No. 3 Alabama (3-0) moves into its SEC schedule with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff against Florida (2-0) on Saturday. Let’s take a look inside some of the numbers.

The Good

  • 7.3 – Blake Sims’ yards per carry. The Alabama starting quarterback has proved a dynamic option under center, giving the Tide athleticism at the position that they haven’t had under Saban. The Gators have been stingy with opposing QBs, holding them to just over 2 yards per carry (including sacks). Sims breaking a big one or picking up another rushing TD would help crack the Gators D.
  • 11 – quarterback hurries by the Tide defense. Nick Saban wanted improvement from his pass rush, and he’s gotten it so far. Alabama had just a single sack against Southern Miss, but had 10 QB hurries. Florida, however, has only allowed 10 hurries all year.
  • 6.2 – Alabama’s yards allowed per carry. Something will have to give here; Alabama is 16th in the country at 6.2 yards per carry, while Florida ranks 13th defensively, giving up 2.4 yards per ground attempt.

The Bad

  • 5 – the number of passes broken up by Vernon Hargreaves, III. The Gators might have the best cornerback in the SEC, and he’ll see plenty of time against the best receiver in the country, Amari Cooper. Blake Sims and Jacob Coker (if he sees significant time) will have to be very careful when throwing at Hargreaves. He doesn’t have an interception yet, but if he keeps getting his hands on balls he’ll snag one eventually.
  • 100 percent – opponents’ red zone scoring against Alabama. Surprisingly, the Tide have allowed a score on all six opponent trips inside the 20 through three games, although only one has resulted in a touchdown. Florida, meanwhile, has scored on 13 of 14 red zone possessions.
  • 0 – interceptions by Alabama’s defense. The Crimson Tide would benefit greatly from changing this total against the Gators. Jeff Driskel and the Florida offense are better than they showed in the first half against Kentucky, and Alabama will need to cut short some drives to thrive.