Alabama football did exactly what it was supposed to do on Saturday, defeating Middle Tennessee State 56-7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Conference USA’s Blue Raiders didn’t put up much of a fight throughout the game, and the Crimson Tide won convincingly.
With their focus now on the upcoming Texas game next week, here are the key takeaways from Alabama’s 56-7 victory on Saturday:
Quarterback Play: Bryce Young was on point, passing for 112 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-10 passing in the first half. He orchestrated the Crimson Tide’s offense effectively, showing his leadership on the field. Young’s first-quarter touchdown run was the first time Alabama had a quarterback rushing score since Brian Burgdorf did it against Vanderbilt in 1995. However, Young threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter under pressure after a security breakdown.
Running Back Jalen Milroe: Jalen Milroe had his eyes up as he approached the MTsu 21-yard line, and when he got there, he danced around the Blue Raider defense before turning what looked like a certain sack into a touchdown run. This was the first time this season that Alabama scored its opening points with a quarterback run. Milroe also completed 10-of-13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the first half. His touchdown was a 47-yarder, a deep throw to Jyaire Bonds. In the first drive of the second half, Milroe left German Burton in space with a 48-yard pass for another touchdown. In total, Milroe did exactly what Alabama fans were hoping for with him taking over for the injured Bryce Young, and he added a nine-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter after TyAl Taylor also found the end zone.
Conclusion: This was not the same kind of dominant performance the Fighting Irish had against Reese’s squad last season. Still, they used the hurry-up offense more frequently. It was especially clear on Milroe’s second touchdown run of the game when he faked Handoff to McDaleon and ran right. Once Milroe got past the first level, it was him, an MTsu safety, and open field to the end zone. Milroe made a simple move to get past the safety, and he was off for the end zone.
Alabama did not have a single standout star in an offensive attack, with Macaleon, Roydell Williams, Jyaire Bonds, Kobe Prentiss, and others all contributing.
This year’s offense is the opposite of the 2022 Crimson Tide that featured Brian Young multiple times on Young’s back.
Heavy defense!
Nick Saban may not say it, but this was a game for Middle Tennessee State. The real test will come next week when Texas arrives at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Still, the defense looked excellent. Upfront, the Crimson Tide put pressure on Blue Raiders quarterback Nick Vatiato, forcing him into bad throws and poor decisions.
In the third quarter, MTsu failed to score with only 32 seconds remaining. Alabama dominated on both the ground and the passing game, making their presence felt.
Kevin Steele was also in his first game as defensive coordinator, although when he came to Alabama, he was the DC before and played another role in Crimson Tide defense in 2013 and 2014. Steele’s group showed aggression and created necessary plays, including interceptions by UAB transfer Jalen Key.
Next, the real test is likely to arrive next week. But the defense, in the warm-up, acquitted itself quite well.