The Alabama football defense knows what the stats say. LSU has allowed 24 tackles for loss and four sacks in eight games, both of which are top-five nationally.
The Crimson Tide defense knows LSU has one offensive tackle that is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and another in Emery Jones Jr. who is not far behind.
But none of that matters to Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell .
"I think the biggest thing is really just to be fast and physical and really violent so we can execute and get those sacks on paper," Campbell said.
Alabama has 18 sacks in eight games, near the bottom of the SEC with Tennessee and Missouri , while Mississippi State have only seven sacks in nine games.
The Crimson Tide also sit near the bottom of the SEC with 45 tackles for loss, matching Florida 's total and only performing better than Arkansas and Mississippi State.
All offensive lines in the SEC, Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach said, are talented. LSU is no different.
But it's not about the Tigers.
"It boils down to us doing what we're supposed to do," Roach said. "Everyone's got an offensive line. Their job is to create running lanes and to protect the passer. We got to do a better job at rushing. I mean, that's what it boils down to."
Success has been found against LSU's offensive line. Texas A&M had two sacks and six tackles for loss against the Tigers, leading to a 38-23 win.
Alabama is not spending much time talking about LSU's offensive line, or the Tigers' NFL-bound tackles.
"It's just making sure that we're doing the right things here, you know," Alabama defensive lineman Jah-Marien Latham said. "Pass rushing the way that we should be."
And when Saturday hits, Roach will see where his unit stands against one of the better lines in the country.
"It's our guys vs. their guys and we got to go out and compete and see what happens," Roach said.
Alabama will take on LSU at 6:30 p.m. CT at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How Alabama football pass rush is preparing for LSU offensive line
