Upon Further Review: No. 21 Alabama 73, ULM 0

Many football teams would take winning their home openers by a significant margin. Not many get to do so by 73 points or shut out their opponent. That's just what Alabama did to Louisiana Monroe this past Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium with a 73-0 triumph where the outcome was well out of doubt before halftime.

It was the response Alabama (1-1) needed desperately after it fell 31-17 in a dismal performance during the season opener at Florida State. The Crimson Tide's effort level was dialed up several notches against the Warhawks.

"I think the game is one thing. I think the response, whether it was on the plane ride or in the locker room last Saturday [after Florida State], just really upset. Just not happy. Just obsessed with understanding that we have to better and we can be better, and it only comes through work," head coach Kalen DeBoer said.

The win moved Alabama up two spots to No. 19 in the AP Top 25, a ranking it will defend when facing Wisconsin at home this weekend (11 a.m. CT, ABC) in its second Power Four game of the 2025 season.

Player of the Game: Quarterback Ty Simpson's first win as the Crimson Tide starter could not have gone much more according to plan. He went 17-for-17 with three touchdowns and 226 yards, not turning the ball over for the second straight game, and added a score on the ground.

Play of the Game: Freshman quarterback Keelon Russell's first college touchdown, thrown to Cole Adams in the fourth quarter, showed elements of why Russell has been so highly touted. He stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure, sensed the rush and got the throw out just in time, finding a wide-open Adams. What Russell did on the play showed tremendous instinct for a player his age.

Stat of the Game: Simpson's perfect completion percentage came with an anecdote of the new-record variety. His 17 completions were the most consecutively in a single game, breaking the previous mark of 15 set by Bryce Young in 2021 against Southern Miss.

10 things you may not have noticed...

1. Simpson's stats were accompanied by an eye-popping rating.

Ty Simpson. — Ty Simpson (15). | Alabama Athletics

Simpson secured a 269.9 passer rating for his standout play opposite the Warhawks. Incredibly, every quarterback who played (all three from the offseason battle did) had a rating over 200. Austin Mack's was 213.2. Russell's was 267.7. Mack and Russell both had two touchdown passes.

2. True freshman Lotzeir Brooks didn't just play in Ryan Williams' absence. He made his first career start.

After Ryan Williams' concussion against Florida State, Alabama had to plan for the possibility that he would not be ready to go in time for the next game. That came to pass, and freshman Lotzeir Brooks got to make his first Alabama start. He had four catches for 58 yards, 44 of those yards coming after the catch. DeBoer said he liked the things Brooks was doing with his snaps against Florida State, leading to the opportunity the next weekend.

3. Jaylen Mbakwe officially recorded his first catch as a wideout.

In the fourth quarter, sophomore Jaylen Mbakwe caught a 16-yard pass from Russell for his first catch as a wide receiver. He switched sides after spending his freshman season as a defensive back, throwing his hat into an already crowded ring. He also had one rushing attempt for four yards.

4. James Smith co-led the team in total tackles one week after his huge penalty against Florida State.

James Smith in pursuit. — Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama defensive lineman James Smith (23) pressures UL Monroe quarterback Aidan Armenta (10) at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

In this season's first edition of Upon Further Review, defensive lineman James Smith's personal-foul penalty against Florida State was named the play of the game for a dubious reason: that, despite the team's overall showing, it played a large role in the final quarter and the final result. Smith responded with four tackles (all solo) on Saturday, tied for the team lead.

5. Germie Bernard was the first of Alabama's two Biletnikoff Award watchlist members to find paydirt.

While Williams staying on the sidelines due to concussion protocol might've played into this development, Germie Bernard was the best player in the loss to Florida State and scored the first two touchdowns against ULM. Bernard and Williams were both preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist honorees. Williams did not catch one of Simpson's two touchdowns in Tallahassee. Bernard had three catches for 67 yards and two scores in the win over the Warhawks.

6. Alabama's young defensive-back duo of NFL sons combined for seven tackles between them.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and Ivan Taylor got to play in front of their fathers, Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. and Ike Taylor, on Saturday night. Ivan Taylor, a true freshman, had three total tackles (one solo). Kirkpatrick Jr. (a sophomore) tallied four stops before a fourth-quarter ejection for targeting.

7. The Crimson Tide did not punt once all game.

Cole Adams. — Cole Adams (7) against ULM. | Alabama Athletics

Perhaps it's to be expected in a game where 70-plus points are scored, but Alabama's punting unit did not see the field against ULM. The return team did, and Adams had two punt returns for 45 yards (one went for 36 yards).

8. Tight end Kaleb Edwards became the first true freshman to score a touchdown for Alabama in 2025.

While it wasn't his first touchdown pass in an Alabama uniform, Mack's first scoring strike of the 2025 campaign went to big freshman tight end Kaleb Edwards in the second quarter for the latter's first career touchdown. The Crimson Tide got several of its tight ends on the field; it only had one scholarship player available at the position during spring ball.

9. The only Alabama player to record a sack this season is still a safety.

Steve Bolo Mboumoua makes a tackle. — Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Louisiana Monroe Warhawks running back Tyrell Reed Jr. (29) is tackled by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Steve Bolo Mboumoua (25) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

Alabama recorded five quarterback hurries against the Warhawks, two of which came from Yhonzae Pierre. No Crimson Tide linebacker, edge rusher or lineman has made it all the way home to the quarterback through two games. The sole sack of the season still belongs to safety Keon Sabb, who got to Thomas Castellanos in Tallahassee.

10. AK Dear's 56-yard touchdown burst was easily Alabama's longest run of the young season.

Kevin Riley had the longest run of the Crimson Tide's night until there were 62 seconds to go in the game, when true freshman tailback AK Dear completed his 56-yard touchdown scamper to put the icing on the cake. A 22-yard run from Riley on the first drive of the contest had been the previous best. The running backs only had 67 total yards against Florida State. Riley (69 yards) and Dear (76 yards) both beat that on Saturday.