The Alabama coaching staff selected 11 players of the week following the Crimson Tide’s comeback win at then-No. 11/11/9 Ole Miss last weekend. Emil Ekiyor Jr., Jase McClellan and Bryce Young on offense; Will Anderson Jr., Brian Branch, DeMarcco Hellams, Henry To’oTo’o and Byron Young on defense; and James Burnip, Malachi Moore and Will Reichard on special teams were all selected for their efforts in Oxford.
OFFENSE
Emil Ekiyor Jr.
- Helped the Crimson Tide control the line of scrimmage for the final two-and-a-half quarters of play in Oxford
- Did not allow a sack or quarterback hit on 33 pass attempts
- Recorded a team-best three knockdown blocks in the running game
Jase McClellan
- Took on the lead running back role for the Tide and excelled against the Rebels
- Rushed a career-high 19 times for 84 yards, including a tone-setting 12-yard run where he broke tackles and carried defenders for a first down
- Added one reception out of the backfield
Bryce Young
- Orchestrated an Alabama comeback on the road, overcoming a 10-point deficit at two separate points on the day for the eventual win
- Threw for three touchdowns and 209 yards on 21-of-33 passing
- Also rushed seven times for 27 yards, converting a pair of first downs across his four true rushes
DEFENSE
Will Anderson Jr.
- Provided consistent pressure up front all afternoon
- Finished with four tackles, including one sack (-7 yards)
Brian Branch
- Was flying all over the field against the Rebels
- Totaled eight tackles, including a team-high tying two for loss (-6 yards)
- Also added a game-saving pass breakup on Ole Miss’ fourth down play with under a minute to go
DeMarcco Hellams
- Made numerous key stops in the run game to stop the Rebels from big gains
- Tied for the team lead in tackles with 11 by day’s end
Henry To’oTo’o
- Recorded seven tackles from his middle linebacker post
- Directed an Alabama defense that limited the high-powered Ole Miss offense to just seven points after half
Byron Young
- Dominated up front in the return to his home state
- Tied for the team lead in tackles with a career-high 11, including two sacks (-9 yards)
- Added two quarterback pressures, a pass breakup and forced a fumble to his stat line
SPECIAL TEAMS
James Burnip
- Called on to punt four times for 176 yards
- Averaged 44.0 yards per boot with a long of 51
- Dropped one kick inside the Rebels’ 20 and did not allow a return on any of his kicks
Malachi Moore
- Posted one tackle on kickoff coverage, downing the Ole Miss returner at the 15-yard line just before half to send the Tide to the locker room with momentum
- Also saw time in the defensive secondary on the afternoon
Will Reichard
- Totaled 12 points to help the Tide come away with the victory over the 11th-ranked Rebels
- Connected on all three PATs along with a trio of field goal attempts, hitting from 39, 23 and 49 yards
- Also kicked off seven times for 430 yards with two touchbacks
**This information was acquired from a recent press release from Alabama Athletics.**
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