Sunday Hangover: Ole Miss

Prior to yesterday's game there was a lot of trash talk from Ole Miss. In fact, the head coach for Ole Miss apparently was telling recruits, who both Alabama and Ole Miss are recruiting, that they should go to the game to watch the Rebels beat the Tide. And a public statement by Bo Wallace, the starting quarterback, was shown repeatedly on the broadcast of the game. Wallace said they would put up points on Alabama, stated that their receivers are better than A&M's, and opined that the current Alabama cornerbacks aren't that good. 

As the old cliche goes, "Everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth."

The Tide shut out the Rebels--25 to 0. 

Ole Miss did play Alabama tough like they normally do though. The Tide was only up 9 to nothing at the half with the offense locked in a cycle of sputtering, succeeding, and stalling. The positive from that half is Cade Foster looked good. He had his longest field goal of his career with a 53 yarder. 

Alabama came out in the second half in a fiery mood. Yeldon scored a 68-yard touchdown on the second possession of the second half, and Kenyon Drake had a 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

One type of score I haven't seen from Alabama in a while was a safety. Because of an outstanding punt and special teams play in the fourth quarter, the Tide pinned the Rebels on their own one-yard line. Then the defensive front did its job to let Pagan and Mosley score a safety on Wallace. That was sweet.

The starting center for the Tide went out in the first half with a strained MCL, but Chad Lindsay played a solid game as his replacement. In fact, he had a key block on Yeldon's long run. 

After the game there was a great deal of chatter on the InterWebs about the play of true freshman Eddie Jackson, who started at corner and was responsible for one of the big receivers, Moncrief or Treadwell, with Belue covering the other guy.  

Another freshman who has been playing consistently in the d-line rotation is A'Shawn Robinson, but I also noticed another true freshman, Jonathan Allen, playing a good bit at DE.

Next week versus Georgia State I hope Alabama puts the game way out of reach quickly, so we can see more second teamers getting significant playing time, players such as WR Chris Black, RB Derrick Henry, RB Altee Tenpenny, QB Blake Sims, LB Ryan Anderson, LB Tana Patrick, CB Bradley Sylve, CB Maurice Smith, CB Geno Smith, LB Dillon Lee, NT Alphonse Taylor, LB Tim Williams, TE Harrison Jones, WR Raheem Falkins, and TE Malcolm Faciane.