News Article: Arkansas wrap-up: Alabama can’t keep losing difference-makers

[JessN]

Share
 

Arkansas wrap-up: Alabama can’t keep losing difference-makers
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
Sept. 26, 2009

Were it not for one play – one otherwise insignificant play – the topic of conversation tonight would be how Alabama’s secondary asserted itself en route to limiting one of the conference’s, if not the nation’s most gifted quarterbacks to paltry numbers.

Were it not for one play – one otherwise insignificant play – the topic of conversation tonight might be the emergence of Greg McElroy, who if all-SEC honors were determined by the end of the fourth week would have inscribed his name onto the trophy in the most permanent of inks.

But for the second time in a month’s worth of games, Alabama left the playing field down a defensive playmaker. And this time, it could mean real trouble for the future.

Alabama’s Dont'a Hightower has likely torn his ACL, and will join Damion Square, who turned the trick against Florida International, in the physical rehab program shortly. The final word hasn’t come down from the doctors, but it would take some kind of miracle – medical, heaven-sent or otherwise – to believe at this point that Hightower will be back in 2009.

Alabama’s defense is very deep in spots, but linebacker depth – experienced linebacker depth, anyway – is not one of them. The bright side to that is that Hightower dominated opposing offenses last year as a true freshman, so reserve linebacker Nico Johnson, who figures to get some time in the playing rotation now, isn’t necessarily a liability by definition.

However, Alabama’s first option seems to be to replace Hightower with Cory Reamer and then slide Jack linebacker Eryk Anders to the strongside. For those keeping track at home, with the new alignment, Alabama will now start a former high school safety with two bad knees (Reamer) and a player who played noseguard in high school at 6’2”, 220 (Anders) and whose only other notable scholarship offer was Texas Tech, unless you count a grayshirt/walk-on offer from Ole Miss.

It’s commendable that Alabama head coach Nick Saban has developed Anders, Reamer and others in this defense, but sooner or later the well runs dry. If Alabama were to lose, say, Reamer at this point, the effect on the defense would be substantial. Who would have thought that Cory Reamer might end up being the key to the Alabama linebacker corps this year?

As for everything else that happened in this game, it was a story of far more good than bad. Alabama’s secondary answered a lot of questions against Arkansas, particularly players like Marquis Johnson and Mark Barron. McElroy proved he is more than just a game manager. Receivers like Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks continued to step up, making the offense less dependent on the talents of Julio Jones.

On the flip side, Alabama gave up another long kick return, and aside from a sterling individual effort from freshman running back Trent Richardson on a long touchdown run, failed to move the ball on the ground against a front seven that falls somewhere in the middle of front sevens in the SEC.

Were it not for Hightower’s injury, the final verdict here would be one of…well, positive confusion. Few people expected Alabama’s defense would completely corral the Arkansas offense or that Alabama would walk to a 35-7 win. But few also suspected Alabama would get there by throwing for nearly 300 yards. In other words, it’s an outcome no one can gripe about despite there being plenty of room for improvement.

But throw in Hightower’s injury, and Alabama has to wonder if it’s been snakebit – especially considering the way the seas are parting for an Alabama title run. Florida looks beatable, Texas is not a perfect team and no one else behind Alabama – save for perhaps Boise State, thanks to its weak schedule – appears to have any kind of chance to get into the discussion. The only way Alabama would seem to fall from its perch is if the team itself transmogrified into something it currently isn’t. And the quickest way for that to happen is for key cogs to begin dropping left and right.

So pray for Hightower, Square and the other injured – and also that more don’t join their ranks.