Alabama Football 2017 Report Card: Week 5 v. Ole Miss

Domination Nation. That’s what Alabama football looked like last night, as the Crimson Tide controlled every part of their home game against Ole Miss.

The 101 821 college football fans in attendance at Bryant-Denny Stadium watched as the Crimson Tide silenced any doubters about Alabama football. The over/under for last night’s game was 56, but many people were surprised that Alabama would eclipse that total score by themselves.

The temperature may have dropped from the 88*F (31*C) as the night rolled in, but it boiled over for Ole Miss once Alabama started to roll the tide over the Rebels.

Let’s look at the grades for the evening:

Offense: A+

Alabama’s starting quarterback Jalen Hurts was definitely not feeling the heat, at least not from anything Ole Miss was doing on defense. In a game where many people felt that Alabama would run all over Mississippi, Hurts proved that his arm is just as lethal.

Hurts completed 12 of 19 passes for 197 yards, averaging 10.2 yards a completion, and scored two touchdowns in the air.

Oh, but the Rebels also felt the sting of Alabama’s rushing attack. The offensive line made holes in the Ole Miss trench as well as in the secondary, a small child could have ran through them without fear.

Ole Miss may have wished that it was at least someone smaller whom they had to tackle, because if any defender was not blocked then six different Alabama running backs ran them over for more yards.

Damien Harris led the running backs with seven carries for 67 yards, but Hurts led the team with 10 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Josh Jacobs only had two carries, but he averaged 25.5 yards each.

The play-calling helped both the throw and the run. The committee of rushers combined for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The blocking was excellent, but Alabama football offensive coordinator Brian Daboll kept using the play-action calls to mix up the Rebels’ defense, making them stay honest and freed up space for receivers to get open:

The beatdown allowed Tua Tagovailoa, the Alabama backup quarterback, to entire the game and have his own success. He completed three of his five pass attempts for 51 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also ran four times for 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

When six receivers averaged 12.5 yards or more, combining for 248 total yards and three touchdowns, one could argue that the offense completely dominated their opponents with ruthless aggression.