Alabama football’s report card vs. Arkansas
Quarterback: A+
Bryce Young set records for Alabama football against the Razorbacks. No quarterback has ever thrown for as many yards as he did in that one game. He also had five touchdowns through the air. Could he have done more to eliminate the sacks? Yes. However, you’re not going to see me complain when your quarterback sets a passing record against a stingy defense.
Young is a legitimate Heisman contender. If Alabama somehow beats the Bulldogs, he will likely win the award. Even his quiet games fill the stat sheet. There are still question marks, but everything seems to be going well for Young at this point in the year.
Punting: P
Alabama only had one punt, and it was for 32 yards. To be fair, it was an amazing punt that was downed inside the 10. Burnip couldn’t have done more considering he did a great job with his single rep of the game.
The fewer times Alabama punts, the better. It helps their scoring chances, but Burnip also hasn’t proven that he can flip the field with his leg. At the very least, we know he can punt with accuracy and pin the opposition.
Kicking: C
This may be harsh. After all, Will Reichard is the best kicker of the Saban era. However, something was undoubtedly off in this game. When Alabama punted, they were within Reichard’s typical range. When he missed the field goal, it was short. Some of this was due to the win, but the power wasn’t there, and the Tide seemed to know it by not kicking earlier in the game.
He still made two field goals and all of the extra points. By Alabama’s standards, this is an A. By Reichard’s, this is a C.
There will be one more progress report for the regular season as Alabama plays Auburn next week.