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Alabama's Mac Jones, Najee Harris Are Both Serious Heisman Contenders
Georgia came into the game against Alabama with the top-ranked defense in the country. It didn't matter, however, as the Crimson Tide were able to rack up 564 total yards, 417 of w
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Georgiaās defense came into the game against Alabama with the top-ranked defense in the country. It didnāt matter, however, as the Crimson Tide were able to rack up 564 total yards, 417 of which came through the air, in a 41-24 victory over the Bulldogs.
Over the course of the four quarters, Alabama proved two things. For one, it proved that it has the best offense in the country. Secondly, it proved that there are two Heisman Trophy contenders on this team: quarterback Mac Jones and running back Najee Harris.
Those 417 yards passing against that elite Georgia defense? Those all belong to Jones, and he added four scores to his numbers as well. He did have a questionable interception early, but he immediately bounced back and was practically flawless through the rest of the game.
Jones also finished with a 75-percent completion rate and a 219.5 rating.
On the other hand, the run game for Alabama didnāt have a ton of success outside of Harris. But it didnāt need to. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound runner produced 152 yards on 31 carries, a 4.9-yard per carry average. He also added one catch for 10 yards.
Harris ran with power when he needed to. He displayed vision and the ability to make people miss. He was the complete package in a game that Alabama desperately needed him in.
Why? Because balance is key when playing an elite defense like Georgiaās. It keep the Bulldogs guessing with how they needed to try to attack the Crimson Tide, and that ultimately played a huge factor in the outcome of the game.
It should also be noted that Harris finished with a huge percentage of the carry distribution amongst the running backs. With 81.6-percent of the carries given, the former five-star prospect proved that heās capable of handling a Derrick Henry-type workload. And like the former Alabama Heisman winner, he proved that he gets better with more carries.
This was an offensive performance that didnāt come against Missouriās defense. It didnāt come against Texas A&M or Ole Miss. It came against the No. 3 team in the country. And the rest they were No. 3 was the top-tier elite defense.
It ultimately didnāt matter, though.
People like to talk about āHeisman moments?ā Well, there were plenty of them to go around, and itās time that people finally start acknowledging that Alabama has two top-notch Heisman Trophy contenders.
In fact, we may go ahead and throw wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle into that mix as well.
What Alabama was about to achieve in a matchup of top-five teams, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding Nick Sabanās availability due to COVID-19, is nothing short of incredible. And for anyone wondering, the ongoing debate this week as to whether or not the record against former assistants would be affected with Saban out didnāt end up mattering.
The Alabama coach remains undefeated in that regard with a 22-0 record.
