3 takeaways from Alabama’s routine, yet dominant win over Mercer
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Alabama dismantled Mercer Saturday afternoon to the surprise of absolutely nobody on Planet Earth. But it was a great day in Tuscaloosa. Alabama stayed healthy, Ryan Williams and Co. did their thing and the Crimson Tide are 2 wins away from a likely spot in the College Football Playoff. More on that later.
The starters were completely fazed out of this one by the 4th quarter. Ty Simpson earned some strong minutes and put the finishing touches on a 52-7 win, improving the Tide to 8-2 on the year.
Here are 3 quick takeaways from Alabama’s dominant performance.
“Did you know Ryan Williams is only 17 years old?”
The section heading for this one tells you all you need to know. Ryan Williams is still really young, and he’s still absolutely cooking anyone he comes into contact with on the football field.
This time around, OC Nick Sheridan got Williams involved on the ground. The freshman phenom took a handoff 29 yards for a touchdown, very nearly untouched.
: ABC pic.twitter.com/wkGuy618EV
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 16, 2024
He also hauled in a receiving touchdown, though it looked quite similar to his rushing score from earlier. Just get Williams the ball in space, sit back and watch:
Not touchin’ ✌️@Ryanwms1
: ABC pic.twitter.com/r0yryaVGbq
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 16, 2024
Williams was out of the game by the end of the first half. He totaled 3 receptions for 36 yards.
Tide dominant on 3rd, 4th down
Alabama was completely overbearing on both sides of the ball, especially on 3rd and 4th down.
For starters, the Tide offense finished 11-17 on 3rd and 4th down combined, and impressive 8-14 on 3rd and 3-3 on 4th down. Stop me if this shocks you, but Mercer had absolutely no answer for the rushing threat of Alabama mixed with Jalen Milroe’s ability as a passer.
On the defensive end it was even more lopsided. Mercer completed just 1 of its 8 attempts on 3rd down. The Bears, wisely, never attempted to convert a 4th down.
It’s impossible to say enough good things about what Jihaad Campbell does for this Alabama defense. He had 9 tackles and 1 sack on Saturday and performed as well as any Alabama defender.
One down, 2 to go
Alabama is very likely 2 wins away from a spot in the College Football Playoff. If the season ended today the Tide would be in the field, and Alabama’s resume is as impressive as there is in college football right now with wins over Georgia, South Carolina, Mizzou and LSU.
In a scenario where Tennessee and Alabama were in contention for a spot, you could see an argument either way. The committee has proven before that head-to-head just does not matter as much as some believe it should in these scenarios, which would favor the Tide.
Auburn and Oklahoma stand in the way for Alabama. Win out, and the Tide should be in great shape.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
