The Alabama Crimson Tide took one of the biggest conference games of the 2022 season on the road against the Texas Longhorns as a 21-point favorite. After a tough first quarter, the Tide struggled significantly on both sides of the ball against the heavy underdogs in the Longhorns. Alabama was set to suffer another setback against an unranked Texas team in the regular season going into the fourth quarter. Texas was overcoming the loss of their high-caliber quarterback Quinn Ewers in looking for the upset over Alabama. It took a Heisman Trophy performance from quarterback Bryce Young to save the Tide and its perfect season to win 20-19. While there were some positive moments in the game, there were some negative points as well. These mistakes will need to be fixed before Alabama continues its 2022 season.
The Negatives and Positives of 20-19 Win Over Texas for Alabama
The Negative – Playcalling and Preparation
The Crimson Tide came into the game expecting the win due to their talent. They seemingly came to the game unprepared and lacking efficiency. The Bama defense missed too many tackles and allowed big plays to happen as a result. The defense also missed key coverage assignments that brought life to the Longhorns’ offense. Alabama showing up unprepared, missing easy assignments, and lack of mental stability is a lack of coaching preparedness from offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, defensive coordinator Pete Golding and even head coach Nick Saban.
The playcalling from O’Brien on the offensive side of the ball was questionable. On fourth down and one to help put Texas away, O’Brien put in running back Jace McClellan and put Young in the shotgun. While Alabama has not been dominant at the line of scrimmage, they should have been able to get a first down off a quarterback sneak.
Defensively, the coverage assignments from the secondary were lacking as Texas exploited Alabama’s zone coverages. The top four pass-catchers of Texas caught 18 receptions on 27 targets, a completion rate of 66.7%. Golding did not have the edge rushers ready as Will Anderson Jr. was offsides three times. One of them was where Anderson lined up offsides before the play, which should be inexcusable at this point.
The Positive – Bryce Young
For many Alabama fans, the negatives outweighed the positives despite the Tide’s 20-19 win. One of the biggest positives that saved Alabama from a bad loss was Young, who had a legitimate Heisman moment. He completed 27-of-39 of his passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and a quarterback rating of 123.6. He also rushed for 38 yards on seven rushing attempts.
It wasn’t just the high numbers that gave Young his shining time; it was the clutch playmaking abilities. He escaped the pocket several times to avoid the sack and make a positive or big play. One of those key plays in the fourth quarter was a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Jahmyr Gibbs. This touchdown gave Alabama the lead over Texas.
Young shined once again when it became do-or-die time for Alabama with 1:29 left in the game, down 19-17. He drove the ball down the field with his arm and his legs. His biggest play came in the 20-yard rush to the outside to escape the pressure of the defense and set up Alabama in field goal range.
Without Young, the Tide would have stalled in several drives. Alabama would’ve collapsed under pressure without his calm emotions in a hostile game in front of a hostile crowd. Instead, Young brings life to the Tide in a game where the coordinators failed the players.
What Alabama Must To Do To Prepare for ULM
Alabama is feeling the aftermath of the struggle to win. They fell one spot in the AP Poll to No. 2 as the #1 Georgia Bulldogs leapfrogged them. Clearly, voters feel that Alabama is not at the same level of the preseason hype they were given, as they showed serious weaknesses on both sides of the ball. It was clear that Texas wanted to win the game more than Alabama did.
The Tide now turn their attention to the ULM Warhawks at home. This is a chance for the Tide to gain some composure and find the rhythm they lost on both sides of the ball in the game against Texas. Saban and his staff need to do a better job of getting the Tide more focused and emotionally ready to play on Saturday. The execution in practices needs as they are too talented to miss tackles consistently, line up offsides, and blow easy coverage assignments.
