Ryan Grubb Names Alabama Receiver Who is a 'Missed-Tackle-Force Machine'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Ty Simpson's rushing touchdown at the end of the first half in Saturday's 24-21 victory at Georgia was important when it happened, but even more so given the result of the game after the Crimson Tide did not score in the second half.

One of the players Alabama has to thank for that drive's outcome is true freshman wide receiver Lotzier Brooks. Brooks caught a screen pass from Simpson at the Georgia 44. The Crimson Tide had no timeouts, and Brooks was caught in no-man's land in the middle of the field, surrounded by defenders.

There was exactly one minute on the clock when Brooks caught the football. A first down would have momentarily paused the clock since the play took place after the two-minute timeout, but Brooks was well shy of the line to gain. He got out of the mess. Brooks broke multiple tackles and made it out of bounds after getting 21 yards.

"Those are the kind of plays you gotta have in a big game," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Monday. "You wanna get the touches to the right guys, and Lotzeir is a guy that is a missed-tackle-force machine."

Grubb's phrasing was appropriate considering what Brooks did on the play. If he had been stopped right where he made the catch, the play would've been a bust that resulted in no gain. Anything less than first-down yardage also was not ideal in the absence of an available timeout.

"That's one of the things we look at every week. Who are the guys getting touches? Who are the guys breaking tackles? Because when it's not perfect, which it wasn't on that play, you need a guy that's gonna somehow make the play for you," Grubb said.

In Grubb's view, Brooks fits that bill. In that crucial moment, he certainly did. A hard-nosed football player never relishes getting tackled. However, Brooks' Houdini act also displayed strong situational awareness, admirable enough for a true freshman regardless but especially so in a hostile atmosphere.

"Lottie is, since the day I've seen him running around here, he's definitely got a knack to do that. He's got good ball security, he plays through contact, he does not expect to be tackled. He's more powerful than people anticipate, and he's just a really, really sudden guy."

Brooks making something out of nothing played a big role in Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) taking a 24-14 lead into the locker room. He finished the game with two catches for 40 yards.

"He did a great job, had a great game. Made some really good special teams plays, too," Grubb said.