September 29, 2015
Sean Landry
For its fifth game of the season, after three weeks of playing against modern-style football teams with heavy passing attacks, spread offenses and no huddles, the University of Alabama is going back to basics.
Unlike against spread teams, Reggie Ragland and the defense will be in a 'regular' formation this week.
"We've only played against one team that has actually played a little bit like Georgia does at least 50 percent of the time, which is what I call regular, and that was Wisconsin," coach Nick Saban said Monday. "For the last three weeks we haven't played against that kind of team, so we're looking forward to the challenge of trying to get back to being able to play that kind of football."
To Saban, "regular" means more standard play-action, fewer quarterback runs and a more traditional approach to offense. That kind of football in Georgia's case, Saban said, looks a lot like the kind of football his teams at Alabama have typically played.
"It's very physical," Saban said. "Direct runs, they can run the ball on the perimeter, they have a very well conceived scheme of play action passes as well as the modern day run-pass, option passes. All those things present challenges in defense, and I think it's going to take 11 guys really doing their job well to be able to play well against a team that has as many weapons and as much balance as Georgia does."
The similarities don't end on offense. With former Alabama player and secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt serving as UGA's defensive coordinator, the game could feel as much like a scrimmage as an SEC matchup on both sides of the ball.
"I would say they look a lot like some of our teams of the past," Saban said. "Very physical, don't make a lot of mistakes, don't beat themselves much. And they play with a lot of toughness and they're very aggressive on both sides of the ball. That's the kind of team that we've always sort of aspired to have here. And it certainly looks like that's the kind of team they have developed there."
Ahead of Alabama's season opener against Wisconsin, linebacker Reggie Ragland said he looks forward to physical matchups where the defense can see "what type of guys we've got."
That still holds true in week five on the road.
"We love it," Ragland said. "It just shows that we have to play fast and be mentally strong out there. You can play mentally tough all day, but if you don't have the right mind set and you're not mentally strong out there and still looking at your keys and knowing what's going on with the play and what call you're in, it doesn't matter.
"So you have to be out there and be really physical and want to accept the challenge. It's going to be a very good physical game, and I'm ready for it."
- See more at: Alabama goes to 'regular' lineup against Georgia
Sean Landry
For its fifth game of the season, after three weeks of playing against modern-style football teams with heavy passing attacks, spread offenses and no huddles, the University of Alabama is going back to basics.
Unlike against spread teams, Reggie Ragland and the defense will be in a 'regular' formation this week.
"We've only played against one team that has actually played a little bit like Georgia does at least 50 percent of the time, which is what I call regular, and that was Wisconsin," coach Nick Saban said Monday. "For the last three weeks we haven't played against that kind of team, so we're looking forward to the challenge of trying to get back to being able to play that kind of football."
To Saban, "regular" means more standard play-action, fewer quarterback runs and a more traditional approach to offense. That kind of football in Georgia's case, Saban said, looks a lot like the kind of football his teams at Alabama have typically played.
"It's very physical," Saban said. "Direct runs, they can run the ball on the perimeter, they have a very well conceived scheme of play action passes as well as the modern day run-pass, option passes. All those things present challenges in defense, and I think it's going to take 11 guys really doing their job well to be able to play well against a team that has as many weapons and as much balance as Georgia does."
The similarities don't end on offense. With former Alabama player and secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt serving as UGA's defensive coordinator, the game could feel as much like a scrimmage as an SEC matchup on both sides of the ball.
"I would say they look a lot like some of our teams of the past," Saban said. "Very physical, don't make a lot of mistakes, don't beat themselves much. And they play with a lot of toughness and they're very aggressive on both sides of the ball. That's the kind of team that we've always sort of aspired to have here. And it certainly looks like that's the kind of team they have developed there."
Ahead of Alabama's season opener against Wisconsin, linebacker Reggie Ragland said he looks forward to physical matchups where the defense can see "what type of guys we've got."
That still holds true in week five on the road.
"We love it," Ragland said. "It just shows that we have to play fast and be mentally strong out there. You can play mentally tough all day, but if you don't have the right mind set and you're not mentally strong out there and still looking at your keys and knowing what's going on with the play and what call you're in, it doesn't matter.
"So you have to be out there and be really physical and want to accept the challenge. It's going to be a very good physical game, and I'm ready for it."
- See more at: Alabama goes to 'regular' lineup against Georgia
