Alabama football had its two worst tackling games of the season against Vanderbilt and South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide defense missed 11 tackles in each game, according to Pro Football Focus’ charting. The previous season-high was 10 missed against South Florida.

The missed tackles are just one element of a defense that has faltered of late, but it’s a telling one.

“We’ve got to continue to harp on the fundamentals of how we’re tackling,“ Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Monday. ”When we don’t operate with a hard shoulder tackle, all of a sudden we’re giving up some yards after contact. I think we have been inconsistent from a tackling standpoint.”

But this isn’t something new to the Alabama defense this season. In 2023, Alabama had two games with worse tackling performances: Texas (12 missed tackles) and Arkansas (14).

The 2023 defense under Nick Saban/Kevin Steele/Travaris Robinson averaged 7.93 missed tackles per game. (111 missed tackles over 14 games).

The 2024 defense under Wommack is averaging 8.83 missed tackles per game. (53 missed tackles over six games).

That’s almost one more missed tackle per game.

We’ll see where that number lands by the end of the season, but it’s clear it can’t continue like it has the past two games.

“I think there’s certainly room for improvement (in tackling); that’s something that you constantly are going to continue to work throughout the season and teams like Tennessee are going to force you to make space tackles over and over again,“ Wommack said. ”So it’s critical that we continue to improve.”

Next up, No. 7 Alabama travels to Knoxville to face No. 11 Tennessee.

Alabama missed tackles: 2024 (via PFF)

• WKU: 9
• USF: 10
• Wisconsin: 4
• Georgia: 8
• Vanderbilt: 11
• South Carolina: 11

Alabama missed tackles: 2023 (via PFF)

• MTSU: 3
• Texas: 12
• USF: 10
• Ole Miss: 9
• Mississippi State: 6
• Texas A&M: 6
• Arkansas: 14
• Tennessee: 10
• LSU: 8
• Kentucky: 6
• Chattanooga: 5
• Auburn: 9
• Georgia: 7
• Michigan: 6

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.