Talking Toppers With Erik Evans Of Roll Bama Roll
WKU takes on the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday in an attempt to shock the entire landscape of collegiate…
WKU takes on the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday in an attempt to shock the entire landscape of collegiate athletics.
Okay, so that might be a bit of a stretch, but seriously — imagine the chaos that would ensue if that actually did happen.
Anyway, to get a bit of a low down, I reached out to editor of the SBNation site Roll Bama Roll, Erik Evans, to break down the Tide and try to get him to say nice things about the Tops.
The Towel Rack: Following the Tide’s demolishing over USC, Saban said “we have a lot of work to do.” What on Earth is there possibly to improve upon?
Erik Evans: Don’t let the final score confuse you, the Tide need some work. The offensive line in particular was unsteady, with center Bradley Bozeman not having his best day. It’s not that the line was bad, per se. But, as players recognized, it was not their best day either, particularly in consistently opening holes against a fast, active USC front for the running game. Obviously, the young pair of QBs need more reps too, and WKU should see both on Saturday.
TTR: I see three QBs combined for just 18 pass attempts on Saturday. Is that because of youth at the position or Saban’s overall game plan or something else?
EE: Of Alabama’s 52 points, three scores came via long TD strikes, another long run by Damien Harris, and a pick six by Marlon Humphrey. With that kind of quick-strike production from all over the field not many attempts were needed. Also, the Tide’s game plan Saturday was to test a rebuilt and undersized Trojan defensive line. Four RBs, including two true freshmen, got meaningful carries against SC.
TTR: Everyone in the nation, maybe even the world, knows Alabama football. What are a couple of things about this team in particular that fans — casual or otherwise — don’t know or realize about this team.
EE: The Crimson Tide, already a young team in many respects, got even younger. For instance, four true freshmen saw time on offense, including starting RT Jonah Williams and QB Jalen Hurts, who directed the offense for 2/3rds of the game. All totaled, Alabama played 10 true freshman out of its 2016 signing day class.
TTR: As a Bama fan, what about the Tops scares you or makes you uncomfortable heading into Saturday?
EE: Overall Western Kentucky schemes very well, and Brohm adjusts in the second half better than many coaches in the nation. Stylistically, the Tops are a team custom-built to give this Alabama team some fits as WKU tests the Tide’s secondary depth early, often, and all afternoon. WR Taywan Taylor is also a revelation; he may be the best wideout few people know about.
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TTR: Are any other Bama fans talking about WKU at all, or are they just recognizing there’s a game on Saturday with sights set to next Saturday against Ole Miss?
EE: Alabama fans aren’t the dumbest bunch when it comes to football. Western Kentucky may seem to the disinterested a paycheck slaughter game, but most of us realize you don’t win 12 games and have a perfect conference record without a lot of skill, good execution, and solid coaching. The Hilltoppers have the attention of most.
TTR: Alright, give it to me straight — do the Tops shock the world on Saturday?
EE: I have said this since Sunday, and I stick to it: WKU will score more points, have more pass completions, more pass yards, and more total yards than USC. That said, I think the Tide defense is going to ring up half a dozen or more sacks and make life generally miserable. WKU gets its shots, and is well-coached and well-schemed, but this is an angry Alabama team off an unsteady effort with a lot of new starters with a lot to prove. I don’t think the Tide cover, but I think the offense is a lot more consistent and Alabama-like, so we’ll call for the push. 45–17 Alabama
Thanks to Erik for taking time to answer these questions and, what do ya know, he actually said nice things about the red towel waivers!
Erik is an awesome follow on the twitter machine, and I 100% recommend it. Be sure to head over and show the RBR guys some love, and be sure to check out the Q&A I did with him as well.