Missouri Tigers: How to Beat Alabama
By Derek Franks
The Missouri Tigers can beat Alabama.
There. It’s been said. And like a humiliating text message desperately sent to an ex-girlfriend, it can’t be taken back.
Say what you want about the embarrassing blemishes on the record, or the sometimes agonizingly frustrating boneheaded mistakes or the less than prolific offense, Mizzou earned this second straight trip to the SEC Championship game. And make no mistake, they’re going to bring everything they got on Saturday. This game will be as some might say, “closer than the experts predict.”
The Tigers don’t scream “upset” to many odds makers, but let’s just consider the possibility. There are ways to beat this juggernaut. Not many. But there are some.
Bama receiver Amari Cooper may tear up the Tigers defense on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama has shown flashes of vulnerability this year– especially against good defenses– and has some, although hard to find, problem areas of its own. The Crimson Tide can be beaten. But it is going to take the ultimate game preparation and game management to come out on top on the conference’s most grandest of stages.
For Missouri, it’s all about finding the little nooks and crannies. The buried treasure. And so, we will examine that here. Here are the ways to beat Alabama, a crash course in surviving the No. 1 team in the nation and finding a way to keep them from turning the Tigers into crash test dummies:
Defense, Defense, Defense:
Ole Miss gave us a blue print to beating Alabama. One of the ways they did it was with brick wall defense, particularly in the second half. The Tide is typically its best in the last two quarters of the game– just ask Auburn. But Mississippi found a way to stifle them for most of the second half, outscoring Alabama 20-3 and forcing two turnovers. Five times did Bama reach the Ole Miss 40. Five times they came away with no points.
Alabama has some serious weapons. We all know Heisman candidate Amari Cooper. He’s that wide receiver that is darn near impossible to cover. Expect him to go off on the Tigers at least once in this game for a big play, if not twice.
Mizzou must keep its faith in running backs Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough. After all, they won the game for the Tigers last week against Arkansas.
But if Missouri can find a way to have good coverage over the field (as we’ve seen in recent games from this team), they can slow them down at the line of scrimmage. Another weapon is runningback T.J. Yeldon. He can be scary good. But Mizzou showed success against the SEC’s best rushing attack in Arkansas a week ago.
The Mizzou pass rush is a behemoth. Bama’s quarterback Blake Sims is young– talented, but young– and he is prone to making mistakes, like four interceptions last week in the Iron Bowl. A way to beat Alabama? Apply pressure and make the Tide beat themselves.
The Offensive Line Must Be Special:
Nov 15, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts on the sideline in the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
One way you have to look at this investigation is by examining how Alabama, as a program under Nick Saban, has lost big games. Historically, there are a couple of things in common. But this may be the most glaring.
In year’s past, whenever some team came along and found a way to beat Bama, one way they did it was by protecting their quarterback. Over time, we’ve seen QB’s like Brian Johnson, Stephen Garcia, Jordan Jefferson, Tim Tebow, and Cam Newton do it. Why? Because those guys were given time to make plays. In those five quarterback’s wins (Utah, South Carolina, LSU, Florida and Auburn, respectively) the Crimson Tide got to the quarterback only four times– combined. Yowza! Is that a sign or what?
You can beat Alabama by giving your quarterback time. Whether or not Mizzou can do that remains to be seen. The Tigers have struggled this year on the offensive line, although much of that has to do to with penalties and injuries. If Missouri can find a way to limit mistakes at the line and give quarterback Maty Mauk time, perhaps he can be added to the list of signal callers that have found a way to beat Bama.
The Quarterback Can Hurt In Multiple Ways:
Go back and look at those names of quarterbacks that have beaten Alabama. Notice anything else? Those guys could all beat you with their legs just as much as their arms.
Mauk must be superb both through the air and on the ground. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Case in point, Alabama can be beaten by a quarterback that can take off and make plays on the ground as well as through the air. Here’s why it’s possible. Bama loves zone coverages on defense. It’s zone-obsessed really. And if the Tide defensive backs are being spread across the field– as Missouri has been known to be capable of doing– there is, at times, a lot of green space in between the defensive front and the secondary. One way to beat Alabama is to get the Quarterback in rushing mode. We’ve seen that from Mauk this season. He likes to use the edges more, but if he can break a few plays over the middle, it can go a long way.
Forcing Alabama’s secondary to keep an eye on the quarterback at all times is the best way to opening up receivers for big pass plays. Well.. second best.
Run More than You Pass/Pass Deep When You Can:
Live Feed
South Bound & Down
Alabama’s defense is no cupcake. But it’s no beast either. The Tide ranks smack dab in the middle of the SEC on total defense. But dropping back and passing on every play (like Mizzou did in the first half against Arkansas) is NOT the way to do things. That’s how you get beat. And beat bad. Because Alabama will make you pay by controlling the game with its pass rush. That can’t be what Missouri’s approach is again. Running the ball makes everything better.
Even if it isn’t breaking big plays, it keeps the defense honest. And let’s remember how important momentum is in this game. If Bama is getting an opportunity to get a bone crushing sack every other play, what’s that doing to the pendulum? A way to beat Alabama? Keep them guessing. Mix things up. Run to set up the pass. Pass to set up the QB run. Do things out of the ordinary.
Ole Miss for example, ran odd looking bunch formations that even Nick Saban himself afterwards admitted that he wasn’t expecting it. The Rebels won the game with it, scoring two of their three touchdowns in that formation.
Most importantly, Mizzou must keep its faith in running backs Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough. After all, they won the game for the Tigers last week against Arkansas.
How about when you pass? Go vertical. Alabama’s secondary showed you last week they can be beat deep (and be beat deep over and over and over again). But remember this. Auburn was only able to make those big plays from their quarterback Nick Marshall because they ran the ball first. Again, the blueprint to beating Bama is right there before your eyes.
Nov 28, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Russell Hansbrough (32) runs the ball as Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Martrell Spaight (47) makes the tackle during the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports