Our quick observations from Saturday's 52-12 win:
D.C. Reeves on OFFENSE
-More and more Amari Cooper. Over the middle, long, short, shovel passes, he's the most valuable player on this football team right now, period. I've thought that perhaps Amari could be slowed when the competition steps up - and that could be the case I guess - but man, the different ways Kiffin gets him the ball makes it seem almost impossible that there's a way to phase him out of a game defensively.
Blake Sims continues his solid play. Good decisions for the most part. He really showed ability to improvise and showed what an asset his feet can be in this offense (see: 20 yard scramble on third and long leading to a TD). Finished 12-of-17 for 168 with two touchdowns.
-Nick Saban may not say so after the game, but this QB competition is as good as over. It's totally understandable in the first game for Nick Saban to be uncomfortable putting a QB (Coker) who has less mastery of the playbook. But in Week 3, if Saban isn' comfortable putting Coker un a 15-point game in the 2nd quarter or to start the second half, that's all you need to know about where this QB job stands. He didn't get in until 2:16 left in the third quarter with a 26-point lead.
-Offensive line wasn't bad, but rather underwhelming in the first half. Alabama's running backs had 86 yards on 18 carries. Things seemed to open up in the third quarter.
-Derrick Henry looked like the Sugar Bowl Derrick Henry in the second half.
-Kenyan Drake is still fast. Breaking news.
-J.K. Scott is alive and well with two punts today. He had none last week.
Aaron Suttles on DEFENSE
-I already knew it, but it was reaffirmed to be after watching the game that Landon Collins is the most irreplaceable member of the defense if not the whole team. Collins turned into a hybrid linebacker/safety when the defense went into dime, and boy is he effective at coming off the edge or making a sure-handed tackle. He got beat on a big pass play, sure, but Collins is the best all-around defender in my mind.
-While the numbers may not show it in sacks, the defensive certainly affected the Southern Miss quarterback pretty consistently. The defense brought some pressure off the edge and the interior got nice push at times. This is still a growing defense, so the best is yet to come.
-Geno Smith isn't nor will he be the physical presence that Jarrick Williams is, but I thought Smith played well overall. He was good in coverage and he sniffed out a screen that could have gone for a big game. He was forced into playing time, but long-term this is a good thing for Smith and this defense.
-Earlier this week Reggie Ragland labeled Ryan Anderson the "dark horse" of the defense, and Ragland is being proven true so far. Anderson registered another sack on Saturday, giving him two on the season. It's early, but he's giving UA a presence on the edge of the line it wasn't getting before.
-Still too many big play being given up. Teams are always going to hit some, but UA is allowing them at an alarming rate this season. This is something to watch as the calendar turns to SEC games.
-It's not much of a stretch to say that Alabama's secondary is in a quandary against Florida. Jarrick Williams already wasn't available and now Nick Perry is also out for the first half thanks to his targeting foul. Throw in the fact that Eddie Jackson never re-entered the game after jogging off gingerly in the second half, and it's almost all hands on deck in the secondary. It's something I'll be playing close attention to this upcoming week.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=204215338&mid=204215338&sid=885&style=2
D.C. Reeves on OFFENSE
-More and more Amari Cooper. Over the middle, long, short, shovel passes, he's the most valuable player on this football team right now, period. I've thought that perhaps Amari could be slowed when the competition steps up - and that could be the case I guess - but man, the different ways Kiffin gets him the ball makes it seem almost impossible that there's a way to phase him out of a game defensively.
Blake Sims continues his solid play. Good decisions for the most part. He really showed ability to improvise and showed what an asset his feet can be in this offense (see: 20 yard scramble on third and long leading to a TD). Finished 12-of-17 for 168 with two touchdowns.
-Nick Saban may not say so after the game, but this QB competition is as good as over. It's totally understandable in the first game for Nick Saban to be uncomfortable putting a QB (Coker) who has less mastery of the playbook. But in Week 3, if Saban isn' comfortable putting Coker un a 15-point game in the 2nd quarter or to start the second half, that's all you need to know about where this QB job stands. He didn't get in until 2:16 left in the third quarter with a 26-point lead.
-Offensive line wasn't bad, but rather underwhelming in the first half. Alabama's running backs had 86 yards on 18 carries. Things seemed to open up in the third quarter.
-Derrick Henry looked like the Sugar Bowl Derrick Henry in the second half.
-Kenyan Drake is still fast. Breaking news.
-J.K. Scott is alive and well with two punts today. He had none last week.
Aaron Suttles on DEFENSE
-I already knew it, but it was reaffirmed to be after watching the game that Landon Collins is the most irreplaceable member of the defense if not the whole team. Collins turned into a hybrid linebacker/safety when the defense went into dime, and boy is he effective at coming off the edge or making a sure-handed tackle. He got beat on a big pass play, sure, but Collins is the best all-around defender in my mind.
-While the numbers may not show it in sacks, the defensive certainly affected the Southern Miss quarterback pretty consistently. The defense brought some pressure off the edge and the interior got nice push at times. This is still a growing defense, so the best is yet to come.
-Geno Smith isn't nor will he be the physical presence that Jarrick Williams is, but I thought Smith played well overall. He was good in coverage and he sniffed out a screen that could have gone for a big game. He was forced into playing time, but long-term this is a good thing for Smith and this defense.
-Earlier this week Reggie Ragland labeled Ryan Anderson the "dark horse" of the defense, and Ragland is being proven true so far. Anderson registered another sack on Saturday, giving him two on the season. It's early, but he's giving UA a presence on the edge of the line it wasn't getting before.
-Still too many big play being given up. Teams are always going to hit some, but UA is allowing them at an alarming rate this season. This is something to watch as the calendar turns to SEC games.
-It's not much of a stretch to say that Alabama's secondary is in a quandary against Florida. Jarrick Williams already wasn't available and now Nick Perry is also out for the first half thanks to his targeting foul. Throw in the fact that Eddie Jackson never re-entered the game after jogging off gingerly in the second half, and it's almost all hands on deck in the secondary. It's something I'll be playing close attention to this upcoming week.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=204215338&mid=204215338&sid=885&style=2
