ARKANSAS STATE (1-0) AT NO. 1 ALABAMA (1-0)
3:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
VIDEO & RADIO
ESPN2 & 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Given that Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen threw for 423 yards and six touchdowns last week against Southeast Missouri, and given that Alabama is retooling its secondary after six departures from last season, this is the matchup to watch – at least for a little bit. The Crimson Tide routed Louisville 51-14 in last week’s neutral-site opener, and coach Nick Saban has stressed this week, as he commonly does before obvious mismatches, that today’s focus is from within. “We’re focused on trying to make significant improvement from the first game to the second game,” Saban said, “which I think that there is always opportunity for. You sort of find out where you’re at in the first game. We did a lot of good things, but there are a lot of things that we can improve on and clean up and address so that we have a chance to get better.” Alabama has not lost to an unranked opponent since Saban’s first season in 2007, and he used this week as his first attempt of the season to keep Bryant-Denny spectators around for all four quarters. “You want our players to compete for 60 minutes in a game, but the fans don’t stay there for 60 minutes in a game,” Saban said Thursday night on his call-in show. “I can never figure that out. If you want to be a part of the team, then do what everybody else does – stay there and compete for 60 minutes.”
ONE TO WATCH
Alabama sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was brilliant last week in his first career start, completing 12 of 16 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns, and he also had a rushing score while leading the Crimson Tide to four first-half touchdowns. With the publicized quarterback race now in his hands, what will his second start hold? And while the topic is Alabama quarterbacks, how much will backup Jalen Hurts play? A new NCAA rule now in effect allows a player to appear in as many as four games in a single season without losing his redshirt year. “What we do with Jalen Hurts will be decided internally,” Saban said. “If I was going to tell you, then I would just call the other coach and tell them what we were going to do.”
IN THE END
Saban has been pulling out all the motivational stops this week, and perhaps the Crimson Tide will be challenged on occasion by a Red Wolves attack that ranks among the top five nationally after one week in number of plays run. Arkansas State is a solid program, having gone 7-5 last season with a seventh straight bowl appearance and having been this year’s preseason pick to win the Sun Belt Conference. “I think that people don’t have the proper respect for Arkansas State,” Saban said. “They play in the same league that Troy plays in, and I only say that because we’re in Alabama. Troy actually beat LSU at LSU last year, and Arkansas State has probably had more success in that league.” Fair enough, but a five-touchdown spread is a five-touchdown spread.
PREDICTION: Alabama 49, Arkansas State 10