Alabama football’s offense shined on Saturday against Western Kentucky, amassing 600 yards of total offense against the Conference USA Hilltoppers.
Jalen Milroe attempted just nine passes but connected on seven for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 79 yards and two more scores. Despite the impressive performance, Kalen DeBoer mentioned that his debut as Alabama’s head coach wasn’t flawless.
“A penalty here, a penalty there,” DeBoer commented. “We had a communication issue. I think we didn’t snap the ball at one point. It seemed like Parker (Brailsford) was trying to signal something and get the line set. That’s just a matter of the quarterback and center being on the same page. When Jalen claps, it’s time to snap the ball, so those are the things we can keep working on.”
If there was one valid critique of Alabama’s offensive performance on Saturday, it was the lack of sustained drives. However, this wasn’t a significant issue as Milroe and the offense unleashed a barrage of explosive plays on the Hilltoppers. Still, DeBoer recognized it as something to address going forward.
Western Kentucky held the ball for 29:25, while Alabama had possession for 30:35. Despite holding the ball for almost as long as the Crimson Tide, the Hilltoppers only managed 145 total yards.
“When we had the opportunity to make plays, I’m never going to be disappointed that we’re finding ways to create explosive plays,” DeBoer said. “That’s a key aspect of our offense. We emphasize it, we practice it, and it was great to see. I didn’t even notice the time of possession until I looked at it during the first half.”
“Our defense, as you saw, had that one drive where they were on the field for quite a while, which contributed to the time of possession,” DeBoer said. “But I’m never going to complain when we’re scoring those big plays and touchdowns like we did.”
Alabama continues its season Saturday, when South Florida visits Bryant-Denny Stadium.
