Alabama's 1-2 receiving punch of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III could be hard for Crimson Tide rivals to handle in the weeks ahead.
They were way too much for Southern Mississippi on Saturday.
Jeudy and Ruggs combined on 10 receptions for 244 yards and four touchdowns in No. 2 Alabama's 49-7 dismantling of the Golden Eagles inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The early damage was inflicted by Ruggs, who had touchdown catches of 45 and 74 yards during the first quarter against a secondary that simply could not keep up.
"I've been coaching a long time, and this is probably the first time I've ever said this - I don't know if I've ever seen an offense with two Heisman Trophy candidates on it," Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson said Saturday in a news conference. "You've got to give credit where credit is due. They're good. They're really good.
"They're going to be one of the best, if not the best, offense in college football with that type of exploding."
Jeudy leads coach Nick Saban's Crimson Tide with 30 receptions for 404 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and six touchdowns, while Ruggs has 16 catches for 350 yards (21.9) and four scores. DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are plenty impressive as well among Alabama's receivers, but Ruggs led the way Saturday with four receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Alabama's offense overall amassed 514 yards and extended quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's sizzling start to this season. The junior has thrown 17 touchdown passes with no interceptions.
"Coach Saban always says 'Get downhill,' so that's the first thing I'm thinking," Ruggs said. "When I grab it, I have to get downhill. When I see space, I trust my speed."
Alabama (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) has surpassed 500 yards of total offense 16 times in 19 games since the start of last season, and the Tide are averaging 550.0 yards and 50.0 points per game entering this week's visit from Ole Miss (2-2, 1-0). Alabama defeated the Rebels 62-7 last year in Oxford, compiling 516 yards.
The Tide opened Sunday as 32.5-point favorites, with that line quickly jumping to 34.
"We just have to keep focusing on improving," Saban said Saturday. "There are a lot of reasons the players could have not played well today. I was really pleased with the fact they were ready to play and got after it and tried to build on the identity that we are trying to build as a team."
Saban has his weekly news conference Monday and could update the status of redshirt junior outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (hyperextended knee), freshman nose tackle DJ Dale (patellar tendon) and freshman kicker Will Reichard (hip flexor). Lewis sat out against Southern Miss but could play Saturday, while Dale and Reichard were injured against the Golden Eagles.
Tide tidbits
Alabama received a commitment Sunday from Bryce Young, a 5-foot-11, 183-pound quarterback from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California, who is rated the No. 32 overall recruit in the 2020 signing class. The Tide have a plus-8 turnover margin after four games, which ranks second nationally to Boston College (plus-9). Defensive end Justin Eboigbe on Saturday became Alabama's fifth true freshman to start on defense this season. Senior defensive back Jared Mayden had a career-high eight tackles. Alabama has 29 straight wins when scoring on the first possession.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.