Grading Alabama football’s ugly South Carolina win
Alabama football’s Saturday win over South Carolina was closer than most Crimson Tide fans would have preferred. UA sealed the game on the final play, when Domani Jackson intercepted a heave from USC’s LaNorris Sellers to preserve the 27-25 victory.
A win is a win in the SEC, especially when you’re coming off a loss to Vanderbilt. Still the Tide showed some major flaws against the Gamecocks.
Here are our grades for Saturday’s effort.
Offense: C-
The offense got the job done. With the chips on the line, Jalen Milroe found Germie Bernard on third down for a touchdown that ended up as the winning score.
But it was an imperfect effort from Alabama. The Crimson Tide once again struggled to sustain drives at times, but it also didn’t have as much of the home run punch that defined its offense in the first several games of the season.
Milroe threw two ugly interceptions that made the effort look even worse. Protection was suspect at times, and Milroe was sacked four times.
Just like the rest of the team, Alabama got the job done offensively. But it wasn’t pretty.
Defense: C
Jackson made the play that mattered. As the clock ticked down, he tracked down a Sellers pass deep, and picked it off, then ran out the clock.
But that came after a struggle of a second half for Alabama. The Tide couldn’t get off the field on third down, for the second game in a row, which made things far more difficult than they needed to be.
Alabama also had trouble stopping a mobile quarterback for the second game in a row, and had some key coverage busts. There’s issues that need to be fixed going forward, with Tennessee up next.
Special teams: D
Not great. Other than James Burnip, who was excellent, as usual, and the only thing keeping the Alabama special teams from an outright “F.”
However, the Crimson Tide had multiple chances to fall on South Carolina’s onside kick and end the game, but couldn’t capitalize. There’s also the penalties.
Malachi Moore was offsides on Burnip’s post-safety kick. The Tide also lost 12 yards on an unnecessary roughness call in the first half that backed the UA offense up and had a hand in causing Milroe’s intentional grounding penalty safety in the end zone.
The Tide has had multiple special teams gaffes this season. Those have to stop.
Overall: C-
Alabama won the game. For that, it gets a passing grade, albeit not one most would rush home to show their parents.
The Crimson Tide has flaws that could be fatal when it faces more difficult opponents. But it got the win Saturday, and that’s not nothing.