Many variables went into the University of Alabama falling to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January, but arguably the biggest one was the lack of a consistent pass rush to Trevor Lawrence.
His performance of 347 passing yards with three touchdowns in a 44-16 win was a product of him having more than ample time to deliver the football. Prior to that matchup, the Crimson Tide had issues with constantly harassing Jake Fromm of Georgia and Kyler Murray of Oklahoma – which allowed both signal callers to torched Alabama’s defensive secondary with big plays.
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Part of the “Bama factor” on defense is putting fear in the heart of opposing quarterbacks.
With the players it has returning and talented freshmen on campus, Alabama looks to return to the production it had in 2015 and 2016.
The program totaled 50+ sacks respectively in both seasons and the 2016 defense was one of the best in school history.
In this airing of In My Own Words, Stephen Smith of Touchdown Alabama Magazine breaks down why the pass rushers have returned and names the players looking for a big campaign.
You can listen to the audio version of the podcast via Spreaker.
Listen to “Bama has a rejuvenated pass rush for this season” on Spreaker.
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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 @CoachingMSmith.
