Alabama Defensive Backs Have 'Heavy Task' Against LSU's Air Attack

Crimson Tide defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist details how the lessons learned from the bye week can help on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

Alabama Defensive Back Domani Jackson (1) and Alabama Defensive Back DeVonta Smith (8) celebrate interception against Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Sep 28, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— There's no need to sugarcoat that No. 11 Alabama's defense has faced more criticism by the college football world throughout the season than the Crimson Tide's other two phases of the game.

However, Alabama's pass defense has truly been stout as the Crimson Tide is 10th in the nation in opponent passer rating (109.8) and opponent yards per attempt (5.9), 15th in opponent yards per completion (10.3) 27th in opponent passing yards per game (193.3) and 28th in opponent completion percentage (57.25).

Furthermore, in the Oct. 26 dominant 34-0 home victory over Missouri, the Tigers' 72 passing yards were the fewest by an Alabama SEC opponent since Tennessee had 44 in 2017. That being said, Mizzou starting quarterback Brady Cook went down with an injury before halftime and backup Drew Pyne filled in for the rest of the game, but still allowing zero points to a ranked SEC opponent (they were No. 21 at the time) is an outstanding achievement.

Nevertheless, No. 14 LSU, Alabama's next opponent, has a much more frightening Tiger when it comes to the passing game as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has the most completions in the SEC and the second-most passing yards in the conference as well. Additionally, LSU wide receivers Kyren Lacy and Aaron Anderson, an Alabama transfer, are fourth and fifth in the conference in receiving yards.

"They're throwing for over 330 yards per game," Alabama defensive back coach Maurice Linguist said on Wednesday. "You see what they're doing in conference play, they rely on their quarterback [Garrett] Nussmeier. He's got a live arm with 20 touchdown passes. He's really spreading the field—they can throw it horizontally, they can throw it vertically, they understand the spacing and the timing of the passing game—they're down to the details of how they want to move the ball with the quarterback's arm."

"When the game is on the line, you look at their games against South Carolina and Ole Miss, the quarterbacks and receivers had to make plays in the fourth quarter to win the game and they did those things. We understand that we have a heavy task in front of us. The volume of throw game that they have and the amount of yards that they're throwing for, we've got to put a really good plan together to put ourselves in a position to go out there on the road at LSU—we all know what those night games are like—and what it's gonna take to come up with a W on the road."

Like LSU, Alabama also had its second bye week of the season this past Saturday. This gave the Crimson Tide more time to not only physically prepare for the must-see matchup in Baton Rouge, but mentally as well.

"I think when you get that bye week, you get a chance to kind of take a breath sometimes and focus on fundamentals, scheme, technique, you can kind of go backward before you go forward and go back and reference some older tape because you don't have the backstop of the next game coming up. It gives you some space to kind of dig into the details, you can go an inch wide and a mile deep into 'Hey, let's go back and look at how our technique has evolved from spring to summer to our first three games to now into SEC play.'"

"I think those things are helpful for younger players, especially in these younger formative years that they have in terms of how they're developing, how they're growing. Then one-on-one time—always establishing trust, building relationships, opening lines of communication, checking on the mental space of guys—all those things can kind of give you a breath of fresh air when you have the bye week. Also, guys getting away a little bit and giving themselves some space, then kind of regrouping a little bit, then coming in energized and ready to attack the last piece of this thing in SEC play."

Alabama's defensive backs will take on the "heavy task" that is LSU's air attack Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

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