Alabama football passed its latest test against Mississippi State.
Saturday’s game was not expected to be close, but Alabama football still managed to make a statement. Their defense played its best game in years, and the offense thrived after a slow start. This was the first game since Jaylen Waddle got hurt, so they finally had a week to prepare for a game without him. Waddle will still be severely missed, but the Crimson Tide offense looked strong against the Bulldogs.
The true test this week was Alabama’s defense against Mike Leach’s offense. While the Bulldogs have struggled, Leach is always a risk to scheme a perfect game. Just ask LSU. However, the Tide played well on all sides of the ball.
Alabama passed its test on Saturday, and they mostly aced it. Let’s take a look at how each position group did for Alabama’s weekly report card.
Tight Ends: B
Miller Forristall caught the first pass of the game, but he didn’t have another catch in this one. He is clearly still recovering from previous injuries, but he had a decent game.
With Waddle out for the season, Alabama will likely play more in 12 personnel. That means that you can expect multiple tight ends in the game. Forristall will be running a route, and another option will stay on the line and block. It’s a good system, and Alabama has multiple tight ends who can block.
Once Forristall is fully healthy, I expect Jones to target him more often. Especially with Waddle out for the season, Mac needs another target. Forristall has what it takes to be that guy, and Mac has what it takes to give him a chance.