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Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster (10) dives at West Virginia running back Rushel Shell (7) during the no. 2 Alabama vs West Virginia NCAA football game, Saturday, August 30, 2014, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)
(VASHA HUNT)
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- We spent our Sunday reviewing the film and analyzing a few things we weren't able to fully digest during the calamity of Alabama's season-opening win against West Virginia.
Now, before Florida Atlantic week officially kicks off with today's Nick Saban press conference, let's take a deeper dive into some of these areas.
1. Saban hinted toward the difficulty of planning to play both QBs 48 hours before kickoff
You'll rarely hear Saban offer any complaints about opening the season against a formidable, Power 5 conference opponent, particularly when it's on a neutral site for millions of dollars. It's why Alabama's done it five times under Saban and will do so for at least the next two seasons.
The Alabama coach offered up a rare negative during his Thursday radio show. It ultimately went a long way toward explaining why planning on a set rotation for quarterbacks Blake Sims and Jacob Coker simply wasn't plausible.
"The disadvantage is you're playing a better team," Saban said. "If you don't play well, you might not get the outcome that you really hope for."
He went on to reference Alabama's 2011 season opener against his alma mater Kent State, when AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims split time at quarterback. The 39-point favorite Crimson Tide scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and never led by fewer than 17 points after the first quarter. It was the expected result.
"We could actually use that game to play both quarterbacks so that we could see who developed and who was ready to play," Saban said Thursday.
The similarities between Kent State and West Virginia stop at the color schemes.
Saban couldn't commit to a planned arrangement because, as he said afterward, he didn't anticipate a lopsided result. Alabama only trailed for a few minutes but it never built a lead larger than 10 points. Sims was playing well and had been promised he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder if he made a mistake. While some fans would have quickly yanked Sims after his short, third-down throw on Alabama's first possession, Saban wasn't going to do that.
Saban admitted he told Coker to warm up when Sims looked a bit shaky during the second quarter, but the fifth-year senior responded and a change wasn't necessary.
As for the next two games against Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss? Both are much more conducive to laying out a plan for Sims and Coker to share snaps if that's what Saban wants to do.
"We're looking forward to how we can help (Sims) improve," Saban said, "as well as Jake, too."
2. A battle brewing between Alphonse Taylor and Leon Brown at right guard
Lost amid the non-stop coverage and scrutiny of Alabama's quarterback competition was the constant rotation at right guard. The competition between sophomore Alphonse Taylor and senior Leon Brown got off to a late start because of Brown's foot injury early in camp, but it was hard to ignore throughout Saturday's game.
Though Saban called Taylor the starter Thursday, Brown ultimately got the nod. Taylor entered during a second-quarter series and Brown returned in the third. Brown was called for holding twice in the second half -- the first was a good call, the second was questionable -- and was rung up again for a false start. Saban yanked him shortly thereafter.
This one's far from over. Though Taylor appeared to make fewer costly mistakes, Brown sure did something right to catch up to him so quickly after missing the first 10 days of camp.
"Both of them get it done," right tackle Austin Shepherd said. "We're just going to have to go to the guy who gets it done more."
3. Poor tackling will make film session tough to stomach.
It was an ominous start.
West Virginia's first play of the game went for just 3 yards, but it could have been a loss. Senior defensive back Jarrick Williams had Wendell Smallwood lined up behind the line of scrimmage after he caught a quick screen from Clint Trickett. Williams is one of Alabama's surest tackling defensive backs, but the play resulted in roughly a 5-yard swing.
There were a couple of more instances where the swings were much, much larger.
Jabriel Washington's miss on Mario Alford helped spring the West Virginia speedster for his 100-yard kickoff return. Washington was the only player with a clear shot on Alford, but errors elsewhere also contributed to the highlight-reel return.
Midway through the third quarter, linebacker Reuben Foster and cornerback Bradley Sylve both failed to wrap Rushel Shell as he turned what could have been a small gain into a 19-yard explosive play.
The lack of experience at linebacker and some vulnerability at cornerback made it difficult for Alabama against West Virginia's uptempo attack. The missed opportunities for game-changing tackles only exacerbated it.
4. Tracking the freshmen
Alabama used seven true freshmen against Virginia Tech last year and had the same number play Saturday against West Virginia. The responsibilities of Alabama's most recent crop, though, were greater as a whole.
It even went beyond left tackle Cam Robinson, who became the first true freshman to start a season opener since Julio Jones in 2008. By all accounts, Robinson handled his own and played well enough to believe he'll occupy that spot for years to come.
JK Scott's first career punt went a whopping 62 yards. He left with an average of 50.5 yards on two punts.
"After that first one, I was like 'wow,'" kicker Adam Griffith said. "That thing was a bomb ... He's so talented. I wasn't even worried about him. I think he's going to do great this year."
Defensive end Da'Shawn Hand was on the field for Alabama's first three-and-out series of the game. Wide receiver Cam Sims was on the field for the final couple of plays of Alabama's second touchdown drive of the second quarter.
Linebacker Rashaan Evans made the first tackle of the game on kickoff coverage. Shaun Dion Hamilton played a few snaps on defense and was involved on special teams while five-star cornerback Tony Brown played exclusively on special teams.
Wide receiver ArDarius Stewart and quarterback Cooper Bateman (as a holder) also saw their first action after redshirting the 2013 season.