TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama emphatically brushed aside any fears of getting toppled or needing a great escape like other SEC West powers, and appears to have found a No. 1 quarterback in the process.
Jake Coker passed for 214 yards, all in the first half, and Derrick Henry ran for three touchdowns to lead the second-ranked Crimson Tide to a 37-10 victory over Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
The Tide (2-0) started slowly against the five-touchdown underdogs minutes after rival No. 6 Auburn eked out an overtime win over FCS team Jacksonville State and just before Toledo knocked off No. 18 Arkansas. There was no such scare at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
A few minutes of anxiety, maybe.
“When you play games like this, if you don’t have the right intensity and the right toughness, you’re going to get exposed,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban, who is 9-0 in Tuscaloosa openers. “These teams that you play are all good enough to expose you.”