Kane Wommack: Continuing to Build on the Improvement

The LSU Tigers feature a formidable offense that has proven challenging for many opponents, with only a select few managing to contain them. Alabama's defense has posed a significant threat to various teams, making the upcoming clash between Alabama and LSU on Saturday another chapter in their intense rivalry.

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The LSU Tigers are coming off a bye week after suffering a loss to the Texas A&M Aggies. Alabama may draw insights from the Aggies' defensive strategies to exploit weaknesses in LSU's game. “Well, I think A&M, they do a great job on defense. I mean, schematically, they’re really good. Their personnel up front is as good as I've seen. I mean, those guys do a really good job in one-on-one matchups. And I thought they did a great job of finding and creating one-on-one matchups based off of how they situated their personnel and were able to win a number of those one-on-ones. And so that’ll be the challenge for us. “I thought they did some really good things that you can look at and say, ‘How does that fit what we do?’ And then kind of build off from there. And then you kind of take little pieces from everybody. I thought Ole Miss played them really well for the vast majority of the game, and then just couldn't seem to get off the field at the end. I think having both personnel groupings based off of the groupings that they have on the field. They’ve got a lot of different things that they do out of their personnels with 12 and different tight end groupings that come on the field. And then also things from a scheme standpoint to be able to have answers against a very prolific offense. I think it's going to be critical,” said Wommack on what he can learn from the Aggies win over LSU.

By incorporating successful strategies from the Aggies, the Crimson Tide can also leverage the elements that led to their first shutout of the season over the Missouri Tigers. “I think one of the cool things about that shutout was the way in which it was done. Our older players, we were literally having to hold them back in that last drive to not, you know, want to go out on the field and preserve a shutout. I think that's awesome when a group of defensive players have pride in wanting to get stops, and you know, certainly they've gone through adverse situations. We have as a team, we have as a defense. But knowing that at the end of the day, it's not OK to give up touchdowns. It's not OK, you know what I mean, at any point right to to give up scores and yards and all those things. “And so I thought that was a great momentum builder for our players to know, hey, you know one, we were able to get a shutout. We were able to get the stop. But also, I thought it was a real opportunity for some older players and coaches to be able to demand the standard out of some younger players that we are going to have to count on as the season goes. We've already counted on some of those players due to injuries. So I think certainly, anytime you can get a shutout, especially in the SEC, I think you can build off of that moment” said Wommack regarding the shutout.

When facing LSU, it is essential to be a strong contender, particularly given the aggressive play style that Garrett Nussmeier exhibits. However, his type of aggressive approach can be countered, and identifying its limitations could benefit the opposing team significantly. "I think he's an aggressive player, right? Sometimes you live by the sword and die by the sword a little bit. We're a team that is certainly going to be focused on taking the ball off of people. We've got to be able to show enough looks and pictures and change some things up. Put eyes on the quarterback. Play man coverage. Do all the different things to be able to create some confusion we've been able to create with some really good quarterbacks. We were able to do that, even looking back to Carson Beck who's a great quarterback and has had a hard time ... Hasn't turned the ball over very much. If you can find creative ways to give them different looks and pictures, you're going to give yourself an opportunity to take the ball away. At the same time, this dude has made a lot of plays being the guy he is. He's an aggressive player. Think about...  Brett Favre threw a lot of picks in his career, but he also made a hell of a lot of plays. This guy has really done some similar things in that regard. Some of that you live with a little bit as an offense, but from a defensive perspective, we need to make sure ... Taking the ball off people is really the identity of who we are as a defense. That needs to show up on Saturday night," said Wommack on the ways the defense can limit Nussmeier.

Along with Nussmeier's playing style is his right-hand man, Kyren Lacey, who currently leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. Wommack is aware of Lacey's playing style, which could benefit him when preparing his defensive scheme. “I remember Kyren when he was in the Sun Belt. He was playing at Louisiana my first year as head coach at South Alabama, and I think he transferred maybe the year after in 2022. You know, long physical presence. Does a great job with the ball in the air. I think he makes contested catches. I think he's grown so much as a route runner. And really, you know someone that you can tell that Nussmeier really trusts to get the ball to, even in situations where he’s got body on body to go make a play for him. So very impressed with his skillset. I mean, he’s got all the tools and can run and make contested catches and the makings of a great receiver” said Wommack on what he's seen from Lacey.

The matchup between Alabama and LSU stands out, with both veterans and newcomers understanding the significance, especially at this stage of the season. With the immense pressure on Alabama, players recognize that their demeanor is crucial when trying to claim a win. "For me, I think our players have learned from the experiences they've had this season. There is a sense of urgency to get better every single day and not waste reps in practice. So for our guys, to have that understanding of, OK, I did this early in the season in practice and this showed up on gameday, be it from a positive standpoint or from an area where we have to get better. I think our players are drawing upon those positive and negative experiences to have better practice habits. I think some of those practice habits are showing up on game day. Our coaches are doing a really good job of pointing those things out that ultimately you're going to get rewarded by what you put out on the field. I saw a quote the other day, something about "The success that you want is in the work that you are avoiding." The work that you are willing to put in is going to reap the result of success that ultimately you want. Are players willing to do that day in and day out when it gets hard at the end of the season? I think right now our guys have a really good demeanor about that" said Wommack on the demeanor and sense of urgency of the players.

Alabama and LSU are set to kick off in Baton Rouge on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. As the Crimson Tide continues to prepare, stay up to date with all things Alabama football and more through Tide 100.9.