TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– Not one sack came in its conference opener against Vanderbilt, but Alabama’s defense was okay. For media pundits, it was the second consecutive game in which a quarterback was not grimacing in pain, yet the Crimson Tide looked confident and keep moving.
During its time in Nashville, Tenn., players knew where to be for the first time since week one (Florida State) and the Southeastern Conference’s leader in passing efficiency at the time had nowhere to go with the football.
Commodores’ quarterback Kyle Shurmur felt his pocket collapse on nearly every play, forcing him to complete just four of 15 passes for 18 yards.
If the completion percentage did not kill him, an early interception to defensive back Ronnie Harrison did – seeing how Alabama rolled out of Vanderbilt Stadium with a 59-0 victory.
More of the same would occur in the following week versus Mississippi at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Pressure came from all angles to Shea Patterson, leaving his wide receivers a non-factor and him running for his life. The inability to find comfort led to two Levi Wallace interceptions, with one going back for a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Linebackers Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis were under high expectations to perform, but yours truly pegged sophomore Anfernee Jennings as one of my top 25 impact players for the Crimson Tide in the summer series on The Way It Is via Fox Sports Shoals 97.9 FM.
While shockwaves went through the program after hearing season-ending injuries to Miller and Lewis, Jennings suffered an ankle injury against the Seminoles and had to undergo surgery.
In the two weeks he was out, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt took a step back in play calling and the Tide’s front line was ineffective in creating pressure.
Alabama totaled just five quarterback hurries and two sacks in meetings with Fresno State and Colorado State, while coming up empty versus the Rams in sacks – as its offense amassed 23 points.
When Jennings returned for the Vandy game, Nick Saban’s unit regained its fire.
Behind a three-star athlete, the Crimson Tide has recorded 13 quarterback pressures and nine sacks in the previous three games (five pressures, five sacks in first three games).
When he took to the Mal Moore facility for Wednesday’s pressure, Saban said Jennings has been one of the most consistent players from a leadership, personality and competitive standpoint.
“Anfernee Jennings was the outside linebacker that had the most experience,” he said.
“He’s really strong and is a good competitor in pass rush. Then the other two guys we really counted on got hurt against Florida State and are out for the year, so he was the lone ranger even though he missed a couple of weeks.”
He was looked upon to be a marquee contributor, and regardless of not having gaudy numbers, his assistance with Chris Allen, Jamey Mosley and LaBryan Ray among others has been huge.
“He has shown tremendous leadership and has helped the young guys that may not have played much this year develop and play more effectively,” Saban said on Jennings. “He can play both run and pass and sets a good example for others. We are really pleased with him.”
Heading into Saturday’s game against Arkansas, Jennings stands at 12 tackles with two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He’s become one of the anchors on a group that is first nationally in rush defense (73.3 ypg), fourth in scoring defense (10.3 ppg) and fifth in total defense (258.8 ypg).
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
