Alabama preview: Bama looks to set matters straight against USF
After a close call against South Florida last season, the Tide look to set the record straight in 2024.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Nick Saban will be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday as they name the field after him.
Alabama’s rise to the College Football Playoffs in 2023 was not without its bumps in the road. The biggest one was not a loss to Texas in week two, but a sloppy performance in week three in Tampa against the South Florida Bulls. Bama led the Bulls 10-3 late in the 4th quarter until a Tide rushing touchdown in the game’s final minute sealed the deal. Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe was benched for this game due to a shaky performance against Texas the week before, yet due to shaky performances from backup quarterbacks Tyler Buckner (now playing lacrosse and football at Notre Dame) and Ty Simpson, Coach Nick Saban made the decision to go back to Milroe for the remainder of the season.
After the near miss, many involved with the South Florida program made it clear that they thought the game against the Tide was there for the taking and should have gone the way of the Bulls. This coming Saturday, the Bulls will have another shot at the Tide when they face Alabama once again. This time, Tuscaloosa will be the site of the contest, which will include the dedication of the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in honor of Saban. Both teams enter 1-0 after impressive openers. South Florida took care of 1-AA Bethune-Cookman, 42-3 while Kalen DeBoer’s debut was a complete success as the 5th ranked Tide rolled over Western Kentucky, 63-0.
South Florida is in year two under head coach Alex Golish and the Bulls are expected to challenge for the American Athletic Conference championship. Golish inherited a team that had won a total of four games in the three years prior to his hiring. Yet last year, the Bulls pulled one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football, going 7-6 while earning a bid to the Boca Raton bowl, where they routed Syracuse, 45-0. South Florida is led by sophomore quarterback Byrum Brown, a true dual threat signal caller that threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for an additional 800 last season. Against Bethune-Cookman, Brown played a little over a half and went 13-20 for 152 yards and rushed for an additional 76, including a 42-yard touchdown run. He has a nice weapon in wideout Sean Adkins, who had over 1,000 receiving yards in 2023. Senior tailback Kelley Joiner led the way on the ground last week, rushing for 78 yards and two scores. Coming into the season, the offensive line was a concern, and they certainly will be tested against the vaunted Tide front seven. Defensively, they held Bethune-Cookman to a total of 170 yards and forced two turnovers. The Bulls allowed the most touchdown passes (29) in the AAC last season, and efforts were made in the off-season to shore up their pass defense.
The Tide clicked on all cylinders in its opener against Western Kentucky and will look to keep the momentum going as they head into a two-game stretch at Wisconsin and home against the top ranked Georgia Bulldogs later in September. Milroe had a nice day against the Hilltoppers, accounting for a total of five touchdowns. Backs Justice Haynes and Jam Miller both scored touchdowns, and the receiving corps, led by freshman sensation Ryan Williams, played well. The Bama defense was dominant, limiting the Hilltoppers to a total of 131 yards. The secondary consisting of Malachi Moore, Keon Sabb, Red Morgan, and freshman Jalen Mbakwe played well and will be tested by a strong South Florida passing attack.
The tone for this game will be set in the trenches, which heavily favors Alabama. Milroe only threw nine total passes in the opener, yet look out for offensive coordinator Nick Sharidan to stretch the field and air it out against a suspect Bulls secondary. Right from the start, Bama will attempt to show Bull Nation that last year’s close call was an aberration. Look Kane Wommack’s defense to dial up plenty of pressure on Brown, allowing the secondary to play man and make plays on downfield throws. Staying with the Tide early will be a difficult task for the Bulls, and like last week, this one may be out of hand by halftime. Bama scores early and often on its way to a second straight rout.
Alabama 47
South Florida 7
