Alabama freshman receiver Jaylen Waddle had two touchdown catches and a 63-yard punt return for a score in Saturday's 56-14 dismantling of Louisiana.There was no shortage of near upsets in college football Saturday, with Clemson rallying past Syracuse, Michigan slipping by Northwestern and Texas holding off Kansas State.
Then there was Alabama, which entered Bryant-Denny Stadium as a 49-point favorite over Louisiana and built a 49-0 halftime lead. The top-ranked Crimson Tide racked up 17 first downs and 357 total yards during the first 30 minutes, which resulted in a second half filled with younger players.
Alabama took a 56-0 lead late in the third quarter on a 94-yard touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Mac Jones to freshman receiver Jaylen Waddle before ultimately settling on a 56-14 win.
"I was really pleased with the way our team came out and played today," coach Nick Saban said afterward in a news conference. "We've been working on having an identity as a team in terms of being more physical and playing a little more aggressive and being better balanced on offense, and I thought we did a good job of that.
"Both quarterbacks played really well and executed really well, and our offensive line got a lot of movement. We had four or five backs who did very well, and we still had some explosive plays in the passing game."
Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went 8-for-8 passing for 128 yards and two touchdowns in his short afternoon, while backup Jalen Hurts went 4-for-6 for 118 yards and a score. On third downs this season, Tagovailoa is 18-of-21 for 392 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions for an efficiency rating of 352.51.
The Tide (5-0) also rushed 46 times for 268 yards, a noticeable upgrade over last weekend's 28 carries for 109 yards in their 45-23 triumph over Texas A&M in which Tagovailoa threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters.
"Coach Saban said it best during the week with the RPO (run-pass option) game and everything else like that and how it's just a different game than it used to be," senior center Ross Pierschbacher told reporters. "We've got great skill players on the outside. Tua is really slinging it - all the quarterbacks are. It's just a really talented offense.
"We, as the offensive line, just need to do our job and execute more."
The Tide wound up amassing 608 yards against the Ragin' Cajuns and have surpassed 500 yards in five consecutive games, a first for the storied program. Saturday also marked Alabama's 22nd consecutive home win, two shy of the program mark set from September 1971 to November 1974.
"That wasn't built in a week or a month or a couple of months or even a year," Louisiana coach and former Tide assistant Billy Napier said of Alabama. "That was built in several years. There are a lot of talented players over there, and it's not just the players but the coaches. There is great leadership at the top, and there is tremendous leadership at the university, so what you see out there is a product of a lot of people's hard work.
"There are a lot of people who you don't even know, but they work every day in that building. They make a difference in that team and that program."
Waddle scored the first three touchdowns of his Tide career, two via receptions and one on a 63-yard punt return. Saban praised Waddle's development but was not as pleased with his second-team defense.
There also was the performance of redshirt freshman kicker Joseph Bulovas, who missed field-goal attempts of 24 and 31 yards in the second half.
"He makes kicks in practice on a consistent basis and made a big kick in our last game right before the half," Saban said. "We'll continue to coach him with confidence."
Tide tidbits
Junior left tackle Jonah Williams twisted his ankle but could have returned to the game, Saban said. Sophomore receiver Henry Ruggs had a career showing with five catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama is 5-of-9 on field-goal attempts this season, with Bulovas and Temple transfer Austin Jones each missing two.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.