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Alabama Football Film Room: Mack and Moses have-up and-down game

The two inside linebackers are still growing into their roles.

NCAA Football: Alabama at Mississippi Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama lost both Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton to graduation last year, though with Hamilton’s injury against LSU, both Wilson and Moses got at least one start under the belt. The two are incredibly talented; but, six games into the season, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

If you didn’t catch Josh’s film study on Monday, check it out. There are a couple plays with Wilson and/or Moses.

1st and 10: Wilson (#30) is on the right, and Moses (#32) is on the left. Arkansas is in the shotgun with the running back - Rakeem Boyd - to the quarterback’s left. They run a counter, something Alabama fans have seen a bunch of on offense this year. The right guard pulls to the left to pick up the defensive end while the left tackle moves up to the second level and engages Wilson. Moses does a good job filling the gap and meeting the back at the line, but he lets Boyd spin out of his grasp and pick up 5 yards.

2nd and 5: Boyd is in motion to the right when QB Ty Storey gets the snap. Arkansas has trips right, and Alabama has three defensive backs matching. Wilson reads it correctly, but he takes a horrible angle to play Boyd and the tight end levels him. Even if Wilson hadn’t been blocked, I don’t think he wouldn’t have been able to make the play because of the angle he took. Fortunately for Alabama, Ronnie Harrison Xavier McKinney (#15) also read the play, didn’t hesitate, and made the tackle for a loss of 1 yard.

1st and 10: Arkansas is in the pistol now and send a receiver right to left. Moses is on the strongside, and that’s where the play is headed. The center and right guard both pull to their right, and Moses starts moving that direction. He avoids the tight end, whom Anfernee Jennings (#33) has so effortlessly flung out of his way, and keeps moving to his left. The center finds him, but Moses is already in a good position and isn’t really impacted by the block. He brings him down for a short gain with a little help from Deionte Thompson (#14).

2nd and 11: Arkansas is in shotgun but has a tight formation with 13 personnel (1 running back, 3 tight ends). Two of the tight ends are stacked on the right. One stays in to block, and the other (#85 Cheyenne O’Grady) slips through the defense on a crossing route. The play action sucks both Moses and Wilson in a couple steps. Deionte Thompson comes down from his safety spot to take away the possible throw to the running back, and the lone receiver runs a crossing route left to right. Wilson gets his hands on O’Grady and attempts to pass him off. Unfortunately, no one picks him up. As I mentioned, Thompson has come down for the running back; but Moses also plays the back. This leaves a huge patch of green for O’Grady to slip into, and the Razorbacks pick up an easy 16 yards.