A Struggle Win on Saban Field Dedication Day

A struggle win on Saban Field Dedication Day wasn't something I had on the bingo card, but alas here we are. The holding penalties, the fumbles, and the defense struggling to stop the USF running game made Saturday night's game a nail-biter for nearly 95% of the game. There is plenty for this team to work on and it should be an interesting practice week going into the big road game at Wisconsin. The biggest bright spots of the game for Alabama were the defense being able to get off the field on third-down and signs of offensive greatness when drives weren't being stopped by penalties or fumbles.

For a second week in a row there were far too many penalties against the Tide, especially along the offensive line. You hate to have to single out anyone but Wilkin Formby had a game he will soon want to forget. He will learn from this and get better, but it's evident this offensive line will need a healthy Kadyn Proctor in Madison.

I will say once Elijah Pritchett came into the game on that right side the last couple of offensive drives went smoothly and touchdowns were scored. It was disappointing how lacking the running game was until very late in the game but have to give credit to the USF defensive front who had their way for a majority of the game.

Not being able to stop Byrum Brown on the ground was a concern of many going into the game, and for a second year he absolutely scorched our defense. He ran for over 100 yards Saturday night and luckily he isn't as confident with his arm as he missed a few wide open guys with plenty of room in front of them if his throw was on target.

The Alabama defense was put into some tough situations due to turnovers and did a much better job in the second half with adjustments against the run. Film sessions before the Wisconsin games will be interesting but on a positive note the effort and passion was there against USF.

On the bright side of what was a frustrating night, we saw once again how special Ryan Williams is as well as how resilient this team can be. I know people will say it's USF, but when an underdog team comes in and hangs for a majority of the game, doubt can creep into the minds of the favored team and I didn't see that from this Crimson Tide team. Sometimes an early season game like this is needed for the betterment of the team in full and we will see how this team responds on the road in Madison. I am expecting a much cleaner game as that is what Kalen Deboer is known for and hopefully going into the fourth quarter Alabama Nation won't have their heart in their throats.