Nick Saban keeps putting an emphasis on turnovers with his defense, and like they'd done two other times this season, the Crimson Tide defense didn't force any turnovers Saturday night against Vanderbilt. And while the Alabama head coach still would like to see more turnovers, he's fine with them continuing to keep the opponent out of the end zone.
"I'll take this kind of defense without turnovers," Saban said after No. 2 Alabama's 55-3 win over Vanderbilt.
Through four games, Alabama has only forced one turnover on defense, but has given up just two touchdowns and 201 yards per game. Facing its first SEC opponent Saturday night, the Crimson Tide defense allowed its lowest yardage total of the season as Vanderbilt only scratched 129 total yards.
Coming into the matchup, the Commodores were fifth in the SEC in scoring at 42 points per game and fourth in rushing at 217 yards per game. Vanderbilt only scored 3 points and had 14 total rushing yards on 26 attempts against Alabama.
"I think we gave up 14 yards rushing, and they’re a team that likes to run the ball," said senior defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe. "I feel like that’s very good on our end to make them one dimensional where they can’t run the ball. We were able to make them drop back and we went after the quarterback, and I feel like that’s anybody’s dream as a defensive line or defense in general.”
Outside linebacker and captain Will Anderson Jr., who finished with five total tackles and 2.5 sacks against Vanderbilt, said the defensive players are well aware that they've only given up two touchdowns so far this season. Anderson said he felt like the defense took a really big step Saturday night.
"I think it just goes back to our preparation," Anderson said. "The Texas game happened, and after that the team really had to wake up and be like, 'What type of team do we want to be, especially starting SEC play?' And I think the defense just took initiative to be a fast physical defense. I know we told you guys all offseason that’s the defense we were, and that’s the mission we want to give out.”
Saban said a key to the defense's success this season is the lack of explosive plays given up. He also feels like the experienced players at linebacker (like Anderson, Henry To'oTo'o and Jaylen Moody) and in the secondary (like Jordan Battle, Brian Branch and DeMarrco Hellams) help keep the defense in line.
The defense has also been effective at keeping teams out of the red zone. Opponents have made just seven trips in four games, coming away with two touchdowns and three field goals. For comparison's sake, the Alabama offense has 20 trips to the red zone, scoring 19 times with 16 touchdowns.
For Eboigbe, it's all part of the defense's mindset.
"It don’t matter how we get on the field, but we can control how we get off of it," Eboigbe said. "So it's just the main thing about realizing that all 11 play a part of the scheme, go out there and fly around. Anybody’d know that we’d be successful when we do that."
No doubt the level of competition will only increase for the defense after this four-game stretch to open the season as Alabama enters the heart of its SEC schedule. The Crimson Tide's next three opponents will almost all certainly be ranked, with two of the matchups on the road at Arkansas and Tennessee with a revenge game against Texas A&M at home sandwiched in between.
That's not a concern for Eboigbe and Anderson.
"I feel like we’re very unstoppable," Eboigbe said. "I feel like we’re a fast, physical defense. Today was just… we’re reaching that ceiling, we’re getting there, and I feel like as the competition gets better, we’ll be able to play better to it.”
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