Alabama football is playing on another level defensively right now.
The Crimson Tide shutout Missouri, held LSU to 13 points, and limited Mercer to seven points in victories over all three teams. Alabama forced 15 turnovers since the South Carolina game, including three against the Bears.
Kane Wommack has this Alabama defense looking like 2016 unit
The Tide gained its first non-offensive touchdown of the season versus Mercer. DaShawn Jones, a transfer cornerback from Wake Forest, forced a fumble and Zabien Brown — a true freshman — recovered it and returned it for a 66-yard touchdown. Qua Russaw, a redshirt freshman, got his second interception of the season last week.
He made a one-handed athletic pick that had Tide fans on the field at Saban Field. Russaw, a Montgomery (Ala.) native, watched guys like Mack Wilson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Reuben Foster, and others dominate on defense for Alabama. He sees a similar mentality with this group and wants it to come out. Russaw told reporters in an interview after the game that the defense wants to be ‘Old Bama.’
Alabama LB details what Tide mentality ‘has to be’ for rest of season
“We want to look like that. We want to be like that,”Russaw said. “We want to be the best we can be. We feel that we are the best defense.”
The ‘Old Bama’ under Nick Saban took pride in scoring touchdowns on defense. Alabama’s 2016 group scored 11 touchdowns on defense. It took six interceptions to the house and returned five fumbles for scores. Kane Wommack had been waiting on this defense to cash in on a takeaway and it happened last week.
“I did not see Coach Wommack’s face, but I saw everyone else’s,” Russaw said about the excitement on Alabama’s defense after its first touchdown. “They were happy because we had been wanting a defensive touchdown for a minute.”
Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix, a former Alabama safety, is on the coaching staff as the director of player development. He had mentioned to Russaw about the importance of scoring on defense.
The group made it happen in a 52-7 win over Mercer, but it needs to continue.
Remnants of Old Bama is in this team and it’s coming out at the right time.
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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.
