Written by Mike Strange at Knoxville News Sentinel
When you think of recent Alabama football, it starts with the tailbacks. Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry won Heismans. Tennessee thinks of Trent Richardson and T.J. Yeldon, too.
The Vols, however, have figured out by now that danger lurks in the skies as well.
As Tennessee gets prepared for No. 1 Alabama’s visit Saturday (TV: WVLT, 3:30 p.m.), the Vols can expect an air raid from offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. It makes sense. The Crimson Tide has good receivers, the Vols have a suspect secondary.
Since Cam Sutton’s ankle injury against Ohio on Sept. 17, Tennessee has struggled to get two proficient cornerbacks on the field. Florida passed for 296 yards.Georgia threw TD passes of 50 and 43 yards.
Last week, Texas A&M hit six pass plays of at least 20 yards in a 45-38 double-overtime win.
“We played a very skilled offense last week and we’re playing a very skilled offense again this week,” UT defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said Wednesday. “So we’re just trying to put players in positions where they can be successful.”
Alabama receivers have found themselves in positions to be successful throughout their nine-game winning streak against Tennessee that began in 2007.
Four of the top 15 receiving days by UT opponents have been registered in that friendly-sky era.
Amari Cooper’s 224 yards in 2014 ranks second. (It was No. 1 for a week. South Carolina’s Pharoh Cooper bumped him down a notch the next game).
Julio Jones snagged 221 yards worth in 2010, to rank fourth.
DJ Hall’s 185 yards in 2007 is sixth best.
Cooper went for 162 in 2012, 15th on the list.
Who’s got next?
Well, there are candidates. Kiffin, in his third year directing Nick Saban’s offense, brings four career 1,000-yard receivers to Neyland Stadium.
Sophomore Calvin Ridley already has 123 career catches, including 34 this year. Junior ArDarius Stewart (1,174) yards and tight end O.J. Howard (1,317 yards) had big days against Tennessee last year.
Gehrig Dieter had a big day against the Vols last year, too – for Bowling Green. Dieter had seven catches for 133 yards in the season opener. He took the graduate transfer route to Alabama for his final season.
“Ridley is really good,” Shoop said. “Stewart is really good. They get the ball to the backs at the right times. Howard and 84 (Hale Hentges) are both really good tight ends. It makes you anxious putting a linebacker on a guy like that.”
Sutton was an All-SEC-caliber corner who could handle his side of the field. Malik Foreman, who had been playing nickelback, has started the past two games at corner. He never took a rep there during spring or fall camp, Shoop said.
At the other corner, Emmanuel Moseley and Justin Martin have had ups and downs. Freshman Baylen Buchanan has been tested – to good effect by Texas A&M — because of his inexperience. Another freshman, Marquill Osborne, saw late action at Texas A&M.
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