Fixing Third-Down Issues on Defense of Upmost Importance For Alabama Football This Spring

Across the board, defense isn't what it used to be in college football.

For some University of Alabama fans, this might be a hard concept to grasp. Early on in coach Nick Saban's tenure in Tuscaloosa, his vaunted Crimson Tide defenses were the backbone of his program and now its become a concern.

Rule changes and an offensive renaissance in the sport have completely redefined what good defense actually is.

Saban understands this and is growing tired of hearing the quibbles about his defensive unit.

"I know everybody complains about the defense, but we were like first in the SEC in points allowed and we were 13th in the country in points allowed," Saban said to the media on Friday afternoon following the team's first spring practice of the year. "So I think what people visualize as good defense is a little bit different now than it used to be."

In 2020, Alabama only allowed 19.4 points per game, which was indeed the best in the Southeastern Conference. Nationally, Georgia was second-best among SEC schools at 16th, allowing 20.

The Crimson Tide did allow 45 points twice, 48 versus Ole Miss and 46 against Florida, but where it needs to improve the most, in Saban's eyes, is on third down. The Crimson Tide allowed opponents to convert 41.5 percent of the time on those downs. That ranked 77th in the nation and seventh in the SEC.

"But I think the single thing that we have to improve on, that was the worst that it’s been since we’ve been here, is third down," Saban said. "Getting off the field on third down was an issue for us a year ago. Whether it’s combination of how we pressure, how we cover – whatever. Some of that starts with even when it was second-and-long, we did a really poor job of making it third-and-long. It would become third and very manageable for the offense. This whole idea of getting off the field and not giving the other team more opportunities to have chances to make plays, I think that’s the single most obvious thing that we need to improve on.

"Now there’s other things. Could we have played the run a little bit better? Yeah. Did we give up too many big plays? Probably early in the season, and in some games. But if you make a comparison to years past, especially the last couple years, and I’m not taking up for the guys, because we need to get a lot better on defense – is people are not giving up eight points a game anymore."

Alabama only lost three starters on defense, including cornerback Patrick Surtain II, linebacker Dylan Moses and defensive tackle Christian Barmore, so a more-experienced group should alleviate some of the issues from a year ago.

"I think we have a little more experience coming back on defense, which will probably help us," Saban added. "I see a lot more players out there that last year at this time, we had seven or eight new guys and four out of five in the secondary. Now we only lost one guy in the back end and one linebacker and one down guy. We have a lot of guys that have a lot of playing time, so they should be a lot more confident. Between third down and mental errors that created big plays, I think those are the two things that we are really focused on."

With Moses gone at the Mike linebacker spot — the quarterback of the defense — upperclassmen Christian Harris, Shane Lee and Jaylen Moody will all rotate signal-calling duties this spring.

"We’re trying to create diversity in players, not trying to give you an answer so you can write about who the starter is everywhere,” Saban said. “And then we’ll figure out at the end of spring and the fall camp, ok this is the best way for us to play.

"We have a lot of guys that have a lot of playing time, so they should be a lot more confident.”