Alabama’s defense is still licking its wounds after surviving a shootout in Oxford, Miss. over the weekend. While the Crimson Tide’s 63-48 victory over Ole Miss wasn’t always pretty, Nick Saban is hoping it will serve as the wake-up call his team needs heading into one of its biggest games of the season.
“I think it doesn't ever hurt to really get in a fight,” Saban said during his Monday Zoom call with reporters. “I'm really proud of the way our team handled the fight, played through the fight. No one showed any desperation at all in terms of the effort and the poise that we continue to play with in a very, very difficult game.”
Things won’t get any easier for No. 2 Alabama this week as it hosts No. 3 Georgia in one of the most-anticipated matchups of the season. The Tide (3-0) is currently a six-point favorite over the Bulldogs (3-0), who enter the matchup coming off a 44-21 victory over Tennessee. However, Kirby Smart’s defense figures to be the biggest test Alabama has faced to date this season.
Here’s what we learned about the Tide on Monday as it begins its preparation for the Bulldogs.
Saban delves into defensive issues
Pete Golding has had happier times in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The defensive coordinator was already in a bit of hot water with Tide fans following a disappointing first season in charge of the defense last year. This season hasn’t done him any favors either.
Through three games, Alabama is on pace for its worst defense in the Saban era, giving up an average of 30.3 points and 473 yards per game. This past weekend was particularly rough as the Tide surrendered a school-record 647 yards to Ole Miss.
