Alabama's Malachi Moore Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Honors

It is the second time this season that Moore has been named the league's newcomer of the week

University of Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday morning after his efforts in the Crimson Tide's 41-0 win over Mississippi State this past weekend. 

He finished with a team-high eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. 

It is the second time he has earned the league's newcomer of the week honor this season, with the first coming after the contest against Texas A&M last month. 

#SECFB Freshman of the Week: @malachi_moore13

Full release » https://t.co/NlaYEjo4Il pic.twitter.com/fJpC74RWdj

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 2, 2020

The Crimson Tide coaching staff also named its players of the week and two came on offense and special teams, including offensive lineman Evan Neal and wide out DeVonta Smith, while the whole defense was honored for its ability to preserve a shutout. 

Here is the full release from the school:

 OFFENSE

Evan Neal

• Anchored an Alabama offensive front that opened holes for 208 yards rushing and 5.2 yards per carry against a Mississippi State defense that was tops in the conference
• Did not allow a sack or a quarterback pressure as Mac Jones completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns
• Cleared a path for Najee Harris’ 119 yards on 21 carries
• Graded out at 100 percent on his assignments and did not commit a penalty against the Bulldogs

DeVonta Smith

• Recorded 11 catches for 203 yards and four touchdowns
• Averaged 18.5 yards per catch with touchdowns of 35, 53, 11 and 10 yards
• Eight of his receptions converted an Alabama first down, including four explosive plays of 30 yards or more
• Marked his second 200-plus yard performance as a member of the Crimson Tide

DEFENSE

Crimson Tide Defensive Unit

• Limited the Bulldogs to only 200 yards of offense in the shutout effort on Halloween
• Stopped the MSU air-raid attack, forcing the Bulldog quarterbacks into a 28-of-48 night that included two interceptions and totaled just 163 yards
• Also held State to just 37 yards on the ground
• Dominated in the first half, limiting State to only 38 yards of offense, which marked the fewest yards allowed in the first half by a UA defense since 2016

SPECIAL TEAMS

Jase McClellan

• Played a key role in limiting MSU to zero yards on punt returns
• Also helped limit the Bulldogs to 72 yards on kickoff return

Will Reichard

• Stayed perfect for the year, connecting on both his field goal attempts
• Contributed 11 points with his five PATs in addition to his three-point kicks from 40 and 24 yards away
• Added seven kickoffs for 419 yards to average 59.9 yards per boot with two touchbacks