No. 21 Alabama bounced back at home, recording its first win of the season with a 73-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday night.
A much-needed game that was about as perfect as you could hope. The Crimson Tide built a lead early and were able to get some meaningful reps for the backups, as well as staying relatively healthy. The defense didn’t look soft and pitched a shutout.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Is Bernard Bama’s Best Receiver?
No Ryan Williams, no problem. Back-to-back big weeks for veteran receiver Germie Bernard have pushed him up the ranks as one of the nation's top receivers. Last week, Bernard had eight catches for 146 yards in a loss to Florida State. Bernard followed up his big week with 3 catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. He would have eclipsed 100 yards and had a third touchdown, but it was called back on a questionable offensive pass interference call in the first half.
- Perfect Night for Simpson
Ty Simpson showed more confidence and decisiveness than last week, and as a result, he was perfect through the air. Simpson finished his night at halftime, going a perfect 17/17 for 226 yards and three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. The 17 completed passes without an incomplete pass broke an Alabama record for most consecutive completions to start the game.
- Lockdown Defense From Front Seven
After a week of criticism and getting called soft and lacking effort, the Crimson Tide defense responded. The front seven held the opposing offense to only 150 yards and forced three turnovers. The Alabama defense held Louisiana-Monroe to just 93 yards on the ground. The front seven was unable to record a sack but provided enough pressure to keep the quarterback uncomfortable.
- Improved Effort and Physicality
Last week, the Alabama defense was criticized for being soft and loafing to the ball. The physicality and effort were quite the opposite on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide swarmed to the ball and ran through the ball carriers. Very few missed or arm tackles were present from the Alabama defense.
- Young Talent Emerges
Injuries and an early blowout gave some of the younger players a chance to make a name for themselves. With Jam Miller still sidelined with an injury, freshman Kevin Riley emerged as Alabama’s lead back, rushing the ball 11 times for 69 yards. Riley also had six catches for 45 yards. Speedy freshman Lotzeir Brooks made a splash filling in for an injured Ryan Williams. Brooks made four catches for 58 yards. Freshman quarterback Keelon Russell got some reps in the fourth quarter and threw both his first and second career touchdowns.
Alabama will host Wisconsin on September 13 at 11 a.m. The game will be televised on ABC or ESPN.
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