Aaron Suttles
TideSports.com Senior Writer
There is a silent exuberance, a hushed cockiness really, around the halls of the Mal Moore Building right now.
It's a quiet storm building, approaching, ready to make landfall Saturday evening. The coaches see it coming. They've seen it advancing for months.
While nearly all the talk during the spring, summer and fall camp centered on the five individuals embroiled in a quarterback competition, the 11 guys on defense, and their numerous more-than-capable reserves, reticently went about their business without much fanfare.
Alabama's defense is trying to improve on its downturn from 2014.
What little discussion existed of the defense centralized on the harsh reality of the way it ended the previous season, namely allowing 44 and 42 points in two of its final three games.
With that motivation, the defense worked. There were changes made, new coaches added, positions tweaked.
Mel Tucker entered as the secondary coach, ready to energize a beleaguered unit with fresh ideas and an NFL pedigree. Kirby Smart shifted to inside linebacker coach, a spot he feels more suited in as the defensive coordinator. Tosh Lupoi took over the outside linebackers group, and set out to utilize his expertise as a defensive line coach to make his guys pass rushing specialists.
Two cornerbacks, Geno Matias-Smith and Eddie Jackson, transitioned to safety, immediately making the secondary more athletic, more versatile, more equipped to counter the many fast-paced offense it faces.
Against that backdrop, the 2015 University of Alabama defense enters, and there is a real consideration that it's the best UA defense since the iconic 2011 unit, a band of players that collectively is widely considered one of the best in college football history. There is even deliberation that this group might be on par with 2011.
Any comparison with the 2011 defense first needs to begin with a historical understanding. For starters, any precursory glance at the overwhelming numbers from that defense tells the story: 183.6 yards per game, which was about 80 yards better than the second-ranked team; 8.2 points per game, which was three points better than the second-ranked team. In each instance, LSU, the team Alabama beat for the BCS national championship, was the second-ranked team.
The other fact that must be reconciled in any comparison attempt is the fact the game changed. College football is as offensive a game as it has ever been, and unless the rules are reversed, the statistics that were seen from the 2011 defense will never be seen again.
So any analytical attempt to measure this defense against any other must begin with a realization that it must be interpreted in a different way.
"I think it's really hard to make that comparison to this group to what happened to '09 or '11 or '12, it's just the game is evolving," former NFL Cleveland Browns general manager and current UA radio commentator Phil Savage said. "The stats, you have to adjust those in your mind. It used to be giving up 10 or 12 points a game was outstanding. Now really 17, 18 points a game is quite good."
Last year, Alabama allowed 18.4 points per game, which ranked No. 6 in scoring defense.
They literally go nine deep
Any examination of the defense must materialize with the large men up front.
The defensive line remains the strength, a season after emerging as one of the best fronts in the game. Not only is there talent, it's also comes in abundance.
Jarran Reed is among a loaded defensive line that the defense is built upon.
Consider that the former No. 1 player in the country, Da'Shawn Hand, is listed as third team on the recently released depth chart. That's not a knock to Hand, a young, quality player. It's more an illustration of just how absurdly deep the talent pool is on the Alabama defensive line.
When Jarran Reed opted to stay in Tuscaloosa for his senior season, it was just the cherry on top. One NFL scout told The Tuscaloosa News that Reed has "first or second round" written all over him, referring to the 2016 NFL Draft.
A'Shawn Robinson and Jonathan Allen, both juniors, will be draft eligible after the season, and both are considered big talents. D.J. Pettway and Dalvin Tomlinson have both shown excellence. Hand, Darren Lake and Josh Frazier are all loads to handle. Then there is true freshman Daron Payne, who has drawn rave reviews from teammates and UA coach Nick Saban.
"I think we have a good mix in terms of the diversity of types of players that we have - some guys are athletic and rush, while some guys are big and physical and can play inside," Saban said. "So I feel like we have nine or ten guys who can make a contribution…"
The 2011 defensive line featured Josh Chapman, Damion Square, Jesse Williams, Ed Stinson, Quinton Dial, Nick Gentry and Undra Billingsly.
The current crop has more options and is arguably more talented.
"With this defense, It all starts up front," Savage said. "They literally go eight or nine deep on the defensive line with legitimate SEC-caliber players."
The only thing the defensive line is missing, and has been missing for some time, is a consistent pass rush, but Alabama relies on its outside linebackers, whom often line up with their hand down to provide the pressure.
"Alabama's never really had a guy on the defensive line that could flat out get after the quarterback," an NFL scout said. "They got close with landing Clowney, but they've never had that guy. It's the one thing they're missing."
Ryan Anderson, Tim Williams and Rashaan Evans are three outside linebackers capable of making opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, and each should contribute significantly depending on the defensive package in the game.
Most would point to the secondary as the unknown. Not to Savage, a personnel expert.
"The big question in my mind is 'Where is the edge pressure going to come from?'" Savage said. "It's been one of the issues that this defense has had. They've never had the true bell cow pass rusher. Is it Ryan Anderson? Is it Rashaan Evans with a breakthrough year? Is it Tim Williams in a sub package? Which player can give them that kind of ability off the corner. That's my biggest concern."
With quarterbacks getting rid of the ball quicker than ever, a consistent pass rush isn't always as easy to obtain as one might think.
"There's a lot of shotgun quarterbacks, many passes coming out very quickly, lateral throws before you even get off the mark as a pass rusher," Savage said.
Equipped to handle the spread
Without the defense having played a game, it's hard to assess where it ranks, but there is one given about this group: it is more equipped to face the fast ball teams.
Alabama's starting safeties, including Eddie Jackson, are both converted corners.
Aside from more versatile defensive linemen and more fast-twitch linebackers, the secondary got an upgrade of athleticism when Matias-Smith and Jackson moved to safety. With UA playing less teams that require it to load the box with a physical safety like Mark Barron or Landon Collins, Saban decided to essentially have cornerbacks man the free and strong safety spots.
That gives the secondary two more guys with good ball skills and coverage ability, skills that come in handy when an opposing offense is slinging the ball all over the field.
"I think the defensive backfield is going to play quite well," Savage said. "They've got literally four defensive backs with cornerback experience they're going to start now. I think this helps them combat all this spread, play out in space type of schemes that they're going to play against.
"I think the addition of Mel Tucker is going to be very positive because he can be a translator in terms of the scheme and system and the lingo from Nick and Kirby (Smart) want, what the players can absorb and actually comprehend and actually apply out of the field."
The secondary allowed what seemed like an unusually high amount of third-down conversions in 2014, nearly 38 percent which ranked seventh in the SEC. It was the worst the defense had performed in that category in Saban's UA tenure.
The changes, UA hopes, will rectify that oddity.
Another year of experience against those offenses should help, too. UA senior linebacker Reggie Ragland said it comes down to a mentality.
"I felt in the past we had the guys, but it's all about work ethic - a guy's got to want to," Ragland said. "When you're facing teams like that you have to want to. I think this year we have guys who want to do it. It's all about everyone having the right mindset and I think we're going to get the job done."
Unless Wisconsin breaks out a radically offensive philosophy, those questions won't be an answered this weekend.
All in all, though, the defense is in its best position to counter the fast ball offenses, but until the games start, Saban is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"Well, it remains to be seen," he said. "That's something that we definitely need to improve on in terms of our ability to execute on a consistent basis and not let those types of things affect us in terms of discipline, the focus, keying the right things, paying the right things, not making mental errors, being able to recognize and react the way you normally would.
"We've tried to practice it more. This group has a little more experience, especially in the number of those types of teams that we played a year ago. So I'm hopeful that we're going to do better, but I think they really have to go out there and do it."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1798808#sthash.fME4UfIF.dpuf
TideSports.com Senior Writer
There is a silent exuberance, a hushed cockiness really, around the halls of the Mal Moore Building right now.
It's a quiet storm building, approaching, ready to make landfall Saturday evening. The coaches see it coming. They've seen it advancing for months.
While nearly all the talk during the spring, summer and fall camp centered on the five individuals embroiled in a quarterback competition, the 11 guys on defense, and their numerous more-than-capable reserves, reticently went about their business without much fanfare.
Alabama's defense is trying to improve on its downturn from 2014.
What little discussion existed of the defense centralized on the harsh reality of the way it ended the previous season, namely allowing 44 and 42 points in two of its final three games.
With that motivation, the defense worked. There were changes made, new coaches added, positions tweaked.
Mel Tucker entered as the secondary coach, ready to energize a beleaguered unit with fresh ideas and an NFL pedigree. Kirby Smart shifted to inside linebacker coach, a spot he feels more suited in as the defensive coordinator. Tosh Lupoi took over the outside linebackers group, and set out to utilize his expertise as a defensive line coach to make his guys pass rushing specialists.
Two cornerbacks, Geno Matias-Smith and Eddie Jackson, transitioned to safety, immediately making the secondary more athletic, more versatile, more equipped to counter the many fast-paced offense it faces.
Against that backdrop, the 2015 University of Alabama defense enters, and there is a real consideration that it's the best UA defense since the iconic 2011 unit, a band of players that collectively is widely considered one of the best in college football history. There is even deliberation that this group might be on par with 2011.
Any comparison with the 2011 defense first needs to begin with a historical understanding. For starters, any precursory glance at the overwhelming numbers from that defense tells the story: 183.6 yards per game, which was about 80 yards better than the second-ranked team; 8.2 points per game, which was three points better than the second-ranked team. In each instance, LSU, the team Alabama beat for the BCS national championship, was the second-ranked team.
The other fact that must be reconciled in any comparison attempt is the fact the game changed. College football is as offensive a game as it has ever been, and unless the rules are reversed, the statistics that were seen from the 2011 defense will never be seen again.
So any analytical attempt to measure this defense against any other must begin with a realization that it must be interpreted in a different way.
"I think it's really hard to make that comparison to this group to what happened to '09 or '11 or '12, it's just the game is evolving," former NFL Cleveland Browns general manager and current UA radio commentator Phil Savage said. "The stats, you have to adjust those in your mind. It used to be giving up 10 or 12 points a game was outstanding. Now really 17, 18 points a game is quite good."
Last year, Alabama allowed 18.4 points per game, which ranked No. 6 in scoring defense.
They literally go nine deep
Any examination of the defense must materialize with the large men up front.
The defensive line remains the strength, a season after emerging as one of the best fronts in the game. Not only is there talent, it's also comes in abundance.
Jarran Reed is among a loaded defensive line that the defense is built upon.
Consider that the former No. 1 player in the country, Da'Shawn Hand, is listed as third team on the recently released depth chart. That's not a knock to Hand, a young, quality player. It's more an illustration of just how absurdly deep the talent pool is on the Alabama defensive line.
When Jarran Reed opted to stay in Tuscaloosa for his senior season, it was just the cherry on top. One NFL scout told The Tuscaloosa News that Reed has "first or second round" written all over him, referring to the 2016 NFL Draft.
A'Shawn Robinson and Jonathan Allen, both juniors, will be draft eligible after the season, and both are considered big talents. D.J. Pettway and Dalvin Tomlinson have both shown excellence. Hand, Darren Lake and Josh Frazier are all loads to handle. Then there is true freshman Daron Payne, who has drawn rave reviews from teammates and UA coach Nick Saban.
"I think we have a good mix in terms of the diversity of types of players that we have - some guys are athletic and rush, while some guys are big and physical and can play inside," Saban said. "So I feel like we have nine or ten guys who can make a contribution…"
The 2011 defensive line featured Josh Chapman, Damion Square, Jesse Williams, Ed Stinson, Quinton Dial, Nick Gentry and Undra Billingsly.
The current crop has more options and is arguably more talented.
"With this defense, It all starts up front," Savage said. "They literally go eight or nine deep on the defensive line with legitimate SEC-caliber players."
The only thing the defensive line is missing, and has been missing for some time, is a consistent pass rush, but Alabama relies on its outside linebackers, whom often line up with their hand down to provide the pressure.
"Alabama's never really had a guy on the defensive line that could flat out get after the quarterback," an NFL scout said. "They got close with landing Clowney, but they've never had that guy. It's the one thing they're missing."
Ryan Anderson, Tim Williams and Rashaan Evans are three outside linebackers capable of making opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, and each should contribute significantly depending on the defensive package in the game.
Most would point to the secondary as the unknown. Not to Savage, a personnel expert.
"The big question in my mind is 'Where is the edge pressure going to come from?'" Savage said. "It's been one of the issues that this defense has had. They've never had the true bell cow pass rusher. Is it Ryan Anderson? Is it Rashaan Evans with a breakthrough year? Is it Tim Williams in a sub package? Which player can give them that kind of ability off the corner. That's my biggest concern."
With quarterbacks getting rid of the ball quicker than ever, a consistent pass rush isn't always as easy to obtain as one might think.
"There's a lot of shotgun quarterbacks, many passes coming out very quickly, lateral throws before you even get off the mark as a pass rusher," Savage said.
Equipped to handle the spread
Without the defense having played a game, it's hard to assess where it ranks, but there is one given about this group: it is more equipped to face the fast ball teams.
Alabama's starting safeties, including Eddie Jackson, are both converted corners.
Aside from more versatile defensive linemen and more fast-twitch linebackers, the secondary got an upgrade of athleticism when Matias-Smith and Jackson moved to safety. With UA playing less teams that require it to load the box with a physical safety like Mark Barron or Landon Collins, Saban decided to essentially have cornerbacks man the free and strong safety spots.
That gives the secondary two more guys with good ball skills and coverage ability, skills that come in handy when an opposing offense is slinging the ball all over the field.
"I think the defensive backfield is going to play quite well," Savage said. "They've got literally four defensive backs with cornerback experience they're going to start now. I think this helps them combat all this spread, play out in space type of schemes that they're going to play against.
"I think the addition of Mel Tucker is going to be very positive because he can be a translator in terms of the scheme and system and the lingo from Nick and Kirby (Smart) want, what the players can absorb and actually comprehend and actually apply out of the field."
The secondary allowed what seemed like an unusually high amount of third-down conversions in 2014, nearly 38 percent which ranked seventh in the SEC. It was the worst the defense had performed in that category in Saban's UA tenure.
The changes, UA hopes, will rectify that oddity.
Another year of experience against those offenses should help, too. UA senior linebacker Reggie Ragland said it comes down to a mentality.
"I felt in the past we had the guys, but it's all about work ethic - a guy's got to want to," Ragland said. "When you're facing teams like that you have to want to. I think this year we have guys who want to do it. It's all about everyone having the right mindset and I think we're going to get the job done."
Unless Wisconsin breaks out a radically offensive philosophy, those questions won't be an answered this weekend.
All in all, though, the defense is in its best position to counter the fast ball offenses, but until the games start, Saban is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"Well, it remains to be seen," he said. "That's something that we definitely need to improve on in terms of our ability to execute on a consistent basis and not let those types of things affect us in terms of discipline, the focus, keying the right things, paying the right things, not making mental errors, being able to recognize and react the way you normally would.
"We've tried to practice it more. This group has a little more experience, especially in the number of those types of teams that we played a year ago. So I'm hopeful that we're going to do better, but I think they really have to go out there and do it."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1798808#sthash.fME4UfIF.dpuf
