Raise your hand if you had Ryan Anderson and Xzavier Dickson on your Alabama sack bingo card.
With two sacks apiece, Anderson and Dickson currently lead an improved pass rush defense that has seven sacks through three games, an improvement of 133 percent from the same point last season (three sacks through three games in 2013, seven sacks through three games in 2014).
Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 258-pound redshirt sophomore linebacker from Daphne, was high school teammates with running back T.J. Yeldon. Now it's Anderson who is making a name for himself.
Last week, inside linebacker Reggie Ragland said Anderson was in store for a break-out season.
"Ryan is going be the dark horse of the defense," Ragland said. "As the season goes on, he's going some have some stats - some big stats for us."
In three games he's posted the two sacks along with two quarterback hurries.
"…he works so hard, he's finally getting his chance," Ragland said. "How he is and his mindset, he works hard the whole time he's in the weight room, on the field. He's going to come in and produce."
Monday it was fellow defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson singing his praises.
"…he's been focused all off-season, working hard day-in and day-out," Tomlinson said. "He's a hard competitor, a tough competitor. He's going out there this year."
It was a relatively quiet season for Dickson in 2013 as he recorded just 13 tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries. A quarter of the season through the 2014 regular season, he's compiled six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass break-ups, two passes defended and three quarterback hurries.
Dickson was particularly disruptive in the Southern Miss backfield with a tackle for loss, three quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups.
Saban said the Anderson/Dickson duo has provided good pass rush through the early portion of the schedule.
"They both had some pressures throughout the year so far," UA coach Nick Saban said. "Having those guys improving in those roles certainly gives us more guys that we could play in the edge positions. I think that having press guys to be able to rush is really important. I think those two guys have done a really, really good job so far this year in terms of what their production has been in the pass rush."
Injury update
The team is inching closer to getting a couple of key players back.
Senior wide receiver DeAndrew White, who sustained a separated shoulder against West Virginia, could be available against Florida depending on how he responds this week.
"(He will) practice all week," Saban said. "We'll kind of see how it goes with him and make a decision later in the week and see if we think he's able to go out there and play. He ddi practice some last week so we're encouraged by the progress that he made."
Senior defensive back Jarrick Williams fractured his foot against Florida Atlantic, but he could be back after the bye week.
"(He will) start running and playing drills this week. But probably a much greater long shot for him to be able to play in this coming game," Saban said.
Owing Saban
Florida coach Will Muschamp and Saban have a long history, dating back to when Saban first hired him.
This isn't the first time the old friends are squaring off.
Muschamp was the defensive coordinator at Auburn during Saban's first season at Alabama in 2007, a 17-10 Auburn win.
Saban got payback two years later when the Crimson Tide topped Muschamp's Texas defense 37-21 in the BCS Championship Game.
Then in 2011 in Muschamp's first season as head coach of the Gators, Saban again got the best of his pupil in a 38-10 Alabama win.
During his Monday press conference, Muschamp expressed his gratitude for Saban's influence on his career.
"I probably wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the opportunities he gave me early in my career, and he's an outstanding football coach," he said. "He's got a really good football team."
"They've recruited well, they've got really good players. They're very physical on both lines of scrimmage. They're going to be balanced offensively, however they get to it. Right now, the three games they are 50-50 run/pass to give you an idea of what I'm talking about in terms of balance given the situation.
"Defensively they are going to strong in the front seven, they are going to be able to play man-to-man, and deny the ball down in situations and they're going to be solid in special teams."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1681972#sthash.6Jy2g1Fs.dpuf
With two sacks apiece, Anderson and Dickson currently lead an improved pass rush defense that has seven sacks through three games, an improvement of 133 percent from the same point last season (three sacks through three games in 2013, seven sacks through three games in 2014).
Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 258-pound redshirt sophomore linebacker from Daphne, was high school teammates with running back T.J. Yeldon. Now it's Anderson who is making a name for himself.
Last week, inside linebacker Reggie Ragland said Anderson was in store for a break-out season.
"Ryan is going be the dark horse of the defense," Ragland said. "As the season goes on, he's going some have some stats - some big stats for us."
In three games he's posted the two sacks along with two quarterback hurries.
"…he works so hard, he's finally getting his chance," Ragland said. "How he is and his mindset, he works hard the whole time he's in the weight room, on the field. He's going to come in and produce."
Monday it was fellow defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson singing his praises.
"…he's been focused all off-season, working hard day-in and day-out," Tomlinson said. "He's a hard competitor, a tough competitor. He's going out there this year."
It was a relatively quiet season for Dickson in 2013 as he recorded just 13 tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries. A quarter of the season through the 2014 regular season, he's compiled six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass break-ups, two passes defended and three quarterback hurries.
Dickson was particularly disruptive in the Southern Miss backfield with a tackle for loss, three quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups.
Saban said the Anderson/Dickson duo has provided good pass rush through the early portion of the schedule.
"They both had some pressures throughout the year so far," UA coach Nick Saban said. "Having those guys improving in those roles certainly gives us more guys that we could play in the edge positions. I think that having press guys to be able to rush is really important. I think those two guys have done a really, really good job so far this year in terms of what their production has been in the pass rush."
Injury update
The team is inching closer to getting a couple of key players back.
Senior wide receiver DeAndrew White, who sustained a separated shoulder against West Virginia, could be available against Florida depending on how he responds this week.
"(He will) practice all week," Saban said. "We'll kind of see how it goes with him and make a decision later in the week and see if we think he's able to go out there and play. He ddi practice some last week so we're encouraged by the progress that he made."
Senior defensive back Jarrick Williams fractured his foot against Florida Atlantic, but he could be back after the bye week.
"(He will) start running and playing drills this week. But probably a much greater long shot for him to be able to play in this coming game," Saban said.
Owing Saban
Florida coach Will Muschamp and Saban have a long history, dating back to when Saban first hired him.
This isn't the first time the old friends are squaring off.
Muschamp was the defensive coordinator at Auburn during Saban's first season at Alabama in 2007, a 17-10 Auburn win.
Saban got payback two years later when the Crimson Tide topped Muschamp's Texas defense 37-21 in the BCS Championship Game.
Then in 2011 in Muschamp's first season as head coach of the Gators, Saban again got the best of his pupil in a 38-10 Alabama win.
During his Monday press conference, Muschamp expressed his gratitude for Saban's influence on his career.
"I probably wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the opportunities he gave me early in my career, and he's an outstanding football coach," he said. "He's got a really good football team."
"They've recruited well, they've got really good players. They're very physical on both lines of scrimmage. They're going to be balanced offensively, however they get to it. Right now, the three games they are 50-50 run/pass to give you an idea of what I'm talking about in terms of balance given the situation.
"Defensively they are going to strong in the front seven, they are going to be able to play man-to-man, and deny the ball down in situations and they're going to be solid in special teams."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1681972#sthash.6Jy2g1Fs.dpuf
