Alabama Crimson Tide running back Bo Scarbrough (9) carries the ball against Fresno State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
Alabama grade out: How the Crimson Tide looked against Fresno State
Tony Tsoukalas | Alabama team writer
No. 1 Alabama showed improvement on offense in Week 2 as it rolled past Fresno State 41-10. The Crimson Tide out gained the Bulldogs 497 yards to 274 yards behind an impressive performance from quarterback Jalen Hurts. Still, Alabama will face much tougher opponents than Fresno State moving forward, and Saturday’s game left plenty to work on.
Here’s a look at how Alabama graded out position by position:
Quarterback — A
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) talks to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll (left) and Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban (right)at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
Jalen Hurts had a near-perfect day in terms of what Alabama coaches asked him to do. The sophomore quarterback completed 14 of 18 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and rushed for 154 yards and two more scores on the ground. His 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hale Hentges showed maturity in the pocket, as Hurts looked off a safety in order to free up his tight end.
Alabama seemed to let Hurts ease into the offense at first. The quarterback's first five throws were either screens or swing passes. Only after Hurts started 5-for-5 did he air it out deep. One big positive was Hurts' ability to spread the ball around on the day as he connected with 11 different receivers. Obviously, there will be tougher defenses to break down. However, Saturday’s performance should be taken as a step in the right direction.
The game also saw the debut of freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who finished 6 of 9 for 64 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa probably could have had two touchdowns if not for fellow freshman Najee Harris running the wrong route out of the back field near the goal line. Coming in on the fourth drive of the game, Tagovailoa completed his first two passes before taking a costly sack that stalled the drive. The freshman should get more time to develop next week, but as far as first impressions go he was solid.
Running backs — B+
Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris (22) is tackled by Fresno State Bulldogs linebacker Jeffrey Allison (9) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
It’s entirely possible that Alabama could go through the season without a featured back. Outside of Hurts’ 154 yards on the ground, Najee Harris led the team with 70 yards on 13 carries. Bo Scarbrough followed behind with 36 yards on six carries, while Damien Harris had 32 yards on six carries, including a 9-yard touchdown run.
While none of Alabama’s backs had an exceptional day, they all averaged 5 or more yards per carry, which is impressive considering the offensive line has not yet reached its full potential. Once those holes start to open up, Alabama’s backs will need to start making more explosive plays. Saturday, the biggest run came from Najee Harris, who broke a 25-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Receivers — B
Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) pushes away Fresno State Bulldogs defensive back John Johnson (17) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
Alabama saw a big increase in production from last week where Calvin Ridley was the only wide receiver to record a reception. Saturday, the Tide had 11 different pass catchers, including six wideouts and two tight ends. Ridley once again led the team with five receptions for 45 yards, but this time he didn’t seem like the only receiver on the field.
Cam Sims finished with three receptions for 28 yards, while fellow senior Robert Foster tallied two catches for 23 yards. Henry Ruggs recorded his first career touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Tagovailoa, while fellow freshman Jerry Jeudy notched his first reception for 8 yards. Xavian Marks also had a 24-yard catch.
It was also encouraging to see the tight ends get into the game, as Hentges finished with the one 23-yard touchdown grab, while Irv Smith tallied two receptions for 7 yards. Last week, no Alabama receiver was targeted.
Despite Alabama’s success, the offense still needs to make more explosive plays. Last week, Ridley broke free for a 53-yard touchdown against Florida State. The only similar play Saturday was Hentges’ touchdown.
Offensive line C+
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) tackled by Fresno State Bulldogs defender at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
So-so probably sums it up best. When asked about the play of his offensive line after the game, Alabama head coach Nick Saban responded by asking the reporter what he thought, given the reporter had a better vantage point for the game. The answer, “So-so,” brought a smile to Saban’s face.
"OK, well I appreciate your opinion," Saban said. "If I watch the film and I think it's so-so, maybe we'll try to hire your ass."
While it’s doubtful Saban will add a reporter to his coaching staff, the head coach will most likely agree with the assessment after watching game film. Alabama’s line still needs work. The Tide isn’t providing the push it needs to open up holes in the run game and is collapsing too much in pass protection.
Alabama was forced to kick a field goal twice after moving inside the 10-yard line, including one drive that started at the Fresno State 4-yard line. While all the problems can’t be blamed solely on the line, there is much improvement needed by the start of SEC play.
Defensive line C-
Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Chason Virgil (5) looks to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
One sack against a far inferior Fresno State offensive line is not good enough for Alabama’s defensive line. The Tide prides itself on having one of the best defensive fronts in the nation. However, Saturday it went missing for the most part. Making his first career start, Raekwon Davis was tied for a team lead with eight tackles. Meanwhile, Johnny Dwight recorded his first career sack. After that, there wasn’t too much to write home about.
Alabama recorded just two quarterback hurries against a Fresno State team that dropped back to pass a combined 41 times in the game. In the past, Alabama has been able to generate a pass rush without blitzing its linebackers. If the Tide is unable to do that this year, it could create some problems against better offenses.
Linebackers — B-
Fresno State Bulldogs offensive lineman David Patterson (78) blocks Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Christopher Allen (4) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
This was always going to be a struggle, considering Alabama is without its best four pass rushers at linebacker in Rashaan Evans (groin), Christian Miller (biceps), Anfernee Jennings (ankle) and Terrell Lewis (elbow). Playing with plenty of new faces at linebacker, Alabama struggled at times, looking slow to get into position and missing a few tackles.
Making his first career start Keith Holcombe finished with seven tackles and one pass breakup. True freshmen Dylan Moses and Chris Allen made mistakes at times, while former walk-on Jamey Mosley had an up-and-down day in his first career start. All in all, things could have been worse on the day. Alabama should also continue to see improvement in the unit as new players develop into their roles while Evans and Jennings recover from their respective injuries.
Secondary — B
Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Jamire Jordan (1) catches a pass against Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Photo | USA Today
The lack of pass rush made things difficult for the secondary, but Alabama was able to limit Fresno State for most of the game. The Bulldogs came up with a few big plays in the passing game, as receiver Derrion Grim caught a 26-yard pass in the fourth quarter, while Da’Mari Scott ripped off 30 yards on a screen pass in the first quarter. Those are the type of lapses that could haunt the Tide moving forward.
On the positive side, cornerback Anthony Averett recorded his first career interception, while safety Ronnie Harrison finished tied with a team-high eight tackles, including one for a loss. While giving up 216 yards in the air is probably a little more than Alabama would have liked, the overall performance was average.
Special teams — B+
Without doing anything spectacular, Alabama put together a solid performance on special teams. Kicker Andy Pappanastos made both his field goal attempts from 22 yards and 24 yards out respectively, while punter JK Scott averaged 41.7 yards per punt while keeping all three of his punts inside the 20. Alabama didn’t give up any big plays in the return game either.
Coaching — B
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban looks on prior to a game against Fresno State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
While first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll seemed to take what the defense gave him, it would have been nice to see him push the envelope a little more in the downfield passing game. This was a game Alabama was never going to lose, so the risk of a possible mistake might be worth the improvement gained from allowing Hurts to take more shots deep. Alabama also made some mental mistakes. A substitution infraction on defense helped keep a Fresno State drive alive and eventually led to a field goal.
Other than that, it’s hard to complain about a 41-10 victory. Saban should also be commended for his handling of the quarterback situation. Getting Tagovailoa into the game with meaningful minutes allowed the freshman to gain some valuable experience. While Saban wanted to get Hurts used to coming back out of the half, he put Tagovailoa back into the game with enough time to get into a rhythm and pick up some confidence moving forward.
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