The final regular-season home game for Alabama is set for this weekend, where the Crimson Tide defense is bracing for a challenge from two quarterbacks of Eastern Illinois.
This season, Cole LaCrue and Connor Wolf have shared quarterback duties for the Panthers, with LaCrue leading the way in snaps and presenting a significant threat with his running ability. “They got two quarterbacks,” said Nikhai Hill-Green, an Alabama linebacker. “One”s a runner, and the other can pass pretty well. They”re solid, got good backs, some speed on the outside. We just got to be ready and be sharp.”
In the recent matchup against Lindenwood, Wolf saw considerable action, completing 17 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown while LaCrue played a secondary role. Although LaCrue typically takes the majority of snaps, Wolf”s performance could lead to increased passing attempts from Eastern Illinois if they aim to exploit the air game.
LaCrue has demonstrated his running prowess this season by rushing for 514 yards and scoring seven touchdowns, having carried the ball 122 times. The Crimson Tide has faced several mobile quarterbacks this year, with the most notable being Florida State”s Thomas Castellanos, who rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown against Alabama. Other dual-threat quarterbacks like Georgia”s Gunner Stockton and Vanderbilt”s Diego Pavia had varying degrees of success against Alabama, with Pavia being effectively contained in the second half after a strong start.
The last running quarterback to pose a challenge was South Carolina”s LaNorris Sellers, who managed 67 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. As Alabama looks ahead, they may encounter another mobile quarterback in potential postseason matchups, making it crucial for the defense to fine-tune their run-stopping strategies against Eastern Illinois.
Hill-Green emphasized the importance of maintaining their defensive assignments when facing a running quarterback. “Really just being gap sound and doing our job,” he noted. “With a running quarterback, you can”t try to do someone else”s job, so really just every guy on the field doing their job and just being in our gaps.”
This Saturday marks the final guaranteed home game for Alabama in 2025, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting clash against Eastern Illinois.
