Alabama football’s report card vs. Southern Miss
Cornerbacks: B-
All things considered, the secondary had a good game. However, they were still the weak link on the Tide’s defense in this game. Southern Miss mostly tried to play the short game in hopes of catching the Tide off guard, and it worked on a few plays with missed tackles. That can’t happen next week.
There were also some pass interference calls that hurt the Tide. Josh Jobe had one that put the Golden Eagles in position to score. The lack of discipline is a genuine concern for the Tide.
Against a team like this, you’re not going to see many stellar plays. Still, the Tide bailed them out. Against an electric offense, this concern will be worsened. We’ll see how Alabama responds next week.
Safeties: C+
This is a similar situation for Alabama football. The safeties struggled to tackle and made bad mistakes that let Southern Miss move the ball. Those types of mistakes aren’t going to ruin your odds in this game, but they do hurt you against bigger opponents.
DeMarcco Hellams had a few whiffs in this game. Keep an eye on Alabama’s nickel rotation as the season goes on. We might see Malachi Moore or Brian Branch play at safety in place of Hellams if things do not improve.
If this is as bad as it gets, the Tide are in good hands. It’s only a question of if things will improve later in the year. That’s why I’m harshly grading this unit. Alabama doesn’t settle for good. They need to be great.