No. 10 Alabama bounced back at home with a 56-0 win over Eastern Illinois in the last regular season game of the year at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The comfortable win was a much-needed breather after a tough stretch in SEC play and a nice tuneup game for the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide improve to 9-2 overall and remains 6-1 in the SEC.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Talty Can’t Be Trusted
Kicker Conor Talty was the center of attention after the two-point loss last week against Oklahoma. After shanking a 36-yard field goal attempt, he chewed out his long snapper for the high snap. While the snap was high, the holder did manage to get the hold down perfectly. On Saturday at home in a relaxed environment, Talty missed another short kick of 28 yards, and the boo birds made their presence felt. Talty finished the day 0/1 with his lone miss on the chip shot.
- Defense Back to Normal Causing Havoc
Zero turnovers forced last week by one of the top turnover defenses in the country contributed to the loss. Saturday, the defense got back to normal and forced a turnover as well as forcing a fumble that they just missed on recovering. The Crimson Tide defense completed the shutout, allowing just 34 total yards.
- Run Game Builds Momentum
It may have been against lesser competition, but Alabama made establishing the run game a priority on Saturday. The Crimson Tide saw six players reach the endzone while rushing for 269 yards and eight touchdowns. Jam Miller led the way for Alabama with 11 carries and 62 yards and a touchdown. Daniel Hill scored a touchdown for the third consecutive game and has four over the past three games.
- Pass Rush Gets Home
The Alabama pass game showed some signs of life on Saturday against Eastern Illinois. The Crimson Tide got to the quarterback for three sacks out of just 12 passing plays. Tim Keenan III led all pass rushers with two sacks and a forced fumble.
- Next Up at Tight End
Clutch tight end Josh Cuevas was injured in practice this week, causing him to miss the Eastern Illinois game, and his availability for the Iron Bowl could be in question. The tight end spot is crucial for the Crimson Tide offense and will need someone to step up if Cuevas can’t go next week. Freshman tight end Marshall Pritchett could be the answer. Pritchett saw extended play time and pulled in a team-high four receptions totaling 33 yards.
Alabama will travel to Auburn on November 29 at 6:30 p.m. for the Iron Bowl. The game will be televised on ABC.
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