Alabama Football: 3 Takaways from another sloppy win over USF

For most of the night it wasn't pretty, but Alabama Football scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 42-16 win over USF on a Saturday night in Tuscaloosa where the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium was re-named in legendary coach Nick Saban's honor.

The final score made it look better than it was, but for most of the night Alabama once again struggled and looked lifeless against South Florida, similar to last season's game without the pouring rain. Alabama's offense struggled with self-inflicted wounds with penalties and a couple of fumbles, but a few well-timed stops by the defense finally allowed the dam to break and the Tide to get breathing room.

Improvement across the board will be needed as the schedule toughens from here, first with a road trip next week to Camp Randall to face Wisconsin, and then two weeks later after a bye week, Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa for one of the biggest games of the 2024 regular season in college football.

What can we takeaway from Alabama's win?

3. The Offensive Line is a work in progress

Penalties once again plagued the Tide. It was an Achilles Heel for the 2023 Crimson Tide, which finished with the 4th most penalties in the country last season. That team was still able to win the SEC and advance to the College Football Playoff, so it isn’t necessarily a death sentence for this Tide team. 

But, coupled with the line’s inability to open up running lanes or sustain blocks in pass protection, it’s fair to have some serious concerns with the unit two weeks into the season. Of course, it’s also fair to point out that Alabama has played the first two games without Kadyn Proctor, the starting left tackle who was a freshman All-American last season. Proctor drew the ire of ‘Bama fans plenty last season, but he improved as the season went on and by the end of the year had turned into a strength for the Crimson Tide up-front. 

Getting him back into the fold will be a big help. Alabama’s biggest advantage up front is their interior line, with arguably the two best guards in the country in Tyler Booker and Jaedan Roberts sandwiched around one of the best centers in the country in Parker Brailsford. Unfortunately, that advantage didn’t exist against South Florida with Booker kicking out to tackle and Michigan State transfer Geno VanDeMark sliding into the left guard spot. 

VanDeMark was called for two holding penalties in the game, a fact that will be largely forgotten because of the brutal evening for right tackle Wilkin Formby, who was called for four holding penalties and struggled mightily otherwise. Formby was benched for Elijah Pritchett late in the fourth quarter, and it's unlikely to be lost on the coaching staff that the Tide put together back-to-back-to-back touchdown drives with Pritchett inserted at RT and Formby on the bench.

Formby edged out Pritchett for the starting right tackle spot, but that position battle looks to be ongoing after the first two games of the season. It would not be a surprise if Pritchett is lined up at RT when Proctor returns from injury.

2. The defense made plays when it had to

As frustrating as it was at times for the Tide’s defense against a unique offensive style run by Alex Golesh’s Bulls, the Tide made plays every time it had to. 

The offense put the defense in difficult situations time-and-time again, and the defense consistently rose to the occasion to make plays when they had absolutely had to be made. 

Following a USF touchdown drive to cut the Alabama lead to just 14-13, the Tide offense quickly went three-and-out, and all the momentum had shifted to the other sideline. On a third-and-12 for USF, redshirt junior Tim Keenan III bullied USF’s right guard right back into the QB’s lap and came up with a huge sack to force a punt. 

Alabama’s defense held again after another quick three-and-out by the offense, giving the offense good field position to extend the lead. Alabama drove down the field, but a fumbled exchange between Milroe and Brailsford flipped the momentum back to USF once again. 

Senior LB Justin Jefferson made a critical third-down tackle to force a USF three-and-out, tackling the RB on a check down pass from Brown a yard short of the first down marker. This forced another USF punt, which finally led to the Tide’s first touchdown of the 2nd half with Milroe hitting Kobe Prentice for a 16-yard touchdown following a big punt return by freshman Jaylen Mbakwe. 

Leading 21-13, USF put together a drive, but Alabama's defense rose to the occasion in the redzone, forcing USF into a FG attempt which cut the Tide's lead to 21-16. The offense finally came to life after that, with three touchdown drives to make the final score a bit more deceiving than it should have been.

1. Ryan Williams is HIM

It was a relatively quiet day for the 17-year-old freshman phenom for about three-and-a-half quarters. He had just three catches for 25-yards, but when the Crimson Tide needed a play in the fourth quarter leading only 21-16, Milroe hit Williams on a comeback route that the youngster then promptly took to the endzone for a 43-yard touchdown to finally give Alabama some breathing room against a pesky South Florida squad. 

Even prior to Williams breaking the touchdown in the fourth quarter, his third in the first two games of his college career, it was obvious that Ryan Williams has already earned the full trust and confidence of the coaching staff, along with quarterback Jalen Milroe. 

The Tide took numerous deep shots to Williams, and while they didn’t connect on them, Williams did draw two pass-interference penalties on USF defensive backs. 

Williams finished the game as the team’s leading receiver for the second week in a row as he has clearly established himself as WR1 in his freshman season. He caught 4 passes for 68-yards, and the touchdown. 

The sky remains the limit for the youngster, and he’ll make plenty more big plays as the season wears on.