Tune-up time is over at Alabama.
The No. 1 Crimson Tide will delve into Southeastern Conference play Saturday night at Ole Miss. Alabama has opened its season with a 51-14 rout of Louisville and a 57-7 shellacking of Arkansas State, marking the first time since 1925 that the Tide have scored 50 or more points in their first two games.
“The real season is really starting now,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday during his weekly news conference. “We’ve had some gifts given to us these first couple of games, and I don’t think that’s going to happen now. The players need to know the importance of stepping it up a notch in terms of their preparation.”
Alabama’s secondary, which had six departures from last season’s national championship team, will be put to the test by an Ole Miss receiving corps that ranks among the best in the nation. Junior A.J. Brown is a preseason All-American who racked up 1,252 yards on 75 catches last year and is off to a scorching start this season with 15 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Sophomore D.J. Metcalf has 11 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns through two games, while senior DaMarkus Lodge had six catches for 96 yards in the 47-27 opening win over Texas Tech but sat out last week’s 76-41 outscoring of Southern Illinois with a concussion.
“We’re aware of the challenge,” Alabama redshirt junior safety Deionte Thompson told reporters, “so we have to be accountable.”
Lodge has been in concussion protocol, according to Rebels coach Matt Luke, who considers him probable for the game.
Alabama and Ole Miss have split their past four meetings, but the 2017 contest in Tuscaloosa was a 66-3 dismantling by the Crimson Tide. It was the most lopsided series win by Alabama with both teams as SEC members.
“None of those have any bearing,” Luke said Monday during his news conference. “These are different players and different teams, so we have to focus on this year with the guys in our room playing against that team. I don’t think any of the previous years matter. It’s all about this year.”
Ole Miss has a strengthened running game behind junior Scottie Phillips, who has 315 yards on 31 carries (10 yards per carry) through two games after playing last season at Jones County (Mississippi) Junior College. Quarterbacking the Rebels is senior Jordan Ta’amu, who has completed 45 of 65 passes (69.2 percent) for 784 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
Last year’s starting quarterback, Shea Patterson, went 14-of-29 for 165 yards with two interceptions against the Tide.
“Obviously Matt Luke has done a good job there,” Saban said. “They are playing as well offensively as anyone in the country. They’ve got a lot of weapons. Their quarterback is playing extremely well, and they’ve got three really, really good receivers who are all very productive and capable of making explosive plays.”
And how does Saban plan for his defensive backs to counter the Ole Miss receivers?
“They have to guard the receivers all the time and play really well on the perimeter,” he said. “The other thing is that their guys can run with the ball after the catch, so if you don’t tackle well – you have to play well all the way around against this quarterback and these receivers.
“This will be challenging for all the guys on the back end, that’s for sure.”
Tide tidbits
Senior center Ross Pierschbacher graded out at 92 percent with only one missed assignment during his 70 snaps against Arkansas State. Alabama’s game next week against visiting Texas A&M will be televised by CBS at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Alabama’s 75 straight wins against unranked foes is the longest streak in Bowl Subdivision history.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.