Published Dec 9, 2008
The Zoom Lens: Justin Woodall
Chase Goodbread
Rivals.com Senior Writer
Each week BamaOnLine.com subscribers choose the focus of The Zoom Lens, a weekly post-game analysis of a specific position. BOL staff reviews a replay of each game with a play-by-play eye on the player chosen by members. This week's poll results after Alabama's 31-20 loss to Florida:
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PlayerVoting
Justin Woodall50.0 percent
Andre Smith26.6 percent
Mike Johnson13.7 percent
Travis McCall9.7 percent
The subject: Safety Justin Woodall.
Statistics: Eight tackles (six solo, assisted TFL).
Observations: Woodall took a bad angle on Florida's first pass attempt of the game, a completed 14-yard slant to Louis Murphy in front of cornerback Kareem Jackson. It was a well-thrown ball and a better angle may not have prevented the completion, but would have given Woodall an opportunity for a big hit and perhaps a breakup. ... Two plays later, Woodall got a good shot on Tim Tebow for a solo tackle on a rush gain of 14. ... He got another big hit on Brandon James on a second-quarter rush for a short gain. ... His best sequence of the night included tackles on four consecutive plays to force a Gators field goal. He knocked Riley Cooper out of bounds on his 51-yard catch on a deep ball, but Woodall wasn't late with help. Just before the snap, UA rotated to an eight-man front, leaving Woodall as a single deep safety and out of position to make a play on the sideline. Marquis Johnson, instead, was left one on one. Woodall followed that play with a first-down stop of Tebow for a short gain, then got an assist on Jeffrey Demps to bring up third down at the UA 7, then got another piece of Tebow on a scramble to force fourth down inside the 5. ... On UF's next drive, Woodall was a bit late on a 22-yard completion over the middle to Aaron Hernandez that put the ball inside the UA 10. He responded with a tackle for no gain on the next play, but the Gators were able to convert a touchdown on a short pass to David Nelson, in front of Woodall, two plays later. ... Woodall's next stop came on a shovel pass to Hernandez during the red-zone sequence of Florida's third touchdown. ... On a 34-yard completion in the fourth quarter to Murphy, UA blitzed Rashad Johnson off the corner, leaving Woodall alone once again and unable to offer help on the play.
Overview: After a relatively quiet second half of the season, Woodall was plenty active in the Crimson Tide's SEC title appearance. In the second half, Woodall got fewer opportunities to make plays, in part because Alabama held possession for almost the entire third quarter. He performed better in run support than he did in coverage, though he didn't have a hand of blame in any of Florida's three completions of over 30 yards.