Alabama receivers have had a way of rising to the occasion in big games against Georgia recently, but that trend will be tested Saturday in Sanford Stadium.
The Crimson Tide began this season having to replace All-American Amari Cooper as well as Christion Jones and DeAndrew White. Redshirt freshman Robert Foster was picking up some of the slack, collecting 10 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, before suffering in the third game against Ole Miss a shoulder injury that required surgery.
“Losing Robert Foster really hurt us at that position,” coach Nick Saban said this week in a news conference. “He and ArDarius Stewart, even though they didn’t have a lot of experience, were the most experienced players that we had. Both are explosive players and were really getting better.
“Robert was getting better in each game, but now we’re playing ArDarius Stewart and a freshman, and we’ve got several young guys backing them up.”
Stewart leads the No. 13 Crimson Tide with 21 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman Saban referenced is Calvin Ridley, a 6-foot-1, 188-pounder from Coconut Creek, Fla., who ranks second on the team with 17 catches for 125 yards and a score.
Ridley’s first career touchdown came from 15 yards out last Saturday in the 34-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
Julio Jones was a freshman in 2008 when he had five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown in the 41-30 win at Georgia. In the 2012 Southeastern Conference title game in Atlanta, Cooper continued his fabulous freshman stretch with eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown in the thrilling 32-28 triumph.
Nobody is putting the pressure on Ridley to produce in that same manner, but the Crimson Tide could turn to junior tailback Derrick Henry and junior tight end O.J. Howard to make life easier for him and the other receivers.
Howard actually leads the Tide with 183 receiving yards and is third on the team with 13 catches.
“This is a very important game for us, and it’s a great opportunity for us to establish our identity,” Howard told reporters. “We have to do a good job of establishing the run. If we can get Derrick and the other backs going early in the game, it’s going to give us the opportunity to open up the passing game.
“I know I’ve got to do a better job of finishing blocks, because I’m going against guys who are a lot bigger and faster, so it will be very important for me to get my hands inside.”
Henry has been the biggest constant in Alabama’s offensive attack, rushing 67 times for 422 yards for an average of 6.3 yards per carry and 105.5 yards per game. The 6-3, 242-pounder from Yulee, Fla., has averaged nearly 17 carries per game, which was bolstered by the 23 rushes he had in the loss to Ole Miss.
“We’ve got to be really focused on what we do,” Henry said. “They have a defense that is very similar to ours. They have a great front seven that is physical and fast, so it’s going to be exciting to go up against that defense.”
Senior Kenyan Drake could be a factor as well. The backup tailback has rushed 37 times for 215 yards (5.8 per carry) and collected seven receptions for 139 yards (19.9 per catch).
Alabama is averaging 460 yards and 35.8 points per game, but there are concerns entering Saturday. Quarterback Jake Coker has been intercepted three times in the last two contests, and the Tide are averaging an undesirable 67 penalty yards a game.
Then there is the receiving corps that was young to begin with and got younger with Foster’s injury.
“It’s just a matter of repetition,” Saban said, “because there is a learning curve with those guys in terms of feeling confident and aggressive in what they’re supposed to do and how they’re supposed to do it. It’s just something that we’ve got to continue to work on with those guys.”
Said Howard: “If we can play penalty-free and execute the plays that are called, we’re going to be fine.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.