@Brandon Van de Graaff in all fairness it is really hard to wipe the memory of the way Bama has been playing from our minds especially on D. With that said I have not watched the Viles or do I ever except when Bama is playing them. I might flip it over if I get a sniff that someone is putting a beat down on them just to watch their misery. Seems like they were lighting people up early in the season but maybe the competition was not great. In the end our skepticism is warranted.
I've watched probably around 80% of their snaps this season... they have had some similar issues to Bama... such as playing down to the competition the last 2 weeks. They usually play much better at home, but last week they didn't look great vs. the Gators. If Mertz doesn't leave the game injured, Florida probably wins it. Their defense is much improved though. Their RB Dylan Sampson is really
, really good... He's averaging about 6 yards a carry and has 15 TD's already. Their QB Nico Iamaleava has tons of potential but is still in that greenhorn phase where he makes some mistakes (holding the ball too long, bad ball security, poor reads, etc.). But physically, he can do it all. He's been a tick "off" the past 2 games and missed some open guys deep... hopefully, that inconsistency carries over to Saturday because he's going to have some chances in the passing game. What they don't have that's hurt them is those high level playmakers at WR. Squirrel White leads them in receptions with 20, but he has 0 TD's.
IMO, this game is about limiting Sampson and keeping their offense out of their hurry up/go fast rhythm where they tend to get comfortable. Getting pressure on Iamaleava without having to bring extra bodies all the time would be huge, and the Vol offensive line has had their share of issues. There's an opportunity there for Bama.
What I want, and
need, to see from Bama is guys playing harder, more physical. I'm starting to wonder if they have it in them. They love to talk about it, but I haven't really seen them
be about it much this season. Show me that it means something like the first half of the UGA game when there was a sharp focus on offense and blood in the water on defense. When someone shows me who they are with their actions, not their words, I tend to believe them. Thus far, Bama's actions have said differently than their words, and unfortunately, that's the side I'm starting to believe. I hope the set my ass straight late Saturday afternoon...