With so many talented players on both sides of the ball, Alabama scrimmages are more competitive than most college games.

However, the Crimson Tide defense has been outstanding over the years, and often has the advantage over the offense.

Former OC Lane Kiffin, though, had a solution for when the defense would get too cocky. According to an NFL.com profile on WR Calvin Ridley, fellow WR Parker Barrineau said Kiffin would simply send Ridley deep to shut the defenders up:

“If the defense was pounding on us for too long, Kiffin would get pissed,” said Barrineau, a reserve wide receiver for Alabama from 2012 to 2015. “(Cornerback) Tony Brown or someone else on defense would talk some trash to him, like, ‘Kiffin, you can’t even get a first down on us.’ Whenever Lane had had enough, he’d grab Calvin and send in a go route. And Calvin would burn them deep almost every time. That was his best way to make the defense stop talking so much.”

Ridley torched many defenders over the years, and he’s a near-lock to be the first receiver selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Where he ends up playing next remains to be seen, but that play-caller would be wise to dial up plenty of deep routes for the Alabama speedster.