Hello and Roll Tide!

Saturday night, Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide took down Kirby Smart’s mighty Georgia Bulldogs 41-34. Alabama dominated Georgia in the first half but took their foot off the gas, leading to a photo finish ending. DeBoer started his SEC career with a big win, launching Alabama to #1 in the AP Poll. Kirby continues to struggle against Alabama, currently 1-6 against the Tide in his career. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s go!

Depth/Injury Notes:

· Qua Russaw, Malachi Moore, and Cole Adams all played despite their Probable status on the injury report

· Kendrick Law exited the game in the Second Quarter with a lower-body injury

Week 5 Review: A tale of Two Halves

Offense:

Alabama’s offense was explosive and dominant in the first half, and late in the 4th quarter. Jalen Milroe was nearly perfect, completing 82% of his pass attempts averaging 11.3 yards per attempt. He gained 374 yards in the air and 117 yards on the ground combining for 4 touchdowns. 11 different receivers caught passes as Jalen spread the ball all over Saban field. His favorite target was none other than freshman Ryan Williams. Ryan had a quiet first half and seems to shine the most when the spotlight is the brightest. Williams made a circus catch in the 3rd quarter leading to a much needed 28-yard field goal by Graham Nicholson. Then when it mattered the most, Ryan Williams beat Georgia DB Julian Humphrey on a jump ball and sent him along with KJ Bolden into a spin cycle, winning a footrace down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. Georgia had just taken their first lead of the game, only to be erased by Williams. Jalen found Germie Bernard for a significant 2-point conversion pushing the lead to 7. The offensive line played very well against a stout Georgia front. Jalen was able to attempt 33 passes without being sacked once. The line also opened running lanes for Jalen on designed quarterback runs. Jalen’s threat as a runner opened up the outside run. A great example of this was Germie Bernard’s 7-yard jet sweep. Jalen looked off the linebacker allowing Germie to find space along the edge. Penalties were an issue early, as the line committed 3 on the opening drive. However, they did lock in and only commited 3 the rest of the game. DeBoer may not have gone into the game expecting to take such a huge lead, as he over-corrected in the 3rd and 4th quarter. The offense was vanilla, running simple plays in the 3rd and 4th allowing Georgia back into the game. This may be a learning opportunity for DeBoer, that in the SEC, no lead is safe.

Defense:

Kane Wommack’s “Swarm” defense was in full effect Saturday night as the Tide forced 4 turnovers, recorded 3 sacks, and stopped Georgia behind the line with 6 tackles for a loss. The defense was also very effective against Georgia’s run game. Bama only allowed 80 yards on 26 attempts. Alabama confused Beck in the 1st as they baited him for two interceptions and forced a Safety. Domani Jackson caught one of those interceptions, as he had a very productive day, recording 7 tackles. Deontae Lawson led the linebackers with 10 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 1 sack. Lawson and Jihaad Campbell may be the best middle-linebacker pairing in the country this season. Jihaad lined up at Wolf on many early down plays, showing his versatility not only as a run-stopper, but in the pass-rush as well. He can also drop into coverage, Jihaad picked off Carson Beck in the 2nd quarter. Alabama stunned Georgia in the first half as they went into the break with a 30-7 lead.

The defense continued to play well in the 3rd quarter as they forced a 3-and out to start the half. The Tide offense did not help them out as they continued to punt the ball. The Defense held steady only allowing 1 touchdown in the 3rd. Qua Russaw had a huge strip-sack to start the 4th quarter, and then Georgia’s offense took off. Beck led 3-straight touchdown drives, capped off with a 1 play 67-yard touchdown. Keon Sabb, who has been so good this year, blew coverage allowing Dillon Bell to run free and take the lead. Ryan Williams bailed out the Alabama Defense with his late score to take the lead 41-34. Georgia led a meticulous 11 play drive, but Alabama’s defense came up when it mattered most. Carson Beck attacked true Freshman Zabien Brown in the endzone, and Brown made an unbelievable catch, stopping the Georgia comeback.

Special Teams:

Graham Nicholson made his first field goal as a member of the Crimson Tide as his 28-yard attempt made it through the uprights in the 3rd quarter. As well, he remains perfect on PATs this season. James Burnip had a decent night, averaging 43.4 yards per punt, pinning Georgia inside the 20 on one of them. Alabama was unable to make any progress in punt returns, as Ryan Williams only attempted one return for a loss. Outside of Kendrick Law’s 25 yard return to start the game, Kick Returns were also a non-factor. Ryan Williams fumbled one kick return, costing the Tide precious field position.

Week 5 Strorylines: Revisited

· A battle in the trenches: The line of scrimmage was a key battle all game long. Alabama came out on top on both sides of the ball. The offensive line allowed Jalen to be explosive both running and passing the ball. The defensive line pressured Beck all through the 1st half and held Georgia to only 3.1 yards per carry. The front seven accounted for 3 sacks and a forced fumble.

· Who’s in the Secondary?: Alabama’s inexperienced secondary was a huge topic going into this matchup. True freshmen Zabien Brown, Red Morgan, and Jaylen Mbakwe all played meaningful snaps. Zabien was targeted all game long by Beck and held his ground well. Brown closed out the game with his interception in the endzone. Across from him, transfer Domani Jackson remained consistent. Domani had a huge interception in the first half setting up Alabama’s offense with great field position. Malachi Moore played closer to the line of scrimmage on a lot of snaps, and continues to be at the right place at the right time. Keon Sabb did his job until the blown coverage in the 4th quarter, allowing Georgia to take the lead. This was the first true test for Alabama’s secondary and they answered the call. Allowing 339 passing yards in the 2nd half may leave room for concern, however a lot of that can be chalked up to a conservative defensive approach with a lead.

· Welcome to the SEC, Hollywood: HOLLYWOOD! Ryan Williams has been so impressive to start his Alabama career. This Georgia secondary is likely the best unit he will face all year, yet he was not deterred. Ryan finished the game with 6 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown. Williams’ route running was spectacular. He created space for Jalen to find him, allowing him to make plays after the catch. His skill at such a young age is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The rest of the SEC better take notice.

Later this week I will preview Alabama’s next opponent, the Vanderbilt Commodores. As always, reach out with any questions or comments. If you know someone interested in joining the newsletter, send them my way.

Roll Tide!