When the lights shine down on Bryant-Denny Stadium for the sixth straight prime-time matchup between No. 2 LSU and No. 4 University of Alabama, one thing will be clear to the national viewing audience on Saturday: In this heated rivalry, the line of scrimmage is not for the faint of heart.
“The game is going to be won up front,” said junior defensive end Lewis Neal. “It’s about whoever does their assignments correctly. Like I said, whoever executes the best. That’s why we are focusing on us because it’s going to come down to whoever does the best job at their job.
“It’s going to be everybody, one-on-one, with their dude. So if you do your job, you win.”
As much as ever before, neither team enters the contest with a significant advantage in the trenches. The statistical-best running back in the nation, LSU sophomore Leonard Fournette, will be pitted against the Crimson Tide’s third-ranked rush defense in the nation, which holds teams to 78.5 yards per contest.
On the flip side, the ninth-best rusher in the nation and the No. 2 tailback in the Southeastern Conference, Alabama junior Derrick Henry, will go up against the Tigers’ sixth-best rush defense in the country, which allows 93.7 yards per game.
The LSU offensive line allowed sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris to be sacked just eight times on the year, while Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC) has sacked passers 27 times, ranking in the top 10 in the country. The Tigers (7-0, 4-0 SEC) rank first in the country in least amount of turnovers lost, while Alabama is tied for the second most turnovers gained in the SEC, which also puts it in the top 20 nationally.
The numerical comparison between the two current teams are endless, but none of it surprises players like redshirt freshman William Clapp, who will play against Alabama for the first time.
“Some of the older guys who have played in this game talk about just how different it is than playing any other team,” Clapp said. “I’m looking forward to figuring out what it is.”
Not only are the statistics similar, but the philosophies of both teams haven’t changed much over time. Even with changes at offensive coordinators in the last three years, both teams still incorporate pro-style formations, often times challenging teams to stop the downhill rushes.
While LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin have opened up both offenses for new wrinkles, LSU coach Les Miles and Alabama coach Nick Saban’s identities aren’t lost in a game like this.
Those identities make LSU and Alabama popular destinations for many offensive line recruits, said junior center Ethan Pocic.
“Most linemen in high school don’t want to pass the ball 50-60 times a game,” Pocic said. “They like to run the ball. Everyone is different. For a high school kid, I wouldn’t be opposed to telling a kid to go somewhere else because everyone is different.”
But in this rivalry, linebacker play is equally as important to the battle in the trenches, and Saturday will exhibit a few of the best. Three Butkus Award semifinalists, the award for the best linebacker in the nation, will appear in the game, including LSU junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith.
Miles said a defender like Beckwith is critical to countering both spread and power looks Alabama could show.
“When you line up against a spread attack, there is a tendency to want to play a little bit more nickel, a little bit more lighter athletic guys,” Miles said. “It’s kind of one of those things that we choose. We’re looking for that long, angular athletic person, and Kendell Beckwith certainly fits that. He happens to be strong and capable, but he’s also one of the faster guys on our team.
“So he would fit that dual bill, the guy that can stand in against a power running attack, also has the athleticism to stop the — what would be the gun run — for instance.”