Unified #2 in both Polls, Report Card For Bama...

‘A’ is for Alabama Midseason report card shows
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA If one were to try and find a signature moment from the first half of the University of Alabama football team’s 2008 season, there would be numerous choices.
Junior running back Glen Coffee’s long touchdown runs against Arkansas and Kentucky? True freshman wide receiver Julio Jones’ over-the-shoulder touchdown catch at Georgia? Junior cornerback Javier Arenas’ punt return for a touchdown vs. Tulane?
Those were all good, but not quite worthy.
More appropriate would be something like the offensive line blowing No. 9 Clemson’s defensive front off the line of scrimmage on the first snap at the Georgia Dome. Junior Terrence Cody pushing the Western Kentucky center back into his running back, forcing a fumble the nose guard recovered. All the brutal hits by players like sophomore middle linebacker Rolando McClain and senior tight end Travis McCall.
Above everything else, Alabama’s 6-0 start and rise to No. 2 is due to its toughness, mentally and physically. That includes few penalties, few costly mistakes, and domination of the lines and up the middle defensively.
“I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned as well,” coach Nick Saban said. “In what has happened in the first half of the season being intensity that has fueled our success. That is something we need to maintain in practice and preparation and improving over this bye week.
“We don’t need to be looking into the rear view mirror here. We need to be looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
With six regular-season games remaining, the Crimson Tide is half-way to representing the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game, and it will likely take at least three losses to keep the Tide from playing in an elite Bowl Championship Series game.
That’s a far cry from a year ago, when Alabama finished November with a four-game collapse, including the embarrassing 21-14 home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
“I don’t see that happening,” junior running back Roy Upchurch said. “Everyone’s really into the season. Everybody wants to be that team.”
Here are the midseason grades:
Quarterbacks: One of senior John Parker Wilson’s most impressive decisions came on a play few people noticed. Alabama had first down at its own 37 during the second quarter at Georgia, and was in a three-receiver set with senior tight end Nick Walker in motion to the right. With the snap, Wilson looked right, where redshirt freshman Marquis Maze headed downfield and Walker was underneath. He then turned toward the middle, where Jones had run a clearing route. Still no one was open, so he went to option three, a dump pass to Coffee for a 6-yard gain.
Five plays after going through that progression, Wilson threw the spectacular touchdown pass to Jones, for a 31-0 lead against the No. 3 Bulldogs.
Something else most fans probably haven’t noticed is that his arm strength has significantly improved.
Although Wilson’s numbers are down from a year ago, he also hasn’t had to try and win a game. His consistency needs to be better, but his passing efficiency is actually up, and he’s had just two interceptions.
“We’re just taking care of the ball,” Wilson said. “That’s been a big point for me, from last year, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it.
“Just be smart with the ball.”
Grade: B+.
Running backs: Coffee is averaging 7.5 yards every time he takes a handoff, which is frightfully good. To put that into perspective, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden had a 5.6 average last year.
Coffee, true freshman Mark Ingram and junior Roy Upchurch have been a terrific rotation, and their blocking has been pretty good, too. But the fumbling is a concern. Alabama has had nine fumbles, losing five.
One has to wonder if the Tide will unleash Terry Grant on an unsuspecting opponent soon, but even Coffee said he would have been surprised by his numbers of 708 yards on 95 carries (118.0 game average) if told them before the season.
“I would have been excited,” Coffee said. “Right now, I’m not because it’s a grind. But before the season, I can’t lie, I would have been excited.”
Grade: A-.
Wide receivers: Jones is already Wilson’s top target, with 19 catches for 278 yards, but outside of senior end Nick Walker no one has more that seven receptions.
“He’s probably starting to play a little faster,” Saban said about Jones. “Probably playing with a little more confidence, still probably learning every day. There are some things he can still do better. I think he played extremely well in the Georgia game, made a couple of big plays in that game. But the one thing that probably stands out to me is the physical nature of the way he plays, especially when he goes and gets the long ball.”
While the young receiving corps figures to improve over the next six games, and must do a better job of getting yards after the catch, two major pluses are the unit’s blocking and diversity. So far, 15 different players have caught a pass and unlike in the past it’s almost impossible to tell if the play is a run by who’s in at wideout.
Grade: B.
Offensive line: All three players on the left side — Andre Smith, Mike Johnson and Antoine Caldwell — figure to receive major consideration for All-SEC honors. Junior Drew Davis has fared well against some talented defensive ends, while sophomore David Ross filled in when Smith and senior Marlon Davis missed a game due to injuries. The biggest concern is depth, but true freshman John Michael Boswell may be close to stepping in at right tackle if necessary.
The most underrated player on the team is McCall, who is like an extra offensive lineman, and Alabama’s two-tight end formation has been giving opponents fits.
“That’s a good set for us,” McCall said. “I like playing two tights.”
Grade: A.
Defensive line: No opponent has been able to run up the middle, where Cody has regularly attracted two, if not three, blockers. He’s a huge reason why Alabama’s rushing defense is second nationally (50.8 yards per game).
“As the season progresses, you start finding your strengths and your weaknesses, recognizing tendencies in the person you’re facing,” junior end Brandon Deaderick said. “It helps you perform better.”
The two-deep rotation at all three spots could pay huge dividends down the stretch, and junior end Lorenzo Washington is someone to keep an eye on. The defense has only 10 sacks, but expect more during the stretch run.
“We still have a lot of improvement (to go),” Cody said. “Just little things and stuff, we need to get better on. We’ve been affecting the quarterback and stopping the run.”
Grade: A-.
Linebackers: Sophomore Rolando McClain is emerging as a premier linebacker, one of the best in the conference. His 44 tackles are tops the Tide, while he has 3½ tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Something new this year is calling audibles, sometimes more than one a play to answer offensive adjustments.
“Rol is really a bright guy and he has a good understanding of what we’re doing and what the other team is trying to do,” Saban said. “Between him and Rashad (Johnson) being the two signal callers, being able to do that really gives us an advantage.”
Considering three starters had to be replaced, the linebacker corps probably has no business performing this well. True freshman Dont’a Hightower got thrown into the fire while junior Brandon Fanney and Cory Reamer have been solid at the outside spots. Junior Eryk Anders’ development as a speed-rusher has been a nice surprise, while true freshman Courtney Upshaw is already forcing more playing time.
Grade: B+.
Defensive backs: Much has been made of the front-line pressure making it difficult for offenses to attack down field, but it’s also due to opponents respecting Alabama’s speed in the secondary and the awareness of senior safety Rashad Johnson.
Because the co-captain moves around so much and can quickly break on a ball, not to mention Saban’s complex zone scheme, quarterbacks have struggled to make accurate pre-snap reads. With junior safety Justin Woodall also improving, challenging the Tide over the middle can be incredibly risky.
“We have a lot of speed flying around back there, Javier, Kareem (Jackson), Justin, Marquis (Johnson),” Rashad Johnson said. “We’re all doing a good job of knowing what’s going on before the play even starts. The coaching staff, they teach us to look at the splits of the receivers and things like that to understand the routes that are going to be run. It’s a head start.”
The proof isn’t in the eight interceptions, but the pass defended. Rashad Johnson and Woodall are second in the SEC (1.33 average), while Jackson is tied for fourth (1.00).
“I need some picks,” Arenas said. “I can do better.”
Grade: B.
Special teams: Coverage on returns has been the team’s biggest weakness, while opponents want nothing to do with Arenas. Kentucky did a good job of playing keep away, and moving him around on punts returns which helped lead to the ball hitting blocker Marquis Johnson for a fumble.
“Good punter,” Arenas said.
As for his outlook from here on in, Arenas said: “It’s going down, for real. Anytime the ball is in my hands, I’m going to try and make something happen.”
Grade: B-.
Overall/coaching: The job Saban’s staff has done is remarkable, especially considering the Tide has nine scholarship seniors and there is a lack of depth. Unless Bobby Johnson can keep Vanderbilt winning, Saban could be named SEC Coach of the Year.
Grade: A.