Last season was a bit of a struggle for new Alabama fans, accustomed as they may be to having a world-class pass rush and consistently ranking among the nation’s most feared units for men under center. In the previous five seasons, Alabama led the nation twice in sacks, was 5th, 8th, and 13th. Last year, Alabama had just 32 sacks and finished 46th in the country. Yuck.
But, fear not. While those results were an aberration, generating sacks itself is a relatively new emphasis for the team.
Of much more importance to Nick Saban’s defensive philosophy is the concept of “disrupting the passer” — getting pressures, forcing rushed throws, forcing quick decisions, putting bodies around the quarterback, throwing giant mitts into passing lanes, getting quarterback hits, borderline chippiness that gets in the QB’s head — everything that can and does affect the mechanics, decision-making, and consummation of a passing play once the ball is snapped.