University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban previewed the University of Cincinnati defense on Monday ahead of the College Football playoff semifinal matchup.
The Cincinnati defense is highlighted by the secondary duo of consensus All-American defensive back Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and All-American defensive back Coby Bryant.
"Well, their two corners are good players," Saban said. "They're long. They play a lot of man-to-man. They got good ball skills. They're good man-to-man players. They're aggressive in the way they play. They don't make a lot of mistakes. They're smart. They got a lot of experience, even when they change it up and play zone. They're ball-hawkers; they're all ball-hawkers back there. They really attack the ball. They have a lot of turnovers. It's a talented group."
The No. 1 Crimson Tide (12-1) will face off against No. 2 Cincinnati (13-0) in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 31 (3:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN) with the winner advancing to the national championship game.
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The Bearcats have 18 interceptions this season led by Deshawn Pace with four, while Arquon Bush, Bryant and Gardner each have three. The secondary has 49 pass breakups.
The front seven is tied for 19th in the FBS with 37 sacks and tied for sixth with 96 tackles for a loss. What stood out to Saban was how the Bearcats' defense plays together and avoids mistakes.
"They're very active. They're very aggressive. They're a good group. They play a 3-3 stack; they slide over to a four-down front sometimes. They plug a lot of backers. They have a lot of good pressure. They play a lot of man-to-man, but they change it up a bit. They play very well together as a team," Saban said. "They don't make a lot of mistakes. They fit the runs. They do the things that they need to do to have success together as a group. They have some very talented guys. They have a good secondary. They have some guys up front that can rush and have some quickness, and their linebackers are very good players. All around, this is a very good defensive team."
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