Five questions heading into Alabama vs. Mississippi State
By Tony Tsoukalas
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scores a touchdown against Mississippi State during last season's game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If everything goes right, Alabama might be celebrating its fourth straight SEC West title Saturday night. The Crimson Tide needs Georgia to beat Auburn on Saturday to set up a potential division-clinching game as Alabama travels to Mississippi State at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Regardless of whether or not the Crimson Tide will be in position to punch its ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game, Saturday’s game will be important as No. 2 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 in the SEC) looks to keep its perfect season alive and remain in the driver’s seat for the College Football Playoff.
Here are five questions to consider heading into the matchup against No. 16 Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2).
Can Alabama replace Hamilton’s leadership?
Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton suffered a season-ending knee injury against LSU. Photo | USA Today
The 40 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, serve as statistical proof of how hard it will be to replace injured linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton. Before going down with a season-ending knee injury against LSU last weekend, the senior ranked second on the team in tackles. However, those numbers only tell half of Hamilton’s value.
“He's tough. He's probably one of the smarter players that we've had around here in my time being here in terms of being able to make adjustments, being able to make calls,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “Helping other players play better because of his ability to do those types of things. He is a good leader. There's a lot of things that he does extremely well, and he's a very, very productive player. He's an all-around good player that is a great teammate, that has been a guy that's a signal caller. So by the things that he does out there, he really allows other players to be able to play with more confidence because of his knowledge and experience.”
A good example of Hamilton’s influence on the defense came during the third quarter of Saturday’s game when LSU running back Darrell Williams broke a 54-yard gain out of the Wildcat formation. On that play, several Alabama defenders were out of position, a problem the Crimson Tide generally avoids due to Hamilton’s veteran instruction on the field.
With Hamilton gone, Alabama will hope redshirt junior Keith Holcombe and true freshman Dylan Moses can help fill that void moving forward.
"It's just something that I have to take on myself that I have to step up to the plate,” Holcombe said. “Like we've always said about the entire season because injuries have been happening, it's the next man up. If that's me or some younger guys or anybody on our defense, we just have to step up, get comfortable and do our job."
Will Nick Fitzgerald be able to trouble the Tide?
Alabama limited Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to 10 of 33 passing for 145 yards and an interception during last season's 51-3 win over the Bulldogs. Photo | Getty Images
Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald fits the mold of dual-threat passers that typically give Alabama’s defense trouble. However, that was hardly the case last season as the Crimson Tide limited him to 10 of 33 passing (30 percent) for 145 yards with an interception in a 55-3 victory over the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa. Still, Alabama heads into the matchup fully aware of how dangerous the 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior can be.
“He has shown a lot of times he can get outside the pocket and be able to extend plays,” Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans said. “It’s going to be a challenge for our defense and I feel like we will be ready for it.”
Through nine games, Fitzgerald has completed 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards and 13 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He is also the Bulldogs leading rusher with 801 yards and 12 touchdowns on 116 carries, an average of 6.91 per touch. That could put a lot of pressure on Alabama’s thin linebacking unit to make plays.
"They have a lot of quarterback runs, so basically you're playing against wildcat at every snap,” Saban said. “But because it's a quarterback and he has a great ability to throw, that's something you have to take into consideration and make sure you can defend their passing game as well. Then when they do pass, his ability to scramble and run also creates problems for the defense.
“Any of these guys that are athletic enough to make plays with their feet, can execute quarterback runs and do it with a level of toughness that is equal to a running back, and then their pocket passing to go out there and make plays in the passing game, I think those guys create lots of problems for everybody on defense, not just linebackers."
How will Alabama use its buffet of receivers?
Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy had 12 receptions for 208 yards and a touchdown this season. Photo | USA Today
Saban called it a menu.
When addressing Alabama’s expanding passing game, the head coach likened every game to a restaurant with coaches cooking up a game plan of several combinations and possibilities.
“You have a menu, and you choose what you want to do and each week based on what the other team does, based on the coverages that they play,” Saban said. “You don't just draw up new stuff every week. So we have a menu. We can expand that or contract it or use the things that we think are best based on what the other team plays. I think that's what we've tried to do all year long and that's what gives the players the best chance to execute.”
Fortunately for Alabama’s playmakers, first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has a healthy appetite.
“I like to think like our players are like some sort of buffet, and Daboll can just come up and be like, ‘I’ll take some [DeVonta Smith] Smitty this week and I’ll take some of Calvin [Ridley]. No, I don’t really want that. Some of that,’” Alabama tight end Hale Hentges said. “It's great about having a lot of great players. It’s something that we’ve been fortunate to have, and these players are going to step up whenever they’re called.”
Alabama completed passes to seven different receivers last week against LSU. The Crimson Tide also completed more passes in the middle of the field and showed an ability to attack teams downfield, two things it didn’t do as much earlier in the season.
Is pass protection a problem?
LSU defensive end Christian LaCouture brings down Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts. Photo | Getty Images
For Alabama to utilize its weapons on offense, it will need to keep Hurts on his feet. Against LSU, that was easier said than done. The Crimson Tide’s offensive line gave up a season-high four sacks last week as the Tigers stacked the box and chased Hurts around the backfield for most of the game.
“I think we’ve got to play better,” Alabama offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher said. “We were kind of in some tough situations with down and distance and whatnot. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to block better. Credit to them, they did a good job and brought some good blitzes that they had and we’ve got to pick them up better. So it’s on us.”
LSU was able to stop Alabama’s ability to run the ball on early downs, setting up several third-and-longs. That contributed to the Crimson Tide going 5 of 14 (36 percent) on third downs.
“I just think they played us well and had a good scheme coming in,” Pierschbacher said of LSU. “I think we missed some blocks here or there, which led to getting in those tough third-and-long situations, where it’s just hard, you know, percentage[-wise] to get a first down, for anyone, no matter how good you are. I just think they did a good job and we need to do better.”
Mississippi State is tied for No. 72 in the nation with just 17 sacks through nine games. That’s a positive for Hurts who might need more time in the pocket to pick apart a secondary that ranks No. 8 in the nation, allowing just 165.2 yards per game through the air.
How quickly can Alabama quiet those annoying cowbells?
Mississippi State Bulldogs students cheer from the stands of Davis Wade Stadium. Photo | Getty Images
Clanga. That’s the word used to describe the clanging and banging that comes from Mississippi State fans who relentlessly ring cowbells during games inside Davis Wade Stadium.
Alabama players who have made the trip are well aware of the noise and how disruptive it can be. However, they’re also aware of how sweet it sounds when that ringing comes to end. During Alabama’s last trip to Starkville, Miss., the Crimson Tide’s defense was able to silence the crowd, tallying nine sacks in a 31-6 victory over the Bulldogs.
"It's always fun going into somebody's house and quieting the entire stadium. That's probably the most fun thing to do in the SEC, if you ask me,” Holcombe said. “Going into somewhere that you know is going to be a hostile environment, everybody hates you out there, and you go out there, do your job, do what you're coached to do and you show everyone that you can play football. Hitting, flying around to the ball, having fun. It's a really cool moment to take all that in when you literally take that crowd out of the game."
BamaInsider.com - Five questions heading into Alabama vs. Mississippi State
