Alabama brings new offense into this years SEC title game

TUSCALOOSA — Most of the faces are the same.

Florida will start eight players on offense and nine players on defense who started last year’s SEC Championship Game against Alabama when the teams square off again Saturday in Atlanta.

Seven of Alabama’s defensive starters in last year’s title game also started for the Crimson Tide last Friday against Auburn.

In fact, the only thing the Alabama offense is lacking is experience. Just three starters — receiver Julio Jones, left guard Mike Johnson and right tackle Drew
Davis — started the 31-20 loss to Florida last season.

“They’ve got a lot of familiar faces, especially on defense,” Johnson said.

The Gators aren’t just experienced, they’re very talented.

Florida is the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, giving up just 9.8 points per game. Alabama is No. 2 at 10.8 ppg.

The Gators also lead the nation in pass defense (143 ypg) and total defense (233 ypg).

Alabama is second in the SEC in both categories.

The Tide is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the country in rushing defense, giving up just 77.1 yards per game on the ground. Next in the league and eighth in the country is Florida (89.9 ypg).

Those rushing statistics are a point of pride for both defenses. Both teams try to take away the run and force opponents to throw.

“That’s what they dare you to do, to take shots at them,” Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said. “As far as talent level, we haven’t played anybody with their talent level yet.”

McElroy compared this Florida defense to LSU’s unit two years ago in terms of talent. Johnson said the Gators play well together.

“They play great team defense. It seems like they’re never out of place,” Johnson said. “Good gap control. I think the biggest thing for us is being able to get movement up front and displace that gap control defense they have.”

Johnson is well aware of the challenge his unit faces.

“Just trying to put that much more extra effort in in terms of preparing for these guys,” the guard said. “Trying to watch more film, just keeping our heads in the books, trying to be in the right place at the right time.”

The senior guard said with new players on offense came a new Crimson Tide attack. It is still run-oriented, but it has evolved with three new starters up front and two new tight ends in the lineup.

“We run a little different type of running play this year. It’s not as much downhill. It’s more spread them out and get gap plays, B gap, C gap,” Johnson explained. “It really does complement our offensive line. We have an athletic group of guys, so why not get us moving around?”

Alabama’s pulling and trapping game has given Mark Ingram cutback lanes and more options in space this season. Last year’s ground game pounded away with a huge offensive front and punishing running back Glen Coffee.

“Glen was kind of heavy-headed and ran downhill. That was our style last year, and it worked well for us,” Johnson said. “Mark’s more one of those space guys. He lets his linemen work for him and open up holes.”

As a result, Alabama has made more big plays both in the running game and through the air.

“We’ve had a lot of explosive runs and quite a few explosive passes that we didn’t have last year,” Johnson said. “It’s a little bit different of an offense. Not so much ball control, grind-it-out, just trying to make explosive plays.”

And yet, when it faced a do-or-die drive on the road at Auburn in the fourth quarter, Alabama went 79 yards in 15 plays in more than seven minutes on a game-winning drive.

“One of the big differences was that it was mostly through the air,” Johnson noted. “Last year, it would have been on the ground. You can’t say enough about Greg and the job those receivers did.”

McElroy said Florida’s strength on defense isn’t in confusion, it’s in execution.

“They do a good job in disguising things, but we know what we’re going to get,” McElroy said. “They’re going to play man coverage, and they’re going to try and make plays in the passing game by getting a good pass rush.”

Florida cornerback Joe Haden said the Gators are more consistent than they were a year ago.

“We’ve been preventing the big play. And nobody’s really thrown the ball too much on us,” Haden said Monday.

But if Florida adjusts to take away Alabama’s ground game — as Auburn did very effectively last week — the Crimson Tide will try to win it with a balanced passing attack.

Seventeen players have caught passes for the Tide this season. Jones, who will test talented Florida cornerbacks Haden and Janoris Jenkins, is the go-to threat. Jones caught five passes for 124 yards last year against Florida, including an early 64-yarder from John Parker Wilson that jump-started the Alabama offense.

“When the whole receiving corps is doing well, they can’t double-cover Julio,” tight end Colin Peek said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. When he’s able to get one-on-one with just a little gap, Julio Jones is going to make phenomenal plays for you.”

Florida has seen that first-hand. Alabama’s other weapons will be new to the Gators.