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LISTEN: John Parker Wilson breaks down Alabama’s upcoming matchup against Clemson
By Cody McClure
Published:
Former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson joined Birmingham’s WJOX 94.5 FM on Friday to break down the Crimson Tide’s upcoming Sugar Bowl bout with Clemson.
Wilson, who played quarterback at Alabama from 2005 through 2008, expects the Tide to perform much better against Clemson than it did vs. Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
“We didn’t have a good game against Auburn, but I think Auburn’s defense is better than Clemson’s,” Wilson said. “We struggled with productivity, but it’s not like we were playing Mercer. That (Auburn) will be the best defense we’ve seen all year.”
Wilson also emphasized that the passing game will be essential on Monday considering that both Alabama and Clemson like to “play it safe” at quarterback while establishing a solid running game and playing sound defense.
“I don’t think Clemson is going to do anything different than Auburn did,” Wilson said. “The passing game is going to be important in this game for both teams.”
Scoring early points and getting confidence back will be keys for Alabama, he added.
“And a lot of different guys need to get touches,” Wilson said. “Alabama’s offense is successful when multiple people are touching the ball.”
Perhaps the biggest key to the game:
“We need to get back to establishing the run.”
Alabama and Clemson will kick off from New Orleans at 8:45 p.m. ET on Monday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
You can listen to the full with Wilson below:
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
