• Alabama’s crowd was a major factor against Tennessee. • • Will the noise return vs. LSU? •

•2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was thrilled to hear the question. “I’m very glad you asked about the crowd,” McKinstry said Tuesday during a press conference. During Alabama’s last game against Tennessee, the Bryant-Denny Stadium fans made their presence known. Nick Saban had requested a rowdy environment during his weekly radio show, and the Crimson Tide faithful delivered. According to McKinstry and defensive teammate Chris Braswell, players felt it. “It was very loud at Bryant-Denny, probably the loudest I’ve seen this year,” Braswell said. “They do a tremendous job making noise.” Through the years, fans in Tuscaloosa have gained a reputation for not always being as disruptive as they could be, perhaps a side effect of so many years of expected success under Saban. That was different against the Volunteers. Alabama won that game 34-20, and late in the game, Tennessee’s offense looked like it was getting rattled by the noise. “Crowd noise definitely plays an extreme part into the game,” UA offensive tackle JC Latham said. “That was the loudest I think I’ve heard Bryant-Denny get. I loved it. They got two false-start penalties. When Jihaad (Campbell) scored that touchdown I was insane. Just having the crowd behind you definitely adds momentum for the defense.” The Tennessee win was cathartic after the Volunteers won the 2022 edition of the Third Saturday in October rivalry. The Crimson Tide has another opportunity for revenge coming up this week, as Saturday brings LSU to town. If Alabama wins, it will be firmly in the SEC West drivers seat, but LSU is bringing one of the best offenses in the country to town. The environment will again be important. On Tuesday, the Tide’s players made it clear that they’d like another hostile situation for their opponents. “I’m very excited how they were here against Tennessee,” McKinstry said. “I feel like we need the same amount of energy, if not more, for this game. We need the fans to be there. We’re very excited to have the fans at our game, and we want to make the game as hard as we can and make it to our advantage that we have a crowd here that’s on our side.” • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •