On Saturday night, No. 4 Alabama (1-0, 0-0 SEC) will face South Florida (1-0, 0-0 AAC) inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in just the third-ever meeting between the two schools.
Alabama will also honor former head coach Nick Saban by officially recognizing the playing surface inside the stadium, Saban Field.
Here are a few things to watch for this Saturday night as the Crimson Tide play host to South Florida.
Milroe Gets First Crack at South Florida
Jalen Milroe was benched last year when Alabama struggled against South Florida. This year, he will get a chance to help lead his team to a more comfortable win than last year. Milroe diced up the Western Kentucky defense last week with ease both on the ground and through the air. If Milroe can put up a similar type of game, Alabama should coast to victory.
Sustaining Offensive Drives
While there is nothing wrong with explosive plays and short drives, they are not to be relied on every game. Because of the explosive plays, Alabama hasn’t had to prove this season that it can sustain a long drive that results in points. South Florida will provide a tougher defense than last week, and we will look to see if the Crimson Tide can put together some long scoring drives that will be crucial when the SEC schedule begins later in the season.
Offensive Line
What will the starting line look like? Last week, Kadyn Proctor injured his shoulder in warmups, and Eliljah Pritchett filled his spot at left tackle. If Proctor is unable to play, will Alabama trot out the same starting five as last week, or will they shift players around to get the five most talented lineman out there despite position?
Last season, Alabama gave up five sacks to South Florida. This year’s line is much better and should be able to have a better showing than last year. If Proctor is out, all eyes will be on Pritchett and if he can protect the blindside of Jalen Milroe.
Penalties
Alabama picked up where it left off last season with the penalty problem in its season opener. However, it appeared that the Crimson Tide made some halftime adjustments and were only flagged once in the second half of last week's game. Alabama will need to cut down on penalties to prevent a close game like last season.
Containing the Quarterback
South Florida will be a much better offensive team than what the Crimson Tide saw last week, and it all starts with Byrum Brown, South Florida’s dual-threat quarterback. Brown may not be as talented as Jalen Milroe, but he possesses a similar trajectory as Milroe did last year. Brown is a talented runner and like Milroe, continued to improve his passing game as the season progressed. Containing Brown’s legs and slowing down the RPO game will be key for the Alabama defense.
Alabama and South Florida kick off at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 6 p.m. CT. ESPN will televise the game.
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