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Receiver Jones reveals Vols' offensive strategy against top-ranked Alabama

Published October 21st, 2009 | 0 Comments

So much for playing things close to the vest.

On Wednesday, Tennessee wide receiver Gerald Jones spilled the beans on how the Volunteers intend to attack Alabama’s vaunted defense in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference rivalry game down in Tuscaloosa.

“We know they’re a great team as far as run defense, so we’ll see if we can make the linebackers cover a little bit and really attack their corners,” Jones said on Wednesday in a teleconference.

“Their corners, they play a lot of one-on-one so our timing routes are really crucial,” the receiver added. “If we can get our timing routes down pat they will be really hard to stop. We know they’re a physical team so it’s going to be a physical game.

“A lot of play action and zone runs will really get them out of their comfort zone.”

It’s not as easy as it sounds. The top-ranked Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) lead the entire Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense, surrendering 226.6 yards per contest. Alabama’s allowed no more than 24 points all season, and that was against a Virginia Tech team that scored one of its two touchdowns on a 98-yard kickoff return.

The Tide has been especially tough on SEC opponents, yielding 9 points per outing in its four league games. Alabama has not surrendered a touchdown against an SEC foe since Kentucky punched in a short run with 12:52 to go in the fourth quarter back on Oct. 3. Mississippi and South Carolina both failed to reach the end zone in subsequent contests.

“We don’t want to give up an inch. That’s just how we are,” Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain said earlier this week. “We practice that way and that’s how we play. We are a stingy defense and we don’t want to give up anything.”

McClain might be the best player on the Tide defense, but the linebacking corps is not invulnerable. Outstanding sophomore Dont’a Hightower — who, incidentally, hails from Lewisburg, Tenn. — is out for the season with a knee injury.

And Javier Arenas, one of Alabama’s three senior cornerbacks, is dealing with a rib injury that made him miss the South Carolina game and end a streak of 20 consecutive starts.

Arenas’ absence didn’t help Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, who completed less than half of his pass attempts. Mississippi’s Jevan Snead and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett suffered similar fates.

Now it’s Jonathan Crompton’s turn. Crompton struggled mightily for much of the Vols’ first half but his last five quarters of football have been solid. Dating back to the fourth period of the 26-22 loss to Auburn, Crompton has completed 34 of his last 48 passes for 491 yards and six touchdowns.

“It just kind of clicked and from there it became like second nature,” Crompton said.

Just as disrupting productive offenses is second nature to Nick Saban’s defensive unit.

This Saturday, something’s got to give.

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