Alabama players taking silent approach to LSU trash talk
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s been addressed, not forgotten.
Make no mistake, Alabama players remember when LSU running back Derrius Guice called them “scared” last season. Guice made sure of that when he reiterated his statement this summer during SEC Media Days.
Alabama held LSU to 33 yards on the ground during last year’s 10-0 victory over the Tigers in Baton Rouge, La., a game which Guice finished with 8 yards on two carries. Although while the Crimson Tide kept the Tigers back quiet on the field, he sounded off on the performance a week later.
"Alabama always stacks 10 people in the box to stop us. They're scared as well," Guice said following a 38-10 win over Arkansas the following week, according to The Advocate (Baton Rouge). "It's always good to do our bread and butter and run down teams' throats and be physical. The (offensive line is) tired of hearing that they're poo and that they can't block, and we're also tired of hearing that we can't run (after) Alabama and that we can't run after we play them."
Guice later backed up his statements in July, responding “Yeah, that's what I said" when asked during SEC Media days if he still thought Alabama was scared.
When asked Monday about their feelings toward Guice’s comments, Alabama players elected to take a more silent approach.
"It was brought up the other day,” Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “But I have nothing to say about that really."
Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton followed suit, stating that “It doesn’t matter. We can only focus on what Alabama does.”
While Guice’s bulletin board material is nothing new, LSU linebacker Devin White appeared to add some more fuel to the fire Monday.
"It's like having that older brother that you haven't been able to beat up," White told reporters. "We're bigger, stronger, and it's time to beat them up."
That didn’t seem to sit well with Alabama players.
“One thing bout bama we don’t talk trash we just play ball,” Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs tweeted from his Twitter account.
Buggs, a native of Ruston, La., was the No. 1 rated JUCO player in the 2017 class and nearly committed to LSU before joining Alabama in December. He wasn’t the only Crimson Tide player who showed displeasure with the statements coming from Tigers players. Linebacker Mack Wilson chimed in two hours later, tweeting out “If any team noticed that anytime we play them we speak highly of them because we respect every team we play.. we don't throw any signs of trash talk.. we just lock them gates on Saturday.”
Both No. 1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 in the SEC) and No. 19 LSU (6-2, 3-1) enter this week’s matchup coming off a bye week. The Crimson Tide has won its past six meetings against the Tigers are currently 21.5-point favorites according to VegasInsider.com.
“This game has turned into a huge rivalry through the years, since I've been here especially, but probably even before that,” said Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who coached at LSU from 2000-2004. “Since 2007, I think, both teams have been ranked in the Top 20 in each one of these games that we've played. I don't think this one's really any different.
The two teams will play Saturday at 7 p.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in a game that televised nationally by CBS.
By the looks of it, Alabama is waiting until then to do their talking.