Alabama vs. Western Kentucky
Keys to Victory
- Intensity: Like last week, the Tide faces an opponent that’s fairly low on the food chain of college football. Tulane came into Tuscaloosa last week, and although they were never really “in” the game, the score would indicate otherwise. The Tide needs to continue to work towards building the reputation that Saban talked about - they need to continue to work towards becoming a team that everyone dreads playing. They aren’t there yet. It’s time the Tide puts away a lowly non-conference opponent in convincing fashion. The intensity and drive that was so evident against Clemson needs to be in attendance every week, and heading into a tough SEC schedule, it’s more important than ever.
- Execution: The offense that shredded Clemson all night in Atlanta struggled mightily against the Green Wave. I’m not ready to lay blame to John Parker Wilson just yet, however. The senior quarterback wasn’t helped by the fact that the receivers had several drops and the offensive line was in shambles. One area that he does need to work on is his vertical passing. On multiple occasions this season, wide receivers have been able to use their speed to get behind defenses, but the ball hasn’t gotten into their hands. That portion is on Wilson. If he wants defenses to respect him, he’ll need to start completing the deep ball. Otherwise, defenses will creep up and take away the quick routes, forcing Wilson to hold the ball longer and throw down the field. The offensive line will likely be back to full strength this week, so look for a physical, run oriented attack this week. With the running game producing, Wilson should have plenty of chances to get receivers behind the safeties using play action...question is, can he put the ball where it needs to be this week?
- Special Teams: Is it me, or does Bama’s kick coverage have more holes than a pair of fishnet stockings? Clemson’s huge return after halftime didn’t hurt the Tide too bad, and let’s face it, it was C.J. Spiller, one of the fastest players in the nation. Tulane had its chances to break the big one too, and although it never happened, they did record some pretty decent returns. Alabama has got to find a special teams coverage unit worthy of the SEC, or it will be a long season. Field position is everything, and every yard counts.
- Learn and Grow: The Alabama defense might be young, but it has only surrendered 16 points in its first two games of the year. Several freshman have seen a boatload of snaps in the effort as well. The young guys need to continue to learn and cut down on mistakes, and the game against Western Kentucky could be an eye opener for some of them. The Hilltoppers utilize a spread attack, much like that of Tony Franklin. It will be a nice warm up for what the Tide will face later in the season, but don’t expect a cake walk. The spread is designed to create mismatches in coverage and confuse defenses, so the freshmen and first year starters need to bring their A-game.
As you can probably tell, there aren’t many areas of concern for the Tide in this game. They far outmatch the Hilltoppers both on paper and on the field. They don’t need to look past them, but the objective in this game should be for the team to shore up some of its inconsistencies and produce a solid victory. Both sides of the ball need to bring their “A” games, and the Tide needs to send a statement.
Key matchup: Alabama vs. itself - Can the Tide play with more consistency and passion against a weak, non conference opponent?
Prediction: Better than Tulane, but there is still growing up to do.
Alabama 31, Western Kentucky 13
