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The Tuscaloosa News
Readers sound off on Alabama football loss to Vanderbilt | Goodbread Mailbag
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Readers sound off on Alabama football loss to Vanderbilt | Goodbread Mailbag
Alabama football fans are trying to make sense of Saturday's 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt and, 40 years since the last time the Commodores topped the Crimson Tide , it's not easy. Naturally, it's the UA defense that's faced the most fire after allowing seven touchdowns over its last six quarters. In this edition of the mailbag column, readers were cued for their opinions rather than questions. If you'd like to join the mailbag crew, email cgoodbread@gannett.com. Onto the readers:
Thomas from Birmingham writes: Until the coaching staff decides to play four legit defensive linemen at once and let the big guys play two-gap football inside, this run defense is going to be too soft. We were never going to put Vanderbilt in third-and-longs any other way.
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Hey Thomas: I'm not ready to say this Alabama run defense can't improve, but I won't disagree with your premise. Alabama did look light in the box at times, but it's not as though Vandy ran wild (3.1 yards per carry). However, those shovel passes, technically completions but run plays in essence, did plenty of damage.
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Barry from Brunswick writes: First and foremost, I am disappointed in the lack of composure on the defensive side of the ball. I'm old school, and Alabama doesn't act like that. I'm concerned about the lack of adjustments made on defense. Georgia made offensive adjustments and almost won that game. If not for spectacular plays by a freshman, it would have been a loss. Vandy didn't run a complicated offense, but the defense never figured out how to stop it. I was at that '84 loss to Vandy, so this is nothing new.
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Hey Barry: No doubt, Alabama never solved a VU offense that rolled up 26 first downs and controlled the clock all day. It was the kind of game that time-of-possession deniers pretend never happens, but Alabama's defense looked completely out of gas on the final possession. As for the lack of composure, I wrote on that Monday .
Tyler from Louisville writes: A lot of people aren't going to like to hear this, but everything is still in front of this team. Use all the cliches in the book; bury the tape, get yourself up off the mat, the 'you're not as good as you think you are' game, etc. Get up, get better, and move on.
Hey Tyler: Beating Georgia showed Alabama is capable of beating anyone, and losing to Vanderbilt showed it's not good enough to take any opponent for granted. True enough, it's just one loss. But when it comes to making the College Football Playoff field, it was a bad one; the selection committee won't judge every loss the same.
Alex from Florence writes: The good: Milroe is rounding into the best version of himself. He's poised, reads the field, and is using his athleticism to make us the most explosive offense in the country. The bad: the defensive line continues to be average, nothing more. The lack of disruptive players along the front has been an issue for years, and was startling to be unable to make an impact against Vandy.
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Hey Alex: I thought Milroe's performance against Georgia was a big step forward in his development, and nothing about the Vanderbilt game suggests he took a step backward. I believe he can make a Superman-like impact in some big games, but if the defense doesn't improve, he'll have to.
Terry from Mobile writes: Is there any part of this team that's playing at a higher level than it did a year ago? I'm not seeing it.
Hey Terry: The offensive line's stock is up compared to last year, and it's not even debatable. Pass protection at this point last season was an unmitigated disaster. It's much improved in 2024, although the right tackle spot is going to need some chip help from backs and tight ends. Also, don't forget the disappearance of shotgun snap problems.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Mailbag readers sound off on Alabama football loss to Vanderbilt
