It was a rough start to the season for the Alabama secondary, but last week’s second half against Georgia showed there’s a reason for optimism. The Crimson Tide was able to keep the Bulldogs scoreless through the final two quarters and the secondary had a lot to do with that.
Malachi Moore and Daniel Wright were both able to pick off Stetson Bennett in plays that proved to be real game-changers for the Tide.
Alabama can make a real statement to the rest of the country with a strong showing from its secondary against Tennessee. That shouldn’t be much of a problem as the Vols offense has looked terrible as of late. Last week against Kentucky they were only able to put up 7 points in a blowout loss to the Wildcats.
Tennessee’s starting quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has really struggled to start the 2020 season. After two pick-sixes against Kentucky, he looks to be in real trouble of losing the starting job. The Volunteers have a bye next week and could use that week to get freshman Harrison Bailey ready to take over if Guarantano has another bad showing against Alabama.
Getting Guarantano rattled early should be a point of emphasis for the Alabama defense. If they can capitalize on that it should be easy pickings for cornerbacks Josh Jobe, Patrick Surtain, and Malachi Moore all game. Safties Daniel Wright and Jordan Battle should be able to make big plays as well, as Guarantano is known for putting a little too much on his deep passes.
It’s setting up perfectly for Alabama’s secondary to have a big game against Tennessee, and it couldn’t come at a better time. It’s taken some time, but this secondary is ready to turn the page and make this unit a strength instead of a weakness for the 2020 season.
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