Alabama Football: 3 keys for Tide to beat Florida Gators

Keys for Alabama football to beat Florida

2. DeVonta Smith needs a Heisman statement

Last week, Arkansas forced the Crimson Tide to avoid DeVonta Smith all game. To be fair, this plan worked with stopping Smitty. Outside of his punt returned for a touchdown, he had a mediocre day compared to his standards.

Against Arkansas, this really didn’t matter. Alabama just ran the ball early and often, so Smitty wasn’t truly needed to win. However, Florida has a better defense. The Gators are far from elite, but they should be ready to go in this game. Alabama could probably win without targeting DeVonta Smith, but they should use this game as an example that their best guys can beat anyone.

This is also a selfish key on my part. DeVonta Smith deserves Heisman consideration, but he has not yet locked the award. This might be his last chance to prove that he deserves votes, and he should cook the Florida secondary.

Between his abilities on offense and his reps on punt returns, expectations are high for DeVonta Smith in this game. When he’s at his best, he can score multiple touchdowns with a myriad of highlights. He does not have to have a career game, but he does need to be a constant thorn in the side of the Florida secondary.