Keelon Russell and Kane Womack's red zone spark Alabama football | Goodbread
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Alabama football rolled to a dominant victory over South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Bryant-Denny Stadium, 49-18 to improve to 4-0 on the season. Through the first month of the year, UA's most narrow margin of victory has been a 14-point win over Florida State. This time, the Crimson Tide had matters well in hand by halftime, thanks largely to another spectacular performance by QB Keelon Russell. Here are some quick thoughts on the Alabama win:
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\nTalking points on Alabama football
\n1) Ryan Coleman-Williams is officially back from a sophomore slump. He erupted for touchdown catches of 32 and 42 yards in the first half to help stake the Crimson Tide to a 21-3 lead. He finished with 98 receiving yards, and it could've been a lot more had Russell not thrown elsewhere on a few other plays in which he had the Gamecocks secondary burned. If Alabama can continue giving Russell as much time to throw as it did against USC, Coleman-Williams is going to ring up some big numbers. Not to be forgotten, he also looked as comfortable as he ever has fielding punts.
\n2) Check the box for another dazzling performance from Russell. The sophomore got things started by uncorking a perfect deep ball to Lotzeir Brooks for a 75-yard TD pass and didn't look back from there. He shredded the USC secondary, thanks in large part to stellar pass protection from his offensive line. Russell not only threw with precision accuracy, but he recognized blitzes, was patient in the pocket and chose opportune times to run. In short, he looked far more like a veteran than a kid making his fourth career start.
\n3) Count red-zone defense among the key reasons Alabama improved to 4-0. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will have plenty of teaching points in practice this week where the Crimson Tide's run defense is concerned, but he can't complain about points allowed. Cornerback Zabien Brown tracked down South Carolina RB Matt Fuller on a 56-yard breakaway to the Alabama 19 on the game's opening snap, but the defense held from there and forced a missed field goal. A few series later, USC reached the Alabama 16, only to settle for another FG try, which was good. In between, UA's defense got a turnover on downs, although it wasn't quite a red-zone stop (25-yard line).
\n4) Luke Metz recorded another highly productive game for the Crimson Tide at inside linebacker. The Georgia native notched double-digit tackles for the first time in his career, including a big hit in punt coverage. Through the first third of the season, he's been one of Alabama's best first-year starters.
\n\n\nTurning point
\nPick your second-quarter touchdown. When the stanza began, the Gamecocks still had a shot. When it ended, they didn't. But the one that truly buried the visitors was Russell's 42-yard strike to Coleman-Williams to put Alabama on top 21-3. At that point, USC coach Shane Beamer's flight home was confirmed a long one.
\nBy the numbers
\n36 - Alabama transfer WR Noah Rogers made the most of his only catch in his debut in a Crimson Tide uniform, picking up 36 yards on a deep pass down the left sideline. The former North Carolina State receiver injured his knee on A-Day and had not played until Saturday night.
\nWhat I liked
\nJosh Ford's incredible one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. The transfer tight end was brought in from Oklahoma State for his blocking skills, and has been very good in that regard. But there won't be a more impressive catch by a UA tight end all season than the one Ford made to stretch the UA lead to 28-3, adjusting to a Russell pass thrown high and slightly behind him to snare it with only his right hand for his first touchdown of the year.
\nWhat I didn't like
\nThe UA run defense got gashed at times. It didn't show up on the scoreboard much, thanks to the aforementioned red-zone stops, but USC's Fuller looked like he was shot from a cannon on a couple runs. A week after the UA pass defense got a cold splash from Florida State, it was the run defense's turn to get wet.
\n\nTuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
\nThis article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Keelon Russell and Kane Womack's red zone spark Alabama football | Goodbread