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September 22, 2008

Why throw the ball?

Bama backs continue to churn out yards

By Justin Graves

Sports Editor

TUSCALOOSA — John Parker Wilson hasn’t exactly been lighting up the stat sheets.

But thanks to a veteran offensive line and one of the Southeastern Conference’s top running back tandems, Wilson’s inconsistencies haven’t been that noticeable.

All season long, Alabama has been pounding out the rushing yards. And that trend didn’t change Saturday at Arkansas.

Alabama gained a season-high 328 yards on the ground in its 49-14 dismantling of the Razorbacks. Glen Coffee accounted for 162 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

On the flip side, Wilson was inconsistent at best. The fifth-year senior quarterback only completed 6 of 14 passes, throwing for a meager 74 yards.

Wilson acknowledged that’s Alabama’s passing game has yet to click. But as the senior pointed out, Alabama’s running backs have been able to pick up the slack.

“We ran the ball 20 times (at Arkansas),” Wilson said. “We didn’t need to throw the ball. We weren’t going to throw the ball when we’re running the ball like that. When you’re averaging 10 yards a carry, there’s no reason to throw the ball.”

Wilson has only surpassed the 100-yard mark twice this season. He threw for 180 yards against Clemson and 215 in the Crimson Tide’s win over Western Kentucky.

The Crimson Tide quarterback has also had a pair of shaky outings, throwing for 74 yards at Arkansas and 92 yards against Tulane.

Just like last season, Wilson has struggled while throwing the ball down field. And even though eighth-ranked Alabama (4-0, 1-0 in the SEC) has been able to survive without that deep threat, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban doesn’t know if it will always be that way.

“In terms of what we do offensively, we want to have balance,” Saban said. “We want to be able to run the football while attacking defenses both vertically and horizontally.

“If we’re not able to do that, it limits what we can do offensively.”

Wilson believes Alabama’s passing game will eventually come around. According to the senior quarterback, it’s just a matter of timing.

While Wilson tries to work out the kinks with his receivers, Alabama has the luxury of relying on one of the SEC’s best running games.

Freshman tailback Mark Ingram has emerged as a talented power runner, while Coffee has become an explosive threat in the Crimson Tide’s offense.

Coffee broke a pair of big plays Saturday, showing everyone in the SEC that he has fully recovered from the injuries that set him back a year ago.

“I had lost some speed after the knee surgery,” said Coffee, who also sustained a sports hernia last year. “I know how fast I am, but I wasn’t showing it on the field. It’s just a mental thing.

“It felt good to finally break a few big plays. I’m starting to feel like I’ve gotten most of my speed back.”

‰ Justin Graves can be reached by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257.

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