Tag: Dallas Turner

WATCH: Dallas Turner sacks Stetson Bennett to force a UGA FG

WATCH: Dallas Turner sacks Stetson Bennett to force a UGA FG

After a punt from each team, Georgia was able to knock in a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead over the Tide.

Georgia had a balanced second drive, finding some success on the ground and through the air. But thanks to a sack by Dallas Turner, the Alabama defense stood tall in the red zone and held the Bulldogs to just three.

The fabulous freshmen edge defender has had a fantastic season for the Alabama defense. Turner now has 5.5 sacks on the season for the Tide.

Let’s see if the Alabama offense can respond on its second possession of the game.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

 

Maybe we were wrong about Pete Golding

Alabama’s defense was smothering in the win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

The Alabama defense has gone through a lot of losses to good players and wrinkles this season and it’s had an effect on the way the team performs at times.

Throughout the year, the defensive side of the ball has either shut down the opponent or rolled over and allowed tons of yardage, one or the other, and nothing in between.

For instance, in its first big test of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels, the Alabama defense was smothering, allowing just 291 total yards by an offense averaging much more than that. That’s just 213 yards passing allowed to one of the top quarterbacks in college football.

Then you have the defense that showed up against Texas A&M. Alabama gave up nearly 400 yards of total offense in a 41-38 loss. That loss had many Tide fans calling for Golding’s job, including me.

The Crimson Tide needed good defense to show itself against the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, and they did not disappoint.

The Alabama defense that Golding fielded against Auburn was glorious.

The reads appeared to be simplified and the audibles never led to misalignment. There were disguised blitzes and faux coverage looks and TJ Finley and the Tigers offense took the bait time after time.

That Crimson Tide defense allowed just 159 yards total. Golding called a beautiful game that led to a complete domination in the trenches. Tank Bigsby, one of the best backs in the SEC, was limited to just 69 yards on 29 carries. He never got going, averaging a paltry 2.2 yards per carry.

I’ll maintain my reservations regarding confidence in Pete Golding’s coaching abilities, but if the Tide defense can play like they did against the Tigers, this man may redeem himself entirely.

Georgia will present a whole new challenge. The defensive side of the ball will end up being the difference in the SEC Championship Game. If Alabama can be consistent and win their individual battles Bryce Young and the offense will have a lot of pressure relieved.

Alabama will take on Georgia in the SEC Championship game at 3:00 p.m. CST, it can be viewed on your local CBS.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Layne Gerbig on Twitter @LayneG_29.

SCORE UPDATE: Alabama strikes first with a Will Reichard FG

SCORE UPDATE: Alabama strikes first with a Will Reichard FG

No. 2 Alabama takes an early 3-0 lead over No. 21 Arkansas with a 47-yard field goal by Will Reichard.

The Tide offense was set up in prime scoring position after Dallas Turner recovered a fumbled snap by JK Jefferson. The Razorback defense stood tall and held the Alabama offense to a field goal attempt.

With 7:41 remaining in the first quarter there is plenty of time for the Alabama offense to get rolling.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continuous updates on the Alabama Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

 

 

5 players to watch during Alabama vs. New Mexico State

5 players to watch as Alabama takes on the New Mexico State Aggies

Alabama’s final non-conference matchup against New Mexico State doesn’t exactly get the blood boiling with excitement. But it is the next opportunity for the Tide to take the field and show signs of improvement.

Last week’s ugly win over LSU has many Tide fans a little skeptical about just how much the 2021 version of the Crimson Tide can accomplish. I’ll admit, I also have my own reservations about this team, but if we look at this through the lens of common sense we will come to the conclusion that Nick Saban is still the head man, and the roster is still loaded with talent. That alone should restore some hope among the Tide faithful.

Speaking of the roster, I thought we could take a look at a few players that I believe we should keep our eye on as the boys from Bama take on the Aggies of New Mexico State.

Alabama vs. LSU: Grading the Tide’s win over the Tigers

Grading Alabama’s nail-biting win over the LSU Tigers

Alabama was able to hold off a late push from the LSU Tigers on Saturday night, winning the contest 20-14. A lot of credit goes to the Bayou Bengals who played about as well as they could considering their depth issues. But Alabama was its own worst enemy with the number of blunders that took place in the game.

Now we are back with our weekly grade of the Tide’s performance. This week’s grades will most likely look much different than most weeks. Let’s get right to it!

First …the offense…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Alabama vs. LSU: 5 takeaways from the Tide’s ugly win over LSU

5 takeaways from the Tide’s ugly win over LSU

A win is a win. But not all wins are created equal. Alabama’s 20-14 win over LSU on Saturday night was one of the most painful wins to watch in recent memory.

Each week we take a look at five things we learned from that particular week’s contest. This week’s list is bound to create some controversy.

Let’s get started!

Nick Saban confirms Drew Sanders is out for Mississippi State

Nick Saban said Drew Sanders is practicing but is not fully ready for game action yet.

Problems at the outside linebacker position across from Will Anderson have continued. After Christopher Allen went down with a foot injury for the season, Drew Sanders was supposed to be the one to step up as the replacement.

Now, Alabama will be without the sophomore for the second consecutive week. Sanders is dealing with a hand injury. Nick Saban said he is practicing but is not fully ready for game action yet.

“He’s out there in pads every day but it’s not safe for him to use his hand yet,” said Saban. So he’s not going to play this week.”

With an injury like a hand, being able to lightly practice is possible. Going full contact is where Sanders would be limited, especially at an important position on the edge.

Going into Texas A&M, Saban said Sanders was going to be “game-to-game for a few weeks.” All we can do now is wait for next week’s injury report heading into Tennessee.

Freshman Dallas Turner and sophomore Chris Braswell are still expected to pick up for the injured Sanders. The former was able to record five tackles and one tackle for loss against the Aggies.

Mississippi State will provide a different gameplan, though, with some more rotation from Turner. With how often Mike Leach is going to air it out, the pass rush will need to be subbing in and out for all four quarters. Turner may be the main guy but Braswell will get opportunities.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Griffin McVeigh on Twitter @Griffin_McVeigh.

Grading Alabama’s defensive position groups at the halfway point

Let’s look at how the Alabama defensive position units have graded out at the halfway point of the season!

Unfortunately, we are already at the halfway point of the college football season. After last week’s loss to Texas A&M, Alabama sits at No. 5 in the country with a 5-1 record.

Since we have made it to the halfway point, it is time to give a midseason grade to each of the position groups. Yesterday we looked at the offensive position groups. Today we will look at the defensive position groups! Let’s get started!

Defensive Line B-

This group has been a little disappointing this season, but they have not been bad by any stretch of the imagination. Only one guy has been a consistent force on the defensive line for Alabama and that is Phidarian Mathis.

Mathis has racked up 3.5 sacks through the halfway point, which is a very solid number for an interior defensive lineman.

Some of the players such as Justin Eboigbe, DJ Dale, Byron Young, and even Tim Smith need to become more consistent players for the Tide.

Outside Linebackers A

Will Anderson has been an absolute animal for the Alabama defense. Anderon has three sacks on the season but is also third in the country in tackles for loss with 11.

Unfortunately, injuries have plagued the outside linebacker position opposite of Anderson. Christopher Allen’s season was cut short in the opener against Miami so Drew Sanders replaced the talented Allen. Then against Ole Miss, Sanders suffered a hand injury and is now week-to-week so to speak.

True freshman Dallas Turner has stepped up in the absence of Sanders and is doing a pretty good job.

The outside linebackers have been the most positive group along the defense this season.

Inside Linebackers C+

The lofty expectations for the Alabama defense heading into the 2021 season had a lot to do with the pair of inside linebackers that Alabama would have in Christian Harris and Henry To’oT’o.

Now that we are at the halfway point, it is safe to say those two players have not lived up to expectations. Now don’t get me wrong, they have flashed how great they can, but they both have also missed tackles and missed assignments. And they are both better than what they played so far.

Let’s see if they can turn this around in the second half of the season.

Cornerbacks B+

This group, much like the outside linebacker group, has really played pretty consistently all season. Josh Jobe has had the occasional penalty, but if we are being honest, in the pass and flag happy world in which college football is played, some penalties are to be expected.

Jalyn Armour-Davis has maybe been the surprise player of the season for the Tide. He is always in position and if he doesn’t make a play on the ball, he brings the receiver down quickly with no yards after the catch.

We have also seen the backups get a start this season in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Marcs Banks and they have proven to be valuable depth at the cornerback position.

Safeties / Stars C+

It is a common theme among the Alabama defense this season, the word inconsistent. Alabama returned plenty of experience in the back end of the defense and for whatever reason, they have simply not performed to their capabilities.

Jordan Battle isn’t an elite safety, he’s just steady. DeMarcco Hellams is constantly caught out of position and displays poor open-field tackling. Then you have Malachi Moore and Brian Branch who have yet to make a splash play from the star position.

The season is only half over, so that means there is plenty of time for each position group to correct its mistakes and get back to the Alabama defensive standard.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Alabama to be without LB Drew Sanders for Texas A&M

Another injury blow for Alabama’s defense.

When Chris Allen went down with an injury, Nick Saban had to turn to youth at the fourth linebacker position. Sophomore Drew Sanders stepped in and was performing nicely.

Now, another replacement is going to be needed as Sanders is going to be missing some time thanks to an injury.

“He has a hand injury,” Saban said. “It required surgery. It was a little, maybe, worse than we thought. So he’s gonna be game-to-game for a few weeks, so we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Sanders was able to play against Ole Miss, recording five tackles and two quarterback hurries. He was spotted with a cast on Saturday, mainly around his right thumb.

Now, Alabama will be moving onto the third-string SAM. True freshman and former five-star Dallas Turner or redshirt freshman and former five-star Chris Braswell are expected to take over.

“They don’t have a lot of experience,” Saban said. “That’s two starters at the same position that we’ve lost. But Dallas Turner is a good young player, and he’s probably gonna get more opportunity, as well as Chris Braswell, at that position, and those guys have played some. But they’re obviously gonna get more opportunity now.”

Between Turner and Braswell, the two have combined for 12 tackles this season. They’ll be thrown into the ring at College Station, needing to perform in a big way for Alabama.

It’s easy to say “just throw the next five-star guy out there,” and on paper, this is true. But playing an underclassman who has little experience, even in practice, is a different ball game.

Both players will have to adapt quickly against Texas A&M’s offensive before Sanders is back in the lineup in a few weeks.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Griffin McVeigh on Twitter @Griffin_McVeigh.

BREAKING: Alabama lands commitment No. 20 for 2021

Alabama landed commitment No. 20 for the 2021 class on Saturday morning in defensive tackle Tim Keenan, a 3-star prospect out of Birmingham.

Alabama held on to the No. 1 ranking in the 2021 recruiting class for a short period of time, but the Ohio State Buckeyes managed to take it back with a recent commitment from defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.

Well, the Crimson Tide matched on Saturday morning with a commitment from another interior defensive lineman. Tim Keenan, a three-star defensive tackle from Birmingham (Ala.), made his announcement to join Alabama’s 2021 class.

The 6-foot-2, 330-pounder out of Ramsay High School is commitment No. 20 for the Crimson Tide. He joins a strong defensive line class for Nick Saban and company, joining the following prospects:

Keenan is rated as the nation’s No. 362 overall player, No. 22 defensive tackle and No. 9 player from the state of Alabama, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

He is the fourth in-state player to commit to the Crimson Tide, tying the state of Alabama with Texas for the second-most commitments — the state of Florida currently has five players committed to Alabama.

It will be interesting to see where this lands Alabama’s class in relation to Ohio State’s, so keep a close eye on those recruiting rankings today.

Stay tuned for more recruiting updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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