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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Even though the University of Alabama football team will has some new players in the starting lineup due in injuries, they may not be the only changes when the Crimson Tide visits Arkansas on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, CBS).
Coach Nick Saban hinted that there might be a shakeup on special teams as well.
“All the areas of special teams to me are areas that we’re capable of playing better,” he said, adding specifically about return specialist Christion Jones: “We have other people who are more capable because ball security is of utmost importance in the kicking game especially.”
Jones more than struggled against Ole Miss last week, nearly losing the ball on his first kick return, probably should have been credited with a fumble on his second, and the Rebels knocked it loose and recovered to set up the game-winning touchdown on the third.
Junior cornerback Cyrus Jones made Alabama’s final return in the game.
“I know guys want to make plays,” Saban continued. “But it’s our ball. We just stopped them and we did a punt return. So it’s a great plus if we can gain 10-12 yards like we got a first down on the return. Same thing with field position on the kickoff return, but there’s nothing more important than ball security.”
Alabama has had six fumbles this season and lost them all. Senior quarterback Blake Sims had two, with the others by running back Tyren Jones, wide receiver DeAndrew White, running back Kenyan Drake and Jones.
It’s a big reason why the Crimson Tide’s turnover margin is the second-worst in the Southeastern Conference, ahead of only Vanderbilt, and 102nd out of 125 teams in the nation.
“We’ve had a lot of success with the returner that we have, but one of the disappointing things to me about our team is we have made more emphasis on ball security and getting turnovers this year than I can ever remember in all the team I’ve been a coach, and we continue to not play the ball correctly and turn the ball over,” the frustrated coach said.
But that’s not the only area in which special teams have had problems. Among them, Alabama is 103rd in the nation in kickoff coverage, giving up 23.15 yards per return. Ole Miss returned the opening kickoff 54 yards, which set up a field goal, and had another for 39 yards.
“Kickoff coverage, the wind situation, where we had to hold the ball for the kicker, the kicker didn’t kick that ball very well,” Saban said. “You like to see the kickoff coverage be on the 30-yard line or past when the guy catches the ball. We weren’t to the 40-yard line yet because the ball still blew off the tee and he still miss-hit the ball and it was a line-drive kick. Because the guy was holding, he didn’t get to the proper position to (be the) safety.”
That player was Jones, who eventually pushed Mark Dodson out of bounds.
It should also be noted, though, that Alabama was also using a lot of young players on kick coverage. After Kenyan Drake broke his leg the coverage unit was right, from one end to the other, Cyrus Jones, Cam Sims, ArDarius Stewart, Dillon Lee, Tim Williams, Adam Griffith, Rashaan Evans, Landon Collins, Maurice Smith, Derrick Henry and Christion Jones.
Out of all of them Christion Jones was the lone senior, with Cyrus Jones, Lee and Collins the only juniors. Collectively it’s a pretty young group.
Griffith also missed field goals of 46 and 51 yards, and he’s missed three of his last four, all from 45 yards or longer. He’s 7-for-8 in Alabama’s wins, but was 1-for-3 in the loss, which continues a negative trend for the Crimson Tide. In the five losses since 2010 the UA kickers are 5-for-16 on field goals.
Of course, not all special teams have been all bad. Alabama is fourth in the SEC in kick and punt returns. Although a little inconsistent, true freshman JK Scott has otherwise been terrific as Alabama is ninth in the nation in net punting at 42.27 yards. Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson even blocked an extra point (initially credited to Tony Brown), for arguably his first big play of the season. Coming off a sprained knee he has yet to notch a sack.
Nevertheless, one could contend that special teams have been the difference in two of Alabama’s last three losses, both resulting in opposing fans rushing the field. The other one, of course, was at Auburn, with the 100-plus yard return off a missed field goal by Chris Davis.
“No, that game hurt worse with one second left on the clock,” senior fullback Jalston Fowler said. “This game, we had a chance to win it and we just had a couple of bad breaks there at the end.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
