Alabama Football: Tide’s report card in 2020 Iron Bowl

Alabama football’s report card vs. Auburn

Running backs: A-

Alabama’s running back room is the deepest in college football. However, many expected Najee Harris to receive practically all carries against Auburn. When things matter for Alabama football, trust your stars.

Harris had a slow start in this one. Auburn seemed determined to stop the running game inside, and it paid off early. To get Harris going, the Tide used him more in the passing game. It worked, and Harris finally thrived on the ground. However, his day was dampened with an injury. We’ll have to wait and see if it impacts the rest of his season.

While Harris was the workhorse, Brian Robinson played well in spurts. However, his fumble in the red zone was a sore spot. Thankfully, this game was already decided.

Wide Receivers: A+

DeVonta Smith came into this game with multiple broken records. Without Jaylen Waddle, he has been even better. John Metchie had taken a step back as WR2, but this was a chance for him to flip the narrative. With Slade Bolden’s injury last week, it wasn’t clear if he would be available. Regardless of the injury, Alabama football has needed to use its depth to further weaken SEC defenses.

That being said, why not throw to Smitty if he is open? He broke the Auburn defense in the first quarter with an easy touchdown catch. This gave the team the ability to use other players while decoying with Smith. This made it easier for Metchie to score Alabama’s second touchdown. Metchie had a few drops that could have made the offense look even better, but the unit still played well altogether. DeVonta Smith alone is an A+, but the unit altogether has room to grow.