The Alabama football team entered last weekend as the top-ranked team in the country per the AP Poll Top 25, a position they have earned in 16 of their past 17 seasons. However, the Alabama Crimson Tide fell six spots in the most recent poll following a historic loss against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Alabama lost to Vandy 40-35, marking their first road loss against Vandy since 1969, while the Commodores earned their first win against a top-five opponent in the program’s 121-year history.
The monumental defeat comes on the heels of Alabama football shifting head coaches for the first time in 17 years. Following the retirement of seven-time national championship-winning head coach Nick Saban, Alabama turned to former Washington Huskies lead man Kalen DeBoer. Fortunately for DeBoer, one prominent college football analyst believes Sunday’s disaster falls on the feet of defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
Brooks Austin Blames DC Kane Wommack’s Tendencies for Loss
According to the Director of Recruiting for The On SI Network, Brooks Austin:
Alabama’s defensive scheme is WAY too predictable. And they got hunted on Saturday.
Here is my problem with this defense. When you are very predictable in your scheme, you are very, very attackable in your scheme. We have known that this team has been a cover 1 robber with double mugs for most of the football season.
This isn’t your players getting beat. This is your scheme getting beat because your scheme is very very repetitive. I can get after you because I know what you’re going to play. If I know what you’re going to consistently play, I can scheme you up left and right. The reason you couldn’t get off the field on third-and-seven is because they knew what you were going to run on third-and-seven.
In a nearly four-minute video, Austin breaks down several instances in which the Vanderbilt Commodores faced an identical coverage in a crucial down and executed. On an early first-quarter third down, Vandy used a pick play to scheme running back AJ Newberry open in the flats and behind the line of scrimmage. Later in the drive, Vandy again attacked Alabama football’s one-high man coverage look, hitting a backside slant after the weakside linebacker runs with the running back as the latter executes a bubble route.
More importantly, while nursing a 23-21 lead and facing a third-and-long in the third quarter, the Commodores use a stack formation to confuse the Bama secondary, scheming the tight end open on a five-and-out. Brooks emphasizes that with two weeks of preparation and Alabama’s unwillingness to play outside their base formation, Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck could routinely call man-beater plays. Kane Wommack, Alabama’s defensive coordinator, joined the team this offseason after spending 2021 to 2023 with South Alabama under the same job title.
More Alabama Football News by Gridiron Heroics
-
Alabama Crimson Tide: Fans Baffled That Joel Klatt Compared Them To the Oklahoma Sooners and Lincoln Riley
-
College Football: Fans Ecstatic After Vanderbilt Commodores QB Eyes NIL Opportunities Following Historic Victory Over Alabama – Week 6
-
Alabama Fans Are Calling For Kalen DeBoer To Be Fired After Their Horrible Loss To Vanderbilt
For More Football News:
For More Football News and to dive into the excitement, follow me on Twitter at @alec_musa. Let’s get the conversation rolling! I’m all ears for your thoughts and insights. You can also reach out to me via email at musaalec@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest college and NFL news, click here!
