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The method to Kane Wommack's madness behind Alabama football defense rotation
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- The method to Kane Wommack's madness behind Alabama football defense rotation
Kane Wommack has not seen his Alabama football defense play faster than it did against LSU .
The Crimson Tide defensive coordinator, reflecting on his unit's performance in a 20-9 win against LSU , one where Alabama did not allow a touchdown against an SEC opponent for the second time in two years, knew how dynamic LSU would be and knew how much his defense would have to "swarm" to the football. The result? Three forced fumbles and two turnovers, three sacks and an LSU average of 4 yards per play with two total plays longer than 19 yards.
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"I think there's a swagger and an energy that we're playing with right now, and that needs to continue as we navigate through the regular season here," Wommack said.
And Wommack knows exactly how he's going to do it as he turns to Alabama 's game plan against Oklahoma .
The Crimson Tide will continue to rotate, to keep players fresh and to keep players explosive.
On the defensive line, starters James Smith and Tim Keenan III each played 21 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Freshman London Simmons (24 snaps) and redshirt sophomore Edric Hill (21) played just as much.
At linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green played 38 snaps, sharing playing time with starters Justin Jefferson (48) and Deontae Lawson (50).
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Against LSU, Lawson and Jefferson, cornerbacks Dijon Lee and Zabien Brown , and safeties Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard were the only players to have more than 40 snaps. And there's a method to Wommack's madness.
"If there's one guy that has a hot hand or you know going into a game that there's a guy who is clearly the better player, you want to make sure that dude is available in the fourth quarter," Wommack said.
Alabama pushes itself, Wommack said, "to an uncomfortable position of getting guys on the field" so that players like Keenan, like Lawson can "step up and make plays in big moments."
After LSU and heading into Oklahoma , Hill-Green sees a defense that is fresh, that is "hitting a second wind." He sees a defense, from the first team to the third team, that is ready to perform.
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"Older guys, we just tell the younger guys to be ready," Hill-Green said. "Your number may be called."
Alabama kicks off against Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 15 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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: Kane Wommack explains continued Alabama football defense rotation
