Louisville football: What makes Alabama football's pass defense so tough?

Jeff Greer | Courier Journal

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Dez Fitzpatrick's comment about Louisville's receivers having "the upper edge" against Alabama's defensive backs drew attention, but it was also part of a larger discussion.

Asked what makes Alabama's pass defense so effective, Fitzpatrick and fellow receiver Seth Dawkins described what they noticed in film study this offseason as they prepared for the Sept. 1 season opener in Orlando. The intimidation factor, they said, seems like a big part of Alabama's success.

"They have that reputation," Dawkins said. "There are the elite teams in college football. You think of Bama, Ohio State ..."

Fitzgerald cut in: "I guess (the opponent's) heart drops."

There is, of course, more to it than just that. Dawkins described Alabama's secondary as aggressive and "really coached very well," especially because head coach Nick Saban closely works with his team's defensive backs.

Alabama has a relentless pass rush, which allows the Crimson Tide's cornerbacks to press opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage. The goals are clear: Speed up the quarterback's thinking process and rush his decision-making. Force the offensive line to back-track. Fluster receivers and push them off their routes.

Good timing, Georgia offensive coordinator Jim Chaney noted before last season's national championship game, is key against Alabama.

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That's why Fitzpatrick added an important caveat to Saturday's comment: Passing success against Alabama is more than just about talent.

"It ties into the other stuff — if the blocks are right, if the quarterback's drop is right, if we run an 8-yard route instead of a 10-yard route," Fitzpatrick said. "That's the kind of stuff I feel like we need to sharpen up."

Alabama's in-your-face approach worked to near-perfection last season. The Crimson Tide only allowed eight passing touchdowns in 14 games, snapping up 19 interceptions and holding opposing quarterbacks to a 96.8 rating and 165.7 yards per game. They also compiled 40 sacks and 101 tackles for loss

Each of those stats ranked in the top 13 in top-flight college football.

Just watch clips of last season's Alabama-Clemson national semifinal for multiple examples of the pass rush and aggressive man-to-man coverage working in tandem.

At one point late in the first quarter, Alabama only used two down-linemen with three linebackers — two edge rushers and one middle — and still got a sack. The coaches watching and commenting on the game as part of ESPN's "Coaches Film Room" broadcast laughed in amazement.

"That's not fair," one said.

Alabama's top three defensive backs last season — safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison and cornerback Antonio Averett — were drafted in the first four rounds of the NFL draft.

This season might require an adjustment period with only one returning defensive back who started for the Crimson Tide in the playoffs, Deionte Thompson.

Along with Thompson, the Tide has juniors Shyheim Carter, Trevon Diggs and Savion Smith and sophomores Xavier McKinney and Daniel Wright, whose status is in question after a shoulder injury sidelined him in practice.

They aren't exactly new — each appeared in at least 13 games last season, though only one of them (Thompson) recorded more than 10 tackles. But they are being asked to take on increased responsibility.

This is where Alabama's depth shows. Those five, plus the three freshmen and one junior backing them up, were all either four- or five-star recruits in high school or junior college.

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They are all at least 6 feet, 180 pounds, though most of them are closer to 6-2, 200 pounds. That size is what allows Alabama to play such physical, pressing defense with its cornerbacks.

"It's going to be up to the receivers," Dawkins said. "We've got to get off the press and get open."

If they can do that, that's when the mental side comes into play. In reviewing game film, Fitzpatrick noticed Alabama's opponents kept making uncharacteristic mistakes.

"They're beating themselves, like dropped balls people don't usually drop," Fitzpatrick said.

"They make them nervous," Dawkins replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Fitzpatrick answered. "It's like, if we don't play nervous and we play like we're playing just a regular team ... if we just had that mindset we're just playing football — at the end of the day, it's football. We've been doing this since we were 7 years old. If you just think like that, they're just human like us."

Jeff Greer: 502-582-4044; jgreer@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @JeffGreer_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/jeffg.

Louisville vs. No. 1 Alabama

Sept. 1 at 8 p.m., Orlando, Fla.

TV: ABC

Radio: WKRD-790

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