TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s 42-16 win over South Florida was no wake-up call, according to coach Kalen DeBoer. A furious 28-3 run in the final 10 minutes propelled Alabama to a 26-point win, but the majority of the game left much to be desired including 13 penalties for 120 yards and losing the turnover battle by a 3-0 margin.
When Alabama needed a big play to pull away from the pesky Bulls’ team, it called on its youngest player Ryan Williams, and he answered. Quarterback Jalen Milroe looked left, found Williams and he did the rest, 43 yards later the Tide had a 28-16 lead with 5:50 to play and the game in hand. Two more rushing touchdowns by Jam Miller and Justice Haynes in the next two possessions did some cosmetic work on the score.
4⃣
2⃣ 
6⃣@Jalenmilroe @Ryanwms1
: ESPN pic.twitter.com/nI3SmoiOm2
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 8, 2024
“You need games like this,” DeBoer said. “This isn’t a wake-up call, it’s nothing like that — just keep raising the standard. I think this game last year was an important one that propelled the team and it’ll probably be the same this year, that’s my hope.”
Saturday’s game was the first time the new Alabama coach has been in a somewhat adverse situation. It wasn’t a clean operation in the first half as the Tide carried a modest 14-6 lead into halftime. DeBoer, known for his laid-back personality, was just that in the locker room at halftime.
“As much as we didn’t play to the standard we were still up,” wide receiver Kobe Prentice said of DeBoer’s message. “Nothing for us to be mad about, just put that half behind us and come out and attack with the next play mentality.”
The way the game ended, with a dominant series of plays, provided a clear message for DeBoer after the game: the difference and results between executing to the standard, and not.
“If we keep fighting, good things will happen,” DeBoer said. “In the fourth quarter, staying away from penalties and turnovers, it’s amazing what can happen.”
Alabama advances to 2-0 and travels to Wisconsin next week for its first road game of the season. Here are four takeaways from the win:
1. A few personnel observations:
• Alabama revamped its offensive line with starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor still out (shoulder). Left guard Tyler Booker moved to left tackle and Geno VanDeMark moved into Booker’s place from the second unit. Parker Brailsford (center), Jaeden Roberts (right guard) and Wilkin Formby (right tackle) remained in their spots.
• Outside linebacker Qua Russaw earned the start on Saturday and was listed as the No. 1 Wolf on Alabama’s pregame depth chart. Senior Que Robinson worked at Wolf as well, recording a sack in the first half.
• Cornerback DaShawn Jones, the Wake Forest transfer, returned to game action after an injury limited him last week. However, freshman Zabien Brown earned the start opposite of Domani Jackson.
2. The prevailing story out of Saturday’s game was the offensive line, which had a rough day amid the changes across the front. DeBoer estimated that by next week’s game, the offensive line will be “in better shape.” Proctor participated in pregame warmups to a degree, even dressing before coming out for kickoff in street clothes. Elsewhere, Elijah Pritchett was held out of the majority of the game due to a “minor ding” suffered in last week’s game. He was eventually inserted into the lineup for a struggling Formby midway through the fourth quarter and was a part of Alabama’s late flurry of points.
“(Pritchett) could have started the game,” DeBoer said. “We were just trying to hold on as long as possible, trying to keep him 100 percent healthy.”
Going without Pritchett for most of the game, the offensive line was responsible for eight penalties, allowed a pressure that caused an intentional grounding penalty and had another holding call that offset a 50-plus yard completion from Milroe to Prentice when the defense was called for pass interference. Overall, the penalty count went as follows: VanDeMark (three), Formby (three), Booker (two). VanDeMark and Formby each had a holding penalty that negated touchdowns in the first half.
Early in the fourth quarter, on a third-and-goal inside of South Florida’s 5-yard line, Milroe and center Parker Brailsford botched the snap exchange resulting in a turnover. Postgame Milroe took responsibility for the snap exchange.
“We had to learn some lessons the hard way tonight, there’s no doubt about it,” DeBoer said. “Two touchdowns that are called back because of holding calls and obviously the turnover inside the 5-yard line. But when we did hold (onto the ball) and we were moving the ball forward, good things were happening.”
South Florida’s defensive game plan of sending pressure on nearly every snap proved effective against an offensive line in flux — three sacks, six tackles for loss and a flurry of quarterback hurries. That, plus Alabama’s self-inflicted errors, made it extremely difficult to find a rhythm. Last week, the Tide had six touchdown drives of three plays or less. On Saturday, 10 of Alabama’s 16 drives were three plays or less — seven resulted in a punt or turnover.
When the offense did get going, Milroe was the catalyst — accounting for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing); he has nine touchdowns through the first two games of the season. Off of that, the running game found its way in the fourth quarter with 137 yards on nearly 14 yards per rush — the majority from Miller who accounted for 140 rushing yards total.
“It’s very exciting,” Milroe said. “We haven’t reached the top of where we can move as an offense. There’s so much growth that’s going to be made. I’m excited for what the future holds for our offense because we have a locker room of guys who are selfless and committed.”
3. Conversely, Alabama’s defense had its hands full with South Florida’s run game (5.4 sack-adjusted yards per rush) but held up admirably in winning situations. South Florida converted just two third downs for the game (2-of-18), was held to three field goals in three red zone opportunities and was held without points when Kendrick Law fumbled the second-half kickoff to set South Florida up inside Alabama territory.
“Alabama defense in general, we take adversity to the heart,” linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. “We always want to overcome and achieve our goal on that play. That’s the mindset of our whole team.”
In the game’s biggest swing moment, the defense forced a three-and-out after Milroe’s fumbled snap at the South Florida goal line, which paved the way for a 28-yard Jaylen Mbakwe punt return to put the offense at South Florida’s 34-yard line. Four plays later, Milroe found Prentice for a 16-yard touchdown. Alabama carried that momentum for the remainder of the game, outscoring South Florida 21-0. It was an admirable performance given the circumstances but wasn’t good enough to meet their standard.
“Yes we got some three and outs but we could’ve created some more turnovers,” linebacker Que Robinson said. “We just need to have some more effort and finish better while we’re out there.”
The defensive line shined. Tim Keenan III was the catalyst with 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one QB pressure, Tim Smith recorded one sack and one pressure and LT Overton led all Alabama defenders with four pressures.
4. For the first time on Saturday, Alabama played a game at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The retired coach was on-hand Saturday for a few separate ceremonies: one before the game with the new nameplate outside of the stadium and then at halftime where “Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium” in bold, Crimson letters appeared above the first level concourse on the East and West sides of the stadium.
Chills. 
#RollTide pic.twitter.com/ng2lsjgiNZ
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 8, 2024
Saban walked out of Alabama’s home tunnel, presumably for the last time in front of a packed crowd, with Thunderstruck blaring over the speakers. As he spoke for a few words, chants of “Saban, Saban, Saban!” rained down. With players like Blake Sims, Julio Jones, Mark Barron and more in attendance, Saban thanked the fans for the chance to coach “the greatest traditional program in college football history.”
5. Wide receiver Cole Adams left the game with an arm injury in the third quarter and did not return to the game. DeBoer said after the game that it’s unclear how long he will be sidelined. Elsewhere, linebacker Justin Jefferson was flagged for a targeting penalty via a hit on USF quarterback Byrum Brown. As a result, Jefferson is suspended for the first half of next week’s game at Wisconsin.
Adams’ injury thrusted the true freshman Mbakwe into punt return duties. His 28-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter into South Florida territory jumpstarted Alabama’s offense, which went on to score on four straight possessions following that point.
“Just unfazed,” DeBoer said of Mbakwe. “He just hopped in there. He’s very confident and we’ve got a lot of confidence in him. Unfortunately, Cole went down, but (Mbakwe) was ready to go.”
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
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