Why Alabama's Defense Has Been So Good at Breaking up Passes

Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack shares why has defenders have been able to get to the ball so often for deflections and interceptions.

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Zabien Brown (2) and linebacker Que Robinson (34) celebrate after an interception against the Georgia Bulldogs in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium / Will McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— It took him a few seconds to think about, but as a sheepish grin spread across his face, Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson admitted that he enjoys playing in the new defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Kane Wommack than under Nick Saban's the last three years.

"With Coach Saban’s scheme, it was more like match coverage. So you would eventually have a man throughout the play. And with Coach Wommack’s defense, it’s more vision coverage and zone. It allows you to have to have vision on the quarterback and react off him. I think for me being a linebacker for this defense, it’s just a defense for me to make plays in, and I like that a lot.”

Lawson had one of Alabama's nine pass breakups in the win over Georgia. The Crimson Tide now has 30 total on the season, more than any other team in the country.

It's something that popped off the stat page from the Georgia game, but also something that jumps out on film when watching the Alabama defense through the first four games. From the defensive lineman up front to the players in coverage in the secondary, Crimson Tide defenders are constantly getting their hands to the ball.

And it's no accident that Alabama has been so good at deflecting passes. Wommack says it's due to the coverage style his team often plays in.

"From a schematic standpoint, we play a lot of what we call vision style coverage, and even when we're playing man coverage, there are elements of vision that are based into some of our hook drops and hold droppers that we're able to read the eyes of the quarterback and react," Wommack explained. "So when you can put your eyes on the quarterback, now you're not just defending people or grass, but you're defending the people on the grass that the quarterback wants to throw the ball to."

Wommack moved toward a more vision-oriented defense in 2014. He learned it from his father, Dave Wommack, who was the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss at the time. Dave learned it from Monte Kiffin, when he had served as a graduate assistant at Arkansas under Kiffin and Lou Holtz in 1978.

Ole Miss modeled elements of its defense after the Seattle Seahawks "Legion of Boom." The Seahawks secondary in the 2010s featured guys like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and led the league in passing defense and scoring defense in 2013 and 2014. Ole Miss started doing similar things in 2014 and led the nation in scoring defense at 13.8 points per game.

"We’ve never looked back at the element of putting vision on the quarterback and a number of different concepts defensively be it zone or even man it has been an opportunity to make more plays on the ball," Kane said.

Alabama safety Keon Sabb, who leads the Crimson Tide with two interceptions and five pass breakups, was familiar with vision coverage from high school, but had to adjust at Alabama because it was different than what he had done at Michigan last season. Sabb feels like the defense is suited to allow the Crimson Tide's talented playmaker to make plays.

"We really harp on getting the ball," Sabb said. "We try to get the interception, but if not, break it up. We should be leading the country in interceptions too, but we’re working on that.”

Sabb foresees a lot more interceptions coming for the Crimson Tide defense. Alabama had three interceptions against Georgia and is tied for 31st in the country with five total on the season, even playing one less game so far than some other teams ahead.

Alabama is only allowing five yards per attempt through the first four games, which is top 10 nationally. Playing in vision coverage also helps limit the number of yards after the catch (YAC) when an opposing quarterback does connect on a pass.

"Even if a completion does occur and you're in a vision element, it's a ball-out break–– you're looking in the direction or delivery key of the quarterback," Alabama defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist said. "You're looking at that front hand. You're looking to take the proper angles and make sure there's no YAC. And then always eliminating big plays."

Vision coverage is just one element of Alabama's defense though. The team still plays in zone and man-to-man coverage. The key is mixing it up and keeping the opposing quarterbacks confused and unsteady.

"Just trying to tie in how we move from vision to man to match to zone, complimenting it all together, have this pre-snap disguise, and make sure that we’re giving quarterbacks as much possible stress before the ball turns over as possible to identify what we’re in," Linguist said.

Alabama's defense has been effective in that way so far and will face another talented quarterback this weekend in Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia. The New Mexico State transfer is completing over 63 percent of his passes and has not thrown an intercpetion so far this season. Georgia did not have a turnover coming into the Alabama matchup, and the Crimson Tide turned the Bulldogs over four times.

The Crimson Tide will face Pavia and the Commodores this Saturday at 3:15 on SEC Network.

See also: 2024 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 5

Three Crimson Tide Players To Watch Against the Commodores