It's 'critical' Alabama improves its tackling, DC Kane Wommack says
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second week in a row and third time this fall, Alabama’s defense missed double-digit tackles. The Crimson Tide missed 11 tackles in its 27-25 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks last week, according to Pro Football Focus’ defensive grades.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack continues to “harp on fundamentals.”
“When we don’t operate with a hard-shoulder tackle, all of a sudden, we’re giving up some yards after contact,” Wommack said. “I think we have been inconsistent from a tackling standpoint.
“A lot of that is making sure that we’re leveraging the ball properly in vision coverage and that we’re driving the ball. So now, there’s less space right that we can take away from before the ball, the guy even starts to get going.
“I think there’s certainly room for improvement there. That’s something that you constantly are going to continue to work throughout the season, and teams like Tennessee are going to force you to make space tackles over and over again. It’s critical that we continue to improve.”
Through six games, Alabama’s defense has missed 53 tackles. The three teams that gave the Tide the most trouble – South Florida, Vanderbilt and South Carolina – all featured at least 10 missed tackles. Alabama’s best tackling occurred in its road win over Wisconsin.
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Alabama’s Missed Tackles by Game
Western Kentucky, 9
South Florida, 10
Wisconsin, 4
Georgia, 8
Vanderbilt, 11
South Carolina, 11
Wommack employs a “Swarm” defense that is designed to do just that – swarm to the football. We’ve seen plenty of Alabama defenders get to the ball carrier and try to rip the ball out rather than simply tackling the opposing player. The Tide has forced eight fumbles this season, which ranks fourth in the SEC at the midway point of the 2024 regular season.
But where does Wommack stand on standing players up versus taking them to the ground?
“I think there’s a fine line there of trying to create takeaways, right?” Wommack said. “The first man to the ball always needs to make sure that he is securing the tackle. Second man, right, can work to a position to be able to try to get the ball out.
“More often than not, you see creating a takeaway or a fumble with maybe at the point of attack. Usually, when a guy gets wrapped up he starts to secure the ball at a little bit higher level. That’s not always the case. Sometimes with a quarterback or somebody trying to work to get out of the pocket, from a quarterback-in-the-pocket standpoint.”
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