Defense improves in second scrimmage

“There’s a lot of things that we can learn from this scrimmage,” coach Nick Saban told reporters. “There’s a lot of situational mistakes made that players are going to learn from. Hopefully they can all learn from it and we’ll continue to get better.” Saban said the scrimmage mimicked a game more closely than the Tide’s first scrimmage last week. Senior quarterback Greg McElroy, who led a passing bonanza last week, had reduced numbers. He was 10-for-18 for 134 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, according to statistics provided by the school. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy was the leading rusher with 61 yards on 15 carries. “I think the No. 1 thing we wanted to get from scrimmage 1 to scrimmage 2 was to improve as a team,” Saban said. “I think we made some improvement. Certainly not disappointed in the improvement that we made as a team. “At the same time, we’re not satisfied with where we’d like to be. We need to focus on continued improvement.” [More]

Tide is the preseason No. 1

Coach Nick Saban has Alabama rolling, sitting atop the Associated Press preseason poll for the first time since 1978. The Crimson Tide received 54 of 60 first-place votes from the media panel and 1,491 points to easily outdistance second-ranked Ohio State in the Top 25 released Saturday. Florida, Alabama’s Southeastern Conference rival, is fourth. Fifth-ranked Texas received a first-place vote. The rest of the top 10 has TCU sixth, followed by Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Virginia Tech. Saban’s Tide, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, will try to make Alabama the first program to win back-to-back AP titles three times. Oklahoma and Nebraska also have done it twice. [More]

Kicking game responds

Experience still an issue, there was a noticeable improvement in the Alabama special teams in the second scrimmage of the preseason. With playing more game-like situations, coach Nick Saban said the young kickers and punters responded well and the numbers backed it up. “We’ve been trying in practice, which we haven’t really done in the past with more experienced guys as specialists, is create situations in practice where they have to run in and kick,” Saban said. “Kick a field goal and make a play. And that’s what we wanted to do (Saturday) instead of just having a punting period where it was situational, everything had to be running off the sidelines and doing it like in a game.” The two place kickers made a combined 7-of-8 attempts with Cade Foster’s 52-yarder being the only miss. The true freshman, though, came back and nailed one from the same distance with more than enough behind it. Sophomore Jeremy Shelley, the only punter or kicker with college experience, made all four of his field goal attempts — all coming from 36 yards or closer. [More]

Eddie Lacy is a stud

Sure you know about our Heisman trophy winning running back, Mark Ingram. You know about phenom freak Trent Richardson. But playing the role of the third team, come-in-the-game-with-fresh-legs-late-and-demoralize-your-fanbase running back this season will be Lacy. He got the most carries in yesterday’s scrimmage and the most yards, which tells you what the staff has in mind for him. I’ve been waiting two years to see #42 trot out there. The next three years will be a treat watching him. [More]

Roll Tide!

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