Alabama Football: Everything falls into place as Tide beat Mizzou

Alabama football is firing on all cylinders. Watch out, SEC football.

The first game of the 2020 Alabama football season is officially in the books, and Alabama already appears to be in midseason form. The Crimson Tide beat Missouri 38-19, and they looked great while doing it.

Mac Jones was cooking all night on offense. Early in the game, he distributed the ball to backs, receivers and tight ends. Mac Jones showed versatility in his targets and his pass choices. He was accurate in the short, intermediate and deep passing game.

Jaylen Waddle was the early star in this one. He had 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He would have had three scores, but one of his touchdowns was ruled to be short of the goal line by less than a yard.

Najee Harris also dominated in the running game. He scored the other two touchdowns for Alabama in the first half and three in the whole game.

Defensively, Dylan Moses brought the Tide up a few tiers by his sheer presence. Linebackers were in the right position, communication was improved, and Alabama football players were flying around the field.

There were some early miscues. Alabama’s offensive line did a good job in protection, but they had multiple presnap penalties. This was an issue in 2019, and it will be a point of emphasis for Nick Saban as the season progresses.

Bryce Young had his Alabama football debut late in the third quarter. He ended the day with 58 passing yards. While his reps were limited and he had a fumble, he showed plenty of promise through the air.

All in all, Alabama thrived in their season opener vs. Missouri. While other teams around the country struggled against inferior opponents, Alabama looked polished in almost every facet of the game. There is still work to do before Alabama’s next game against Texas A&M, but Crimson Tide fans should be excited about what’s in store. They had to prepare for the season opener, and they can now prepare for the rest of the year.