Film Study: Bama may have the only defense built to eliminate Nick Chubb

When the University of Alabama travels to Athens to take on the University of Georgia it will pit two squads perennially known for controlling the line of scrimmage with some of the best talent in the country. Both teams have adhered to the age-old mantra that most successful teams subscribe to: run the ball; stop the run.

Recently, the Dawgs have had very little problems establishing a wicked rushing attack centered on, perhaps, the best combination of offensive line talent and backfield personnel in the country. (Actually, it’s a definitive 1A-1B scenario with the LSU Tigers.)

Georgia does a fantastic job at sprinkling in different concepts that make it extremely hard to read keys as a defensive player. Running back Nick Chubb, 5’10”, 220 pounds, has posted 12-consecutive 100-yard rushing games since he became a starter taking over for the great Todd Gurley as a true freshman last season.

But the common denominator between those two running backs is an OL unit that’s greater than the sum of its parts. I once opined that UGA’s no-name OL piloted the country’s bet rushing attack, it can officially prove it by taking it to the country’s best defensive line.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has put a premium on top-notch defensive line talent for the majority of his illustrious career, but it can be argued that the current incarnation is the deepest, most talented unit he’s ever had. It’s shown the ability to be adept in even- or odd-front alignments, and it’s absolutely ferocious against the run.

This is truly strength against strength.

3-4 or 4-3?

It’s known that I’m a huge proponent of teams finding a way to flex its muscles out of an even-front alignment with three off-the-ball linebackers that are able to stay on the field at all times. Ohio State showed how to combat a tempo-based, no-huddle outfit when it slowed down both Bama and the ultra-fast University of Oregon on its way to winning the national championship last season.

Four down linemen who can breach gaps and play in the quarterback’s lap seems like a much better approach than having bigger linemen who play the gap to each side of them while holding up the trash for second- and third-level defenders to make plays.

But when you’re going against a team rooted in “12,” “22,” and even “13 personnel,” you have a dilemma on your hands as to how to deploy your defense. UGA’s use of multi-tight sets, and frequent use of “Heat” pace, means it can go from a “Heavy” approach to a “Spread” at the drop of a dime.

Tight ends Jeb Blazevich, Jackson Harris, Jay Rome and H-back Quayvon Kicks all play an integral part of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s multiplicative scheme, so it may be in Bama’s best interest to deploy bigger defenders like Dillon Lee and Rashaan Evans to go along with all-world LB Reggie Ragland and “Hit Stick” Reuben Foster. (As opposed to the defensive back-driven scheme of years past.)

This is what Bama will see a ton of from Georgia: “Ace personnel.”

As you can see, especially pertaining to run fits, the offense has the ability to outflank the defense with much larger personnel; it can still go to the air, too. Bama’s season-opening win against the Wisconsin Badgers can certainly help ascertain concepts as the Badgers run very similar schemes to Georgia.

Here’s how Bama predominantly aligned while holding the Badgers to a putrid 40 yards on 21 attempts (1.9 average)! Going with a 4-3 under front allows for one- and two-gap approaches with the “Sam” linebacker aligning to the closed side of the formation which helps him attempt to slow down the initial burst of the “Y.”

But make no mistake; Bama still ran plenty of odd fronts against “U personnel” groupings. Interior linemen Jarran Reed (6’4″ 313 lbs), Dalvin Tomlinson (6’3″, 294 lbs), A’Shawn Robinson (6’4″, 320 lbs), Darren Lake (6’3″, 315 lbs) and Daron Payne (6’2″, 315 lbs) are the best collective group of run stuffers in the country, while LBs Ragland and Foster form the hardest-hitting off-the-ball linebacker duo in America. (Yikes!)

Running against this front seven is virtually impossible.

Lake, No. 95, held stout at the point of attack by stacking and shedding his assignment right into the predetermined gap LSU superstar running back Leonard Fournette was pressing, while 5-technique, No. 54 Tomlinson, was able to initially occupy two blocks, which allowed for an ultra-physical gap fill from the weak-side ILB Ragland (No. 19) that forced the RB to redirect back to the action.

Furthermore, the back-side defensive end, No. 90 Reed, was able to show his athleticism in staying on his feet avoiding an attempted cut block and being the first responder to the scene of the crime.

Now that’s how rushing defense is supposed to be done.

Proper run fits is when you maintain gap integrity no matter where the ball is headed; Bama has as disciplined of a front as you’ll ever see, and it will need to continue on that path against the most productive rushing attack in the conference the past few seasons.

Quick Overview of UGA’s Rushing Attack

Georgia offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and his predecessor Mike Bobo (head coach at Colorado State), loves to force defenses to defend all different type of run concepts: Power O, Traps, Split Zone, Tossers (inside and out), Misdirection and even Single-Wing. It’s hard to key in on any single concept, as he will oscillate between them all.

His offensive line, left tackle John Theus (6’6″, 303 lbs), left guard Isaiah Wynn (6’2″, 278 lbs), center Brandon Kublanow (6’3″, 282 lbs), right guard Greg Pyke (6’6″, 313 lbs) and right tackle Kolton Houston (6’5″, 285 lbs) won’t necessarily wow you as individual talents, but as I stated earlier: their whole is greater than the sum of their parts.

In a day and age where large offensive lines receive all the publicity, most notably the University of Arkansas’, UGA’s lightweight line have proven countless times that proper technique trumps size any day of the week. The aforementioned tight ends are all physical blockers who love to get their noses dirty, which helps out with UGA’s vast play-action game.

This entire unit opens up holes for Chubb, while he displays the ability to create on his own as well; it truly is a match made in run game Heaven.

Just look at the space Chubb is provided on this off-tackle run; every man got a hat on a hat.

When Alabama’s ferocious run defense matches up with Georgia’s uber-productive rushing attack, it will truly be a strength-on-strength situation. If Bama wants to leave Athens victorious, it must first cut off the head of the snake by dampening the production of UGA’s run game and forcing QB Greyson Lambert to spray the ball around the yard.

If the Tide don’t have to devote any extra attention to stopping Chubb and his backfield mate Sony Michel, they can deploy extra attention to a pass defense that has been spotty in recent memory.

This game can’t get here fast enough, folks.