Monitoring explosive plays: Alabama defense keeping opponents in check
By Ethan Levine
Published:
For the purposes of this story, SDS defines an explosive play as a run of at least 20 yards or a pass of at least 30 yards.
EXPLOSIVE PLAY MARGIN
| Team | Margin | Explosive Plays | Explosive Plays Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | +16 | 24 | 8 |
| 2. Georgia | +13 | 22 | 9 |
| T3. Kentucky | +11 | 23 | 12 |
| T3. Mississippi State | +11 | 27 | 16 |
| T3. Texas A&M | +11 | 27 | 16 |
| 6. LSU | +8 | 28 | 20 |
| 7. Auburn | +7 | 21 | 14 |
| 8. Ole Miss | +6 | 17 | 11 |
| 9. Arkansas | +3 | 20 | 17 |
| 10. Missouri | +2 | 13 | 11 |
| 11. Florida | -1 | 12 | 13 |
| 12. Tennessee | -3 | 9 | 12 |
| 13. Vanderbilt | -5 | 12 | 17 |
| 14. South Carolina | -11 | 10 | 21 |
The Alabama Crimson Tide continues to post the greatest ratio of explosive plays to explosive plays allowed in the SEC this season, thanks in large part to the efforts of its defense. Three SEC teams have recorded more explosive plays on offense, but no defense has allowed fewer explosive plays to opponents than the eight the Tide has allowed in six games.
Georgia is the only other team in the conference with fewer than 11 explosive plays allowed, vaulting the Bulldogs to No. 2 in the SEC in explosive play margin at plus-13. LSU has recorded the most explosive plays of any team in the conference, but the Bayou Bengals have also allowed the most explosive plays on defense, dropping LSU to the SEC’s sixth-best explosive play margin at plus-eight.
Only four SEC teams have a negative margin: Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. The Gamecocks are worst in the SEC at minus-11, maintaining their spot at the bottom of the conference after sitting out with a bye last week.
Despite recording just its second victory of the year, Vanderbilt actually allowed its margin to drop following a 21-20 victory over Charleston Southern of the FCS. The Commodores registered just one explosive play on offense, and allowed three on defense in yet another ugly showing.
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: OFFENSE
| Team | Explosive Plays | Rushes For 20+ | Passes For 30+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LSU | 28 | 14 | 14 |
| T2. Mississippi State | 27 | 16 | 11 |
| T2. Texas A&M | 27 | 10 | 17 |
| 4. Alabama | 24 | 11 | 13 |
| 5. Kentucky | 23 | 12 | 11 |
| 6. Georgia | 22 | 16 | 6 |
| 7. Auburn | 21 | 12 | 9 |
| 8. Arkansas | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 9. Ole Miss | 17 | 5 | 12 |
| 10. Missouri | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| T11. Florida | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| T11. Vanderbilt | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| 13. South Carolina | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| 14. Tennessee | 9 | 3 | 6 |
Not only does LSU have the most explosive plays of any team in the conference, it has impeccable balance on offense in recording 14 explosive rushes and 14 explosive completions. Mississippi State is not far behind LSU with 27 explosive plays of its own, with 16 coming on rushes. The Bulldogs have the SEC’s third-best rushing offense two of the conference’s top 5 individual rushers.
Texas A&M has the most explosive completions among SEC teams with 17, which should come as no surprise considering A&M has the SEC’s top passing offense and five of the conference’s top 13 receivers in total yardage.
Tennessee has executed the fewest explosive plays on offense, posting just nine in six games in 2014. The Volunteers have the fewest explosive runs with just three, while South Carolina has the fewest explosive completions with four.
Of the six teams with fewer than 20 explosive plays this season, only one is ranked in this week’s national polls — Ole Miss. The Rebels have only 17 explosive plays on offense, including just five explosive runs, but they’ve relied on the SEC’s best scoring defense to create big plays during a 6-0 start to the year.
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: DEFENSE
| Team | Explosive Plays Allowed | Rushes For 20+ | Passes For 30+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2. Georgia | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| T3. Missouri | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| T3. Ole Miss | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| T5. Kentucky | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| T5. Tennessee | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| 7. Florida | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| 8. Auburn | 14 | 6 | 8 |
| T9. Mississippi State | 16 | 5 | 11 |
| T9. Texas A&M | 16 | 6 | 10 |
| T11. Arkansas | 17 | 8 | 9 |
| T11. Vanderbilt | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| 13. LSU | 20 | 13 | 7 |
| 14. South Carolina | 21 | 12 | 9 |
Alabama has allowed the fewest explosive plays among SEC teams, and the Tide is tied with Missouri, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Tennessee with the fewest explosive completions allowed this season (5). Georgia, which has allowed the second-fewest explosive plays in the conference, has also allowed the fewest explosive runs with just two in six games.
South Carolina and LSU are the only two teams to have allowed at least 20 explosive plays this season, and LSU has allowed the most explosive runs with 13. Mississippi State has allowed the most explosive completions with 11, including one in last week’s win over Auburn. Texas A&M has allowed 10 explosive completions, second-worst in the conference.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
