Bama’s Saban Glad To Know Of A Possible “Tell” On His O-line

September 13th, 2012 11:36 AM║ Posted By: John Pennington ║ Permalink ║ Schools: Alabama
Tags: Alabama, So Fluker, Steven Godfrey, WKU

Earlier this week, we linked you to a piece by SB Nation writer Steven Godfrey in which he was “embedded” with the Western Kentucky football program as it prepared to face #1 Alabama. In the piece, Godfrey revealed that Hilltopper coaches believed Tide right tackle DJ Fluker was tipping plays based upon his positioning at the line scrimmage. According to WKU defensive line coach Eric Mathies:

“When (offensive lines) have big guys, like big, big guys, they change how they get in their stance. So Fluker’s 6-6, 320. When it’s run, he’ll get down in his three-point stance because he’s coming off. When it’s pass, he’s got that right foot back.”

(If you listen closely, you can still hear coaches of future Bama foes yelling, “Dangit, why’d you tell em!”)

Informed of the claim during a presser yesterday, Nick Saban didn’t seem too concerned:

“We actually asked some of their coaches on their staff if they had any clues on us, and they said they didn’t. I don’t know. I hadn’t heard (about that statement)…

Good to know.”

Don’t expect WKU to get another invitation and paycheck from Alabama anytime soon. If Saban asked for for tells — and that’s common among coaches after games — and the Hilltopper staff lied to him, well, you don’t want to be on Saban’s bad side. You wouldn’t… like him… when he’s angry.

For the record, Alabama did win the game 35-0, but they gave up six sacks and rushed for just 3.3 yards per carry in the process.

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1 comments

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MoKelly1

Interesting story. Perhaps a naive question --- but --- shouldn't this sort of a tip-off be caught/detected by Alabama's offensive line coaches when watching game films? I assume this wasn't the first game the right tackle was taking these different stances.

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