• Football's progress report: Halfway through 2023 season •

• 2023 Bama Sports 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football has six games left in its 2023 regular season. All of the Crimson Tide’s preseason goals are still attainable, though the margin of error remains small. After a 1-1 start and discouraging first half against South Florida in Week 3, Alabama has reasserted itself as a national title contender with an elite defense and big-play offense. Starting with Arkansas this weekend, No. 10 UA (5-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) can further establish its SEC West lead and cap off homecoming weekend in Tuscaloosa with a win. But before that, let’s take a look at the key players, position groups and trends that have defined Alabama so far. Biggest turning point: Final drive vs. South Florida: Up until the very end of the South Florida game, Alabama looked terrible. It was a rainy day in Tampa, and the Crimson Tide’s offense had looked like a washout, with the defense carrying the load. The offensive line was especially struggling. But then, on the last drive of the game, Saban told the group to take the rest of the clock and get the game over. UA drove all the way down the field, with quarterback Ty Simpson finishing off the drive on a QB sneak, sealing a 17-3 victory. Since then, the offensive line has looked a good bit better, and Alabama is undefeated. Biggest disappointment: Offensive line: Alabama's blockers were supposed to be among the biggest in the country, if not the conference. It was supposed to usher in a brutalizing ground game and keep whoever the quarterback was upright long enough to execute. Instead, Alabama is on pace to be one of the most-sacked teams in the country. The left tackle situation remains in flux, penalties have cropped up in loud environments and the running game is 10th in the SEC. The blocking and snapping issues — there have been a handful of off-target snaps by Seth McLaughlin — haven’t cost Alabama a game yet, they were a contributing factor in the Texas loss. Overall, the offensive line has the most room for growth when weighing preseason expectations. Most disturbing trend: Penalties canceling out touchdowns: The Crimson Tide has had six touchdowns called back this season due to penalties. That's a huge issue. In the Texas game, Alabama saw two scores reversed due to flags. UA lost that game by 10 points and it could have been a very different contest at the end had Saban's bunch not shot itself in the foot. Even in the win over Texas A&M last week, the Tide still had one score walked back due to a call. That trend will have to be reversed, or it will come back to bite Alabama at some point in the back half of the slate. Most impactful newcomer: Caleb Downs: Saban has repeatedly said Downs, a freshman, doesn’t play like a first-year player. And after a few rookie mistakes, Downs leads the Tide with 47 total tackles. Downs instincts have been apparent and the ball skills have started to emerge with interceptions in back-to-back games. His takeaway of Texas A&M’s Max Johnson was a crucial swing in Alabama’s 26-20 comeback win. Best sport: Terrion Arnold: Nick Saban looked screaming mad on the sideline after Mississippi State scored a touchdown a play where Arnold mistimed his corner blitz. It was one of several moments in that game where Alabama’s coach got hot over a mistake. Arnold could have shut down, or been angry to be on the wrong end of a butt-chewing while television cameras were rolling. Instead, when asked about the moment in the week following the win, he explained the way he used the lecture to improve. Biggest question moving forward: Can the defense maintain its excellence?: With 22 sacks, seven interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries, Alabama has gotten close to the 'joyless murderball' linebacker Dallas Turner said would return this year. The defense has triggered a quartet of second-half rallies, even more impressive when considering key starters have missed games like Deontae Lawson and Jaheim Oatis. Alabama has flexed its depth at linebacker and defensive line while utilizing versatility in the secondary. Regardless of who's calling the plays (Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin theorized it was not the returning Kevin Steele but Travaris Robinson) the unit has shown dominance. Only two teams have scored a passing and rushing touchdown in the same game against Alabama. While the offense formalizes a true identity, the defense could be good enough to carry the Tide to Atlanta and the SEC title game. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Arkansas HC remembers Jalen Milroe breakout game... •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Sam Pittman scratched his chin. A reporter had just asked him how important it was to pressure sack-prone Jalen Milroe and prevent a run-first quarterback from escaping the pocket. Arkansas head coach just nodded and gestured behind him. “Big time,” Pittman said, “We found that out there last year.” Pittman was referencing Oct. 1, 2021, when Alabama’s backup quarterback replaced an injured Bryce Young to quiet Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Milroe said Monday his first priority then was checking on Young. The two shared a conversation, and Milroe bounced on the field “full of emotion.” And Arkansas wasn’t ready, Pittman reflected. “I think it was 28-23, I think third-and-13. Crowd behind us. And (Milroe) takes off for 80 yards and we didn’t have anybody to catch him. Really wasn’t anybody really close to him. So, that’s going to be a big deal. He’s the guy that makes them go you know. So, obviously, that’ll be our number one concern. We’re going to do everything we can to make him uncomfortable.” Milroe finished 4-of-9 passing for 64 yards in his first significant collegiate game action. He also ran six times for 91 yards and two total touchdowns. But after Milroe’s career-high 300-plus yard day last weekend against Texas A&M, Pittman was faced with questions not just of Milroe’s legs, but also his throwing power and ability to push the ball downfield. Pittman noted that Alabama’s offense is obviously different with Milroe leading the charge instead of Young. Yet, Pittman said the Tide can hang with any team in the country. He called Nick Saban “unbelievable” for continuing his success through his 17-year tenure. Pittman compared Milroe to a younger version of Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. The senior has scored 60 touchdowns in his career, but according to Pittman, he’s pressed while adjusting to Dan Enos’ offense. The former Maryland offensive coordinator is replacing Kendal Briles, who left for TCU in the offseason. On Monday, Saban said the Razorbacks’ attack isn’t “a whole lot different” than 2022. “Milroe is great at throwing the deep ball. I mean, he is. Really, if you look a little bit about he and KJ from, let’s say, a year ago, I think the thing with KJ, you’d say, ‘He can run and he can throw the deep ball,’ I’m not saying Milroe can’t make every throw, I’m saying he’s fantastic at the deep ball. And they’ve put some quarterback sweeps in,” said Pittman. “When you go back and look at South Florida game, when Milroe didn’t start, versus now, yes, they’re a run-first team.” • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• No. 11 Bama's Burton, Milroe duo lights up Aggies •

• 2023 Bama Sports 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL College Station, Texas Jalen Milroe passed for a career-high 321 yards and Jermain Burton caught two touchdown passes as No. 11 Alabama beat Texas A&M 26-20 on Saturday to take control of the SEC West. Burton had nine catches for 197 yards for the Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference). Milroe, the Texas native, completed 21 of 33 passes and was sacked six times. The Aggies (4-2, 2-1) got within one score when coach Jimbo Fisher elected to have Randy Bond kick a 20-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining, but Alabama recovered an ensuing onside kick and moved the chains for a first down to run out the clock. Max Johnson, who took over as the starting quarterback after an injury to Conner Weigman two weeks ago, passed for 239 yards and a touchdown for Texas A&M. The Aggies upset Alabama in the Tide's last trip to College Station - with a backup quarterback in Zach Calzada - but this time couldn't overcome some key mistakes. The Crimson Tide's Caleb Downs intercepted a pass in the third quarter two plays after A&M got an interception of its own. Alabama's Chris Braswell blocked A&M's 42-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter and returned it for an apparent touchdown, only to have the score wiped out by a penalty. The Crimson Tide got a safety to push its lead to 26-17 with 5:48 to play when a heavy pass rush forced Max Johnson into an intentional grounding foul in the end zone. The two teams traded field goals in the first quarter. Alabama took a 10-3 lead on the first play of the second quarter on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to Isaiah Bond. The Aggies responded with a 22-yard touchdown from Max Johnson to his brother, Jake, with 9:57 left in the half, and later took a 17-10 lead on Le'Veon Moss' 1-yard touchdown run with 3:23 left in the half. The Takeaway: Alabama: The Crimson Tide now controls its own destiny in the SEC West as the only team unbeaten in the conference. Alabama was picked to win the division in the league's preseason media poll. Texas A&M: The Aggies' three-game winning streak was snapped and again, they'll need help to reach Atlanta for the SEC championship for the first time. Poll Implications: Alabama is searching to get back into the top-10 after it dropped from No. 3 in Week 2 to as low as No. 13 in Week 4. A&M was receiving votes in this week's poll, but will remain outside the Top-25 after a loss. Up Next: Alabama returns home next Saturday to host Arkansas. A&M hits the road to face Tennessee. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Downs Selected as Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama safety Caleb Downs was selected as the Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Tuesday. The honor is Downs' second of the week following his standout performance at Mississippi State last weekend. The Hoschton, Ga., native was also selected as the Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday morning. Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week: Caleb Downs Finished with a season-high 13 tackles as he led the Tide in production points in Starkville. Added his first career interception, returning the pick 11 yards. Currently leads Alabama in tackles with 40 stops on the season. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Alabama DB previews Texas A&M trash talk: • • ‘You know what Coach Saban wants, huh? •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Keep an eye out for Texas A&M’s No. 0 this Saturday. After an incompletion or tackle, look for an Alabama defensive back to share some words with Aggies wideout Ainias Smith. Tide cornerback Terrion Arnold said Tuesday he may saunter up to Smith following a play and ask rhetorically: “You know what (Nick) Saban wants, huh? Dang. What he want?” Arnold is referring to part of Smith’s comments that he made on Monday. Smith’s older brother Maurice Smith had a public transfer spat with the Crimson Tide and Saban in 2016. Smith detailed how it hurt seeing his older brother treated in a way the family called “very disappointing.” But in a game of social media telephone, Smith’s overall comments were dispersed in clips. The graduate student also talked about quashing No. 10 Alabama’s momentum. In July, Smith said his favorite college memory was scoring two touchdowns in an upset of UA in 2021. So, when Arnold was asked by a reporter about taking comments personally or deploying some smack talk mid-game, Arnold was equally entertaining. “If you had another reporter, and you felt like he was asking you certain types of questions and trying to get a reaction out of somebody else and he was coming at you, how would you take that? So if I’m in the game and he’s saying that he knows what my coach wants, I mean obviously when I go out, I’m going to be like, ‘You know what Coach Saban wants, huh? Dang. What he want?’ “(Smith) plays in the slot primarily. If Malachi (Moore) goes out there and gets a (pass breakup) on him, you walk beside him like, ‘Hmm, you know what he want?’ Just little things like that. Little things, trying to get in somebody’s head.” Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on CBS. Last year’s game between the Aggies (4-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) and Tide had the pregame hype of being the first matchup since Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban’s verbal war. Alabama won 24-20 after a thrilling ending in which Arnold played a major role. “When I seen that I was kind of like, what does coach Saban want? I mean, I’ve been here three years and I don’t know what that guy wants,” joked Arnold. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Saban Previews Texas A&M/Alabama Game •

• 2023 Bama Sports 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Jimbo Fisher previews Alabama/Texas A&M game •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Saban on behavior: ‘Miss Terry told me, to get on their butt’ •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Nick Saban was particularly animated on the sideline throughout Alabama football’s 40-17 win at Mississippi State. He chewed out several players throughout the game, and was livid over what appeared to be mental lapses by the Crimson Tide. Obviously, Alabama was able to soldier on and earn win in Starkville despite the problems. When asked what caused him to be more visibly aggravated on the sideline than usual, Saban jokingly placed the blame on his wife, Terry. “Miss Terry told me if they’re not playing good, to get on their butt,” Saban said. “So I just did what I was told.” The majority of Saban’s sideline outbursts took place in the early parts of Alabama’s win. He was particularly aggravated after center Seth McLaughlin snapped the ball at the wrong time to quarterback Jalen Milroe, causing a fumble that ended a Crimson Tide drive. At halftime of the game, ESPN’s Quint Kessenich asked Saban what had caused the Crimson Tide to improve on the early sloppiness throughout the half. “You didn’t see me get on them over there? Maybe that’s what changed,” Saban said. “I don’t know. You make that call.” Saban acknowledged after the game that the Crimson Tide had things to fix. However, it was still a 40-17 SEC road win, and he focused on the things Alabama can use moving forward. “There’s a lot of good things that we need to build on,” Saban said. “There are signs of the way we played in the second half against Ole Miss, and times that we played in this game tonight, where we just gotta build on that.” • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Saban talks O-Line, Will Rogers & more after Miss. St. win •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football beat Mississippi State 40-17 to move to 4-1 on the season, 2-0 in the SEC Saturday night. It was the Crimson Tide’s first road win of SEC play. The Tide looked like the better team from early on in the game, despite some issues that kept the margin of victory lower than it could have been. After the game, Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with reporters at Davis-Wade Stadium. Here are the highlights from Saban’s postgame press conference. -- Saban says there’s a lot of things Alabama needs to improve on, but he saw plenty good to build on. Says Tide aren’t where they need to be, and players need to continue to try and stack improvements. -- Saban says Alabama didn’t play the run as well as they would have liked to, but defense started and ended the game great. Says offense played “pretty well” -- Says Mississippi State is always a tough game for Alabama. Says the game tonight was physical and tough. -- Saban praises scoring defense and says James Burnip’s punting was helpful, says turnovers were big tonight. -- Says Jalen Milroe is building more confidence and playing better every game. Says the QB will continue to do that as he gains more experience. -- Saban says offensive line played really well. Says Mississippi State’s plugging and stunting were challenging but Tide’s front did well. -- Says Alabama was apprehensive about going under center since it would mean verbal signals would be needed, instead of a clap. Says there’s a place for being under center in short yardage situation. Says it all comes down to executing. -- Saban says Trezman Marshall called signals in Deontae Lawson’s place tonight and he did fine. Says he was happy with Marshall’s performance. -- Says MSU QB Will Rogers is a very good player. Says he’s an outstanding player and Alabama’s defense did a good job not allowing the Bulldogs to have explosive plays, including those that Rogers is capable of. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Grades for Bama's performance in win over Miss. St. •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football earned its second SEC victory of 2023 on Saturday, dispatching Mississippi State 40-17 in Starkville. The Crimson Tide moved to 4-1 on the season with the win and remained undefeated in conference. UA plays Texas A&M on the road Saturday. As the Crimson Tide moves on to that game, here are our grades from the MSU win. Offense: B- The Crimson Tide certainly showed positive signs. Quarterback Jalen Milroe parted the defense on the way to a 53-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, and the run game in general was solid. Milroe also made some nice throws. Amari Niblack had an excellent game at tight end, leading all Alabama receivers with 61 yards on three catches. The offensive line also had one of its best games of the season. However, that group still has more to work on, as does the entire offense. The Tide had one fumble caused by a miscommunication on a snap and saw several drives that seemed destined for touchdowns stall out into field goals. This was a good performance, but not a great one. Defense: A The Alabama defense has been the team’s bedrock all season. The group allowed just 17 points against Mississippi State, and looked dominant much of the way. The Crimson Tide had three interceptions off Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers. It also made two stops on fourth down to get the ball back for the offense. UA was without its regular defensive signal-caller, inside linebacker Deontae Lawson. In his place, Jihaad Campbell and Trezman Marshall both played solid games, with Campbell collecting one of Alabama’s interceptions. Overall, Saturday’s game was as dominant performance by an excellent group. Special teams: B+ James Burnip might be Alabama’s best player. That’s not hyperbole, nor is it a slight against anyone else on the team. The Australian-born punter is just that good. He hit three punts, averaging 53.3 yards per kick and landed his first boot inside the Mississippi State one-yard line. Will Reichard was also good at kicker, hitting four field goals including two from 48 yards. Unfortunately for Alabama, the two kickers weren’t the only part of special teams. The Crimson Tide loses points for a mental error by punt returner Kool-Aid McKinstry. McKinstry fielded MSU’s first punt around the 50-yard line when it was clear he should have fair caught it. Coaching: A- Alabama came to Starkville and executed its game plan. Saban was visibly angry on the sideline at times throughout the game, but most of the issues eventually got worked out. As in most games, there were things fans could quibble with. But in a 40-17 win on the road in the SEC, those were relatively minor. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Bama to be without starting LB against Mississippi St. •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama’s linebacker depth has reportedly reached the “critical” situation head coach Nick Saban foreshadowed. Days before the Crimson Tide are set to play Mississippi State, multiple outlets confirmed that starting middle linebacker and signal-caller Deontae Lawson will be unavailable. Saban said on Wednesday both Lawson and guard Terrence Ferguson didn’t practice and were “very questionable” for the Tide’s road conference opener. BamaCentral’s Austin Hannon was the first to report Lawson’s impending absence on Thursday night. ESPN’s Chris Low confirmed and said Lawson’s ankle sprain could cause the redshirt sophomore to miss multiple games. If true, Lawson will be the first starting player the Tide has lost to injury this season for an extended period of time, testing UA’s depth chart. Lawson is No. 12 Alabama’s (3-1, 1-0 SEC) second-leading tackler, with his 26 just one behind Caleb Downs’ 27. The Tide defense has allowed 13 points across the last eight quarters following a home loss against Texas. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• WR Emerging Into Bigger Role with Alabama Offense •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL A third of the way through the regular season, players are starting to settle into their roles on offense for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Jalen Milroe has cemented his job as the starting quarterback. Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams are clearly the top-two running backs Alabama plans on utilizing, and the offensive line is continuing to take shape, (but may see some changes in Week 5 because of injuries.) Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond have been the top two receivers for the Tide through four games, plus Alabama has seen more intergration of tight ends under Tommy Rees with Amari Niblack, CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts. However, in Alabama's win over Ole Miss it was a player some might be less familiar with that sparked the second-half turnaround and finally got Alabama in the end zone. Freshman wide receiver Jalen Hale caught a 33-yard dart from Milroe in the back of the end zone to score his first career touchdown. It was his second catch of 30+ yards in the game. Every Alabama signing class is flush with talent, but Hale was the highest-rated receiver in the Tide's 2023 class and has seen an increased role in the Alabama offense over the last two weeks. He made his first career catch in the closing minutes of the season-opening victory over Middle Tennessee, but didn't really see playing time in that game until the starters were taken out. Even though he didn't record a catch in the game, the young receiver started to see more first-team reps in the win at USF before playing 19 snaps against Ole Miss, coming up with two key catches, including the touchdown that gave Alabama its first two-score lead. "He did a good job, made some big plays," Saban said. "I think the big thing with Jalen being a young player is, you’ve got to know what to do on every play so you can go play fast and do your job. So we need to work hard with him to try to get him to where he needs to be and make sure that he’s out there playing with confidence and a good understanding of the overall system of what we’re trying to get done on each and every play." Hale's larger role is not a surprise to his older teammates. Senior defensive back Malachi Moore first started noticing Hale over the summer. "He’s been coming along very well,” Moore said. “I’m excited for him. I think he’s gonna be a great player for us.” On the season, Hale has 3 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. His work ethic was a consistent refrain from teammates when describing Hale. It has stood out to both Kool-Aid McKinstry and Milroe. "Jalen Hale has had a great offseason since he's been here," Milroe said. "I think the biggest thing from Jalen is how hungry he's been. And then just trying to get better. For all of us, just trying to get one percent better. Jalen Hale has done a great job for us. He's a great component for our offense, and I'm looking forward to see what else he can do for our offense." He could have a big day for the Tide offense this weekend. Alabama travels to Mississippi State this Saturday for its first SEC road game of the season. The Bulldogs have one of the worst passing defenses in the, allowing 280 yards per game through the air. In its first two SEC games, the Bulldog defense has allowed the opposing to starting quarterbacks to complete 48 of 54 passes (an 89% completion percentage.) Milroe has a lot of weapons at his disposal, and the Crimson Tide offensive players have talked about being more balanced on offense, but this weekend's matchup figures to be a good opportunity for the passing game and receivers like Hale. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Second Half Surge Pushes Alabama Past Ole Miss, 24-10 •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL The Crimson Tide (3-1, 1-0 SEC) collected 241 of its 356 total yards of offense and outscored the Rebels (3-1, 0-1) 18-3 in the second half en route to the team's eight consecutive win in the series. Jalen Milroe returned to his starting role at quarterback and played impressively, connecting on 17-of-21 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown through the air. Wide receivers Jalen Hale and Jermaine Burton led the team in receiving as each finished with a pair of catches for 63 and 62 yards, respectively. Meanwhile, Jase McClellan became the second Alabama running back in as many weeks to eclipse the century mark for yards rushing, finishing with 105 on 17 carries (6.2 yards per carry). Alabama was led on defensive by Terrion Arnold, who finished with eight tackles, including six solo stops, an interception and a pair of quarterback hurries. Dallas Turner had another big game with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, while Chris Braswell and Tim Smith each recorded 1.5 sacks in the contest. Notes: Alabama was dominate on both sides of the ball in the second half as the Tide racked up 241 yards of total offense compared to 148 total yards by Ole Miss after intermission. As a result, the Crimson Tide outscored the Rebels 18-3 over the final two quarters of play for the come-from-behind win. With the victory, Alabama secured its eighth consecutive win over Ole Miss. During that stretch, Alabama has outscored Ole Miss, 394-187 (49.3-23.4 ppg). Over its last eight quarters (two games), the Alabama defense has held the opponents to 13 total points, giving up just two field goals and a touchdown over the stretch. Head coach Nick Saban improved to 29-3 in 32 all-time games when facing one of his former assistant coaches while at Alabama, including a perfect 6-0 mark against Lane Kiffin. Freshman wide receiver Jalen Hale caught is first career touchdown pass, a 33-yard strike from Jalen Milroe in the third quarter. Place kicker Will Reichard moved into a tie for 13th on the NCAA all-time scoring list with 454 points which include his six points on the day (three extra points and a field goal) How It Happened: First Quarter: 06:57- UA | After an 11-play 61-yard drive, Will Reichard got Alabama on the board with a 48-yard field goal. 03:55- OM | The game's first touchdown came with Jaxson Dart's 10-yard rushing touchdown after a seven-play, 75-yard drive in 3:02 Second Quarter: 05:42 - UA | Alabama took advantage of a blocked punt as Reichard connected on his second field goal, this one from 40-yards out. Third Quarter: 11:09 - UA | The second half started with a 23-yard field goal from Reichard to give UA the lead to cap off a nine-play 70-yard drive in 3:51. 06:29 - UA | The Tide's first touchdown of the contest came when Jalen Milroe found Jalen Hale for a 33-yard reception finishing out a six-play 59-yard drive. The ensuing two-point conversion by Ty Simpson was good, giving UA a 17-10 advantage. Fourth Quarter: 12:10 - UA | Jase McClellan found the endzone crossing the goal line from eight yards out to finish off a six-play 75-yard drive. Up Next: Alabama returns to the road, this time traveling to Starkville, Miss. to take on Mississippi State Saturday, Sept. 30. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are scheduled for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium with the game airing live on ESPN. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Saban responds to Kiffin’s on Bama's defense •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin doubled down on his accusation that Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele wasn't calling plays for the Crimson Tide during their 17-3 win over South Florida last Saturday. Kiffin told reporters Monday that he wasn't attempting to make waves when he said Sunday that it appeared that defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson had taken over playcalling duties after Alabama's loss to Texas -- something Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban had not announced. Ole Miss travels to play Alabama on Saturday. Kiffin has enjoyed playing mind games with Alabama head coach Nick Saban since he left his job as offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa. Sunday’s comments certainly would qualify. On Monday, ahead of Alabama’s Saturday game against Ole Miss at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Saban mentioned Kiffin’s comments during his opening statement. He emphasized that Steele is in charge. “Kevin Steele is the defensive coordinator,” Saban said. “He has all the defensive coordinator responsibilities. The only thing that we tried to improve on from an administrative standpoint was gameday administration of getting the signals in quicker. So that’s the only thing that we worked on together as a staff. The whole staff made a contribution to it and I think it was a lot better in this game than it was in the Texas game.” • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• No. 10 Alabama overcomes slow start to down USF •

• 2023 Bama Sports 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Ty Simpson helped No. 10 Alabama shrug off a slow start and beat South Florida. What wasn't certain Saturday was whether the third-stringer played well enough to become the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback. Simpson came off the bench and led two long touchdown drives, while Roydell Williams paced a productive rushing attack with 129 yards and a TD. As a result, the Crimson Tide (2-1) rebounded from a 10-point loss to Texas and improved to 14-1 in games following a regular-season loss since 2008. To do it, though, Alabama had to overcome inconsistent quarterback play and several costly mistakes that kept USF (1-2) in the game. The Bulls led 3-0 when lightning delayed play for 55 minutes in the second quarter, and it was 3-3 at halftime. "I know you're going to ask about the quarterbacks, but we're going to evaluate (them) on how they played today and evaluate Jalen Milroe on how he played (in two starts)," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. "We'll decide this week who gives us the best opportunity to be successful as an offensive team, and that's the way we'll go." Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner started at quarterback for Alabama in place of Milroe, a duel-threat redshirt sophomore who lost his grip on the No. 1 job after the offense sputtered in the previous week's 34-24 loss. Buchner wasn't any more effective, completing just five of 14 passes for 34 yards before Saban turned to Simpson when linebacker Dallas Turner forced a USF fumble to set up Alabama at the Bulls 25 after the weather delay. Simpson turned the turnover into Will Reichard's 30-yard field goal that made it 3-3. He finally got the Crimson Tide in the end zone, using a 45-yard completion to C.J. Dippre to fuel a six-play, 84-yard drive that Roydell Williams finished with a 1-yard TD run for a 10-3 lead with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter. "I know we struggled a little bit on offense," Saban said. "We ran the ball fairly well, better in the second half than we did in the first. I'm really proud of our players for the way they competed. I need to do a better job of getting them ready to play in games like this. We were a little flat in the beginning, but after the rain delay I thought we competed better." Alabama hurt itself early, with Kool-Aid McKinstry's losing a fumble on a first-quarter punt return to set up John Cannon's 44-yard field goal for USF and Jeremiah Alexander's holding penalty that wiped out what would have been Terrion Arnold's 100-yard return for a TD on the ensuing kickoff. Simpson finished 5 of 9 passing for 73 yards without an interception. He capped the victory by ending an an 11-play, 80-yard drive in the closing minutes with a 1-yard TD run. Alabama amassed 203 yards on the ground, with Jase McClellan gaining 70 of his 74 yards in the first half. "I know we've got the SEC (conference play) coming up next week and obviously we've got a lot of things to fix and we'll work on it," Saban said. "We've had four touchdowns this season negated by penalties. A kickoff return today, a touchdown run today and two last week. We need to fix all those things." Byrum Brown completed 14 of 28 passes for 87 yards and one interception for USF. He also ran for a team-leading 97 yards on 23 attempts as the Bulls gained 177 on the ground. USF's lone scoring drive covered four yards. "There are no moral victories. Valiant efforts are for losers. Moral victories are for losers," USF coach Alex Golesh said. "That's what losers say: `Winners win,'" Golesh added. "So, there are no moral victories, there are no valiant efforts, there are no anything, We played winning football on defense, we played well enough (defensively) to win that football game." • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• SEC BAMA-NATION Staff Picks For Week 3 Of Season •

• 2023 Bama Sports 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL We’re getting started with conference play in college football in 2023, and BAMA-NATION’s staff picks are here. Though Alabama and Auburn have one last non-conference date before we get into the meat of the schedule, there are three SEC vs. SEC games on the docket. Scroll along below to find out how various AL.com sports staffers see this week’s games playing out. We’ve also given predicted scores for this week’s Alabama and Auburn games. On with this week’s picks (all times Eastern and all games Saturday unless noted): LSU (-9.5) at Mississippi State, 12 p.m., ESPN - (Bamabuc - LSU) - (Staff - LSU) Kansas State (-5.5) at Missouri, 12 p.m., SEC Network - (Bamabuc - KSU) - (Staff - MO) South Carolina (+27.5) at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS - (Bamabuc - UGA) - (Staff - UGA) Tennessee (-7.5) at Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN - (Bamabuc - UT) - (Staff - UF) Vanderbilt (-3.5) at UNLV, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network - (Bamabuc - VANDY) - (Staff - VANDY) BYU (+10.5) at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 - (Bamabuc - ARK) - (Staff - ARK - 2 For BYU) Samford (no line) at Auburn, 7 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+ - (Bamabuc - AU) - (Staff - AU) Alabama (-31.5) at South Florida, 2:30 p.m., ABC - (Bamabuc - UA) - (Staff - UA -1 For USF) • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •

• Football Needs to Fix Pass Rush Heading into USF Game •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 •  Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama lost one of its most prolific pass-rushers in program history with Will Anderson Jr. off to the NFL with the third overall pick. But like usual under Nick Saban, it's not rebuilding, but just reloading at a position. And at the edge position, Alabama has a slew of talented guys including Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell and Quandarrius Robinson. The Crimson Tide had three sacks in the season opener against Middle Tennessee, but finished the game in Saturday's loss against Texas with zero sacks and just two tackles for loss. But sacks and quarterback pressure is not just the responsibility of edge rusher. The success of rattling a quarterback hinges on the ability of every part of the defense to do its job. The line has to create the initial pressure up front, defensive backs have to be in good coverage of their man so that the quarterback doesn't have anywhere to turn to, and the edge rushers create pressure and finish the play. Alabama also sometimes dials up blitzes that utilize defensive backs as part of the blitz package. Kool-Aid McKinstry recorded one of Alabama's sack's in the first game. There were times Alabama got close to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and disrupted a few plays, but ultimately never enough to record the sack or force a turnover. The lack of pressure allowed Ewers to throw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. After getting knocked out of the contest a season ago by a hard hit from Turner, the Longhorn quarterback was barely touched all night. And it was a big part of why Alabama lost, letting Ewers connect on way to many explosive play's. To put it plain and simple the O put the D in many untenable positions all night! • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •