re: With Hurts Hurt, Alabama's Tua Strategy

I think this is a huge huge game changer in that now Aranda and staff don't have to worry about gameplanning for a 2 headed monster. It's hard enough to worry about 1 qb when he is possibly the best player in the nation and can beat you with his arm or legs.

Lets not forget, Hurts can also throw well and turn back and run if need be he is a big guy.

Now that hurts is injured, and if he still is needed his abilities are now limited. This leaves Tua as the complete game plan. Tua also has a injury that some believe Saban is downplaying.

Aranda has to feel some relief for sure.

As far as I can see Aranda will let bama play their offense and just feed off of what they are gonna do and just go from there. I'm curious how the game plan will change with Devin out the first half.

If I had to bet, id say we see some schemes we've yet to use this year !

Agree. But the SEC forcing LSU to tackle him low to avoid disqualification raises the risk of reinjuring his knee, ironically.
Interesting dilemma.

No, you're right. Even Saban is downplaying it as an injury (what do you expect from Saban?) Hurts is not out but he is definitely not 100%.

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I'm curious how the game plan will change with Devin out the first half.

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Gotta make Tua hold the ball and force him out of the pocket to throw on the move. So I'm all for press coverages with LSU's long, physical and athletic DBs and bring delayed pressure up the middle to force him back in the pocket into Divinity or force him to roll and cut the field in half. Battle should be playing a deep safety position the whole game and rolling with Tua if forced out of the pocket.

I say delayed pressure because of the potential that Alabama has to physically run down hill. If you vacate a LB too soon with a blitz, they will outnumber you unless you get lucky and blitz right into the run.

LSU defense NEEDS Divinity to play his best game of the season!!!

Saban is not going to provide definitive answers on Hurts ankle or Tua's knee.

He says he will likely be ready so that LSU prepares for Hurts running. Or he knows Hurts won't be ready, that way he says this to make LSU prepare for Hurts for nothing.

He won't tip his hand and be truthful and no coach should be completely honest in that regard. Keep the other team guessing.

Tua will play all game if he doesn't tweak his knee. If Hurts is ready he will come in for some RPO plays occassionally to throw the Def off and hopefully catch them off guard.

I welcome Jalen Hurts as I don't think he's a big threat to this LSU team. As good as he has been in the past, he's not elite enough throwing or running to consistently beat LSUs defense in Tiger Stadium. If LSU had any offense 2 years ago, they'd have beaten him.

Tua is the one you plan for and adjust as needed for Hurts.

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A high ankle sprain is one of the hardest injuries to heal in sports. 2 weeks and a procedure is not enough.

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depends on severity.

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Only thing that scares me truly is the Playaction and the possibility of our backs stepping towards the run too early and being fooled then being best deep with those fast short receivers.

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Exactly why Battle needs to play a deep rover position and not come up to quick in run support. Keep the numbers in the box in your favor by pressing coverage with Delpit

Can't play press coverage every time, but definitely need to challenge these smaller receivers with bigger DBs at the line.

ETA: just checked their roster and their top 4 WRs (Smith, Jeudy, Waddle and Ruggs) are listed at 6'1" or less and all are under 200 pounds with Jeudy the heaviest at 192.

Battle has been on vacation all year.