Alabama offense flashes diversity

Tide calls plays on cards

Alabama’s offense has a new look both on the field and on the sideline.

The third-ranked Crimson Tide adjusted to life without some of the top playmakers from last season and with Jake Coker taking most of the snaps at quarterback against No. 20 Wisconsin. Alabama also broke out a variety of placards to signal in plays, ranging from the Seattle SuperSonics logo to the cartoon Tasmanian Devil.

That’s nothing new for college football’s no-huddle teams, but it’s another indication of the Tide’s move toward up-tempo play.

“It’s cool probably for the fans, but for us, we look at it more like it has a meaning to us,” tight end O.J. Howard said Monday. “So we don’t really get caught up in the funny-looking signs. Some of them are pretty funny to us, especially when we get new ones. But at the same time, they mean things to us, so we really don’t get caught up in what they stand for or what they look like.”

Alabama isn’t trying to be as fast as Oregon or Baylor, but coaches say the signs expedite getting the play to all 11 players on the field. The only blip came when the Tide’s signal flashers didn’t get the call in time because the coaches’ headsets went out.

“Other than that, we didn’t have any kind of mechanical issues,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I thought it went pretty smoothly.”

Alabama started running a more fast-paced offense at times last season partly because quarterback Blake Sims thrived in that style. Some things haven’t changed.

The offense still showed it had a formidable backfield duo in Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake during the 35-17 win over the Badgers. Henry ran for 147 yards and Drake had 77 rushing yards and 48 receiving yards, along with a play of 30-plus yards in each category.

Coker and Cooper Bateman both had success passing, and both could play Saturday against 34-point underdog Middle Tennessee.

“I don’t think there’s any question about the fact that both quarterbacks did a nice job when they were in there, and that’s going to help their confidence and growth,” Saban said.

He didn’t shed any light on a quarterback plan or pecking order against the Blue Raiders.

The Tide did spread the ball around more in the passing game in the first game. Nine Alabama players had catches in the opener, with receivers Robert Foster and ArDarius Stewart collecting four apiece.

Howard caught three passes for 37 yards.

“I think that’s the most important thing about our offense,” the tight end said. “We have so many weapons on the offensive side of the ball and you never know who to key in on.”