Ad Disclosure
Rapid Reaction: Tide roll over Florida as Cooper sets Bama receiver TD record
By Jason Hall
Published:
Here are a couple quick thoughts on No. 2 Alabama’s dominant 42-21 win over Florida:
What it means: Alabama further asserted itself as the top team in the SEC. The Tide rolled to a convincing win against SEC competition after opening the season with questionable results. Alabama looked strong with a dominant performance on both sides of the football. Lane Kiffin’s offense seems to be a perfect fit for the Tide, forcing Florida to allow a school-worst 645 yards for a single-game.
What I liked: Blake Sims established himself as an elite starting quarterback. Sims has progressed each game and saw a career-high 445 yards and four touchdowns on 23-of-33 passing. The senior brings a dynamic that’s unfamiliar to both Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin’s schemes. Despite both coaches historically relying on pro-style, rather than dual-threat quarterbacks, Sims has flourished in Alabama’s offense as an elusive passer and runner.
Who’s the man: Amari Cooper. The junior set the Alabama school record for touchdowns by a wide receiver (20) with three in Saturday’s win. Cooper added 201 yards on 10 catches to average 20.1 yards per catch. He surpassed last season’s touchdown total on Saturday and is 81 yards and two catches from doing the same in those categories during the Tide’s next matchup. Cooper is also starting to get serious Heisman buzz as he continues to dominate secondaries with ease.
Key Plays: Landon Collins’ interception in the fourth quarter. With Alabama up two scores, the Tide already held momentum. The turnover officially sealed the game as Alabama added another touchdown to move ahead 42-14. A 3-yard run by Derrick Henry provided Alabama with a 28-21 lead in the third quarter, which was held for the remainder of the contest.
What’s next: Alabama enters its bye week before traveling to Oxford on Oct. 4 to face No. 10 Ole Miss. Florida also faces a bye week before traveling to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Oct. 4.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
