The Tide rolled into Starkville Saturday night hoping to bounce back in a big way after a tough overtime loss to LSU. The feelings in the Alabama clubhouse this week were positive and upbeat, with Tide players looking forward to the rest of the season rather than letting one loss keep them down.
When all was said and done the Crimson Tide came away with their ninth win of the season and put the Bulldogs away with a final score of 24-7. There were ups and downs all through this game, but in the end the pure physical play of this team was just too much for Mississippi State to handle.
Adding to the Tide win was the fact that two potential obstacles – Boise State and Stanford – lost their games, keeping alive Alabama’s hopes for a rematch with LSU and with it a BCS title birth. Though not winning as impressively as many had hoped, they did win by 17 points, handing the Bulldogs their worst loss this year.
With a few offensive players banged up, the Tide seemed a little out of sync and it stayed that way throughout the game. The Tide defense, however, is cementing its place in history as one of the best defenses to ever step on the field for any team in any era. Alabama’s defense continued to be unbreakable, giving up an astounding twelve yards rushing to the Bulldogs. This game provided us with extreme highs and extreme lows and everything in between, so let’s take a look at what how the Tide’s performance measured up.
HIGHS
Defense. We hear it all the time, but no word better describes the Alabama defense than dominant. The one thing we can be sure of week in and week out is that the defense will keep the Tide in the game no matter who the opponent. Alabama allowed twelve yards rushing and 119 yards passing. Through ten games the Tide defense has allowed 519 yards rushing, a total of 51.9 yards per game.
Trent. Trent Richardson continues to be the main focus of every defense the Tide faces, yet he continues to churn out yards against teams determined to shut him down. Trent rushed for 127 yards on a career-high 32 carries and had two receptions for 26 yards; a total of 153 yards of total offense. With Heisman frontrunner Andrew Luck not being able to deliver a win against Oregon, Richardson should be considered the new leader in the Heisman clubhouse.
Eddie’s Back. Eddie Lacy has been limited in practice and sidelined in games due to a nagging turf toe injury. Saturday night against the Bulldogs, Lacy only had 11 carries, but that was still enough to amass 96 yards rushing and two touchdowns. It appears Lacy is feeling better and the Bama run game is far more dangerous when he is healthy. As good as Trent Richardson is, the importance of bringing in a relief running back as good as Lacy can’t be overstated.
LOWS
Special Teams. I’ll make this short, seeing as the Tide kicking game woes have become expected and are no longer a surprise. Alabama just doesn’t have a kicker that can get the job done, and it’s beyond frustrating to watch. Late in the game the Bama kick coverage had a breakdown, giving up a 68-yard return to the Bulldogs that led to a touchdown pass two plays later.
McCarron’s consistency. It has become clear that A.J. has hit a slump, and he needs to fight through it. A.J. continues to overthrow receivers and lead them too much. The decision-making process for McCarron needs to improve, as he just didn’t look like he was in command of the offense. He is without a doubt capable of making the necessary throws but he looks uncomfortable and his timing needs to improve. If McCarron can’t force defenses to respect him, the Tide offense will continue to struggle heading into bowl season.
Receivers. It becomes clearer as the year marches on just how much the Crimson Tide miss Julio Jones. If not for his sheer athleticism, the Tide certainly misses the physical presence he brought to the offense. It was disappointing to watch the young Tide receivers struggle to make plays against much more physical Bulldog cornerbacks. Receivers need to be able to block out the defenders with their body and make the tough catches if they want to be successful in this league. They struggled when defenders got hands on them and they were basically pushed around. Several passes were also dropped due to lack of concentration by the receiver looking to run before securing the ball. This will be one unit Saban opens up for competition next spring, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a whole new receiving core in 2012.
Red-zone offense. Alabama was one of the most disciplined teams in the country through the first eight games, but as of late they making uncharacteristic mistakes. Going backwards in the red zone is becoming a bad habit that needs to be corrected. False starts, having twelve men on the field and holding calls are three penalties fans are getting used to seeing when the Tide gets within striking distance. Execution has to improve with the end of the year in sight and bowl season around the corner. There are just too many mistakes being made by veteran leaders on this team and that isn’t typical for those guys.
Before the game I had Trent and Upshaw as players of the game, and they were both outstanding and deserving by games end. Honorable mention on offense goes to Alfred McCullough who started at left tackle for injured Barrett Jones. McCullough played very well at the toughest position on the line and after subbing for Steen in two games at guard, Alfred has become a crucial piece to this year’s puzzle.
With Stanford and Boise losing, the Tide is still in the hunt for a rematch with LSU. Alabama needs to continue to win impressively and Oklahoma needs to beat Oklahoma State in order for the Tide to make a case for championship game. This season is far from over and I’m a firm believer that Alabama still has a great shot at a title.
During the game, Alabama receiver Darius Hanks injured his ankle and Jesse Williams injured his shoulder. Marquis Maze seemed to be favoring his ankle and Vinnie Sunseri knocked himself out on a vicious hit during a return. The status of these players has not been released yet and we will update their status accordingly.
Next week Alabama takes on the Georgia Southern Eagles at home in Bryant-Denny stadium and hopes to improve their record to 10-1. The Eagles of Georgia Southern are no pushover and have only lost one game all season. Check back next Friday as we break down the Tide’s next opponent.