Biggest Takeaways from No. 4 Alabama’s Dominant Win Over Middle Tennessee

A steady combination of Jalen Milroe and defense showed what the Crimson Tide can be in 2023-24.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Saturday night couldn’t have gone much better for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Tasked with replacing NFL talent and in the midst of a quarterback battle, not many knew what to expect from the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide against a Middle Tennessee team that won eight games and a bowl last season.

But Alabama looked every bit the part in the opening act of the 2023-24 season, showing the college football world that it is still absolutely a national championship contender during Nick Saban's 17th season in Tuscaloosa.

Jalen Milroe Might Just Be the Next Great Alabama QB

The star of the show on Saturday was wearing No. 4.

A lot of things were said about Milroe over the offseason. Everyone knew about his ability to make things happen with his legs, but had the passing game developed any over the offseason? Saturday night was a resounding success in that category.

Milroe looked drastically better and more comfortable in the pocket during his second career start, waiting for plays to develop before making a decision to throw or run with the football. He made several throws deep downfield that we didn’t see a year ago, as his three touchdown passes were 47, 48 and 29 yards in length. Solely based on this start alone, it didn’t look like Alabama’s quarterback “competition” was much a competition at all. Milroe took all of the meaningful snaps and excelled.

Milroe became the first quarterback in Alabama history to throw for three scores while rushing for two as well. Yes, it’s Middle Tennessee and yes, it’s early, but if Milroe can continue to play like he did Saturday night, and continue to develop, the Crimson Tide has to be considered one of the top favorites to bring home the national championship on Jan. 8.

Kevin Steele is Having a Real Impact on the Defense

Hand up — I wasn’t fully on board with the hire of Steele initially. Sure, he had a lot of SEC experience, including at Alabama. But it seemed like he was starting to lose his touch while at Miami. In fact, his Hurricanes defense allowed 45 points to this same Middle Tennessee program in 2022-23, and lost.

For those who love old-school Crimson Tide defense, Saturday was a great start to Steele’s third tenure in Tuscaloosa.

Three sacks, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and two forced turnovers were the result of a more aggressive defensive scheme — one that Alabama had gone away from in recent years under former defensive coordinator Pete Golding. During the Crimson Tide’s 15-year dynastic run, forcing turnovers and suffocating the opposing quarterback were cornerstones of the identity. 

Now think about how much Will Anderson Jr. would have liked playing in Steele’s scheme.

More Justice Haynes, Please

Another thing that looked improved from last season was the Alabama rushing attack.

It’s going to be a committee in 2023-24, with Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams taking the majority of touches on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide totaled 205 yards and five scores on the ground against Middle Tennessee. Alabama true freshman Justice Haynes was the fourth running back on the field and recorded only four carries on the night. On those four attempts, he averaged 7.3 yards.

It may have had to do with the injury he was dealing with a couple weeks back, but Haynes needs to be on the field more. While McClellan and Williams are solid options who can run between the tackles, Haynes may have the highest ceiling. 

The Defense is Full of Star Power That Can Tackle

The Crimson Tide is deep on the defensive side, and full of talented playmakers. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Dallas Turner are the headliners — and they were both good on Saturday night — but it’s the others around them as well.

Deontae Lawson received high praise over the course of the offseason — and he showed why. He looked very comfortable in his very important role of Mike linebacker in Saban’s 3-4 defense. Lawson had seven tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack on Saturday night — in the first game. As the season goes along, there may not be a better middle linebacker in the country than the one in Tuscaloosa.

True freshman Caleb Downs was always going to be a superstar. Just by looking at him, there was never a doubt that he was going to be a factor on the defense in his first year. During his first career college football game, Downs led Alabama in tackles with eight. He’s a very versatile defensive back who can drop back and defend the pass or he can push forward and tackle the ball carrier in an instant. He’s going to be a fun player to watch over the next couple seasons.

Turner made most of the noise during the summer — but his pass-rushing partner made sure to get his name called plenty as well on Saturday. Chris Braswell had a great first impression this season, picking up a sack and a forced fumble.

While Alabama didn’t have many big names on its defensive unit coming into this season, that won’t be the case when all is said and done.

See Also:

Jalen Milroe Beaming with Potential After Second Career Start, But the Biggest Tasks Are Still to Come

The Play That Set the Tone for Alabama's Physicality in Win over Middle Tennessee

Now Everyone Knows Why Nick Saban Was Smiling So Much: All Things CW