Kelly Ward
TideSports.com Staff
Alabama football's 41-0 shutout over Florida Atlantic on Saturday was due in some part to familiar faces making their debut.
Sophomore Eddie Jackson made his debut after an ACL injury derailed him in the spring. He rounded out the cornerback position until the second team came in.
He was on a pitch count in the game: 40 plays. Alabama coach Nick Saban said he came close but didn't meet that number.
"He made some good plays out there," Saban said. "I'm sure the more he plays, the better he'll get."
Jackson's pitch count wasn't prevalent on his mind.
"I just went out there and helped the team as much as possible," Jackson said.
He did just that. He was second on the team in tackles with three solo and four total.
"He looked phenomenal," junior safety Landon Collins said. "That's the Eddie (Jackson) that we know. That's the Eddie that's going to come out and hit somebody and that's what he did today. He came to show everyone that he's ready to play and that he's back."
Jackson also had a tackle for a 1-yard loss and forced a fumble.
"I thought he was going to come out slow, but from the looks of it, he didn't come out slow," junior linebacker Reggie Ragland said. "He came out thudding people up. He caused a fumble that I recovered."
Though not at 100 percent, Jackson said his knee wasn't bothering him. Sitting on the sideline during the West Virginia game in Atlanta was frustrating for him, he said.
"I wanted to be out there so bad, but nothing I could do, just cheer the team on," Jackson said.
Jackson wasn't the only player to take the field for the first time today. Senior Trey DePriest reprised his role as Mike linebacker on Saturday.
"When you have the leader of the defense beside you, it's a whole lot easier for you," Ragland said. "It takes the pressure off of you. It's a whole easier."
DePriest was fifth on the team in tackles with one solo and four total in his first game back following a knee injury. He sat out the first game due to an NCAA violation.
"I wish I could've played in the first one, but you know, that is what it is," DePriest said. "It's always great to come back after almost a year of not playing against another opponent."
The first game of the season showed holes in Alabama's defense. With DePriest back as a starter, Alabama had more stability, Saban said.
"His leadership out there certainly helped our stability in making adjustments, and we didn't have nearly the mental errors that we had in the past," Saban said.
The defense allowed 145 total yards against Florida Atlantic. The Owls were two of 10 on third-down conversions and tallied nine first downs in the game.
Alabama's defense also stopped Florida Atlantic on the only time it tried to convert a fourth-down. The Owls' rushing game averaged 2.4 yards per carry and 3.4 yards per play overall. The Crimson Tide defense had three sacks, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in the shutout.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1678332#sthash.dVvUtJmx.dpuf
TideSports.com Staff
Alabama football's 41-0 shutout over Florida Atlantic on Saturday was due in some part to familiar faces making their debut.
Sophomore Eddie Jackson made his debut after an ACL injury derailed him in the spring. He rounded out the cornerback position until the second team came in.
He was on a pitch count in the game: 40 plays. Alabama coach Nick Saban said he came close but didn't meet that number.
"He made some good plays out there," Saban said. "I'm sure the more he plays, the better he'll get."
Jackson's pitch count wasn't prevalent on his mind.
"I just went out there and helped the team as much as possible," Jackson said.
He did just that. He was second on the team in tackles with three solo and four total.
"He looked phenomenal," junior safety Landon Collins said. "That's the Eddie (Jackson) that we know. That's the Eddie that's going to come out and hit somebody and that's what he did today. He came to show everyone that he's ready to play and that he's back."
Jackson also had a tackle for a 1-yard loss and forced a fumble.
"I thought he was going to come out slow, but from the looks of it, he didn't come out slow," junior linebacker Reggie Ragland said. "He came out thudding people up. He caused a fumble that I recovered."
Though not at 100 percent, Jackson said his knee wasn't bothering him. Sitting on the sideline during the West Virginia game in Atlanta was frustrating for him, he said.
"I wanted to be out there so bad, but nothing I could do, just cheer the team on," Jackson said.
Jackson wasn't the only player to take the field for the first time today. Senior Trey DePriest reprised his role as Mike linebacker on Saturday.
"When you have the leader of the defense beside you, it's a whole lot easier for you," Ragland said. "It takes the pressure off of you. It's a whole easier."
DePriest was fifth on the team in tackles with one solo and four total in his first game back following a knee injury. He sat out the first game due to an NCAA violation.
"I wish I could've played in the first one, but you know, that is what it is," DePriest said. "It's always great to come back after almost a year of not playing against another opponent."
The first game of the season showed holes in Alabama's defense. With DePriest back as a starter, Alabama had more stability, Saban said.
"His leadership out there certainly helped our stability in making adjustments, and we didn't have nearly the mental errors that we had in the past," Saban said.
The defense allowed 145 total yards against Florida Atlantic. The Owls were two of 10 on third-down conversions and tallied nine first downs in the game.
Alabama's defense also stopped Florida Atlantic on the only time it tried to convert a fourth-down. The Owls' rushing game averaged 2.4 yards per carry and 3.4 yards per play overall. The Crimson Tide defense had three sacks, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in the shutout.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1678332#sthash.dVvUtJmx.dpuf
