Alabama's Pass Rush is Crucial To Crimson Tide's Upset Efforts

Alabama secured sevens sacks in the first three games of the season.

Sep 14, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats linebacker J.J. Weaver (13) attempts to sack Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) during the fourth quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images | Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs travel to Tuscaloosa this weekend looking for the programs first win in Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2007. The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide is currently a 2-point underdog for Saturday's contest and first year head coach Kalen DeBoer knows exactly what his team needs to do to pull off the upset.

"Any pressure we can get on Carson Beck, that's going to be critical as well, because we know how elite he is, how good of a quarterback he is," DeBoer said on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. "If he has time to sit back there, he's gonna find the people, make the throws. He's extremely accurate, and has got a lot of experience under his belt to to rely on."

Beck's passed for 680 yards and seven touchdowns without throwing an interception through the first three weeks of the season. The Georgia signal-caller was only sacked twice, leading to a clean jersey and 68-percent completion percentage through the early stage of the year.

Alabama sacked Beck three times in the 2023 SEC Championship Game and was credited with five passes defended. The pressure prevented Beck from getting downfield consistently last season and allowed the Crimson Tide defense to limit the Georgia offense.

The Crimson Tide tallied seven sacks of their own over three weeks, starting the season well getting after the passer. Redshirt senior Quandarrius Robinson has three sacks in three games, but the pressure has been consistent from Alabama's entire front.

"I think that's your job every game," Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach said. "You want to affect the quarterback somehow, regardless of who you're playing. That's something that we have to do defensively, whether it's this week, next week or the following week. That's just what we do. Obviously, you want to affect the quarterback, you want to stop the run and you've got to do the things that it helps the defense to be successful."