The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly From the Iron Bowl: No. 22 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama
We couldn't help but notice some statistical anomalies following Alabama’s 42-13 victory over Auburn on Saturday.
For example, in two starts against the Tigers, redshirt junior quarterback Mac Jones has nine touchdown passes. Yet he is only 1-1.
Auburn had the same number of first downs, 20, as Alabama. The Tigers were 9 of 19 on third-down opportunities, compared to the Crimson Tide's 6 of 10, and had a huge time of possession advantage of 36:30-23:30. Yet they were still blown out.
However, like a swinging door, the numbers also helped demonstrate why the game was so lopsided.
Alabama went from having 13 penalties last year, to four, with only one for more than five yards.
Jones had two passes picked off and returned for touchdowns by the Tigers in 2019. This time he didn't have any interceptions. Overall, he has just three for the season, compared to 23 touchdown throws.
There were nine lead changes in the 2019 game. There were none this time.
Players of the game: Jones was 18-for-26 and his five touchdown throws tied an Iron Bowl record (Tua Tagovailoa in 2018). His passer rating of 230.3 was his second-best of the season. Senior wide receiver DeVonta Smith had seven receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Plays of the game: Jones to Smith = touchdown, both of them. The first one, 66 yards over the top, set the early tone. The second, 52 yards on a slant in which he faked being the blocker, killed any lingering hope of a possible comeback for Auburn.
Statistic of the game: Alabama averaged a gain of 8.4 yards every time the offense snapped the ball.
The Good
• By our count, Alabama had 214 yards after the catch, which was right on par with what the Crimson Tide did before Jaylen Waddle got hurt, with 217 against Texas A&M and 215 at Ole Miss. However, it did so on just 18 completions, with the 11.9-yard average per catch a season high. Of Smith's 171 yards, 136 were after the catch.
• Freshman safety Malachi Moore continues to really impress. In addition to his own interception (when he jumped the route just before halftime), he was the one to mess up the Auburn receivers on the pick by freshman Brian Branch in the second half. Earlier in the game he chased down Anthony Schwartz, which is extremely difficult to do.
• Auburn ran six first-down plays during the first quarter, resulting in four total yards. It's a big reason why even though the Tigers had the ball for 10:16 they had just 45 yards to show for it on 17 plays (2.65 yards per snap average).
The Bad
Ok, we're splitting hairs here from this point forward ...
• Alabama had some trouble with bunched receivers, meaning 2-3 lined up together on one side and someone would try and throw a pick block to get another receiver open. Auburn used it for a 37-yard gain (and judging by how the Crimson Tide was taken aback, the guess here is the play was executed in a way it hadn't previous seen), the Tigers' biggest play of the game. However, Alabama adjusted to it and when Auburn called for it again on third-and-11, freshman safety Brian Branch was there to limit it to a 3-yard gain.
• Even Nick Saban called the Seth Williams drop in the first first half a coverage "bust," one that could have brought the Tigers to within 21-10 near the end of the first half. After having three catches for 66 yards in last year's game, the Tuscaloosa product had three catches again, but for only 17 yards.
• How did Alabama only have three sacks? However, it was credited with nine hurries, three pass breakups and the two interceptions. The eight tackles for a loss, with eight different players contributing, were a season high.
The Ugly
• The last thing you want to do on the first play following a turnover by your defense, on first-and-goal from the 7, is give it back. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. should have known better as a senior, regardless of the score. Auburn subsequently went 96 yards on 12 plays to end the streak of quarters the Crimson Tide kept opponents out of the end zone at 12. Moreover, it cost numerous reserves a chance at some more valuable playing time.
• On the subsequent possession, when Bo Nix (23 for 38, 227 yards, no passing touchdowns, one rushing and two interceptions) was scrambling in his own end zone, the sophomore quarterback faked a throw which Christian Barmore bought, leading to the sophomore defensive lineman crashing into his own teammate D.J. Dale.
• The late pass-interference call on Josh Jobe was a bad one, especially since the intended receiver was no longer in play. However, the officials missed an obvious one on him earlier, which led to a very astute point by former Crimson Tide cornerback Marlon Humphrey:
Some final observations on the Iron Bowl
• Speaking of missed calls with Jobe, the officials missed a hands to the face call on Jamien Sherwood when he hit the Alabama junior cornerback on the last punt of the first quarter. He didn't retaliate.
• If you noticed a shoe flying in the air on senior running back Najee Harris' impressive 39-yard touchdown run it belonged to Sherwood.
• We don't give out hit of the game honors any more, but if we did it would be to sophomore safety Jordan Battle who had the chutzpah to take on 300-pound tight end J.J. Pegues at the end of his 10-yard reception. Pegues only had one more catch in the game, for 7 yards.
• Alabama also made adjustments on Auburn's reverses. The first resulted in an 11-yard gain by Eli Stove in the first quarter, which was chased down by senior linebacker Dylan Moses and Jobe. The next time Auburn called for one Moore dropped it for a 3-yard loss. The Tigers didn't go back to it again.
• Alabama's tackling has greatly improved over the course of the season, especially after the two-week break when the LSU game was rescheduled. No way that's a coincidence.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly game reviews appear after every Crimson Tide football game on BamaCentral
