September 7, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (96) stops South Florida Bulls running back Kelly Joiner (8) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Image Image | Gary Cosby Jr.-Image Image
During his 17-year tenure with the Crimson Tide, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban showed affection for all sides of the ball, but it often seemed like defense was his passion. This is primarily due to his extensive expertise as a defensive back many years ago, as well as his 20 years of experience coaching defensive backs and serving as a defensive coordinator for various university and NFL teams.
After leading the Crimson Tide to six national championships at Alabama, the legendary head coach received perhaps the greatest accolade in sports history Saturday night when Bryant-Denny Stadium’s Saban Field was renamed.
In an all-day event honoring Saban, his favorite side of the game also gave him flowers that night, as Alabama’s defense stifled South Florida’s offense from start to finish and the Crimson Tide won 42-16.
Players appreciate Womack’s Swarm D, which proved its worth once again by beating Western Kentucky last Saturday. Womack calls his 4-2-5 defensive scheme “Swarm D.” He wants his defense to be characterized by a tough, quick, and aggressive style.
Wommack spent the past three seasons as the head coach at South Alabama and said earlier this week that what he misses most and is most looking forward to is calling the defense for Alabama this season. He’s gotten off to a great start through the first two Saturdays of the season.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/sports/instant-analysis-alabama-42-south-florida-16/vi-AA1qbESY?ocid=BingNewsVerp&t=21RELATED VIDEO: Quick Analysis: Alabama 42, South Florida 16 (Alabama Crimson Tide on SI)
South Florida quarterback Byram Brown gave Alabama’s run defense a lot of trouble in the first half, rushing for 88 on 12 attempts. But some adjustments and motivation from Wommack slowed Brown’s pace sharply in the second half, as he managed just 20 yards on 11 carries.
In contrast to Brown’s run game, all was quiet on the passing front in both halves Saturday night, as the Crimson Tide allowed Brown to complete 15 of 35 attempts (43 percent) for just 103 yards (6.9 yards per completion).
Alabama defensive lineman Tim Keenan III played one of the best games of his Crimson Tide career as he recorded nine tackles, making him one of the better athletes outside the Power Four and one of the best running quarterbacks in college football’s era.
“We had to get that guy,” Keenan said of Brown. “He’s got to be commended. He’s a great player, a great athlete… We did what we had to do. We got the best out of him.”
Alabama led South Florida 14-13 entering the fourth quarter. Really impressive. While the Tide defense was strong all night, Keenan and his team wanted to take it to another level.
“It was just in the back of [our] minds that there’s no stopping, I’ve got to get home,” Keenan said. “Pressure creates diamonds…I like moments like that, because everybody is looking for someone who can make a play, and it’s like, why not me? So, just being able to have that mindset of, I’m going to do something, I’m going to make a play.’
Linebacker Que Robinson was one of the players who played well on several occasions in the middle of the field and in USF’s backfield, even though his stats weren’t anything special: seven tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. Robinson credited the game plan and coaching for his and the rest of the team’s performance.
“Credit goes to the staff and defensive coordinator, Coach Womack,” Robinson said after the game. “He calls the play to give us a chance. He put me and my teammates in a position where we can just go out there and play. We didn’t have to think too much, and we were able to execute.”
Still, though Robinson was pleased with his team’s performance in Womack’s system on Saturday, he pointed out that it wasn’t perfect.
“We’re still not at the point where we need to be,” Robinson said. “We have to create more turnovers. Effort is a big part of the game, and we have to create more effort. “GGetting your job done, being fundamentally strong, getting in those gaps, and getting the quarterback out of his spot.”
Perhaps the word Robinson used most in the interview, in both a good and bad sense, was “effort.” Robinson said several times that they needed to do better and mentioned that “a lot of guys were yelling out there, telling guys to stay focused and stay locked in.”
But the main positive related to effort was the defense’s performance on third downs. 18-18 on third down attempts and somehow even more impressive than 2-18 against South Florida. Truly remarkable and something to keep in mind for the next few weeks.
“If Tim has the hype, everybody gets the hype,” Robinson elaborated. “Keenan’s individual-top-level performance on Saturday was a reflection of the entire team. He’s a guy we look up to. Everyone is more excited about the game when he plays.”
Good coaching, leadership, accountability, effort, high standards, improved play… what more could Saban expect from a Wommack-led defense on field naming day after that?
This article was originally published at www.si.com/college/alabama with the title “Ken Wommack’s Game Plan Provides Another Stout Evening for Alabama’s Defense.”
