Alabama faces the toughest test of the season so far when it travels to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Florida Gators. So far this season, Alabama has played in tough venues like Happy Valley and against talented teams like Arkansas and Penn State.
But the Tide has yet to prove if it can handle an SEC-caliber team in a hostile environment. Alabama will have to handle both factors on Saturday, as it prepares for its most talented opponent thus far this season in one of the most hostile stadiums in college football.
For head coach Nick Saban, the fact that Alabama has already played well in a loud stadium provides some confidence for his team.
“Well, I don’t think there’s any question about having a game on the road has probably helped prepare this team for what they’re ready to get into,” Saban said. “I think they know what to expect, and I think that every one of those experiences… helps their maturity, and hopefully it will help us play with more consistency and play great football Saturday night.”
Senior linebacker Jerrell Harris also said he was excited about the opportunity to play in the Swamp, a place he hasn’t visited since a trip his junior season in high school.
Still, the venue won’t be the only difficult part of playing Florida. Florida has been a surprise out of the Eastern division this year and boasts some pretty impressive stats on both sides of the ball. Florida is led offensively by running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, who have combined for 731 yards and six touchdowns this season. “They’re very fast,” Harris said. “If you give them too much space, then it can end up in a big play.”
And make big plays they have. On the season, Rainey has averaged roughly seven yards a carry, while Demps has averaged around nine. The rest of Florida’s offense has competed well this season also. So far this season, the Gators are averaging 40 points and 259 rushing yards a game, earning them rankings of 15th and ninth in the nation, respectively.
Harris said these are still the same teams that went up against each other last year, when Alabama throttled Florida 31-7. The key to matching up to Florida’s speed, Harris said, is to simply play sound football and stay in the lanes. “I think we can match up pretty good, as long as we stay in our lanes and do a good job every play,” Harris said. “It’s just discipline, really…. We pretty much prepare all year for games like this. We start early.”
Alabama’s defense has performed exceptionally this season, ranking in the top five nationally in every major defensive category. Indeed, the defense has seemed almost impassable all season.
Saban said he expects a challenge for his team against a very good opponent.
“If you’re a great competitor, then you love challenges,” Saban said. “This is obviously going to test the maturity and leadership of our team.”
