Sean Landry
Special to TideSports.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - As senior linebacker Dillon Lee said last week, Nick Saban's defenses at The University of Alabama have been built to "stop the run first and go from there." In 2014, the defense was largely successful with the former, but "go from there"-stopping the pass-posed problems. In Saturday night's 2015 season opener, Alabama stuck closer to that maxim, holding the run-heavy Wisconsin Badgers to just 40 rushing yards and showcasing an improved but inconsistent pass defense.
The Crimson Tide's secondary got off to a promising start in the first half Saturday night when senior cornerback Cyrus Jones narrowly missed an interception on his way to Alabama's first pass break-up of the game. It was the only successfully defended pass of that half.
From that point on in the half, Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave was 13-15 for 149 yards, including a touchdown conceded when freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick, playing the Star position, fell down in pass defense.
The unit started the second half less auspiciously when redshirt freshman cornerback Marlon Humphrey was called for pass interference, gifting the Badgers a third down conversion. Stave completed his next two passes. He followed that with six straight incompletions.
"They're a very well coached team and [Wisconsin coach] Paul [Chryst] is an NFL guy so he's seen all the coverages that we play so he had some pretty good beaters for things that we like to do," Saban said. "We had to make some adjustments. I think the players adapted very well and I think that's why we played a little better in the second half."
Saban often emphasizes his defensive front "affecting the quarterback," forcing opposing passers into rushed throws. Saturday, Alabama's most effective pass defense came either at the hands of the front seven, or when the quarterback was, as Saban puts it, affected.
Wisconsin responded by shifting to a stacked offensive line, using two or three wideouts and seven or eight lineman. In that set-up, Stave completed five straight passes, mostly short completions, to move his team into the red zone. He closed the third quarter with two incomplete passes-one the result of an A'Shawn Robinson hurry, the other a pass breakup by Jones, leaving the cornerback with two pass breakups on two attempts to his receiver on the night. Stave wouldn't complete a pass against Alabama's first-team defense again.
All told, Alabama's defensive linemen and linebackers accrued four pass breakups (three more than the secondary), two quarterback hurries and three sacks. Senior safety Eddie Jackson capped the night with a 41-yard interception return on the Badgers' last play from scrimmage.
"I thought we played well on the line of scrimmage," Saban said. "We kind of dominated the line of scrimmage. We were able to stop their run. I thought we played really well defensively. Didn't get the turnovers like we wanted, never got off the field always on third down like we wanted, but I thought our guys really competed and played hard. I was really proud of the way we came out, especially in the second half on both sides of the ball and kind of dominated the game."
- See more at: Tide defense looks strong in win
Special to TideSports.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - As senior linebacker Dillon Lee said last week, Nick Saban's defenses at The University of Alabama have been built to "stop the run first and go from there." In 2014, the defense was largely successful with the former, but "go from there"-stopping the pass-posed problems. In Saturday night's 2015 season opener, Alabama stuck closer to that maxim, holding the run-heavy Wisconsin Badgers to just 40 rushing yards and showcasing an improved but inconsistent pass defense.
The Crimson Tide's secondary got off to a promising start in the first half Saturday night when senior cornerback Cyrus Jones narrowly missed an interception on his way to Alabama's first pass break-up of the game. It was the only successfully defended pass of that half.
From that point on in the half, Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave was 13-15 for 149 yards, including a touchdown conceded when freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick, playing the Star position, fell down in pass defense.
The unit started the second half less auspiciously when redshirt freshman cornerback Marlon Humphrey was called for pass interference, gifting the Badgers a third down conversion. Stave completed his next two passes. He followed that with six straight incompletions.
"They're a very well coached team and [Wisconsin coach] Paul [Chryst] is an NFL guy so he's seen all the coverages that we play so he had some pretty good beaters for things that we like to do," Saban said. "We had to make some adjustments. I think the players adapted very well and I think that's why we played a little better in the second half."
Saban often emphasizes his defensive front "affecting the quarterback," forcing opposing passers into rushed throws. Saturday, Alabama's most effective pass defense came either at the hands of the front seven, or when the quarterback was, as Saban puts it, affected.
Wisconsin responded by shifting to a stacked offensive line, using two or three wideouts and seven or eight lineman. In that set-up, Stave completed five straight passes, mostly short completions, to move his team into the red zone. He closed the third quarter with two incomplete passes-one the result of an A'Shawn Robinson hurry, the other a pass breakup by Jones, leaving the cornerback with two pass breakups on two attempts to his receiver on the night. Stave wouldn't complete a pass against Alabama's first-team defense again.
All told, Alabama's defensive linemen and linebackers accrued four pass breakups (three more than the secondary), two quarterback hurries and three sacks. Senior safety Eddie Jackson capped the night with a 41-yard interception return on the Badgers' last play from scrimmage.
"I thought we played well on the line of scrimmage," Saban said. "We kind of dominated the line of scrimmage. We were able to stop their run. I thought we played really well defensively. Didn't get the turnovers like we wanted, never got off the field always on third down like we wanted, but I thought our guys really competed and played hard. I was really proud of the way we came out, especially in the second half on both sides of the ball and kind of dominated the game."
- See more at: Tide defense looks strong in win
