Tide Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart Says Pass Rush Must Improve

You would think that Kirby Smart, defensive coordinator for Alabama's Crimson Tide, would be a happy man.  He returning almost intact the number 3 defense in college football.  This is a unit that will almost certainly be better than last year.

So what would a man in charge of this unit possibly have to complain about?  To listen to him, everything.

Maybe it's his five years working with Nick Saban, another man who is rarely ever satisfied, or maybe it's those last two games the Tide lost this past season.  But listening to Kirby talk, one is reminded of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who would also "poor mouth".

To listen to Kirby, you'd think he has a bunch of skinny boys that will be lucky to stop anyone.

But one area that he did zero in on in a meeting I had with him this week, was pass rush.  He wants to establish a pass rush in a bad way and is willing to tweak players and positions to do it.

"Last year we lead the nation in a lot of categories, but we were like 11th in just the SEC in sacks.  Our inability to pressure the QB was exposed in losses to Florida and especially Utah." Kirby said.

"Utah is usually a pretty balanced team.  They ran 60 pass plays and 40 run plays out of every 100.  But when we played them they reeled off 30 straight pass plays without a run.  They just out coached, outplayed, and wanted it more than we did." he lamented.

"Everybody in America knows we can stop the run and so did they (Utah)."  Smart continued.  "So they just passed every play and our inability to get pressure on the QB early put us 21-0 before we could react and adjust."

According to Smart, that is something that Alabama will be working hard on this spring.

They have to find a way to get the right players in the right positions to get the pressure that Smart knows they'll need.

"We know this year, a lot of teams may just abandon the run against us and go more to the air."  Kirby said.  "I think teams have pretty much figured out that no one is going to be very successful running the ball on us."

So putting pressure on the QB is job one with Coach Smart this year, and replacing starting safety Rashad Johnson is also high on the list.

"It's going to be very hard to say that anyone could replace Rashad." Smart said. "He was the smartest player I've ever been around.  I'm proud to say that he will always be a special friend to me and we've talked on the phone since he's gone to the Arizona Cardinals."

"We are fortunate to have so many good players who are fighting for that job.  We are just going to have to see who comes out on top this summer and fall, but we feel whoever wins out will do a fine job for us." Kirby pointed out.

"One thing you learn from working with Nick Saban is to dominate." Coach Smart reminisced. "If we can get our pass rush going, then this defense has a chance to be dominant and that is our goal."

Just how far this defense can push remains to be seen, but coming in as the nation's No. 3 defense with a good mixture of youngsters and juniors and seniors it could be a very dominate defense indeed.