Dynasty over? Nick Saban, Crimson Tide prove there’s gas left in their elite tank
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Well, that was quite a response to anyone saying Alabama’s glory days had come and gone. The Crimson Tide rolled into Athens on a rainy Saturday afternoon and dominated Georgia to send a message that Bama is still in the mix for both SEC and national titles.
5 TAKEAWAYS
• This was Alabama’s most complete game: Offense, defense and special teams. There wasn’t a weak link. The Tide scored in a multitude of ways and avoided mistakes that had hurt them in the early weeks of the season.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick is going to be a big star: He’s been good all year, but Saturday was the kind of game that makes everyone take notice. He made big plays on defense and special teams that keyed the huge second quarter.
• Derrick Henry deserves more attention: He’d been overlooked with LSU’s Leonard Fournette running wild and Georgia’s Nick Chubb recording 13 100-yard games in a row. But Henry outshined Chubb, particularly if you take away one big run when the game was already decided.
• Jake Coker may have turned a corner: This was the best game of his career. Even though his stats weren’t eye-popping, his decision-making was on point and he even showed some ability to move the ball with his legs.
• Don’t tick the Tide off: Maybe getting in the faces of the Alabama players and trying to instigate a pregame scuffle wasn’t the best move for Georgia.
REPORT CARD
Offense: A — It was an effective balance of running and passing, and the Tide protected the ball in adverse weather conditions. Coker didn’t have an interception and was more effective throwing the deep ball, particularly to freshman Calvin Ridley.
Defense: A — If you take away Chubb’s 83-yard touchdown run, the Bulldogs were essentially unable to move the ball at all. Georgia QB Greyson Lambert was frustrated from the start and Bama easily won the turnover battle.
Special Teams: A+ — Adam Griffith made all his kicks, JK Scott punted like an All-American again, Fitzpatrick’s punt block sparked the blowout and the coverage units limited Georgia’s “Human Joystick” Isaiah McKenzie to three total return yards.
Coaching: A+ — Every issue that had plagued the Tide in earlier games was addressed and corrected. Every scheme and playcall seemed to confuse Georgia, and Alabama was certainly in the right frame of mind coming in. This was a masterpiece by Nick Saban and Co.
Overall: A — It was close to a perfect performance. If the Tide hadn’t allowed Chubb’s touchdown run it would have been an A+.
GAME PLAN
Saban said postgame it was important to keep the Bulldogs off balance early and not let them get a lead, especially in the wet weather. Mission accomplished. The Georgia quarterbacks were under pressure from the start, and Chubb had major trouble finding holes early on. Alabama proved it could move the ball through the air and kept the Georgia defense on its heels. By the second half, the Tide was able to grind it out with Henry on the ground and cruise home.
GAME BALLS
DB Minkah Fitzpatrick: His punt block was the play of the game, but he also added a sack and broke up a pass. He was a big-play machine, and people are going to point to this performance when he gets All-SEC votes at the end of the season.
WR Calvin Ridley: This was the kind of game the Tide had been waiting for from the freshman wideout. He finished with 120 yards receiving with a touchdown and proved he can be a deep threat.
QB Jake Coker: Henry also deserves a game ball, but we’ll give the third to Coker for the best game of his career. He was exactly what Alabama needed, completing 11 of 16 passes for 190 yards without a turnover.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
