Late-night viewing gives ’Bama’s Fitzpatrick insight into Huskies
TUSCALOOSA — After the game and the post-game interviews are done, Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick usually finds himself back in his room watching more college football.
An avid fan of the sport, Fitzpatrick says he’ll stay up to watch whoever is playing on TV. More often than not, that’s a team from the Pac 12. Alabama has played five of its 13 games this season at 7 p.m. or later, meaning games on the West Coast are often the only viewing option.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a complete difference, you know it’s football. Everybody plays football the same way, you tackle the guy with the ball and get in the end zone,” Fitzpatrick said comparing the Pac 12 to the SEC. “Maybe we’re a little bit more physical. Out there, they like to throw the ball whole a lot and kind of turn it into a 7-on-7. That’s their style, and we have our style.”
While Fitzpatrick says he actually hasn’t seen much his next opponent, No. 4 Washington, he has watched some of the tape from the Huskies’ 26-13 loss to Southern California earlier this season.
“That was actually the first game I had watched because, you know, it’s the only game (Washington) had lost, so you always want to watch that game to see what USC was doing to make them play off their game,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was just watching the small things, details, like (USC) was being really physical with them, and they were just turning the ball over, too. That’s something we will have to do against Washington.”
Alabama had considerably more success against the Trojans, beating them 52-6 in the season opener at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While the win over USC still gives Alabama a little bit of confidence, Crimson Tide players know the Trojans team they faced in September is much different than the one Washington faced in November.
“I kind of throw it out the window,” Alabama tight end O.J. Howard said looking back at the Alabama’s dominating win to start the season. “Like I said, it was the first game of the year. It could have been anything – teams weren’t really focused on who was gonna be where in certain positions. So it was totally different. Two different teams at this point of the year, so you really can’t base it off that first game.”
One of the first things that jumps out when watching Washington is the Huskies’ prolific passing game. Leading the way is quarterback Jake Browning, who has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,280 yards and 42 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
“He’s a great quarterback. He gets the ball to their receivers very well,” Fitzpatrick said. “He gets the ball downfield, he’s very accurate with his passes. If we give him too much time he’ll be a real challenge for us.”
Browning also has a couple of playmaking receivers to throw to in John Ross and Dante Pettis. Ross leads the Huskies with 76 receptions for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Pettis has 50 catches for 796 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“(Ross) is a smaller guy, recruited high, can make you make mistakes,” Fitzpatrick said. “He can run sweeps, catch the ball and get up the field, make you miss, catch deep balls. So we know he’s going to be a real challenge for us to stop. (Pettis), he’s a bigger guy, more physical guy. We’re going to be physical with him, play our game and stop both of them.”
Although Washington tends to be known for its high-powered offense, Tide players are equally impressed with the talent the Huskies have on defense. Washington ranks No. 11 in total defense, allowing 316.2 yards per game. The Huskies are also tied at No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 17.2 points per game.
Alabama offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher said he was really impressed with the Huskies’ defensive front, even comparing it to Alabama’s unit that’s been referred to as one of the best in history.
“They have some big guys up front,” Pierschbacher said. “Very stout and a really good defense. They force a lot of turnovers, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us to take care of the ball.”
Alabama (13-0) will play Washington (12-1) in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in Atlanta in a College Football Playoff semifinal.
This story was originally published December 22, 2016 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Late-night viewing gives ’Bama’s Fitzpatrick insight into Huskies."