Alabama secured the bounce-back win it was hoping for on Saturday as the Crimson Tide came out of Starkville, MS with the win over Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide’s success was shared between the offense and defense who both stepped up for big plays in the matchup.
Defensively, Alabama saw a massive game out of outside linebacker Will Anderson who pushed for the unit to get back to its roots as a dominant and disruptive group. Anderson embodied the “Bama Standard” as he was consistently in the face of Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers bringing him down four times on the night.
Alabama’s defense also intercepted Rogers three times on the day. The first came from cornerback Josh Jobe and the next two coming from Jordan Battle who returned one of them for a touchdown.
Offensively, Alabama received an impressive performance from quarterback Bryce Young who completed 20/28 passes for 348 yards and four passing touchdowns. Although there were still a few rough patches throughout the game, the Crimson Tide’s offense eventually found its groove and took advantage of its opportunities in the red zone.
After receiving heavy criticism from last week’s play goals around the goal line, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien fed running back Brian Robinson down where it meant most. This resulted in a pair of short-yardage scores for the senior who finished the day with three total touchdowns.
First Quarter:
-Alabama DB Josh Jobe INT, 12:56
-Alabama QB Bryce Young 46-yard TD pass to WR John Metchie, 10:34
-Miss State K Brandon Ruiz 44 yard FG, 6:52
-Alabama DB Jordan Battle 40-yard INT return for a TD, 3:54
Second Quarter:
-Alabama RB Brian Robinson 1 yard TD run, 3:15
-Miss State K Brandon Ruiz 37-yard FG, 0:59
Alabama goes to the half leading Mississippi State 21-3 and will receive the second half kick.
Third Quarter:
-Alabama QB Bryce Young 75 yard TD pass to Jameson Williams, 14:46
-Mississippi State K Brandon Ruiz 37-yard FG, 10:40
-Alabama QB Bryce Young 51-yard TD pass to RB Brian Robinson, 3:24
4th Quarter
-Alabama RB Brian Robinson 3 yard TD run, 12:37
-Alabama QB Bryce Young 29-yard TD pass to WR Traeshon Holden, 6:20
-Alabama DB Jordan Battle INT, 2:29
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
