11 non-offensive TDs add to Tide’s strength
COLLEGE STATION — If Alabama made a movie about its 2016 season, a subplot would involve the staggering amount of nonoffensive touchdowns the Crimson Tide have scored — nearly three times as many as their nearest competition about midway through the season.
A sneak preview, unbeknown to fans at the time, occurred about a year ago, when Alabama defenders returned all three of thenTexas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen’s interceptions for touchdowns.
“I’ve never been involved in something like that,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin recalled this week. “And hopefully I never will again.”
The sixth-ranked Aggies (6-0, 4-0 SEC) play at top-ranked Alabama (7-0, 4-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the week’s premiere game, and A&M is acutely aware of the Crimson Tide’s knack for taking back other teams’ offensive or even special teams missteps.
“A lot of them were twoway players in high school, and they’re frustrated that they’re just playing defense,” a smiling Sumlin said of Alabama’s bulging stock of elite athletes. “And they’re going to let the world know they can play.” Lapping the field
The defending national champions have done that in a way worthy of their name in lights, with 11 non-offensive touchdowns through seven games this season. Next up on the list is Houston, Akron, Michigan and Ohio State with four each. The Crimson Tide have 21 non-offensive touchdowns over their last 18 games, dating to a little more than a year ago.
“We emphasize stripping the ball and attacking the ball,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “And when players get turnovers, they want to get touchdowns.”
Four of the touchdowns this season have come on interception returns and four more on fumble returns. The remaining three have occurred via punt returns. Eight different players have contributed, with safety Eddie Jackson leading the charge with three (two punt returns and an interception return). Fellow safety Ronnie Harrison also has chipped in a fumble return and interception return.
“It’s just guys finishing plays — you get a turnover, a block, and finish,” Jackson said after a 49-10 Alabama victory at Tennessee last Saturday. “When you get the ball, you just turn into an offensive player and try and score a touchdown. That’s one of the things we’re great at.”
No one will argue, especially the Aggies. A year ago, Jackson returned an interception 93 yards for a score, and Minkah Fitzpatrick added two more touchdowns on interception returns of 33 and 55 yards in Alabama’s 41-23 victory.
Allen has since transferred to Houston, in part because of that nightmarish showing, leaving senior transfer Trevor Knight with the task of trying to keep the turnovers to a minimum at Alabama on Saturday.
“(Ball security) is an emphasis every week, but you have to look at the way they’ve played on the defensive side of the ball — not only how many turnovers they’ve created but touchdowns they’ve created,” Knight said of trying to take care of the ball against Alabama. “That’s definitely a big emphasis for us.” SEC brings out best
Alabama has been most opportunistic on defense and special teams against fellow SEC foes, with three non-offensive touchdowns against Mississippi, and two each against Arkansas and Tennessee. The three stunning scores were particularly crucial against the Rebels, considering Alabama prevailed 48-43 in Oxford, Miss., easily its closest call of the season.
“It’s a huge momentum shift,” Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze said of such jarring plays, when the ball suddenly is headed the other way. “It’s a demoralizing period in the game, for sure, and Alabama seems to be very opportunistic and good at it.”
No other team this season has come within 18 points of the Crimson Tide, in part because of their ability to score touchdowns when the offense doesn’t even have the ball.
“It’s organized, it’s not luck,” Sumlin said of Alabama’s preparation to make such plays. “Their strip drills, their interception drills, you see them line up (on special teams) and once they get their hands on the ball they put up a wall and guys are sprinting to go block people.
“It’s an organized situation, and it’s like anything else: Once you have some success, it becomes contagious .”
The Aggies have one such play this season: a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown by Nick Harvey. A&M does, however, lead the SEC with 17 turnovers created, and it is tops in the conference in turnover margin (plus 6). So Saturday’s script in the biggest game of the weekend likely will include turnovers, one way or the other.