There was discussion all week about how Notre Dame had believed to have closed the gap against Alabama. But after the first half of the Rose Bowl, it seems as if that isn’t true.
Especially on offense.
Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones had his way with the secondary of the Fighting Irish as offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian dialed up play after play helping Jones find a wide-open receiver. Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith are making it tough on the Heisman Trophy voters as each one put up huge numbers in the first half.
And running back Najee Harris is making his case as one of the big snubs for the Heisman finalist with a flashy hurdle on the team’s second drive of the game.
Alabama’s offensive leaders in the first half:
Mac Jones: 14/16 182 yards 3 touchdowns
Najee Harris: 7 carries 93 yards
DeVonta Smith: 5 catches 101 yards 2 touchdowns
Defensively, things appeared to be looking up for the Crimson Tide as it put in a strong performance after a bit of a mixed bag against Florida.
Although the pass rush hasn’t quite gotten to Ian Book, keeping him in the pocket on all of his pass plays has kept the Fighting Irish from picking up back-breaking conversions.
The Irish picked things up in the run game as the half continued, imposing its will on the offensive line which ended in a well-earned touchdown. It will be interesting to find out if head coach Brian Kelly will be willing to stick with that strategy especially if his defense can’t slow down the Crimson Tide offensive attack.
Alabama’s defensive leaders in the first half:
Josh Jobe: 5 tackles 1 forced fumble
DeMarcco Hellams: 5 tackles
Will Anderson: 4 tackles
Alabama leads Notre Dame 21-7 at the half.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
