Alabama started the 2020 football season with an impressive first half Saturday night. The Crimson Tide dominated early, building a 28-3 halftime lead, before cruising to a 38-19 victory over the Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri.
The offense was led by Quarterback Mac Jones who went 18 of 24 for 249 yards. Jones connected early and often with the electrifying Jaylen Waddle who led the Tide with eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Devonta Smith added eight catches for 89 yards.
Najee Harris powered the Bama running game with 17 carries for 98 yards and three touchdowns.
Alabama finished with 414 yards of total offense.
The Crimson Tide defense seems to be much-improved after a disappointing 2019 campaign. It was great to see Dylan Moses back on the field leading from the Mike linebacker position. It’s clear that Moses still needs a few games under his belt before he will be totally back to his old ways. Moses finished with just four tackles, but influenced plays throughout the night, especially in the first half. Two of those tackles were for loses.
Junior Safety Daniel Wright led all 11 total tackles, all solo efforts.
Missouri is already a better team under first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz than they have been the last few years. There are some stars on defense. If quarterback Shawn Robinson can develop some consistency, the offense has the potential to catch fire. If that happens Missouri is going to challenge some of the higher-ranked teams in the SEC East and maybe even pull an upset along the way. Overall, they were a good first game test for an Alabama team looking to run through the 10-game SEC schedule.
Barring injury, there’s virtually no question who will be leading the Tide offense throughout the 2020 season. Mac Jones is the man. Five-Star Freshman Bryce Young made his debut in the third quarter in relief of Jones. He went 5 of 8 for 54 yards with one fumble. The youngster has an impressive arm and is a playmaker with his feet. His future is bright. But right now he looks like what he is – a talented freshman backup.
The Crimson Tide will host Texas A&M next Saturday at 2:30 PM at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS. The Aggies won Saturday, unimpressively beating the Vanderbilt Commodores by a score of 17-12.
Alabama’s Five Keys To Beating Georgia
Alabama finds itself in an unusual position entering the 2021 SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide is the underdog for the first time in over six years. That game was on October 3, 2015 against Georgia. Alabama won 38-10 in Athens. But that game has nothing to do...
Alabama Tops Auburn 24-22 in 4 OT Iron Bowl Classic
The 86th Iron Bowl was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination. Thanks to a mostly sluggish performance by the offensive line, the Alabama offense slopped through most of the day. The Tide could manage only 71 yards rushing and quarterback Bryce Young was...
Alabama Players Announced as College Football Awards Finalists
Three Alabama football players have been announced as finalists for four national football awards. Quarterback Bryce Young is a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top quarterback. Other finalists include Pitt’s Kenny Picket and Ohio...
Alabama Throttles Ole Miss
The Bryant-Denny scoreboard read 42-21 at the end of the game. Anyone who watched knows that the reality was much different than that. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 28-0 halftime lead before easing off the gas pedal in the second half. The tone was set during the first...
Tide Rolls Over Miami in Chik-Fil- Kickoff Game
As expected, Alabama easily rolled over Miami in the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Game by a score of 44-13. Bryce Young was very impressive in his debut as a starter for the Crimson Tide. The sophomore went 27 of 38 for 344 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions....
Week 1 SEC Schedule
The University of Alabama will kick off the 2021 Season against the University of Miami in the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Game. This is the first meeting between the two programs since Alabama dominated the Hurricanes in the Sugar Bowl to win the 1992 National Championship....
Coach Saban’s Contract Extension Officially Approved
Nick Saban’s contract extension has been made official by the Compensation Committee of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. The university announced in early June that it had reached an agreement with Saban. The deal means that Coach Saban is expected...
Nick Saban at 2021 SEC Media Days | Full Press Conference
Watch Nick Saban's full press conference at SEC Media Days:
Alabama – 2020 National Champions and Saban’s “Ultimate Team”
Monday night in Miami the Alabama football team did what if has done all season. Dominate. They did what they’ve done for the better part of the last 12 years. Suffocate. But this team is different. Nick Saban told us so, with the look on his face and with the words...
Alabama Stars Bring Home the Hardware at ESPN College Football Awards Show
Five Alabama football players took home a total of six awards Thursday night at the annual ESPN College Football Awards Show. The Crimson Tide's list of award winners includes: Landon Dickerson (Rimington), Najee Harris (Doak Walker), Mac Jones (Davey O'Brien), Alex...
DeVonta Smith Wins Heisman Trophy
Alabama WR DeVonta Smight was announced as the 86th winner of the Heisman Trophy on Tuesday evening. Smith became the third Alabama player to win the prestigious award given annually to the nation's best player, and the first wide receiver to win in 30 years. Smith...
Alabama Offensive Line Wins Joe Mooore Award
The Alabama Offensive Line has won the Joe Mooore Award. The award annually recognizes the toughest, most physical offensive line in the country, making it the only major college football award to honor a unit or group. The Crimson Tide previously won the award in its...