FRESNO STATE(1-0) AT ALABAMA (1-0)
3:30 p.m. › Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. › ESPN2 & 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Nick Saban was asked this week about everything from injuries at outside linebacker to Brian Daboll’s debut as offensive coordinator to whether he’s worth more than the $11 million he’s making in his 11th season as coach of the Crimson Tide. Saban was not asked one specific question about Jeff Tedford’s Bulldogs, who opened last week with a 66-0 drubbing of Incarnate Word, a Championship Subdivision program in San Antonio. Today’s matchup will be Alabama vs. Alabama. “Going from the first game to the second game is a great opportunity for your team to improve,” Saban said. “You find out where you are in the first game, and we obviously did some good things. We played hard and competed well, but we want to work on the consistency and execution that we would like to get. That’s the big focus that we have this week.”
ONE TO WATCH
We’ll go with one position area for this category, because Saban and the Crimson Tide fans would like to see an enhanced passing game today after sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 10 of 18 attempts for just 96 yards in last week’s 24-7 opening win over Florida State. Hurts picked up 53 of those yards on a touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley, who was targeted 10 times. No other player was targeted more than twice. “I think we have to get more guys involved in the passing game,” Saban said. “I think guys have capabilities, and the only way they’re going to develop confidence is if they have a few more opportunities. I think it would help them a lot if they got a few balls and got some confidence in what they’re doing as well.”
IN THE END
Under Saban, Alabama has been at its worst coming off significant wins in neutral-site openers. The Crimson Tide were outgained by Tulane in a 20-6 win over the Green Wave in 2008 that followed an opening rout of Clemson at the Georgia Dome, and they trailed Florida International 14-13 in an eventual 40-14 win in 2009 after opening with a victory over Virginia Tech in the Dome. Alabama faced Western Kentucky after neutral-site wins in 2012 and last season, with AJ McCarron suffering six sacks against the Hilltoppers five years ago and with last year’s game being overshadowed by Saban’s sideline shouting at then-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Expect a Crimson Tide rout, but it may not always be pretty.