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Here is a closer look at Alabama’s defensive stats as the Tide heads into the BYE week.
Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide currently sit ranked at No. 3 with a 7-1 overall record and a 4-1 record in the SEC.
Now that the Tide has entered into its BYE week, I thought it was a good time to take a closer look at some of the team and individual stats on both sides of the football.
Today we look at the defensive side of the football!
Alabama got back to its dominating ways on Saturday night against Mississippi State, let’s see how the Tide grade out this week!
Saturday night in Starkville was a sight for sore eyes as the Crimson Tide put on its best performance of the season. Even though the Tide came into the contest ranked fifth, the season wasn’t really going as expected. As we all know, the Tide is always chasing perfection.
After taking a loss to the Texas A&M Aggies in the previous week, the Tide came back with vengeance, defeating the Bulldogs 49-9.
Each week we grade all three phases of the game for the Crimson Tide, let’s see how they did this week!
This was by far the most complete performance of the season by the Alabama offense. The Tide passed for nearly 350 yards and added almost another 200 on the ground. The balanced attacked kept the Mississippi State defense on heels for most of the contest, especially in the second half.
Bryce Young looked like a veteran quarterback out there, completing 20 of his 28 passing attempts for 348 yards and four touchdowns.
Brian Robinson Jr. wore down the Bulldog defense for a tough 73 yards on 19 carries. Robinson bullied his way for two rushing touchdowns, but also added a 51-yard touchdown reception, showing off his versatility. Roydell Williams was able to take advantage of a wore out Mississippi State defense in the second half rushing for 78 yards on 11 carries.
Collectively, the wide receiver group played its best game of the season on Saturday night. John Metchie III went off for 117 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. Jameson Williams once again showed off his elite speed on 75-yard touchdown reception to open the second half. The surprise of the night was sophomore Traeshon Holden. Holden reeled in three catches for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Upfront it was yet another average day for the offensive line. The line was not bad by any stretch, but it is clearly not one of the strengths of the team. Through seven games it is safe to say the offensive line is what it is.
The defensive performance for the Tide was nearly textbook for the modern age of college football. The bend but don’t break philosophy was executed almost perfectly.
The Alabama defense gave up 299 yards of total offense to the Bulldogs but did not surrender a single touchdown. Will Rogers threw the ball a total of 55 times in the contest for 300 yards but was also picked off three different times.
The Tide smothered the ground game of Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to minus one-yard rushing in the contest. Now, Alabama did sack Rogers several times throughout the contests, and Rogers finished with minus 41 yards rushing.
Will Anderson Jr. completed wrecked the Mississippi State offensive line on Saturday night with four sacks. He was simply unblockable. As a team, Alabama sacked Rogers a total of seven times.
In the backend, the secondary played as well as one could hope. Jordan Battle had what was probably the best performance of his Tide career. The junior safety picked off Rogers on two separate occasions, returning one for a touchdown in the first half.
Let’s see if the Tide defense can play with the same intensity moving forward!
One of the quiet stars of Alabama’s victory over Mississippi State was punter James Burnip. While his net punting average was not fantastic, he did pen the Bulldog offense inside the 20 on two different occasions.
Placekicker Will Reichard continues to be a consistent force for the Tide, connecting on all seven of his point-after attempts.
Jameson Williams averaged 32.5 yards per kick return with a long of 45.
The Crimson Tide put together its most complete game of the 2021 season on Saturday night. The only area that you could point to that wasn’t dominant was the offensive line which continues to be a work in progress. Otherwise, the Tide completely dominated the Bulldogs and restored hope among the Tide faithful.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire as we offer continuous coverage on the Alabama Crimson Tide!
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HALFTIME REPORT: Alabama has strong control at the half with a 21-6 lead
No. 5 Alabama, coming off a tough loss to Texas A&M last week, has responded well in the first half against Mississippi State leading the Bulldogs 21-6 at the half.
John Metchie got the Tide on the board first with a 46-yard touchdown reception from Bryce Young.
Jordan Battle picked off Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers and took it to the house to extends Alabama’s lead to 14-3.
Then Alabama went on a 16 play 93 yards drive that was capped off with a Brian Robinson Jr. 1-yard touchdown run.
Bryce Young has been steady in the first half completing 13-18 pass attempts for 142 yards and one touchdown.
Brian Robinson Jr. continues his hot streak with 57 yards in the first half and one touchdown.
John Metchie has finally woke up and has been a tough cover the Mississippi State defense collecting five catches for 97 yards and one touchdown.
The Alabama defense, led by Will Anderson, has pressured Will Rogers all night making it tough for the Bulldog offense.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire as we offer continuous coverage on the Alabama Crimson Tide!
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Jordan Battle with a house call after picking off Will Rogers!
No. 5 Alabama extends its lead on the Mississippi State Bulldogs courtesy of Jordan Battle’s interception returned for a touchdown!
This is Alabama’s second interception of the contest and we are still in the first quarter.
Alabama has been willing to sacrifice the underneath routes from the Mike Leach Air Raid offense early on but has made Rogers pay when he tries to throw down the field.
The Alabama defense has started this game off with the right intensity, hopefully, they can keep this effort for the entire contest.
🚨 PICK SIX!!! 🚨 Jordan Battle picks off Will Rogers and returns it for a 40 yard TD!! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/7vBLE9Atnp
— ✯✯✯✯✯ (@FTBVids_YT) October 16, 2021
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
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Let’s look at how the Alabama defensive position units have graded out at the halfway point of the season!
Unfortunately, we are already at the halfway point of the college football season. After last week’s loss to Texas A&M, Alabama sits at No. 5 in the country with a 5-1 record.
Since we have made it to the halfway point, it is time to give a midseason grade to each of the position groups. Yesterday we looked at the offensive position groups. Today we will look at the defensive position groups! Let’s get started!
This group has been a little disappointing this season, but they have not been bad by any stretch of the imagination. Only one guy has been a consistent force on the defensive line for Alabama and that is Phidarian Mathis.
Mathis has racked up 3.5 sacks through the halfway point, which is a very solid number for an interior defensive lineman.
Some of the players such as Justin Eboigbe, DJ Dale, Byron Young, and even Tim Smith need to become more consistent players for the Tide.
Will Anderson has been an absolute animal for the Alabama defense. Anderon has three sacks on the season but is also third in the country in tackles for loss with 11.
Unfortunately, injuries have plagued the outside linebacker position opposite of Anderson. Christopher Allen’s season was cut short in the opener against Miami so Drew Sanders replaced the talented Allen. Then against Ole Miss, Sanders suffered a hand injury and is now week-to-week so to speak.
True freshman Dallas Turner has stepped up in the absence of Sanders and is doing a pretty good job.
The outside linebackers have been the most positive group along the defense this season.
The lofty expectations for the Alabama defense heading into the 2021 season had a lot to do with the pair of inside linebackers that Alabama would have in Christian Harris and Henry To’oT’o.
Now that we are at the halfway point, it is safe to say those two players have not lived up to expectations. Now don’t get me wrong, they have flashed how great they can, but they both have also missed tackles and missed assignments. And they are both better than what they played so far.
Let’s see if they can turn this around in the second half of the season.
This group, much like the outside linebacker group, has really played pretty consistently all season. Josh Jobe has had the occasional penalty, but if we are being honest, in the pass and flag happy world in which college football is played, some penalties are to be expected.
Jalyn Armour-Davis has maybe been the surprise player of the season for the Tide. He is always in position and if he doesn’t make a play on the ball, he brings the receiver down quickly with no yards after the catch.
We have also seen the backups get a start this season in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Marcs Banks and they have proven to be valuable depth at the cornerback position.
It is a common theme among the Alabama defense this season, the word inconsistent. Alabama returned plenty of experience in the back end of the defense and for whatever reason, they have simply not performed to their capabilities.
Jordan Battle isn’t an elite safety, he’s just steady. DeMarcco Hellams is constantly caught out of position and displays poor open-field tackling. Then you have Malachi Moore and Brian Branch who have yet to make a splash play from the star position.
The season is only half over, so that means there is plenty of time for each position group to correct its mistakes and get back to the Alabama defensive standard.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
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Here are 10 players to watch this weekend with an eye towards the Detroit Lions and their draft needs in the 2022 NFL draft.
It’s the third weekend of the college football calendar, one of the last weeks featuring non-conference matchups across the national landscape.
There are several games that will help train the scouting eye on some future NFL prospects on the slate. Here are 10 players to watch this weekend with an eye towards the Detroit Lions and their draft needs in the 2022 NFL draft.
Previewing the Alabama defensive backs
Last season saw Alabama returning just one starter in the back end of the defense in Patrick Surtain. This season the only spot open is the void that Surtain left after being a top ten pick in the NFL draft this spring.
Let’s take a look at some of the guys who are expected to see playing time this fall in the Alabama defensive backfield.
Name/Pos.: Josh Jobe, CB
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 194 pounds
Josh Jobe is entering his second full season as a starter at corner for the Tide. Jobe is coming off a season where he finished tied for third in the country with 11 passes defended. Jobe has played in the shadows of Patrick Surtain for the past couple of seasons but now looks to lead the cornerbacks in Tuscaloosa.
Name/Pos.: Jayln Armour-Davis, CB
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 192 pounds
Armour-David is a talented corner with great length and athleticism. He had a really good spring and has carried that over to fall camp. But will he be able to hold off future stars Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold? This is one of the most intriguing battles in fall camp.
Name/Pos.: Malachi Moore, STAR
Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
Last season Moore was one of the breakout players for the Tide. He finished his true-freshman campaign with 3 interceptions and added another 6 passes defended. With a year of experience under his belt, Moore could become one of the best defensive backs in the entire country this season.
Name/Pos.: Jordan Battle, SS
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
Battle saw some action as a true freshman in the 2019 season and flashed his potential then. Last year he showed the continued development leading the backend of the Alabama defense. Battle is a physical player with great instincts and ball skills. If Battle can become more of a playmaker you could see his name rise up the ranks heading into the 2022 NFL draft.
Name/Pos.: DeMarcco Hellams, FS
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 208 pounds
Hellams is a play to become one of the breakout players for the Tide this fall. Last season Hellams slowly starting taking some reps from Daniel Wright at FS, and you started to see some of the potential that Hellams has. Hellams may be one of the hardest hitters on the entire Alabama team. If he can improve his coverage skills, Hellams will be one of the top defensive players in the SEC.
Name/Pos.: Brian Branch, MONEY
Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
Branch came to Tuscaloosa last season as one of the top-rated defenders in the 2020 class. Branch battled Moore for the starting spot at STAR where Moore got the upper hand, but around the middle of the season, you started to see more of Branch in the MONEY packages. Branch is one of the best cover guys on the team and according to some sources, he has seen some reps at corner this fall. Branch could become the breakout player for Alabama this season on defense.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
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Alabama has a few more playing landing on preseason watch lists!
The preseason watch lists continue to be released and Alabama continues to be represented.
It was announced earlier today that redshirt senior Christopher Allen, sophomore Will Anderson, and junior Christian Harris have been named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List. The Butkus Award is given to the best linebacker in the country. Allen and Anderson make up what could be the best outside linebacker duo in the country. Harris looks to add to what is a legendary inside linebacker legacy at Alabama.
Christopher Allen, Will Anderson Jr. and Christian Harris have been named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List. https://t.co/DpJZgpRsAP#BamaFactor #RollTide pic.twitter.com/WtRrSHWsSd
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) July 26, 2021
It was also announced that junior Jordan Battle and senior Josh Jobe were named to the Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. The Thorpe Award is given to the nation’s best defensive back. Battle looks to be a leader in the back end of the Alabama defense this season. Jobe will have the responsibility of being a lockdown corner that has been a staple of the Nick Saban defense.
Jordan Battle and Josh Jobe have been named to the Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. https://t.co/DpJZgpRsAP#BamaFactor #RollTide pic.twitter.com/vCNINakQJB
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) July 26, 2021
Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
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These Alabama stars are expected to be drafted in the first round!
The 2021 college football season is still over a month away, as is the NFL season and the 2021 NFL draft was less than two months ago, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to next year’s draft.
Alabama lost plenty of talent to the NFL. Ranging from a star quarterback to a Heisman-winning wide receiver, the Crimson Tide will need to reload for the upcoming season if the program wants back-to-back national championships.
Nick Saban is no stranger to having relatively unknown talent rocket up to the top of draft boards after one season of starting. So, it should be no surprise that numerous Alabama players are already projected to be selected on the first night.
Pro Football Network’s Dalton Miller predicts four Alabama players from the 2021 squad will be drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
In his first season as the top wide receiver on the team, Metchie is expected to out-perform expectations. There’s been a recent trend of Alabama wide receivers being drafted in the first round, is Metchie the next one?
A targeting foul has cost Alabama DB Jordan Battle
Alabama DB Jordan Battle has been ejected from Monday’s College Football Championship for a targeting penalty on Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert.
The play set the Buckeyes up with a first-and-goal but they only got a field goal out of it to close within 21-17.
Jordan Battle was called for targeting and was ejected after this hit. pic.twitter.com/cX2rN64fka
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 12, 2021
There was reaction:
Still the dumbest rule in sports https://t.co/6m3fUxcGCz
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) January 12, 2021
You literally have 2 seconds to make a decision when someone is coming at you 20mph. The team gets hurt and you’re messing with a guys future. I hope they change the rule. https://t.co/wg47KS8pib
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) January 12, 2021
He’s gone targeting. FCK 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) January 12, 2021
Excellent call by the line judge.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) January 12, 2021
Eyes up when you tackle. That’s a day one teaching point
— Nick Mangold (@nickmangold) January 12, 2021
They have to figure out another way to penalize targeting in college ,… I don’t think Ejection is the answer (especially when it’s not intentional)
— David Clowney IV (@DavidClowney) January 12, 2021
There should absolutely be a targeting penalty in college football. The ejection for the penalty is maddening.
— Joy Taylor (@JoyTaylorTalks) January 12, 2021
Jordan Battle was ejected from the #NationalChampionship on a targeting call for this play. pic.twitter.com/VS26QT03UR
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 12, 2021
Old rule, WR even he’s Leaving!!
— Warren Sapp (@WarrenSapp) January 12, 2021
