Alabama DC Kane Wommack feels it is ‘critical’ for Tide to improve in key area ahead of Tennessee

Alabama football’s defensive coordinator Kane Wommack feels the Crimson Tide’s defense has to quickly find a way to limit explosive plays on the ground.

The Tide has been gashed by opposing rushing attacks several times this season. Georgia was the latest program to do so. The Bulldogs rushed for 206 yards on 39 carries last Saturday en route to defeating Alabama 20-17.

The Bulldogs exploded for runs that picked up more than 10 yards five times, including runs that picked up 31, 22 and 37 yards.

Wommack feels it is critical for Alabama to come up with a fix ahead of facing Tennessee.

“It’ll be critical,” Wommack said. “You think about what Tennessee is doing really well right now is they are playing team football. They are running the football. They’re committed to running the football. They are finding explosive plays off of them running the football, and so it’s all predicated to them running in the running game and then creating explosives out of their run game and then the shots that come off of it in the passing game. And so what they’re doing a really good job of, right, is they’re playing that complementary style of football where they’re establishing the run, keeping the clock, and then on defense, right? I think they lead the country in sacks right now, so they’re getting offenses in negative positions and getting off the field on 3rd down because of it.”

The Vols’ leading rusher is DeSean Bishop. He has rushed for 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 107 carries last season. The running back is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and he has three 100-plus rushing performances under his belt this season.

Alabama will look to limit Bishop Saturday in Knoxville.