“In my view, a victory always stands as a victory; however, it’s evident that Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide managed a far-from-flawless win as they narrowly prevailed against the South Florida Bulls 17-3 in Tampa this past Sunday.”
Once again, the story of the game for Alabama was an incongruent performance from the Crimson Tide offense. Despite the quarterback change from Jalen Milero to Taylor Buchanan, aggression prevailed in most of the competition.
Alabama’s new recruit, Ty Simpson, finally entered the game late in the second quarter and remained the Crimson Tide quarterback throughout the entire matchup.
Alabama’s defense held USF to just three points in the night game, securing their own end of the bargain. Unfortunately, Alabama compared to the Tampa matchup, leaves more questions in USF.
As we dissect this unattractive win, let’s focus on some key takeaways from the Saturday showdown.
Alabama’s offense, led by Tommie Reese, played only three games in the era and had a rough start. Alabama is struggling explicitly to protect the quarterback, but no adjustments have been made. Additionally, all Tide QBs are athletic, yet the skill set has not been utilized effectively. Players need to perform better, but it’s ultimately up to the coaches to put them in the best position to succeed.
In the past two weeks, Alabama has been stripped of four touchdowns due to penalties. Discipline has become a real issue for the Crimson Tide and needs to be addressed promptly.
When Alabama needed an invasion the most, Roydell Williams stepped up and helped secure the Crimson Tide’s victory by holding South Florida to a total of 264 yards and just three points. The senior running back ran for 129 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Williams is Alabama’s most complete back and deserves the right to become RB1 moving forward.
If Saturday’s game proved anything, it’s that the quarterback competition should be between Ty Simpson and Jalen Milero. While Simpson didn’t look like a game-changer, he managed the offense well and distributed the ball effectively. In my opinion, Buchanan eliminated himself from the competition between Simpson and Milero by leaving it to Simpson and Milero.”
