Every team has something to work on going into the season, but it would seem that coach Nick Saban knows specifically what he wants to see out of one of his units. He has not been impressed with his kicking team yet this preseason and said it wasn't just the kickers who were disappointing him, but just about everyone.
AL.com's Michael Cassagrande got the scoop on the kicking team from Saban himself:
"It's not just the kicker," Saban said. "It's the protection, the holder, the whole operation being on time. We need to do a lot of work in that area. I think we have things to work on relative to some of the other areas in the kicking game. Missed a couple field goals. We had a couple blocked because we didn't really have good protection."
Alabama has to replace Adam Griffith and are working with redshirt senior Andy Pappanastos who transferred from Ole Miss and freshman Joseph Bulovas. Saban didn't hint at either holding an advantage as the starter and didn't say who missed how many kicks in scrimmages.
Punter J.K. Scott might be a darkhorse candidate for the job as well considering he hit three out of his four field goal attempts in the A-Day game. Saban also mentioned that Scott was "fantastic" with his punting during the practice on Saturday and didn't have anything bad to say about that half of the special teams.
It sounds like Alabama may have a pretty serious weakness into its much anticipated showdown with Florida State to start the season. If the Seminole defense does what everyone believes it will this year then the Crimson Tide could be forced to make some field goals to win the game and right now that sounds much less than ideal as Saban describes it.
[h/t Saturday Down South]
