TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama 's last two games were tales of two halves. That is to say, the Crimson Tide looked flat through the first 30 minutes, before soaring after the halftime (or in last week's case, lightning) break.
The script was flipped this week, as the Crimson Tide appeared primed for an all-time SEC beatdown, holding a 35-10 halftime lead over the Gamecocks .
The final score, a 49-18 victory, was the result of a second half that was largely apathetic and brought some of the team's flaws back into the limelight. But the first-half dominance did still happen, and there are plenty of praises to sing. We'll get into both the good and bad in this week's Tide Up, Tide Down, BamaCentral's reactionary postgame series that evaluates some of the best and worst players, moments, and trends from Alabama's season.
Metz impressed over his first three games as a starter. He dominated in his fourth.
The sophomore inside linebacker was everywhere, finishing with a team-high 13 tackles in a statement performance.
Metz had exceeded the cautiously optimistic expectations set for him entering the year. His pick-six against Kentucky was a massive moment in a game that could have gotten away from the Crimson Tide, and he's drawn praise as one of the most vocal players on the defense. But against the Gamecocks, he put it all together, showing exactly why he won the starting job in his second year of college football.
In addition to continuing his vocal leadership, Metz leveled numerous South Carolina players, laying down some of the hardest hits of his career. His biggest came on a punt return in the final seconds of the first half, when the returner made the questionable decision to jump into Metz, who laid him out.
The questions surrounding a new-look inside linebacker room can officially be put to rest. Caleb Woodson has been equally adept, and those two may actually make up the core of what is one of the strongest groups on the roster.
Morgan has taken his opportunity and run with it.
Alabama's secondary is loaded and versatile. There are so many players, from Jireh Edwards to Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. to Ivan Taylor, who are champing at the bit to find true starting roles. Morgan's spot at husky was very well-earned, due to both his play last season and his offseason development, but it was very well-understood that it may not be permanent.
Kane Wommack rotates players significantly in the secondary, but it seems extremely unlikely that Morgan will fall out of heavy rotation at any point this season. He had an interception for the second straight week against the Gamecocks, and returned this one to the house for a pick-six that gave Alabama a 32-point lead. The turnovers are great highlights, but his play goes far deeper. He was third on the team (after Metz and Woodson) with eight tackles, and made a team-high five of those on his own.
It had been over a year since Coleman-Williams had found the end zone twice in a game.
He managed to do that in the first half against South Carolina. The first came on a 34-yard strike from Keelon Russell on the final play of the first quarter, with the second occurring on the next drive, this time from 42 yards.
Coleman-Williams ended the day with five receptions on six targets, 98 yards, two touchdowns, and 41 yards after catch, all team highs. Lotzeir Brooks has had a great season and caught a 75-yard touchdown to start the scoring for Alabama, but make no mistake, Coleman-Williams is this team's WR1.
Lee had his worst game in crimson last week against Florida State, allowing four receptions for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown while guarding Duce Robinson . He wasn't as bad against the Gamecocks, but had what was likely the single worst rep of his career while working against Nyck Harbor , when he held the big-bodied receiver, was unable to stop him, and got burned for a wide-open touchdown.
Lee is an incredibly talented cornerback. He has about as much NFL upside as anybody on the team, and he should be able to shut star receivers down this year. But that has not been the case thus far, and Alabama's secondary, expected to be among the best in the nation, has been less than elite as a result.
For the first time this season, we don't have a dominant run game to analyze.
The backs looked pedestrian, not necessarily holding the offense back, but certainly not elevating it. The final numbers -124 yards on 30 rushes (4.1 average) and two touchdowns (one from Daniel Hill and one from Russell) are certainly a step up from last year, but a clear step down from the last two weeks.
EJ Crowell's 39-yard rush also inflates the numbers, but it is worth giving the room credit for consistently managing to rip off explosives. Trae'Shawn Brown had an electric touchdown rush brought back due to a Rico Scott hold, and had it not been called, the numbers for the room would look markedly better.
The run game gets put in this category for failing to live up to the high standard it had set for itself over the first three weeks of the season. When remembering how handicapped Alabama was on the ground last year, and the fact the AK Dear still has not seen the field, it seems fair to give the team some grace here.
But the outlook could get even worse for these running backs if the following potential problem comes to fruition...
This is more of a wait-and-see situation, but it has potentially drastic implications.
Alabama had finally found its five offensive linemen. (Left to right) Jackson Llloyd, William Sanders , Racin Delgatty, Michael Carroll, and Jayvin James form a unit that, while not perfect, has proven itself to be good enough. Alabama is running the ball better than it has in years, Russell isn't constantly running for his life, and the operational and pre-snap issues are bound to improve with time and reps.
But Adrian Klemm's group could not afford injuries. Not at all. And now it may be down two of the five starters for the immediate future.
The biggest concern is James, who went down with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He was able to walk off the field under his own power and immediately went into the medical tent. James headed to the locker room minutes later in a walking boot, and DeBoer had no news to provide on his status postgame.
Tyrell Miller held his own as the replacement at right tackle, but James' experience is going to be hard to replace. Sanders also left the game late, with Mal Waldrep finishing the day at left guard. It is unknown if Sanders, who missed a significant amount of time over the offseason, was affected by the oblique injury that limited him in week one, but his status is worth monitoring. The "injury-prone" label may be warranted if he has to miss time over the coming weeks.
Waldrep played significant snaps against East Carolina, as well as the entire game against Kentucky, and is clearly trusted by the staff. But if he and Miller (and/or Nick Brooks ) have to play going forward, it sets back the development and cohesiveness of what is clearly viewed as the best five players on the line.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Tide Up, Tide Down From Alabama Football's 49-18 Win Over South Carolina .
