Alabama defense living up to 'DOA' motto with recent success

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dallas Turner mentioned it following Alabama’s win over Ole Miss. So did some of the Crimson Tide’s other defensive players in the aftermath of the 24-10 victory.

“There’s no limit to the defense,” Turner said Saturday evening. “DOA.”

Dead on arrival. 

That’s a motto the Alabama defense adopted for its opponents prior to the 2023 season.

“It actually came from Dallas because we were trying to come up with a saying for the defense and the mentality of our defense,” defensive back Malachi Moore said. “And DOA, Dallas Turner came up with it, and that’s just something we stuck with since the summer and it’s something we really believe. We really have that mentality when we go out there on the field.”

The Crimson Tide (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is coming off back-to-back impressive showings on defense, including a stifling effort against the Rebels’ high-powered offense. Alabama limited Ole Miss to 301 yards and 10 points, both of which were well below the team’s season average coming into the SEC opener. That included holding the Ole Miss rushing attack to 56 yards on 29 attempts (1.9 ypc) and sacking quarterback Jaxson Dart for five times Saturday.

“It’s always the goal to play like that every game,” Turner said after the game. “But a lot of things are starting to click now, everything is starting to come together. It’s starting to look good.”

Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry on Tuesday agreed, “I feel like we’re just coming out together, playing fast and physical. Everybody being on the same page, everybody knowing their role and playing their role. Just everybody doing their job to a high standard.”

Alabama enters the fifth week of the season with the SEC’s second-best scoring defense (13.5 ppg), the No. 6 rushing (102.5 ypg) and passing (203.5 ypg) defenses and ranks seventh in total defense (306.0 ypg). UA is only allowing 32.31 percent of third-down conversions.

As the defense has shined the last two games, so has Turner, tallying 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in wins over South Florida and Ole Miss. Turner is starting to play like his DOA acronym suggests while being one of Alabama’s leaders on the defensive side of the ball.

“Dallas has always been a really good player for us and a guy who works hard in practice every day, tries to do everything he’s coached to do,” head coach Nick Saban said. “The team is important to him. He’s been a good leader on the team.”

Defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis added, “Dallas is a great leader. Since last year playing with him and getting to know him more this year, he’s a guy that you can teach you the game, teach you the plays and teach you the right way.”

The Crimson Tide defense has played lights out the last two weeks and will look to build on its recent success during the conference portion of its schedule. While it was first mentioned in the summer, the “dead on arrival” mindset for opposing teams is fueling Alabama.

“We preach DOA, which is dead on arrival,” cornerback Terrion Arnold said. “Not giving our opponents anything and just being relentless, being consistent, being persistent when adversity strikes. We’re looking to just keep expanding it and going out there and showing everybody we really are a good defense.”

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