SEC Championship 2015: Florida vs. Alabama Complete Game Preview
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s the pairing the Southeastern Conference has seen the most in the championship game, Alabama vs. Florida, which will meet for the eighth time with the league title on the line.
Actually, a lot more is stake as No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) can lock up a playoff spot with a victory, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban isn’t ready to talk about any of that yet.
“I think the SEC Championship Game is one of the best competitive venues, other than the National Championship Game or the playoff game, that I've ever been in,” he said. “It still means a lot to us to be in the SEC Championship Game, and it certainly means a lot if you can accomplish winning the SEC. Regardless of what anybody might say, there's a lot of good teams, a lot of good coaches, a lot of good programs.
“It's something special to me to be able to play in the game and have an opportunity to maybe win a championship. That's what your players work for, and that's certainly what our guys have worked for all year long and certainly something that we're certainly pleased to have the opportunity to do.”
Perhaps that’s why his teams are 5-1 in conference championship games, while No. 18 Florida (10-2, 7-1 SEC) is looking to snap the East Division’s six-year drought in Atlanta.
Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s SEC Championship Game.
Date: Saturday, December 5
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Place: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: CBS
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network, Gator IMG Sports Network, Sirius 81, XM 192; 81.
Spread: Alabama -17.5, according to OddsShark.com.
Florida Keys to Victory
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Get the offense back on track
If not for a sack-fumble by defensive end CeCe Jefferson that led to a safety in the fourth quarter, the Gators would have been shut out last week for the first time since 1988.
It was pretty much the same story all November as Florida barely edged Vanderbilt, 9-7, and struggled against Florida Atlantic, with 252 total yards in a 20-14 overtime victory.
Led by its font seven, Alabama ranks first in the SEC in rushing, total and scoring defense, plus interceptions and sacks.
“I think Alabama's front seven is the best in the conference,” Florida guard Trip Thurman said. “I mean, we've played against Ole Miss and LSU, but these guys look great on tape.”
Get to Jake Coker
One thing Florida has been able to do well all season is put pressure on the quarterback, and it’ll be a must against Alabama. The Gators are second in the conference and tied for fifth in the nation with 38 sacks.
Defensive lineman Alex McCalister leads the team with 6.5 sacks, while Jonathan Bullard has the most tackles for a loss with 15.5. Linebackers Antonio Morris and Jarrad Davis lead the team in tackles with 86 apiece, and both are in double digits in tackles for a loss.
“They have played great all year,” cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III said of the Florida front seven. “I mean, quarterbacks don't have time to throw the ball, and obviously that makes it easy for us in the back end. We appreciate them and everything that they do. They always play hard. They are always making plays, always making it easy for us. We just have to make plays on the ball, and they take care of the rest.”
Don’t let Derrick Henry take over the game
Obviously, it’s easier said than done, and last year Henry had 20 carries for 111 yards against Florida as a reserve.
“It's not that fun,” Hargreaves said about trying to tackle Henry. “When he has a full head of steam coming at you, you know, he's a big back; he can make you miss, he can run you over. You've got to hold on and wait for the boys to get there, wait for the team to get there."
“They have got big bodies up front, so they try to maul you,” Bullard said. “We are just going to have come out and really stay in our gaps, really load the point. That's what we are going to practice this week during practice, I'm assuming, and I just know that the guys around me are excited about the game.”
Alabama Keys to Victory
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Wear down Florida
Florida State provided a terrific blueprint for beating the Gators last week, by getting a lead and then just wearing them down. After the Florida offense saw both a 16-play and 12-play drive result in missed field goals, it pretty much had nothing left in the fourth quarter.
On offense Alabama is second in the SEC in time of possession, while Florida is third, so the Gators know how to play keep-away as well.
However, considering that Alabama has a huge depth advantage with its defensive line, it knows it can be patient, while the Gators can’t afford to fall behind.
“As a team, we feel like we should dominate the fourth quarter, and that’s our goal going into every fourth quarter: score more points than the other team in the fourth quarter and just to be more physical and dominate,” Crimson Tide junior defensive end Jonathan Allen said.
Be relentless on defense
Alabama’s defenders will be the first to tell you that the key to be a smothering unit is attitude, and the goal all season has been to be regarded as one of the best units in Crimson Tide history.
Auburn learned the hard way last week when it had just one yard rushing in the second half, quarterback Jeremy Johnson completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes (10-of-23), and the offense was 3-of-15 on third down.
“Really, just take care of your body—after all these weeks,” senior linebacker Reggie Ragland said about the players not wearing down. “Stay in the hot tub, cold tub, get the treatment on the parts of your body that’s sore. It’s really just keep on keeping on, just finding ways to keep making your body better and keep finding ways to keep making yourself go.
“I’ve been here so long I don’t really feel it even if there is (any drag). I just know I’ve got to keep the right mindset for the younger guys and the older guys, too. I know a lot of people look up to me on certain things of what we do, so I’ve got to keep the right mindset because if I’ve got bad body language, people will notice. So I’ve got to keep good body language regardless how I feel.”
Stay zeroed in
After a couple of players made statements that were bulletin-board material for Auburn prior to the Iron Bowl, Alabama has been tight-lipped this week when it comes to talking about its opponent.
One would think the team wouldn’t need any extra motivation considering the conference title, a playoff berth and maybe even the Heisman Trophy is on the line, but Saban isn’t taking any chances.
“This is an outstanding team that we're playing,” he said. “They wouldn't be in the SEC Championship Game if they weren't. I think anybody out there that thinks this is not going to be a real challenge and a real test for our team, I don't know what you're thinking. I don't know what you're thinking. I really don't get it.”
Florida Players to Watch
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Sophomore quarterback Treon Harris
The suspension of starter Will Grier for violating the NCAA's policy on performance-enhancing drugs was pretty much a death blow for the Gators offense, although credit McElwain’s coaching staff for pulling out a 10-2 season.
Nevertheless, the passing game hasn’t been consistent down the stretch, while the offense has been one-dimensional. Last week against Florida State, Harris began the game 7-of-9 passing but completed 11 of his next 29 throws for 107 yards.
“Got to keep him contained,” Ragland said “Got to keep him in the pocket. Got to make him throw the ball. You can't let him run because he can run real well. But you've got to keep him contained and make sure the guys have good pass-rush lanes.”
Junior running back Kelvin Taylor
Taylor, the son of former Florida running back Fred Taylor, and Derrick Henry know each other from their high school days, but that’s about where the comparisons end.
Taylor had a season-high 136 rushing yards against the Seminoles, as he’s broken the 100-yard marker four of the last five games, but the one exception was Vanderbilt when he had 17 carries for 47 yards.
“K.T.'s done a great job for us, and he's gotten a little better every week,” McElwain said. “I thought he was a bright spot for us in this last ball game."
Junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III
Combine Florida’s talented defensive backs with its potent pass rush and it’s easy to see why the Gators are second in the SEC in total defense and scoring defense.
Hargreaves has four interceptions (10 career) and 26 tackles on the season and is someone that Coker will have to be aware of on every snap, but Alabama didn’t shy away from him last year and likely won’t with freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley on the field.
“He's extremely explosive, extremely confident in what he does,” Hargreaves said about Ridley. “He runs great routes. He understands offense. He almost reminds me a little bit of Amari Cooper. They have the same style play. It's going to be a great matchup for us corners to deal with him and along with No. 13, [ArDarius] Stewart, also another great player. We're looking forward for the matchup.”
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Alabama Players to Watch
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Senior quarterback Jake Coker
Although he nearly give up a pick-six last week against Auburn, Coker had just one pass picked off in November and only two over the past six games. The quarterback is also showing a knack for avoiding pass-rushers and hasn’t been sacked since the LSU game.
Simply put, if Coker doesn’t make a mistake, Alabama is tough to beat.
“The guy's got a great handle on what they're trying to do, and he's getting the ball to those playmakers,” Florida head coach Jim McElwain said. “He does a great job on play action. I love the way he gets his feet set and delivers the football. You can tell he's well-coached, a guy that's—you can't sit here and say you're going to stop there because this guy will kill you in the passing game. They're doing a great job with him. “
Alabama’s linebackers in pass coverage
Anyone who was around when McElwain was Alabama’s offensive coordinator knows that he loved to throw to his tight end and get the running backs involved in the passing game.
Senior Jake McGee is second in team receptions with 38 for 338 yards, and sophomore DeAndre Goolsby is sixth with 16 for 262 yards. One defender to keep an eye on in particular will be junior linebacker Reuben Foster, who has broken up eight passes this season.
“That’s my dog there,” Ragland said about Foster. “He’s doing a great job. When guys come up on me—because every time I look up now, I’ve got a blocker in my face—that leaves him free to run through and make plays. And that’s what he’s doing. He’s taking advantage of every opportunity that he’s got, and I’m very proud of the things that he’s doing, and he’s going to keep getting better because I’m going to keep being on him and he knows I will. But I’m very proud of Reuben for the things he’s done.”
Junior running back Derrick Henry
It kind of goes without saying that this will be Henry’s final opportunity to impress Heisman Trophy voters, and Alabama knows that he can spend the next three weeks recovering before its next game.
The one thing Alabama hope it doesn’t do again is have him carry the ball 46 times like he did last week against Auburn. Saban is hoping that senior Kenyan Drake (arm fracture) can contribute along with freshmen Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough.
“No question that we certainly need those guys to sort of mature, be what we need them to be, in terms of their confidence, their ability to execute and understand what's necessary on that particular play for them to play well, have a winning performance on that play, whatever you want to call it,” Saban said.
“But we definitely need more guys to be able to contribute at that position. It was not our intention to have Derrick Henry carry the ball 46 times in the game and 14 times in a row at the end. It's kind of the way the game evolved. We need to do more with more people on offense if we're going to have success in this game.”
What They’re Saying
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Alabama head coach Nick Saban on facing Florida:
“This is a great opportunity for our team to play in the SEC Championship Game. This is something that we still feel is very, very important and something that's a significant accomplishment because of the quality of our league, winning our division and having an opportunity to play against a really good Florida team. This is a very talented team. They're extremely well coached. Jim McElwain has done an outstanding job there. They've won 10 games. They're probably the best overall team that we've played against all year long. They're a great defensive team. Probably the highest-ranked defensive team we've faced all year long from a national standpoint. They also do a great job of taking care of the ball and getting turnovers. They have a very positive turnover ratio. Very talented players on offense. The quarterback, Treon Harris, is a dual-threat kind of guy that can make plays passing or with his feet. Reminds me a lot of Blake in terms of his style of play. Kelvin Taylor is an outstanding running back, probably as good as we've played against all year. They have some very talented receivers and good skill guys who can make big plays, and this is one of the most talented special teams. They've struggled a little bit on field goals this year but other than that they have one of the highest net punts in the country. They have a great punt return guy, kickoff returns have been really good for them. This team is really, really good on special teams."
Saban on Florida’s defense:
“They've got very talented players. Their front is very talented. They're very athletic. They've got really good inside players. They've got good edge-rushers. Their linebackers are really good players. They've got a really good secondary, good cover people, two good safeties. One of the best corners in the country. They've got really, really talented players. They're an outstanding defensive team. Geoff Collins does a great job with them. They're well coached. They play hard. They really get after it. Florida State struggled with them the whole game long until right at the end.”
Jim McElwain on reaching the SEC Championship Game during his first season at Florida:
“I’ve got to say, this has been one heck of a year. I've got to tell you how proud I am of our team and how they've competed week in and week out and really invested in each other. To be a part of an SEC Championship Game, with two storied programs—obviously, the University of Alabama, which, let's face it, gave me the opportunity to be here at the University of Florida, and then to have the Gators playing them, that's something special.
“It's also something that, year in and year out, two of the programs that should be playing in this game. I know how excited we are to have this opportunity to play such a great program and a team that I would argue is the best team in college football, obviously. For us to go in and have that opportunity to play in Atlanta, it's something that the Gators fans around the country and in this football team, based on what they've done, deserve. Really excited about the opportunity.
McElwain on Saban’s and Kirby Smart’s defensive front seven:
“I think his front 30, how many guys they've got. I just hope our offensive line, their knees don't crack together from shaking as they got to play against those guys. They just keep rolling them through there. That's something coach has always done is play physical and put a plan together to whatever you do, they're going to take away. We've got to do an outstanding job of trying to keep them off balance in formation and do some things to try to gain an edge.
“As always, that's as good a defense as there is in the country year in and year out. He and Kirby and those guys on defense do a great job of studying the opponent and knowing exactly what to take away. They're the best at it, and you can just look at history and look at numbers. They keep getting them in there. All I can say is just watch the film. As a football purist, people should just sit down and watch how they play together. It's pretty amazing.”
Prediction
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Like usual, the team that doesn’t make mistakes will have a huge advantage in this game, as time of possession and turnovers will be especially telling.
But while Alabama still appears to be on an upswing, Florida has the look of a tired, beat-up team that limped through November. The two times McElwain faced his former coach were both closer than expected, but that was with Colorado State, while this is for a championship.
If Alabama heads to Atlanta dialed in, Florida can hang in the game for only so long.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Florida 13
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.
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