If you watched Coach Saban's press conference, he emphasized multiple times that receivers dropped four balls that should have been caught, one of which, if I remember right, was a dropped ball by Calvin Ridley for a touchdown.
While Alabama didn't play an offensive juggernaut by any means, the defense was stifling. There was a great deal of pressure on the quarterback with very few stunts and blitzes. One of the hallmarks of this year's defense is that they lineman are batting down balls often. Three defensive lineman had four batted balls, and five players had seven quarterback hurries. Six players contributed to six sacks of the quarterback.
One player I noticed who played a lot was the true freshman safety Ronnie Harrison. On passing downs, he was playing near the line of scrimmage in the dime package, and he looked good.
Overall, the Tide defense held the Skyhawks to 92 yards of total offense.
With number one receiver, Robert Foster, out for the season, Ridley and Stewart picked up their games yesterday. And they're going to have to. It was also great to see Cameron Sims back to playing more often. He's a tall receiver who could create matchup problems for a number of defensive backs.
Like last game, I was disappointed with the play of the offensive line, particularly the right side of the line during the passing game. While Coker looked decent, there were a number of plays where he locked onto certain receivers instead of looking for other receivers who were open. Also, he threw a number of deep balls to receivers who had little separation on their routes. Part of the issue is Coker, and the other part is receivers needing to use their speed more effectively and run crisper routes.
On a positive note, Adam Griffith, a guy who hasn't looked good at the start of the season, made solid field goals of 35 and 40 yards.
Next week's game pits the Tide against Georgia in Athens. Unfortunately for me, the Nasty family is going to a wedding that will last the whole afternoon and evening. Looks like I'll have to wear my elephant tie in support of the team.
But who are these people who have weddings during college football season? My daughter and son will know better.
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