Alabama’s 10-point loss to Texas was eye-opening, but one statistic has fans and former players in social media discussions.
The Crimson Tide failed to register a sack of Longhorns’ quarterback, Quinn Ewers. After knocking him out of the game in 2022, Ewers’ jersey looked fresh for a wedding all night long at Bryant-Denny Stadium last week. He put himself in the Heisman conversation against the Tide’s defense, totaling 349 passing yards and three touchdowns. Alabama was credited with three pressures on Ewers, but he had time to do whatever he wanted in Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling. In the aftermath of a 24-34 loss, CFB Film Room unveiled a jaw-dropping stat that confirmed the disappearance of Alabama’s consistent pass rush since 2016.
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The Tide recorded its lowest pressure rate generated at 10 percent against Texas. Pete Golding, Alabama’s former defensive coordinator, had the blame directed at him during his five seasons with the program, but he is no longer with the team.
What on earth happened to the Alabama pass rush?! pic.twitter.com/8VINCSMVan
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 12, 2023
People felt the defense would improve with Golding gone; however, Texas totaled 454 yards offensively.
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Kevin Steele has to tighten up, but what about Freddie Roach and Coleman Hutzler? Roach, a former Alabama linebacker, has been the defensive line coach for the Tide since 2020. The Tide has not had a defensive lineman taken in the first round of the NFL Draft under Roach. Christian Barmore (eight sacks, in 2020) and Phidarian Mathis (nine sacks, in 2021) performed well under Roach, but they were being developed before he arrived. Sal Sunseri, a defensive line coach for Colorado, was Alabama’s outside linebackers coach from 2019 to 2021. Will Anderson and Dallas Turner blossomed under Sunseri, but the pass rush numbers for outside ‘backers have dropped under Hutzler. Alabama thrived on constantly affecting quarterbacks with pressures, hurries, and sacks early in the Saban era. Something has to be fixed moving forward if the Tide is trying to win a championship.
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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.
