Tide Tidbits – October 9, 2009

The ball is in safe hands of Tide’s explosive offense
On the one hand, the football is a grenade. Pull the pin. Tick, tick, tick. Toss it and – boom! – a defense splatters. On the other hand, the football is a fragile porcelain egg. Handle with care. Drop it and an offense shatters. In both hands, the football is safe with the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. How safe? In five games, the Crimson Tide’s offense has only three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles). That is tied for fewest in the nation. How important are turnovers? Before Thursday night’s game between Nebraska and Missouri, the combined record of the eight teams with the fewest turnovers was 30-6.

Balance is key to Bama’s offense
Has the University of Alabama offense shown over the past five Saturdays what it will deliver over the next seven? UA is still yet to face most of the toughest defenses on its schedule suggests otherwise. The Rebels’ defense the Crimson Tide will face this weekend ranks among them. Alabama is averaging 40 points per game, and scored more than 30 in each of its first five games for the first time since 1920 — not the sort of numbers typical of an offense with only four returning starters. “They’ve just got so much more balance this year. Where everybody thought they were going to have a tremendous drop because they lost the offensive line from last year, not so,” said Rebels coach Houston Nutt. “Their backs are better, the quarterback to me is just as good, if not better. But the main thing is they are so efficient, they don’t make mistakes, they don’t turn the ball over.”

Jones has found fit at right guard
Once a high-profile preseason competition spot, right guard has been settled for Alabama’s offense. Freshman right guard Barrett Jones has played well through five starts, and the health of the former highly touted recruit is holding up after redshirting last season with a torn shoulder tendon. “I feel like I have done a good job,” Jones said. “I know what to do out there. I’m not making too many mental errors. At the same time, I need to improve on, I guess, everything. You can always do things better. Specifically, run blocking, I guess.” Alabama’s opener against Virginia Tech marked Jones’ first career start. He hasn’t missed a snap with the first offensive line since, filling the spot left vacant by graduated starter Marlon Davis.

McElroy gains respect after waiting his turn
For three seasons he carried the clipboard, wore a baseball cap and signaled in plays every Saturday in the fall. And for one half of the first Saturday this season, he played like a rookie. But something snapped into place in the Georgia Dome locker room. Since then, Greg McElroy has been the quarterback his coaches and teammates promised he’d be. In those 18 quarters of football that followed, the Alabama junior turned his 6-for-18 start to the Virginia Tech win into a 72-for-101 aftermath. That translates into a 165.48 passer rating that ranks sixth nationally and second in the Southeastern Conference behind Tim Tebow.

Camera-shy Nutt faces crucial week
Back in August, you’d have had to get a tongue depressor and make Ole Miss say “aaaahhh” to get a closer look at the Rebels. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt opened up practice to TV cameras for a reality show, thinking it would expose the program to recruits and perhaps help players adjust to new-found fame. Said Nutt, “I want them not to flinch.” Eventually, either Nutt or the producers flinched. After a couple of weeks, they halted production. Said Nutt, “I’m not that good of an actor.” This week, more flinching. Ole Miss practice has been closed to the media. Typically, Nutt opens the first 30 minutes of practice to the media. This week, as the Rebels prepared for a game against Alabama, the no trespassing signs were out.

Roll Tide!

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