Crimson Tide Prepares for No. 17 Mississippi State
11/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 9, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football team practiced for two hours in full pads Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in preparation for Saturday’s game against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will come to Bryant-Denny Stadium as Alabama’s second consecutive top-20 opponent.
Following the loss against LSU in which the Alabama defense surrendered 225 yards rushing, the Tide looks to rebound against the Bulldogs. MSU will bring in the SEC’s No. 3 rushing offense, averaging 218.7 yards per game.
“They’re very impressive,” junior linebacker Dont’a Hightower said of Mississippi State’s ground game. “They do a lot of things, a lot of eye candy, to try to confuse you a little bit with a lot of motions, rockets and motion arounds.”
Not only do the Bulldogs feature a talented running back in Vick Ballard, but quarterback Chris Relf is a threat to move the ball on the ground as well.
“One thing that Mississippi State is going to want to do, and that’s what they like to do even in third-and-seven, they want to get the ball in his hands whether it’s running or throwing,” Hightower said of Relf. “It’s something that we have been working on and watching a lot of film on so we have to get ready for that.”
Alabama will practice again on Wednesday and Thursday before holding a walkthrough on Friday. Saturday’s game will kick off at 6:21 p.m. (CDT) and will be televised by ESPN2.
