*******************************************************************************************************
Bama Football Gearing Up For Game 2
Home-Opener This Afternoon
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide hosts Middle Tennessee State University this afternoon in their home-opener of the 2015 season. Many questions were answered last week in the Tide's 35-17 shellacking of the Wisconsin Badgers, but hopefully other answers will be forthcoming today ... along with win number two of the season.
One of the answers received last week was who would be the starting quarterback this season. The transfer from FSU seems to have taken the reigns of the Bama offense. Senior Jake Coker may have started out shaky last week, but made a strong recovery in leading the Tide. He went 15 of 21 for 213 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Coker has plenty of help in the backup role, and we'll more-than-likely see one more, if not two, in the game for some experience just as we saw last week. It should be noted that Saban has said the competition for the starting QB position is ongoing, and that sophomore Cooper Bateman has not as yet been relegated to backup.
Sure, things still need to improve in the quarterbacking. Even head coach Nick Saban said during the week that some better decisions and quicker-release were needed at times. Also, the line needed to do a better job at picking up the rush. But word out of T-town is that Coker has shown a lot of improvement as his confidence-level grew from that first outing.
"Jake has shown a lot of confidence this week," Saban said during his weekly radio show on Thursday night. "I think his demeanor has changed a little bit. Anxiety is something that you never want a player to have. You want players to be confident. You don't want them to worry about things. Worrying is like praying for what you don't want to happen is the way I always say it. Jake's a little that way, and I think this game really helped him a lot, and his demeanor was great this week."
"Jake has shown a lot of confidence this week," Saban said during his weekly radio show on Thursday night. "I think his demeanor has changed a little bit. Anxiety is something that you never want a player to have. You want players to be confident. You don't want them to worry about things. Worrying is like praying for what you don't want to happen is the way I always say it. Jake's a little that way, and I think this game really helped him a lot, and his demeanor was great this week."
As expected, the running back situation is in great hands with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. Henry provided the Bama offense with another 100-plus game, the sixth in his career. Drake has shown that, not only can he run, he can catch the football. Getting that combination working to perfection this year will be hard for opposing offenses to contain.
Answered also is the question, if there ever really was one, of Alabama's defensive front seven. They are for real. As good as any in college football, and most believe the best of the best. They will have their work cut out for them today, however, going against an offense that put up huge numbers last week. MTSU plays hurry up, and those seven will be needed to provide the run-stop and especially pass rush necessary to aid Bama's secondary, one that will have to improve on pass coverage and interference calls. MTSU put up 605 total yards of offense last week and 70 points. That shouldn't happen today, but shutting them down completely will indeed take work.
The kicking game, as everyone knows, needs work. The punting was abysmal last week week. Field goals never came. Fixable. Both situations have been worked on during the week. Getting this area of the game working is something that will be needed headed into SEC play next week.
As far as MTSU is concerned, they are coming off a 6-6 season last year out of Conference USA, but look to be improved this year. Their offense certainly put up those big numbers in that 70-14 mauling of Jackson State last week. Their hurry up style has, in the past, been the chink in Bama's defensive armor, and they appear to be good at it.
Concerning the MTSU offense, Saban said, "I think conceptually, they're one of the most difficult offenses that we play to defend. They're very well coached. They do a really good job of using personnel. Really do a nice job in the passing game of trying to see what you're in defensively, whether they use Nike checks or hard count to get the defense to show itself, and then try to call a play that's going to beat that.
"So there's a lot of challenges in playing this team, and their players do a really good job of executing, and very well-coached. Pace of play is an issue as well as them reading what you're in and running the most advantageous play, and their ability to execute."
Defensively MTSU was terrible last season, ranking 114th nationally. Again, improvement is expected. They did allow only 14 points last week, yet it was against a far inferior foe.
All-in-all today looks good. Questions should be answered. Another win should put the second-ranked Crimson Tide at 2-0 on the season. Ahhhh, it's good to have Bama football underway again.
Game time is 3 p.m. CT today.
Answered also is the question, if there ever really was one, of Alabama's defensive front seven. They are for real. As good as any in college football, and most believe the best of the best. They will have their work cut out for them today, however, going against an offense that put up huge numbers last week. MTSU plays hurry up, and those seven will be needed to provide the run-stop and especially pass rush necessary to aid Bama's secondary, one that will have to improve on pass coverage and interference calls. MTSU put up 605 total yards of offense last week and 70 points. That shouldn't happen today, but shutting them down completely will indeed take work.
The kicking game, as everyone knows, needs work. The punting was abysmal last week week. Field goals never came. Fixable. Both situations have been worked on during the week. Getting this area of the game working is something that will be needed headed into SEC play next week.
As far as MTSU is concerned, they are coming off a 6-6 season last year out of Conference USA, but look to be improved this year. Their offense certainly put up those big numbers in that 70-14 mauling of Jackson State last week. Their hurry up style has, in the past, been the chink in Bama's defensive armor, and they appear to be good at it.
Concerning the MTSU offense, Saban said, "I think conceptually, they're one of the most difficult offenses that we play to defend. They're very well coached. They do a really good job of using personnel. Really do a nice job in the passing game of trying to see what you're in defensively, whether they use Nike checks or hard count to get the defense to show itself, and then try to call a play that's going to beat that.
"So there's a lot of challenges in playing this team, and their players do a really good job of executing, and very well-coached. Pace of play is an issue as well as them reading what you're in and running the most advantageous play, and their ability to execute."
Defensively MTSU was terrible last season, ranking 114th nationally. Again, improvement is expected. They did allow only 14 points last week, yet it was against a far inferior foe.
All-in-all today looks good. Questions should be answered. Another win should put the second-ranked Crimson Tide at 2-0 on the season. Ahhhh, it's good to have Bama football underway again.
Game time is 3 p.m. CT today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama Swimming & Diving Win
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama swimming and diving teams have walked away with a pair of wins at Delta State. The Bama men took the victory 213-49, with the women winning 219-42.
Bama head coach Dennis Pursley said,"We're starting out well ahead of where we did last year and we got some really aggressive swims from a number of our freshmen. It was a good afternoon for us - they were racing hard. The team is progressing from year to year, and this was definitely a good start for us."
More info may be obtained by visiting RollTide.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Men's Golf Tied For 2nd
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide men's golf team shot a one-over par 289 yesterday afternoon and is currently tied for second place in the Carpet Capital Collegiate. The 17th-ranked Tide is putting on a strong showing despite being without the services of two-time All-American Robby Shelton who is competing as a member of the 2015 U.S. Walker Cup team.
Both senior captain Tom Lovelady and freshman Davis Riley both carded a 3-under par 69 for the day. The pair enters Saturday's contest second overall.
For more details check RollTide.com.
