Alabama OL Coach's Biggest Teaching Point from Sack-Fumble

A fumble on a sack allowed by Elijah Pritchett in the fourth quarter of the Vanderbilt game cost Alabama the opportunity to take the lead.

10/8/24 MFB Alabama vs South Carolina week Alabama Offensive Lineman Parker Brailsford (72) Alabama Offensive Lineman Tyler Booker (52) Alabama Offensive Lineman Kadyn Proctor (74) / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— A crucial point in Alabama's loss to Vanderbilt occured early in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide defense had held the Commodores to a field goal, so the offense got the ball back with the opportunity to take its first lead of the game.

And it looked like Alabama was on the way to doing just that after two chunk passes to CJ Dippre and Germie Bernard from Jalen Milroe had the Crimson Tide into Vanderbilt territory. But the chance to score was snatched away the next play on a sack fumble on the right side allowed by Elijah Pritchett.

Alabama offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic explained what went wrong on the play and how the offensive line is learning from that mistake.

"What happened was, we had a successful play the play before," Kapilovic said. "One of the kids from Vanderbilt kind of gave an elbow to Milroe on the way back. So then one lineman runs over there and then another lineman, and Pritchett was one of them, runs over there with maybe the right intentions but the wrong time. We’re trying to go fast, so now we’re getting lined up late. We’re trying to push the snap. He takes a poor set, and he gets beat and that’s what happens. In the O-line world, especially at tackle, it don’t take much. It’s a fine line of getting beat for a sack."

OUR BALL 😤 pic.twitter.com/UYkHZ7Jsif

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 5, 2024

While the sack was frustrating, those will happen in football, especially in SEC play. But the thing Kapilovic was most disappointed in was that Pritchett didn't get back up to keep playing after falling to the ground during the pass rush as shown in the clip above.

"My thing for him is he kinda overextended and fell down, like, you’re hitting the ground and then you’re getting back up," Kapilovic said. "And maybe you’re chasing back to the pocket. Maybe you fall on the ball, and now we’re living another day. So there were some things to learn from that.”

After the fumble, Vanderbilt went on a seven-play, 53-yard touchdown drive that chewed 4:29 more off the clock and put the Commodores up by two-scores with just over five minutes to go in the game.

Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore noted that it was a chippy game, and coaches and players always want to be protective of their teammates. But Kapilovic wants his players to play with discipline and be situationally aware. An offensive lineman should stand up for his quarterback, but when the team is trying to snap the ball quickly, he has to be ready for the next play. The best way to protect the quarterback is when the play is actually unfolding.

Dealing with chippiness isn't something that can't necessarily be simulated directly in practice when the first-team offense is going against the first-team defense because the players aren't going to be going all out in order to limit risk of injury. Kapilovic joked that he has no issue getting under their skin as a coach, but it's really an area that the scout team to shine in practice.

"If the O-line is mad at the scout team D-line, or the D-line is mad at the scout team O-line, that means you’re doing a great job," Kapilovic said. "So there should be some of that. It just comes down to being disciplined and understanding what the situation is. We’re behind. It’s the fourth quarter. We’re going fast. Let’s get lined up and play the next play. That’s all it comes down to.”

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