The University of Alabama football team defeated South Florida last week, but it craves a dominant performance in its first road test of the Kalen DeBoer era.
Alabama travels to Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, Wis.) on Saturday to face the Wisconsin Badgers.
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Fox Big Noon will have the coverage as the matchup starts at 11 a.m. CT. Luke Fickell has the Badgers undefeated through two games in his second season, scoring 27.5 points per game and allowing 13.5 points per contest. Colin Hitschler, the Crimson Tide’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, may be the most significant weapon for Alabama this week in practice.
Hitschler, 38, can provide Alabama’s offense with a look behind enemy lines.
He knows Fickell very well as he was on his staff at the University of Cincinnati from 2018 to 2022.
Hitschler served as a defensive quality control coach, senior defensive analyst, safeties coach, and co-defensive coordinator. In five years with the Bearcats, Hitschler assisted a defense that allowed 20-plus points per game in two seasons.
He witnessed names such as Ivan Pace Jr., Darrian Beavers, Curtis Brooks, Joel Dublanko, Myjai Sanders, Bryan Wright, and Cortez Broughton record double-digit tackles for loss.
Pace posted 10 sacks for the Bearcats in 2020, the lone Cincinnati player with double-digit sacks under Hitschler.
He also coached Cincinnati’s safeties to 27 interceptions in five seasons. Hitschler saw two NFL Draft picks from the Bearcats’ defensive secondary with Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant. He served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach under Fickell last year at Wisconsin. The Badgers allowed 20.2 points per game — while forcing 13 interceptions and having two athletes finish with double-digit numbers in tackles for loss (C.J. Goetz and Darryl Peterson). Kane Wommack, Alabama’s defensive coordinator, referred to Hitschler on Monday as one of the smartest defensive minds he has ever been around.
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“Hitch (Coach Hitschler) and I have worked together before,” Wommack said.
“Probably the best game day mind adjustment wise that I have been around. He sees things up in the box, does a great job of being my eyes and ears up there. I have been around some really special defensive coaches over the years, but he’s probably up there at the top of the list. He is somebody I lean on and rely on up there. My dad told me years ago if you are going to be in the box, you better have somebody great on the field. If you are going to be on the field, you better have somebody great in the box. I think Hitch does a tremendous job from that standpoint. One of the ways he creates value for his players is the way he coaches those guys to understand offensive recognition. How to recognize what is going to happen, play with anticipation, and we’ve talked about that before. We are trying to get our guys to play with anticipation, and I think he does that as good as anybody.”
Keon Sabb, a transfer from Michigan, got Hitschler’s position started right to open the season with two interceptions.
Wommack wants more takeaways and Hitschler is focused on getting those against his former team.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
