Crimson Tide Continues to Prepare for Tennessee
10/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 20, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama football team practiced for two hours in full pads Wednesday at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields to continue work for Saturday's game against Tennessee in Knoxville.
With the Crimson Tide facing a hostile environment inside Neyland Stadium (102,037) head coach Nick Saban wants to see improvement in his team's ability to play in tough atmospheres.
"We've played a little better at home than we have on the road," Saban said following Wednesday's practice, adding that Saturday's game "is an opportunity for us to sort of show that we can play with focus and intensity and execute in a very difficult environment against a good team on the road."
On Wednesday the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced Alabama safety Mark Barron as one of 23 quarter-finalists for the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Named after NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. It is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
Barron was chosen as the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week on Oct. 5 for his performance in Alabama's 31-6 victory over Florida in which he recorded a game-high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops a sack (-9) and two pass breakups. Barron paces the Tide this season with 47 tackles, has two interceptions and six passes defended.
Alabama will hold the week's final practice on Thursday before traveling to Knoxville Friday afternoon. Saturday's game against the Volunteers is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. (CDT). It will be nationally televised on ESPN with Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge in the booth and Holly Rowe on the sideline.
