How Qua Russaw and Yhonzae Pierre Performed Replacing Robinson Against Mercer

The young Alabama wolf pairing played their first game on their own after losing Que Robinson for the season.

Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Qua Russaw (4) is called for a horse collar tackle on Mercer wide receiver Parker Wroble (10) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 10 Alabama football program dominated the Mercer Bears this past weekend 52-7 in a drama-free afternoon in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide dismantled its lesser competition behind another strong defensive effort as Mercer was held to just 62 yards rushing and 140 yards passing.

Alabama's defensive effort served as a positive sign for a unit that lost graduate wolf Que Robinson to injury for the season in the November road game to LSU. The Crimson Tide turned to a pair of redshirt freshmen to replace Robinson at wolf in Qua Russaw and Yhonzae Pierre.

Russaw recorded three tackles and made his second interception of the season against the Bears as he continues to come into his own.

"The dude’s made two great interceptions, so far this year, and I think that he's continuing to grow as a football player," Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. "Part of what makes you a great defender, especially at that wolf position, is that you're creating production for the defense, and I think we're seeing him do more and more of that.

"That interception came because a number of things happened. They got in a third down call. They hard counted, they checked. We checked into a pressure, and then everybody up front executed that really well. Deontae Lawson, we talk about matching the hands of the quarterback, so when the quarterbacks hands went up he matched the hands. The ball got tipped. Really, if the ball didn't get tipped, Qua is really still in a really good position there to go — he may have picked the ball off anyway. But now when the ball gets tipped and he has to dive and work through that. So I just think he's doing a really good job of continuing to stay relentless in this process. And now that, because of injury and because he's producing at a higher level, he is playing more and more consistent as we go through the season. And certainly, when you think about some of the things that have happened in that room, and we've got a couple of guys that were down, he's stepping up at the right time."

Pierre didn't record a stat against the Bears, but still logged significant playing time giving Russaw a break while getting more comfortable playing high level college football.

"Yhonzae's taken steps in the right direction," Wommack said. "I think it's fun for me to watch the maturity of a young man. Certainly when you think about year-to-year, but just for a younger guy you can almost see it weekly someone maturing and the way that they're going about their preparation to maximize their opportunities on gameday, Yhonzae is one guy that you can point guy and there's number of them right now in our young defense, which we are, that are trying to operate at a more consistent level than they were early on in the season and I think a lot of that has to do with there's a lot of older players that are setting the example and those older players are producing and our younger players are seeing 'this is what it's going to take', right? I don't think Yhonzae Pierre would be in the same position had he not had Q Robinson in that room as the example of what it's supposed to look like."

The pair played well in their first game without Robinson but now turn to an even greater challenge as Alabama travels to Norman, Okla. to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.