Alabama’s first winning streak this football season at least offers promise as the Crimson Tide pursue consistency on offense.
Coach Nick Saban’s program hopes to regain some of the form it has become known for in this week’s visit to struggling Mississippi State, which is trying to end a two-game slide and climb out of the basement in the Southeastern Conference’s West Division.
Series history favors No. 12 Alabama (3-1, 1-0) entering Saturday night’s matchup in Starkville. The Tide have beaten the Bulldogs (2-2, 0-2) 15 consecutive times and are 21-4 in Starkville, despite all those clanging cowbells.
For the Tide, the mission now is playing crisper than in last week’s 24-10 home win over Ole Miss, which dropped five spots to 20th in the AP Top 25 after the loss. Beating the Rebels was good for only a one-spot bump in the poll for Alabama, which a week earlier fell of the top 10 for the first time since September 2015, a run of 128 polls.
“This is something that our players have to really focus on and do a great job in preparation so we can eliminate some of these things that have happened in games,” Saban said. “Whether they’re drive-stoppers or giving up the big play or whatever it is, we’ve got to eliminate those things.”
As that quest continues, Alabama can take heart in finishing its second consecutive win better than it started.
The Tide overcame four sacks of quarterback Jalen Milroe — who tossed an end-zone interception — to score 18 points over 14 minutes against the Rebels. In the third quarter, Milroe threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Hale, which provided a double-digit cushion the defense preserved.
“That’s going to allow us to grow throughout the season when we have these road games,” said Milroe, who returned after starting the first two games of the season — an opening win against Middle Tennessee State and a loss to Texas — and not playing in a lackluster road win at South Florida.
If Hale, a freshman and former four-star prospect, can emerge as a consistent threat, it would be a big boost for a group of receivers who need more players to step up. Hale had two catches for 63 yards against Ole Miss after having only a 5-yard reception in his first two games (he didn’t play against Texas).
“I think the biggest thing from Jalen is how hungry he’s been,” Milroe said. “He’s a great component for our offense, and I’m looking forward to see what else he can do for our offense.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State, despite a second consecutive SEC loss, hopes to build on the positives as it nears the end of a front-loaded stretch against West heavyweights.
Numbers-wise, the Bulldogs’ pro-style offense looked more like the previous pass-heavy Air Raid scheme of late former coach Mike Leach in last week’s 37-30 loss at South Carolina. Veteran quarterback Will Rogers threw for a career-high 487 yards, and Tulu Griffin set a single-game school record with 256 receiving yards while also scoring a touchdown. The Bulldogs outgained the Gamecocks 519-432 in total yards.
Whatever approach they choose, Rogers believes the Bulldogs must be better against Alabama’s always fierce defense, which is currently ranked seventh in the SEC.
“They really rush after the quarterback and are really solid on the back end,” he said. “We’ll have our hands full on Saturday.”
Defensive improvement might be the Bulldogs’ main focus after the Gamecocks opened with touchdown drives of 98 and 99 yards before later adding consecutive 75-yard scoring marches. Those scores included touchdown passes of 76 and 75 yards, the latter coming one snap after Mississippi State got within 20-17.
Eliminating explosive plays are a must for the Bulldogs, especially with the Tide trying to develop an identity.
“Usually if you make a team grind it out and have to string together long drives, they might do that a couple of times in a game,” Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett said. “But it’s the big, explosive plays that usually get you beat.”
It remains to be seen whether offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay calls plays from the sideline or the coaches’ box, as he did at South Carolina. Arnett said the decision is Barbay’s but noted how the Bulldogs pulled off big plays with him looking down.
“I imagine he’ll go up again this week,” Arnett said, “but if he says he wants to go down on the sideline and call from there, we’ll do that too, I guess.”
Defensively, Bulldogs linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson rank first and third in the SEC with 45 and 36 stops, respectively. Each also has three sacks, and they are among six players tied for fifth in the conference. Watson leads with two fumble recoveries, while Johnson has two interceptions.
Alabama’s defense has been strong since the loss to Texas, giving up just 559 yards and 13 points combined against South Florida and Ole Miss. The Tide sacked Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart five times in the 24-10 win.