In the second half, Alabama football fans were able to witness a preview of the team’s future thanks to the Crimson Tide’s early domination on both sides.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama Crimson Tide, ranked number ten, defeated Mercer 52-7 at home on Saturday. With ranking victories over Missouri, LSU, and now Mercer, one of the FCS’s best teams, Alabama has been on fire lately. The Crimson Tide have excelled on both sides of the ball in each of these games, and each time the offense scores or the defense makes a stop, it has greatly boosted team spirit.
This game at Bryant-Denny Stadium’s Saban Field has a lot to offer for analysis. Here are five things to remember:
49 days after Alabama freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams caught the go-ahead touchdown against Georgia and freshman cornerback Zabien Brown hauled in the game-sealing interception moments later, this young duo, which has both players donning the No. 2 jersey, shined again on Saturday.
The Tide’s next drive saw Williams, a 17-year-old college football phenomenon, reach the end zone for the second time in the first quarter, this time thanks to a thunderous block by fellow wide receiver Germie Bernard. After Alabama tight end/full back Robbie Ouzts caught a touchdown pass, Mercer trotted back onto the field 21-0 in an attempt to stop the Tide’s momentum. The Bears got close to midfield, but after a short completion, Alabama defensive back DaShawn Jones LAID THE BOOM, and Zabien Brown picked up the loose ball and returned it 68 yards to the house, giving the Tide a commanding 28-0 lead before the halfway point of the second quarter.
“Yeah, those [defensive touchdowns] are exciting,” DeBoer said in the press conference following the game. “The guys talk about it when they come up short. They think they have a chance to score they always hear about, you should’ve kept it along the sideline, or cutback and for us to get him in the end zone with that long return was something that was exciting for the whole team because they’ve gotten the takeaways, we just haven’t ended up with one in the end zone like that.”
Brown didn’t add any more touchdowns the rest of the first half but his sticky coverage prevented Whitt Newbauer from targeting him much as the Mercer quarterback often looked in the opposite direction. The two No. 2’s were responsible for 21 of Alabama’s first 28 points of the game. Williams’ and Brown’s touchdowns helped Alabama build a large enough of a lead to take many of the starters out roughly midway through the third quarter as it was 38-7 at that point.
Alabama’s defense has forced at least three turnovers in five straight games and six of the last seven overall. Yes, you read that correctly. Zabien Brown’s scoop-and-score following a forced fumble by DaShawn Jones, defensive lineman Damon Payne’s fumble recovery after cornerback Domani Jackson’s punch-out and WOLF linebacker Qua Russaw’s wild on-the-ground interception were the contributors to extending this incredible streak.
“I like that we got three more takeaways,” was DeBoer’s statement. “I believe we have a defensive attitude that allows us to accomplish that in three of the first four possessions. I simply enjoy our current situation. We’re trying to find the ball. Alabama has demonstrated in their last three games that winning the turnover fight is essential to the result of a game. Alabama has, of course, outscored opponents 128–20 over the last three weeks, but its early learnings have given both teams a significant boost in momentum, particularly while playing rated Missouri and LSU.
The college football community has unquestionably hammered Wommack and his squad the most during the second half against Georgia and the hours before the Mizzou game. Given that the Tide defense was unable to leave the field, this is definitely understandable.
This fact is best illustrated by the terrible third-down statistics, which show that Tennessee converted 6-of-14, South Carolina converted 7-of-15, and Vanderbilt converted 12-of-18. Their third-down conversions were mostly in the second half, even if their numbers against the Gamecocks and Vols could appear to be much better than those against the Commodores. However, as Alabama attempts to qualify for the College Football Playoff under its first 12-team system, the score differential and previously noted takeaways demonstrate that Wommack’s Swarm D is in full force.
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