Turner, Tide Pass Rush Prepare for Tigers
The press box will likely be heavy-laden with NFL scouts when LSU visits Alabama at 6:45 p.m. CT next weekend. Two players said scouts will have their binoculars trained on will be LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Turner knows he and his Bama defensive mates will have their hands full, and they seem to look forward to the challenge of at least slowing down the high-powered Tigers offense and it's dual threat leader.
“Jayden Daniels is a very good quarterback,” Turner said this week at a media availability. “They have very good receivers and a solid offensive line. It’s very exciting. It has to be a very big preparation for us as a defense to make sure we’re playing on the same page. It’s going to be a very exciting matchup for us.”
The Tide would like to keep pressure on Daniels all game as it did the final two quarters against Tennessee's Joe Milton.
“If the team is down and it’s toward the end of the game, of course, they’re going to pass the ball, and the pass rush loves when they pass the ball,” Turner observed. “A sack is definitely coming by somebody. That [Tennessee] game, it just happened to be me."
And that post-sack celebration? Turner was glad to explain it. "The sleep celebration, it’s the dagger. Put them to bed or something like that. It’s a celebration and I be having fun.”
Alabama's top two sack artists through eight games are Turner with eight and fellow outside linebacker Chris Braswell with 6.5.
“This stuff, we’ve been talking about it since February,” Turner said. “Just instituting the plan and being able to lean on each other and learn from each other, as well. I watch [Braswell] and he watches me a lot at practice, so we get to talking about each other in good ways and helpful ways, as well.
"It’s good to have another dude that’s just like you on the other side of the pass rush. It’s been very good to see him do the things he’s been doing.”
Everyone knows Turner shines on passing downs, but he considers himself an every down guy.
Turner said, “You have to treat the run the same as the pass. Setting the edge is definitely an important part of being an edge player. I was just doing my job. I do it every day in practice, so it’s nothing new for me.”
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