The Kalen DeBoer era got off to an emphatic start as the Alabama Crimson Tide shut out the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 63-0 on Saturday. There were some lingering penalties and a bad snap or two, but by and large, it was nearly a perfect debut for the new staff.
It was an outstanding performance by both the offense and defense for the Crimson Tide as they outgained the Hilltoppers 600 to 145 yards. QB Jalen Milroe picked up right where he left off last year with nearly 300 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns. Freshman phenom Ryan Williams didn’t wait long to make a name for himself either with two receiving touchdowns of 55 and 84-yards.
It’s hard to take too much away from a 60-point victory against a Group of 5 opponent, but the Crimson Tide more than passed the eye test. Alabama’s dominant opening weekend performance moved them up to No. 4 in the Week 2 AP Poll jumping the now-ranked No. 7 Oregon Ducks.
The Georgia Bulldogs remain No. 1 and the Ohio State Buckeyes are not far behind at No. 2. In total, the SEC has eight teams ranked and five inside of the top ten also including the No. 5 Texas Longhorns, No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels, No. 9 Missouri Tigers, No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers, No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 18 LSU Tigers.
The No. 4 ranked Tide will be back in action on Saturday as they host the 1-0 USF Bulls.
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