5 major takeaways from Alabama’s ugly win over Texas
Alabama improves to 2-0 on the 2022 season after taking down the Texas Longhorns on the road with a final score of 20-19. A one-point win will keep the Crimson Tide undefeated, but it will certainly be a talking point as the season progresses and the College Football Playoff picture comes into focus.
The team looked rough on both sides of the ball. At multiple times throughout the game, it felt like morale was low and that Texas was bound to run away with it. Somehow, it all changed within the last few minutes.
Moving forward, there are many takeaways from this game that Alabama can use to better themselves overall. Here are five.
Experienced doesn't mean disciplined
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Penalties, penalties, penalties. A lot of fans were excited to see this 2022 Crimson Tide roster because of how many veterans returned from 2021. What we learned from this game is that discipline gets easier with experience, but it still needs to be reinforced. Will Anderson Jr., who is one of the veteran leaders on the team, was flagged multiple times for pointless penalties.
Lean on Jahmyr Gibbs
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Bryce Young’s favorite target in the Texas game was the transfer running back. He’s quick, elusive and can do a lot with the ball in his hands. he was a true difference maker and likely a major reason as to why Alabama won. More Jahmyr Gibbs.
Young wide receivers are learning
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Was every throw by Bryce Young perfect? No. However, there were times when Young’s passes would land without a receiver nearby leaving you with the head-scratching question, “who was that for?” Well, judging by Saban yelling at receivers shortly after, we are forced to infer that routes weren’t being run as they were designed. There were also issues with dropped passes and the inability to gain separation.
Bryce Young fears nothing
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Most people probably figured this out during the final seconds of last season’s Iron Bowl, but Bryce Young has nerves of steel. Nothing can shake the reigning Heisman winner. If Alabama fans are going to be worried about anything, don’t let it be Young’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations.
Pushing the ball down the field works
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Screen plays can be beneficial to an offense, but they can also be detrimental. If they are being attempted and continuously fail, give it up. In the final few minutes of the game, when Bryce Young and Alabama were moving the ball down the field with chunk plays, the offense was rolling.
