After an impressive 41-0 win over Mississippi State, the Alabama coaching staff set a season-high in selected players for the team’s weekly layers of the week honor.
A total of eighteen players were named this week which included DeVonta Smith and Evan Neal on offense, Jase McClellan and Will Reichard on special teams along with every player who saw the field on defense for Alabama against the Bulldogs.
The defensive members who were recognized were Christopher Allen, Will Anderson Jr., Christian Barmore, Brian Branch, DJ Dale, Christian Harris, DeMarcco Hellams, Josh Jobe, Phidarian Mathis, Malachi Moore, Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II, Daniel Wright and Byron Young.
OFFENSE
Evan Neal
- Anchored an Alabama offensive front that opened holes for 208 yards rushing and 5.2 yards per carry against a Mississippi State defense that was tops in the conference
- Did not allow a sack or a quarterback pressure as Mac Jones completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns
- Cleared a path for Najee Harris’ 119 yards on 21 carries
- Graded out at 100 percent on his assignments and did not commit a penalty against the Bulldogs
DeVonta Smith
- Recorded 11 catches for 203 yards and four touchdowns
- Averaged 18.5 yards per catch with touchdowns of 35, 53, 11 and 10 yards
- Eight of his receptions converted an Alabama first down, including four explosive plays of 30 yards or more
- Marked his second 200-plus yard performance as a member of the Crimson Tide
DEFENSE
Crimson Tide Defensive Unit
- Limited the Bulldogs to only 200 yards of offense in the shutout effort on Halloween
- Stopped the MSU air-raid attack, forcing the Bulldog quarterbacks into a 28-of-48 night that included two interceptions and totaled just 163 yards
- Also held State to just 37 yards on the ground
- Dominated in the first half, limiting State to only 38 yards of offense, which marked the fewest yards allowed in the first half by a UA defense since 2016
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jase McClellan
- Played a key role in limiting MSU to zero yards on punt returns
- Also helped limit the Bulldogs to 72 yards on kickoff return
Will Reichard
- Stayed perfect for the year, connecting on both his field goal attempts
- Contributed 11 points with his five PATs in addition to his three-point kicks from 40 and 24 yards away
- Added seven kickoffs for 419 yards to average 59.9 yards per boot with two touchbacks
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
