Alabama graduate transfer kicker Austin Jones made his first extra-point attempt Saturday against Arkansas State before missing his next two and being replaced.Alabama has scored a whopping 15 touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season, with 12 via offense, two on defense and one on special teams.
If only the Crimson Tide kickers could keep pace.
Austin Jones, a graduate transfer from Temple University, missed an extra-point attempt during the opening 51-14 rout of Louisville, then missed two more Saturday afternoon in the 57-7 annihilation of Arkansas State. Jones missed after the second and third touchdowns against the Red Wolves and was replaced by redshirt freshman Joseph Bulovas, who made all five of his attempts.
The three misses follow a 2017 season in which Alabama was 64-of-64 on extra-point attempts.
“I said earlier that the specialists need to perform,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Saturday evening in a news conference. “Obviously when you miss two extra points, that’s not a good thing. I thought Joe did a good job when he was in there.
“Those two guys have been in close competition the whole time.”
Bulovas also kicked a 39-yard field goal against Arkansas State and has handled 19 kickoffs this season. Jones made a 39-yard field goal against the Cardinals but missed a 27-yard attempt.
Had Tua Tagovailoa not connected with DeVonta Smith on second-and-26 for the winning 41-yard touchdown during the 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia in January’s national championship game, the lasting image from Alabama’s season may have been the monstrous misfire from former kicker Andy Pappanastos late in regulation. Auburn’s memorable “Kick Six” victory in the 2013 Iron Bowl was aided by Alabama’s troubles on field-goal attempts, as was the Crimson Tide’s 9-6 overtime loss to LSU in 2011.
It’s a situation Saban has encountered many times before since taking charge of the Tide.
“I think it has a lot to do with confidence, and I think sometimes when you lose your confidence, things don’t go right,” he said. “We still have a lot of confidence in both guys. We just have to get their minds right to where they have the confidence themselves to go do it.
“I thought Joe kicked off well and did a good job when he kicked field goals and extra points.”
Alabama remained a solid No. 1 on Sunday in The Associated Press poll, the 106th occasion in which it has held the top spot, surpassing Ohio State’s previous mark of 105. The poll dates to 1936.
The Tide built a 40-0 halftime lead Saturday and wound up with 599 total yards. Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Jalen Hurts combined for 321 passing yards and six touchdown passes, with Tagovailoa accounting for four of them.
“Obviously we want 600 yards, so we’re a little upset about that one yard,” junior left tackle Jonah Williams told reporters. “We did a good job and were pretty explosive on offense, especially in the passing game. We weren’t as efficient as we wanted to be in the running game.”
Alabama was more than effective on plenty of rushing plays against the Red Wolves, pounding out 278 yards and averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Sophomore running back Najee Harris led the way with 135 yards on 13 carries, averaging 10.4 yards a pop.
“Najee made some really good runs and had some big-play opportunities,” Saban said. “He did play well.”
The Tide suffered a setback before the game when freshman cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis injured a knee during warmups. He is expected to undergo surgery this week and will be out for the season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.