TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ Considering that for years the Southeastern Conference has been called the closest thing at the collegiate level that one can get to the National Football League, the following won’t sound particularly odd.
With the University of Alabama’s 52-12 victory over Southern Miss the 3-0 Crimson Tide’s preseason is over. With conference play beginning next week the real schedule now begins.
“Every team that we play is going to be really good for a long stretch of time,” Coach Nick Saban said. “If the teams aren’t ranked in the top 25, they probably deserve to be.”
If there’s been a surprise during No. 3 Alabama’s first three games it’s probably at how little has actually changed during that time period. Led by junior wide receiver Amari Cooper the offense topped 500 yards again Saturday night while the defense kept another opponent out of the end zone.
But senior Blake Sims is still right where he was at the beginning of training camp, starting at quarterback. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns against USM, and also had 46 rushing yards including a 4-yard touchdown run.
Of the seven possessions he led against the Golden Eagles (1-2) one ended with a punt and on another Alabama ran the clock out to halftime. The other five all resulted in touchdowns, beginning with Cooper’s 22-yard score that moved him into a tie for the second-most career touchdown receptions in Crimson Tide history (with DJ Hall, 2006, one behind Donnie Homan’s 18 from 1964-67).
“He just knows how to be around the ball at the right time,” said Sims, while adding that Cooper wasn’t the primary target on many of his receptions.
That’s also what occurred on Sims’ other touchdown pass, to Brian Vogler, the first caught by a tight end this season.
“I was just a lucky guy in the right spot,” Vogler said. “I heard this guy yelling out, ‘I’ve got the tight end,’ next thing you know he bumps into somebody and falls down. I get my head around as fast as I can and there’s the ball.
“It’s great to get that first one off my chest.”
For the season, Sims has completed 48 of 64 passes (75.0 percent) for 646 yards and four touchdowns. He has yet to be sacked, had just one pass intercepted, and his passer-efficiency rating of 177.29 is better than AJ McCarron’s in 2012 when he led the nation in that statistical category.
“Better job at the game-management part of it, and he’s done a pretty good job with the decisions that he makes,” Saban said about Sims. “He has a lot of confidence right now.”
Junior Jacob Coker led a 99-yard touchdown drive and completed 5 of 7 passes for 46 yards, but for the second straight week had a red-zone miscue that resulted in a sack. This time he was looking for tight end O.J. Howard in the end zone, but Alabama still managed a field goal.
For the season Coker’s 20 of 31 (64.5) for 248 yards and one touchdown, for a 142.36 efficiency rating. Saban indicated that the one thing he needs more of is playing experience, yet Alabama not inserting him until it had a 35-9 lead with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter was reflective of where both quarterbacks stand in the competition.
Meanwhile, with running backs T.J. Yeldon (hamstring) and Derrick Henry (shoulder) nursing injuries sophomore Kenyan Drake had a career-high three touchdowns, including two 1-yard dives. While no one had a 100-yard rushing performance, Alabama outgained Southern Miss on the ground 333-56.
Those numbers weren’t significantly influenced by sacks, either. With an improved pass rush Alabama did apply numerous hard hits on Southern Miss quarterback Nick Mullens, but had only one sack.
“I think we’ve taken two big steps the last two weeks building the identity that we want to build,” senior linebacker Trey DePriest said.
Similar to the previous two games Alabama’s defense allowed the opposition to piece together drives into the red zone, but stiffened once inside the 20. Southern Miss opened the game with a 10-play 59-yard possession, and later had an 11-play, 62-yard drive, but just like when it took advantage of a special-teams mishap with a punt hitting Tyren Jones for a fumble, they all had the same result, a field goal.
That was also despite the Alabama secondary being shorthanded. With safety Jarrick Williams already out from a foot fracture, sophomore cornerback Eddie Jackson was sidelined by a quad injury and senior free safety Nick Perry was ejected for targeting.
“I don’t think he did it intentionally, but was it helmet to helmet? It probably was,” Saban said about Perry’s penalty, which by rule will cause him to miss the first half of next week’s game. “I can’t question the call.
“I hate that we lose him, but it’s something that we have to learn from.”
Regardless, ready or not, Alabama opens SEC play next Saturday at home against Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS), with Saban only saying that the quarterback job will remain a week-by-week decision based on who will give the Crimson Tide the best chance to win.
“I leave that to Coach Saban,” Sims said.
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
