After Week 2's win over Kentucky, it's very clear that Alabama has some serious flaws on offense. But it's also clear that this team has some serious fight and some serious talent. That's a dangerous combo, and if the execution can catch up, this team has a chance to be truly special.
Alabama's defense is championship quality. It dominated the game in Lexington, holding Kentucky to just over 200 yards of offense, sacking Kenny Minchey four times, and forcing three turnovers. The Wildcats were drawing completely dead in the second half.
It wasn't as pretty for the offense. Miscues, poor execution, and some baffling play calls were the impetus for Alabama's four-point halftime deficit. Thanks to the defense putting it in excellent spots in the second half, the offense found its footing. That, and a stubborn determination by Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb to run the football, saw the Crimson Tide dominate the second half, outscoring Kentucky 32-0 to roll to a 45-17 win.
We saw a team show genuine fight. They weren't shell-shocked at halftime. They didn't fall victim to a raucous crowd in Lexington. They stayed the course, buckled their chin straps, and turned a close game into a laugher.
DeBoer knows that Alabama can build on that. He also knows that once a young offense garners more experience, this team can accomplish a lot:
"It's about us continuing to understand we got a lot of areas we can improve on," DeBoer said after the game, via 247's Mike Rodak. "I look at that as an exciting thing. It's frustrating and disappointing when it's happening to you, and it's not perfect. But it also should be something that's like, man, when you put this together -- the talent, the fight -- there's a lot of good things we can learn from that. When you improve in those areas, when you clean it up even more, it's exciting what this team can be."
Kalen DeBoer knows this Alabama team has the chance to be special
It's going to take some time for Alabama's offense. Luckily, the defense proved more than capable of picking them up on the road in the SEC. Bigger challenges await, but the offense should keep getting better every week.
Keelon Russell will keep getting more comfortable. He's shown flashes of brilliance, but he's also made plenty of mistakes. That's not unusual for a young QB. Alabama is willing to live with them because they know when he comes out the other side, they're going to have a superstar on their hands. That's worth a few bumps in the road to get there.
It's easy to forget that, along with a brand new QB, Alabama has four new offensive linemen starting. And in Lexington, that number was five with Michael Carroll sidelined. But the line has been promising through two weeks. Not perfect, but moving in the right direction.
That continued solidification, especially with Carroll set to return next week, along with Russell growing more comfortable, could make this offense a real problem come October and November.
Combine that with a dominant defense and a team that has already displayed the character and fight needed to respond to adversity, and maybe the ceiling for this team is higher than anyone wanted to admit in the preseason.
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