Ad Disclosure
It wasn’t always pretty, but Alabama picked up a 34-0 victory over Louisiana Monroe at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. The Crimson Tide dominated defensively, holding the Warhawks to 92 yards of total offense, but offense had it’s ups and downs. But in the end, all that really mattered was that Alabama improved to 3-1 and remained in the hunt for the SEC and national titles heading into a huge game at Georgia next weekend.
5 TAKEAWAYS
• Alabama’s passing game needs work: Jake Coker got the start at quarterback and was underwhelming. He was the victim of dropped passes by his wide receivers, completing 17 of 31 passes for 178 yards, but he also made some poor throws and still hasn’t had any luck connecting with wideouts on deep passes.
• Calvin Ridley is a possession receiver, at least for now: There was hope the top receiver recruit in the country would be a big-play guy as a freshman, but right now he’s contributing, but not gaining yards in chunks. He’s on pace to finish with a lot of catches for a first-year player, adding four more for 38 yards and his first career touchdown, but he also dropped one that hit him right in the hands.
• The defense is balanced: For a team that allowed fewer than 100 yards and just nine on the ground, there weren’t one or two standouts on the defense. Minkah Fitzpatrick led the team with seven tackles while six different Tide players recorded sacks.
• Adam Griffith allowed Tide fans to breathe easier: The Alabama place kicker had struggled mightily going into this game, but nailed field goals of 40 and 35 yards to go along with four extra points. Perhaps his problems are in the past now.
• The Tide must be better next week: It had to be a little frustrating for Alabama fans to see their team come out a little flat a week after suffering its first loss of the season. It will take a more consistent effort to keep up with a very good Georgia team between the hedges.
REPORT CARD
Offense: C — The 34 points made it look better than it actually was for the Tide offensively. Alabama averaged just 3.9 yards per carry and 5.2 per pass attempt. Two of Bama’s touchdown drives were less than 20 yards.
Defense: A+ — It was far from the toughest opponent the Tide defense will face this year, but any time you hold a team to single digit rushing yards and double digit total offense you deserve high marks.
Special teams: B- — Alabama fell for a fake punt and couldn’t get a block after a bad snap on another ULM punt attempt. A long return by Cyrus Jones was also negated by penalty, but Adam Griffith’s perfect day kicking was a big deal.
Coaching: B+ — His team didn’t play great, but there’s not necessarily a lot to knock Nick Saban for. He made an attempt to stretch the field and the defensive game plan was superb. He also seems careful not to damage the confidence of Coker, saying he was happy with the way the quarterback played.
Overall: B- — It was a blowout victory, so how bad a grade could the Tide really get, but it certainly wasn’t “A” material.
GAME PLAN
The Tide obviously put an emphasis on pressuring ULM’s freshman quarterback Garrett Smith, who had been remarkably efficient in his first two games, and it worked. Smith completed 17 of 37 passes for 74 yards and was sacked four times. Offensively, it was clear Saban and coordinator Lane Kiffin wanted to open things up, but weren’t super successful. Kenyan Drake had one of his best rushing days, but was non-existant in the passing game and too many dropped balls plagued the offense.
GAME BALLS
• Geno Matias-Smith: The senior defensive back had an interception he returned for 16 yards and had three tackles.
• Jarran Reed: Reed stepped up with star defensive lineman Jonathan Allen down with an injury. Reed finished with five tackles, including two for a loss and a sack.
• Adam Griffith: The kicker made all his attempts, four extra points and two field goals. One was from 40 yards. It was just the kind of game he needed.
INJURY UPDATE
• Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen left the game with a shoulder injury, but Saban said he expects to have him back for next Saturday’s game at Georgia.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
