No SEC defense has been able to take the ball away at the rate Alabama football has been able to.
Through 10 games, Alabama has generated 24 takeaways: 10 fumbles recovered and 14 interceptions. The Crimson Tide is third-best nationally with its 2.4 takeaways per game, sitting behind only James Madison and Notre Dame. Behind Alabama, the only SEC teams to average multiple takeaways per game are Texas and South Carolina .
It's no surprise for Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack . He sees the sense of urgency, the effort in each play to take the ball away.
"Obviously, the takeaways themselves — the forced fumbles, the interceptions — is what everybody else sees," Wommack said. "But when you go back and watch the film (from the Mercer game), there were numerous times where our guys are trying to take the ball off of them. And it's just a matter of time before, on any given play, you can create a takeaway."
To Alabama, takeaways are "muscle memory," something Wommack said he learned from his father, Dave Wommack, a former and heralded Ole Miss defensive coordinator, long ago.
Takeaways have to be consistently preached, Kane Wommack said. They have to consistently be drilled.
From spring practice and fall camp, to each Tuesday and Wednesday practice, Wommack starts with a "takeaway circuit" of six drills that emphasize interceptions, punching at the ball and more opportunities to take the ball away from an offense.
"What happens is, all of a sudden, you do those drills day in and day out... all of a sudden, it becomes muscle memory on game day," Wommack said. "So when Domani Jackson comes off the edge in a corner fire, he thinks 'OK, I have a chance to knock this ball out.' But that's the exact same drill he's been doing for nine months now is punching the ball in that exact moment."
Alabama had three takeaways — two fumble recoveries and an interception — against Mercer, one of which turned into the Crimson Tide's first defensive touchdown of the season.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer saw this mindset up close when he coached with Wommack at Indiana . He saw it from afar when he moved to Fresno State and Washington.
DeBoer said he's watched Wommack evolve, combining his scheme with things he's done in the past along with with the personnel at his disposal.
"He adapts. He adjusts," DeBoer said. "He does that in the course of ag ame. He's done that in the course of our season. He and the staff, I think, have done a good job generally of working together. They tap into each other's strengths. Football coaches all have a different take on things at times. And I think he's done a great job of gelling. You can see the development of our defense happening."
Alabama faces Oklahoma at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday 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: Kane Wommack instills takeaway 'identity' into Alabama football defense
