Alabama knows takeaways will be key against Indiana

Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Keon Sabb (3) intercepts a pass intended for Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Kisean Johnson (0) during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will correct anyone who uses the wrong term. The Crimson Tide refers to forced changes of possession as takeaways, not turnovers.

According to Wommack, the term “turnovers” implies the offense gave the ball to the defense. He’s looking for his unit to take a more active role and force the issue when it is on the field.

Whatever Wommack and Alabama refer to them as, forcing Indiana into mistakes will be a challenge in next week’s Rose Bowl game.

Indiana enters the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup with just eight turnovers over 13 games, tied for third fewest among FBS teams.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has accounted for six of those through interceptions, while his brother Alberto has an interception of his own. Indiana’s only other turnover came on a fumble by running back Lee Beebe Jr. during the season opener against Old Dominion. Other than that, it’s been near impossible to take the ball away from the Hoosiers this season.

“They’re just very disciplined and detailed about what they do,” Wommack said when asked about Indiana’s offense during a Sunday press conference. “We’re as good as anybody in the country at attempting to take the ball off of people. It doesn’t mean we always get it, but we are going to attempt to take it off [them]. So it will be a great challenge for us, but we will also be a great challenge for them.”

Alabama is tied for No. 32 nationally with 20 takeaways through 14 games. Nine of those have come by way of fumble recoveries, while 11 came on interceptions.

Alabama’s success this season has been tied to its ability to win the takeaway battle. While the Tide is tied for 18th nationally with a plus-8 turnover margin, it has lost the takeaway battle in its two most recent losses against Georgia (1-0) and Oklahoma (3-0).

Establishing that advantage next week will go a long way toward determining the outcome against Indiana.

“Facing an opponent that does a great job of taking care of the ball really just puts kind of more stress on us reading our keys and trusting, being able to pull the trigger and make plays when its that small margin when they pop up,” cornerback Zabien Brown said Sunday.

Brown took advantage of that opportunity last time out during Alabama’s 34-24 win over Oklahoma in the first round of the playoff.

With Oklahoma facing a second-and-13 from its own 46-yard line right before the half, the Tide baited quarterback John Mateer with a Cover 0 look before dropping back into a Cover 2. From there, Brown was able to jump in front of Mateer’s pass to the flats, intercepting the ball and returning 50 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

Oftentimes, the key to pulling off such plays comes in taking calculated risks. That’s something Brown, who has returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns this season, says comes naturally.

“It’s a gut feeling,” Brown said. “Maybe a little spidey sense or something like that, but it’s just trust and pull the trigger.”

While Indiana’s offense isn’t prone to errors, the Hoosiers have committed six of their eight turnovers over their last six games. Alabama defenders are confident they will have a chance to add to that tally next week.

“Like every game, we feel like we have the opportunity to take the ball off those guys,” safety Keon Sabb said. “They did a really good job taking care of the ball, so we’ll just have to do our part and force it. We’ve been doing it in practice, focusing on getting the ball out. So we’ll continue to do that.”

No. 9 Alabama (11-3) will take on No. 1 Indiana on Thursday at 3 p.m. CT in the Rose Bowl. The game will serve as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Orange Bowl matchup between No. 4 Texas Tech and No. 5 Oregon.