Write On Sports LLC - "Bama needs to tackle better vs. Hogs" by Frank Sita

Bama needs to tackle better vs. Hogs

2006-09-21 21:10:02 | By: Frank Sita

After three football games, the Alabama defense has been challenged by its coaches: no more missed tackles.

The Crimson Tide (3-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC) takes that incentive to Razorback Stadium Saturday to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-1 overall and 1-0) in the first road game for Alabama.

Playing against Louisiana-Monroe, Alabama defenders missed a season-high 21 tackles, allowing the unheralded ULM back Calvin Dawson to rush for over 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground by Hawk quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster.

“It’s a big concern because we had a lot of missed tackles against a back that nobody knew anything about,” said Alabama linebacker Terrance Jones, who is questionable for the Arkansas game because of a shoulder injury. “We’re facing one of the big-time backs (Darren McFadden) in the league so we’ve got to get that corrected.”

McFadden has 297 yards rushing and is second in the SEC after three games, while teammate Felix Jones has 193 yards.

To get his point across, Bama coach Mike Shula put the Tide defense in 11-on-11 drills this week in practice for Arkansas’ running attack, which will be a big test for the Alabama defense.

“When you’re young, that maybe goes with that a little bit,” said defensive coordinator Joe Kines of the missed tackles. “We’ve missed an awful lot. We’ve missed enough for three games.”

Alabama has made enough tackles to start the season undefeated, but the meat of the schedule starts this week against Arkansas. Shula called this week’s first road game, “a business trip.”

But the missed tackles have become a worry to a proud defense.

“It’s not the effort,” said defensive tackle Jeremy Clark, who confessed to having missed some tackles. “It’s definitely not the effort. It’s just not being sharp in your technique, just a couple of things that you’re not doing as far as making sure you get your body on the guy, reaching and not running your feet. It’s just little bitty minute fundamental things that can be corrected and will be corrected.

Jones said he missed his share on Louisiana-Monroe’s lone touchdown drive last week in the second quarter of Alabama’s 41-7 victory.

“We’re just getting away from the fundamentals,” Jones added. “It comes from not doing the right thing all the time. It’s a basic fundamental in football to tackle. You’ve got to step on the toes and stop reaching. We did that too much reaching, trying to tackle (Dawson) before he got to us.”

Kines said that tackling has always been a point of emphasis in practice since the first day of fall camp, but the veteran defensive coach knows Arkansas will be the best team Alabama has faced.

“Shoot yeah, they’re physical,” Kines said. “When you think of Arkansas, you think of a big strong offensive line, people doubling down, pulling and kicking out. This won’t be a game for the feint of heart.”

“Arkansas… they’re going to run the ball on us,” said defensive back Ramzee Robinson. “And they’re going to keep running it until we stop them. It’s up to us to make the decision to be a better tackling unit.”