Alabama Football: Halftime report for Tide vs. Hurricanes
By Dakota Cox
30 minutes are gone in Alabama football’s season opener
Alabama football fans have waited for months to begin the 2021 season after winning the national title last year. In Atlanta, the Crimson Tide finally get to start their title defense tour.
Alabama is facing off against the Miami Hurricanes, a dark-horse candidate in the ACC. They are led by the veteran quarterback D’Eriq King, who is older than three of the four starting quarterbacks in the AFC East.
Alabama football’s first drive ended with points after a nice throw from Bryce Young to John Metchie. A revamped offensive line held its own in pass protection and dominated in the run game. Metchie cooked early and often in the first half.
On defense, the Tide showed why they have high hopes for 2021. They made some changes to the secondary, but all that mattered was the defense’s ability to stop the run game early. That’s where the Hurricanes looked to gain momentum, and they found none thanks to the Tide’s stifling front seven.
Brian Robinson was cooking early in this game. He will be the Tide’s bruiser, and the rest of Alabama’s depth will bring finesse.
So far this season, it appears that Alabama isn’t looking to specifically run Bryce Young. He can scramble if necessary, but the Tide kept their typical offensive scheme in play. They won in the trenches and used the quarterback mostly as a distributor and not as an overall athlete.
Alabama dominated the first half in almost all facets of the game. They scored on every offensive drive except for one and held the Hurricanes to three points total. Will Reichard drilled a 51-yard field goal as well.
The only red flag was Chris Allen’s injury on the strip-sack. He left the sideline with a boot and on the cart. Alabama has depth at outside linebacker, but Allen is one of the most experienced players on the roster, and his health will be crucial for the Tide’s success.
dark. Next. What Tide fans still need to know
Heading into the second half, let’s see if Alabama football can continue to dominate on both sides of the football.