The Kalen DeBoer era is officially underway, and it went as well as he could have hoped for as No. 5 Alabama rolled to a 63-0 victory over Western Kentucky.
The offense delivered big, explosive plays while the defense swarmed to the ball causing multiple turnovers.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Ryan Williams is Already a Star
Alabama fans didn’t have to wait long to see their prized 5-star true freshman wide receiver. With a couple of minutes left in the first quarter, Ryan Williams broke free behind the coverage for an 84-yard touchdown catch. Later in the second quarter, the talented freshman got open across the middle, broke a tackle, and scampered 55 yards for his second touchdown of the night. Williams finished with two touchdowns and 139 yards on 2 catches.
Saab Shines in Opener
The Crimson Tide came into the season opener with question marks in the secondary. Keon Sabb made a great case to provide answers. Just four minutes into the game, Sabb jumped a route and picked off TJ Finley for Alabama’s first forced turnover of the season. On the following offensive possession for Western Kentucky, Sabb once again picked off Finley for his second interception of the night.
Penalties
One of the few things that Alabama did wrong on the night was getting flagged for multiple penalties. The Crimson Tide were flagged 7 times for 59 yards. Last season, penalties were a major problem for the Crimson Tide. DeBoer ran a disciplined team at Washington, and it was expected that he would be able to correct the penalty issue at Alabama. Many of the penalties came from the offensive line, so hopefully, as the season progresses, DeBoer can clean up the penalties.
Offensive Line
Alabama’s offensive line came into the season with big expectations. Overall, the line did a really good job despite a few penalties and allowing just one sack. A position battle for the right tackle position was supposed to be on display on Saturday night, but an injury to left tackle Kadyn Proctor in warmups forced Elijah Pritchett to start at left tackle in his place. Pritchett was working as the backup right tackle in warmups before Proctor's injury.
Massive Night for Milroe
Jalen Milroe showed why he is on most people’s Heisman watchlist. Milroe was limited to just two and a half quarters after DeBoer began to pull the offensive starters. Milroe made the most of his time as he was responsible for five Crimson Tide touchdowns. Through the air, Milroe threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns, on 7-of-9 passing. On the ground, Milroe rushed 10 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
The Crimson Tide will face South Florida at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 7 at 6 p.m. CT. ESPN will broadcast the game.
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