Alabama rarely trots out flea-flickers and double reverses on a typical college football weekend, and that’s especially true when LSU comes to town.
That does not, however, mean that Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide are going to play conservatively in their anticipated showdown against the Tigers. The No. 7 Tide and No. 4 Tigers meet Saturday night inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“That’s not ever been our approach in terms of how we try to play the game,” Saban said this week in a news conference. “We want to take what they give us and hopefully be able to control the ball well enough, but we’ve never really ever gone into a game being conservative. I don’t see anybody being conservative in this game with the way we play it.”
One of the most memorable LSU-Alabama games took place at Bryant-Denny four years ago, when the No. 1 Tigers topped the No. 2 Tide 9-6 in overtime. There were no touchdowns in that game, and neither team had 300 yards of total offense or took many drastic risks.
This week’s matchup is highlighted by the rushing showdown of Alabama’s Derrick Henry and LSU’s Leonard Fournette, but the two teams also rank 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense. The Crimson Tide allow an average of just 78.5 yards per game on the ground, while the Tigers yield 93.7.
“It’s going to be fun,” Tide quarterback Jacob Coker said. “Alabama-LSU is a game everybody tunes into, and they’re probably the most similar team to us in playing style and what they do. It’s going to be a tough, physical game, and we’ve got to try and take whatever they give us and keep mistakes to a minimum.”
Which sounds like a conservative way to approach a game, though it’s not the objective.
“We need to do what we do,” Saban said. “I don’t think being conservative helps you win a game like this.”
Tide tidbits
Alabama practiced Wednesday for more than two hours in full pads. Concerning injuries, senior offensive lineman Dominick Jackson (ankle) and freshman defensive back Ronnie Harrison (ankle) practiced but are still being evaluated. Saban on being ranked fourth in the first playoff rankings: “I don’t know why we have that.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.