#10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF

Alabama football dominated on defense.

At face value, Alabama did what they were supposed to do defensively. The Crimson Tide allowed 264 total yards and a paltry 87 yards rushing. South Florida averaged 3.5 yards per play. The Bulls were 5-17 on third down and 2-6 on fourth down. However, there were some little things schematically that could be of some concern if they continue.

It was surprising how often defensive coordinator Kevin Steele brought pressure without a spy, playing man coverage after realizing that South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown was not a passing threat. As a result, Brown had several open running lanes, which he took advantage of, running for 92 yards.

Alabama took full advantage of the talent disparity between them and South Florida. Alabama’s defensive line established itself along the line of scrimmage, not letting the Bulls establish anything on offense. The South Florida wide receivers could not get any separation against Alabama’s secondary.

When the Alabama defense got locked in, South Florida couldn’t do anything offensively. The defense began to anticipate the quarterback run, and they rushed four and dropped seven in coverage to ensure Brown had no running lanes and got the ball back for their offense.