How Alabama is preparing to face dangerous South Carolina returner

Alabama football does not want Vicari Swain to make a game-changing return this weekend when it takes on South Carolina.

Swain has returned five punts for touchdowns in his career. Two of those returns came against Towson. This success has prompted Kalen DeBoer to work extremely hard this week to make sure their punt coverage team is prepared.

“I think, from here on out, you’re gonna have someone who can do those type of things, but he’s showing it already here early in the season that he can just get, get them a few yards,” DeBoer said. “He can take it all the way. So, where we punt the ball, what our coverage and how well we’re having lane integrity when we’re running down the field, and then getting him on the ground, right? And getting a lot of players to him to where you’re not having counting on a one man show to get the tackle.”

Alabama has not given up a punt return for a touchdown this season, and is looking to keep this trend going. But the Tide is also looking to stop Swain for giving the Gamecocks good field position.

“We gotta be great in those areas, and that’s where these things, where the big plays show up is in these SEC games now is going to be in those those one offs, and it changes field position at the very least, and you gotta really make sure you don’t avoid an exposure that leads to a score.”

Alabama and South Carolina will go to battle Saturday in Tuscaloosa.