A little over 6 minutes had been played and Alabama already had scored an offensive touchdown, a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown against Louisiana-Monroe.

It had a 21-0 lead and had already surpassed its point total from last week’s escape-act victory at Texas.

It looked aggressive, reinvigorated and hell-bent on showing its home fans that it had moved past its Lone Star State struggles and was getting on with life as the No. 2 team in the land. A few minutes later, Bryce Young twisted and turned his way for a 7-yard touchdown run, Bama was up 28-0 and had scored every way imaginable in a little over 10 minutes of angry, possessed football at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The final score would end up being 63-7, and Alabama’s winning streak against nonconference opponents in the regular season had been extended to 55 in predictably easy fashion. Interestingly and ironically, it was the Warhawks who handed the Tide their last nonconference regular-season loss, way back in Nick Saban’s first season, in a 21-14 victory at Bryant-Denny in 2007.

Saban recently admitted he hadn’t forgotten about that embarrassing loss. That 2007 Tide team went just 7-6, but it was only 2 years later that Saban turned the Tide into national champions.

And 15 years after Louisiana-Monroe stunned the Tide in Tuscaloosa, the Warhawks were in the wrong place on the wrong day.

Saturday wasn’t a perfect response to the Texas game, by any means.

There were still 3 first-half penalties, including a horse-collar call on Will Anderson Jr. There was an interception by Young on a bad underthrow in the first quarter, and then another Young interception early in the third when he threw behind a receiver. There was a general second-quarter offensive lull, as after its 28-point, first-quarter explosion Bama didn’t score in the second until 52 seconds remained. And there were defensive lapses in that second quarter, as the Tide allowed an 8-play, 57-yard touchdown drive and a 10-play Warhawks march that did finally end with a punt.

The Warhawks controlled the clock for most of the second quarter, and that can’t be glossed over. But the Tide only allowed those 7 points, despite losing the line of scrimmage battle for long stretches.

And by the end of the first half it was 35-7, courtesy of a 93-yard drive took 6 plays and took away a lot of the sour taste of those second-quarter offensive struggles. Young hooked up 3 times on the drive with tight end Cameron Latu, who was making his 2022 home debut after missing the season opener against Utah State. And Young ended the furious drive with a 15-yard TD pass to freshman Amari Niblack. It was the tight end’s first career catch at Alabama and put a fine finishing touch on a first half that started with such vigor and tapered off a touch after the initial, angry outburst.

That first quarter was stacked with highlight-reel stuff, with each unit taking its turn inflicting punishment in a game the Tide were favored in by roughly 50 points.

There was a Young toss to Traeshon Holden for a 33-yard touchdown just 1:48 in.

A 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by Anderson just 4:08 in, the first career pick-6 in Anderson’s already incredible career.

A blocked punt by Ja’Corey Brooks that Malachi Moore scooped up at the Warhawks’ 3-yard line and sauntered in for a score just 6:10 in.

And then the aforementioned TD run by Young that made it 28-0 with 4:21 left in the first.

At that point, 80 points seemed possible on an insanely hot and humid afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

And while it didn’t get to that ridiculous point total, the Tide kept pouring it on in the second half, as expected.

Young found Jahmyr Gibbs on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 8:41 left in the third quarter that made it 42-7. It was also a history-making moment for Young, who tied Mac Jones for 3rd all-time on the Tide’s TD pass list with 57. The versatile Gibbs had another brilliant day, combining for 101 yards rushing and receiving.

The Tide’s defense was determined to not let what happened in the 2nd quarter happen again, forcing the Warhawks to punt 4 times in the 3rd quarter while only allowing 1 first down. This was a night-and-day difference from an ugly 2nd quarter when Louisiana-Monroe moved the ball way too easily.

After the 3rd Warhawks punt came the Roydell Williams Show, as the junior running back literally did it all for the Tide on their next possession, carrying 5 times for 55 yards and capping things off with a 10-yard TD run that made it 49-7 with 4:30 left in the 3rd.

By the time the Tide got the ball back with a few minutes left in the 3rd, most of the starters, including Young, were done for the day.

Saban had seen enough.

And that stinging loss to the Warhawks in 2007 that Saban said helped launch the program to great things had been thoroughly avenged.