kruger, who’ll be matched against Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, understands what he’ll have to deal with when he faces the two time All-American.
“I respect him a lot,” he said. “As far as his size and speed, I’ve played against guys who have similarities, but as a whole no one has matched up to his abilities. I’m really excited to see what I can do against a competitor like that.”
The story of this game, in terms of defending the Alabama rushing attack, isn’t going to come from the defensive end positions. It’s going to be the interior of the Utah defensive line versus the interior of Alabama’s offensive line.
Just after Utah’s starting tackle was hurt in the first game of the season, Derrick Shelby moved from his end position to play defensive tackle for the Utes. When one uses the term, “outmanned,” there is no better definition than looking at either of Alabama’s two starting guards or their center lined up against Shelby who comes in at 6′3″, 250lbs.
Is Shelby intimidated, much less concerned, about facing an All-American center flanked by two guards also destined to play on Sunday’s? According to Shelby, the Alabama line is all-hype. In a recent interview Shelby was asked what he thought about facing this Tide unit:
UteZone: What are your thoughts on Bama’s o-line?
Shelby: Every line is pretty much the same, it’s all hype. The way I look at it is it’s just another o-line to go up against.
UteZone: What are your thoughts on Bama’s running game?
Shelby: You have to have the mindset that it’s going to be a grinder, fight-it-out kind of game. You can’t just go in there lackadaisical because they will shove it down your throat all game.
Part of this he has right. It is going to be a grinder, fight-it-out kind of game.
All-Hype? We’ll let him be the judge of that when the final gun sounds Jan. 2nd.
Shelby has help in the middle from Greg Newman, who has had better numbers this year, but is still comes in at 6′3″- 265lbs: under-sized for a typical tackle.
Interestingly enough the other two tackles in their rotation, Sealver Siliga and Aaron Tonga, fit more in the typical defensive tackle mold.
You can expect Alabama to line up on offense in the same traditional set they have all year: the Ace formation featuring a two-tight end look a good majority of the time.
IF Alabama was a team that looked to “hit the edges” with their running game the advantage would still fall on their side, but not in the same degree as it does for this game.
There is no doubt that the offensive game plan will be to run between the tackles.
Utah, in their 4-3 set, will counter that by sliding one of their safeties into the box to present an 8-man front. That player is likely to be Joe Dale. Dale will need as much assistance as he can get from their linebacking corps, specifically their two leading tacklers Stevenson Sylvester ( Rover type position) and Mike Wright.
Their linebacking corps is a solid group, not like some teams who feature one specific playmaker, a group that plays well as a unit in run defense situations.
If there is a question mark that lies over the linebackers with Utah it comes in the form of their pass defense/coverage skills.
Much like there is little doubt on Alabama’s plan for offense, the same can be said for the Utah defensive scheme. Their approach to this game is easily summed up by reading their corner-back, Sean Smith’s, thoughts on the game. Smith said after watching film he feels the Utes match up well with the Tide defensively.
“We’re not worried about the passing game,” he said. “We feel like if we can stop the run, we’ll be OK.”
Here’s a unit where one could look at the statistics and come up with the conclusion that the Utah secondary is suspect. But, here’s also a situation where the statistics don’t always convey the true definition of the unit.
Smith is joined by Brice McCain on the corners and supported by Robert Johnson and Joel Dale at the safety positions. All four defensive back have had interceptions this year. Even though they have given up a lot of yards through the air, they’ve been facing teams that leaned heavily on their passing game this season.
But, and perhaps most importantly, they haven’t given up a lot of big plays from their secondary. Which, fittingly, isn’t something Alabama has relied on this season.
To completely discount the passing attack from the Crimson Tide is fool-hardy.
Teams that have defended the down field threat from Julio Jones, arguably the only true play-maker in the Tide receiving corps, have done so by playing man coverage combined with using a safety over the top. Therein lies some potential problems for the Utah defense.
If they defend the threat of Jones downfield in the same manner as teams have this season with double coverage they are going to be leaving the middle of the field wide open. Here they’ll likely have one safety playing over the top against Jones and the other safety, Joe Dale in this case, sneaking up in the box to defend the run.
That defensive approach will work. But, it’ll only work to contain Jones.
What that leaves is either the Utah defense playing a nickel package taking away from their run support or lining up one of their linebackers to cover the 3rd or slot receiver on passing routes. Linebackers, as mentioned earlier, whose strength isn’t found in their coverage skills.
Much like the Utah defensive line vs the Alabama offensive line, eventually they are going to be out-manned. It’s just a matter of “picking their poison.”
Snynopsis.
Here again, I find myself going back to the external factors.
The fan base for the Utes have felt going into this game that their team isn’t receiving the respect they deserve. (Ironically, based on some of the comments from the players for Utah, the same conclusion could be drawn from the Alabama side. Their players don’t respect what they will be facing in the Sugar Bowl)
One constant mantra has been “this Alabama team better take Utah seriously.”
To that, I couldn’t agree more. Utah fields a good football team and if taken lightly they easily could leave New Orleans with their second BCS Bowl win.
However, the notion that this Alabama team would take the Utes lightly doesn’t fit with the mentality, focus, and determination this Crimson Tide team is built upon.
From quarterback John Parker Wilson on down to guys who have only seen the field in limited action the focus on this came is sure.
“If we can go out and win this game, win a Sugar Bowl, win a BCS game, it’ll kind of wrap everything up,” Wilson said. “If we don’t, we’ll be just another team, another season.”
It’s important to remember where these guys come from. They clearly remember a #4 ranking in 2005 when they were freshman. The remember what it’s like to achieve a level of success only to see the season end on a sour note.
“We’re playing a BCS game in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a huge deal around here,” Wilson said. “There’s pictures of it everywhere in our weight room from the past teams and the guys in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a big deal, a huge game, and I want to go out on top.”
“What does it mean to me?” running back Glen Coffee repeated. “A BCS game, another chance to show America what Alabama is about. It’s great to be in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a great accomplishment. But it doesn’t mean anything unless we come back with a victory.”
And it’s not over. All-American left tackle Andre Smith said the game is a chance to bury the frustration of the loss to Florida in the SEC Championship Game.
“We had a couple slip-ups, and it is a chance for us to go out there and redeem ourselves for the mistakes we made,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that hard for the team to get up because we all want to go out on top.”
Coming next from the staff at RollTideBama.com’s Blog:
- Part Three: Utah’s offense vs Alabama’s defense.
- Trickle Down Economics and Pigskin Prediction: Utah vs Alabama
- Exit Exams: Reviewing the Tide Senior Class
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[...] the second part of our game preview we looked at the Alabama offense and how they matched up against the Utah defense.