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Taking a position-by-position look at LSU at Alabama, here’s who has the edge in Saturday’s showdown between the No. 2 Tigers and the No. 4 Crimson Tide:
QUARTERBACK — LSU: While the classic strength-on-strength matchup of these teams’ running games going against one another’s stout defensive fronts commands attention, don’t be stunned if the game comes down to which quarterback makes the most plays — and the fewest mistakes.
On paper, LSU’s Brandon Harris gets the edge here by a slim margin thanks to his ability to avoid costly turnovers this season. The sophomore has yet to throw an interception and has overcome less-than-ideal accuracy by connecting on big plays vertically. The question where Harris is concerned is how the first-year starter will handle the pressure in Bryant-Denny Stadium? He played well against Florida in LSU’s toughest test to date, but that game was played in Baton Rouge.
Alabama’s Jake Coker will have the home crowd at his back and has been forced to deliver in clutch situations more often this season than has Harris. But he’s also put his team in bad positions more often; only three SEC quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions than Coker’s seven.
RUNNING BACKS — LSU: Games like this are what we love about college football, and matchups like Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry going against two of the toughest run defenses in the country are the reason the SEC does college football better than anywhere else.
Finally the undisputed focal point of the Alabama offense, Henry has become the kind of back fans and recruiting experts have always thought he could be — a workhorse with a thoroughbred’s speed.
But no back in the country has approached Fournette’s level of production this season, and though Kenyan Drake gives the Tide a versatile weapon in the backfield to supplement Henry, the Tigers appear to have the deeper stable of backs. Sophomore Darrel Williams is the primary backup and a short-yardage specialist, but freshman Derrius Guice actually ranks second on the team with 316 yards (9.3 per carry).
WIDE RECEIVERS, TIGHT END — Alabama: True freshman Calvin Ridley has been involved in the offense all season, but he’s grown into the Tide’s go-to option on the outside over the course of the past month. Ridley, who Lane Kiffin compared to Amari Cooper and former USC great Marqise Lee in the preseason, has 28 receptions for 400 yards in his past four games. Junior tight end O.J Howard also has begun to fulfill his potential as a true offensive weapon, while Ar’Darius Stewart and Richard Mullaney capably round out the receiving corps.
LSU has high-end talent, but has been boom or bust this season. Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre each average nearly 20 yards per catch, but have also been plagued by drops at times this season..
OFFENSIVE LINE — LSU: On a play-by-play basis, it can sometimes feel like the Tigers’ front is inconsistent. For long stretches, it seems LSU ballcarriers are at the linebacker level before the first defender even enters the picture. But then they’ll be beset by penalties or struggle to get a push on the next two series. All told, though, the final results look pretty close to flawless. LSU leads the SEC in rushing by nearly 100 yards per game and ranks second in the league in fewest sacks allowed.
The story for Alabama is similar, but not quite as encouraging. The Tide has struggled at times to give Henry room to rev his engines, and they gave up five sacks against Tennessee two weeks ago. Nonetheless, even when the offense has gotten bogged down, they’ve been able to wear down the opponent with a steady diet of power running and big plays in the passing game.
DEFENSIVE LINE — Alabama: By nearly any metric that can be applied, the Tide defensive line is one of the best in the nation. They clog running lanes, bat down passes and pressure quarterbacks, forming the foundation for the top defense in the SEC. Jonathan Allen, who was originally recruited to play outside linebacker, is the standout of the bunch. He leads the team with six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and has swatted away four passes. Dalvin Tomlinson has broken up six passes, putting him in the top 10 in the conference; he’s the only defensive lineman in the 20.
For LSU, Lewis Neal leads a resurgent Tigers pass rush from his defensive end position. After totaling only 19 sacks in 13 games last year, LSU already has 18 sacks this season, with the defensive line accounting for 14.5 of those.
LINEBACKERS — Alabama: Reggie Ragland is the latest in a long line of standout linebackers at Alabama and is ranked as the top senior inside linebacker in the country by ESPN’s Mel Kiper. He leads the team with 71 tackles on the season and never seems to be far from the ball. Reuben Foster holds down the Will position, and junior outside linebacker Tim Williams has emerged as a pass rush specialist.
Kendell Beckwith and Deion Jones are tied with a team-high 51 tackles for LSU and give the Tigers a nice contrast of styles. Beckwith is a 250-pounder who rarely makes the highlight reels, but also rarely misses tackles. Jones is a dynamic athlete who has stepped into a starting role for the first time as a senior and responded with six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, and five quarterback hurries.
SECONDARY — Push: The Alabama defensive backs were expected to be a relative weakness for the Tide, but thus far they’ve actually outperformed LSU’s highly talented group. But to be fair, some of Alabama’s SEC-leading pass defense efficiency rating is due the havoc the Tide creates up front, and LSU hasn’t had its full complement of defensive backs for much of the season. Nonetheless, the continued development of cornerback-turned-safety Eddie Jackson, and the emergence of true freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick has shored up the Alabama secondary this season.
LSU has its own true freshman standout in cornerback Kevin Toliver, who has quickly become a reliable defender opposite of Tre’Davious White. Sophomore safety Jamal Adams is perhaps the group’s best player — and arguably the MVP of the Tiger defense.
Brent Holloway is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State.
