Alabama football improved to 4-0 with a marquee victory over Georgia last week.
Kalen DeBoer has his team ranked No. 1 in the nation, but he knows he cannot allow complacency to set in.
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Carson Beck, the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, challenged the Crimson Tide’s secondary in the second half. Alabama’s defense forced Georgia to throw the ball more as it jumped out to a 30-7 lead; however, the coaching staff could have done a better job of making sure its young cornerbacks had consistent safety help. Beck accounted for 439 passing yards, including 339 yards with three touchdowns in the second half. The Tide emerged with a 41-34 victory, but Kane Wommack knows his defense will have another challenge this week in Nashville, Tenn. Clark Lea has Vanderbilt playing well at 2-2 on the season. The Commodores opened up its season with a win over Virginia Tech and nearly took down a top-25 team in Missouri on Sept. 21 on the road.
Vanderbilt has a quarterback that brings excitement to its program.
Diego Pavia has the ‘Dores averaging 37 points per game. He has 721 passing yards, 279 rushing yards, and eight total touchdowns. Pavia has not tossed an interception through four matchups, which has helped Vandy make explosive plays.
Coach Wommack highlighted Pavia to reporters in Monday’s press conference. He knows the challenge the senior presents.
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“This team (Vanderbilt) is playing with a lot of energy,” Wommack said. “You look at their sideline, you look at the level of competitive energy those guys play with, I think you see that come from their quarterback. The dude is a real baller. He is physical, he’s tough, he makes the non-traditional play numerous times on the field, and he is certainly going to be challenging for us. You can tell there is a confidence from the rest of his teammates that he breathes into them. You see it on the sideline, the defense feeds into it, and the whole team feeds into it. They play with enthusiasm and chemistry.”
Wommack said Alabama has to adjust from playing in a highly anticipated game to battling a team that will not have much national coverage. Pavia looks to challenge the Tide’s defense, and it has to be ready to excel in this road game.
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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.
