The number one team in the nation, Alabama Crimson Tide, faced off against the number 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. For the second week in a row Alabama faced a ranked SEC West team and for the second week in a row the Tide shut them out. This is the first time in school history that Alabama has shut out back to back ranked opponents. The Crimson Tide dominated from start to finish and beat the Bulldogs 24-0 to improve to 10-0 on the season.
Injury Scare
In the third quarter Tua Tagovailoa had to leave the game after taking a hit on his already injured knee. Head Coach Nick Saban said that Tagovailoa couldn’t have gone back in even if he wanted to and that his injury is a definite concern for this next week. He concluded by saying that he thinks that he is going to be fine though.
If Tagovailoa needs a break, it is coming at a great time. This week Alabama will face off against an FCS team, The Citadel Bulldogs. This will be another easy win for the Tide as they will be playing a far inferior opponent. Let’s look at The Citadel and what Alabama will need to be ready for in this week’s edition of Know Your Foe.
Know our Foe: The Citadel Bulldogs Edition
The Citadel is a small military college in Charleston, South Carolina. The Bulldogs are 4-6 on the season. Here is a look at their schedule:
University of North Carolina – Lost 41-7
Wofford – Lost 28-21
Chattanooga – Lost in Overtime 29-28
Mercer – Won 38-31
Towson – Lost 44-27
East Tennessee State University – Lost 26-23
VMI – Won 34-32
Furman – Lost 28-17
Western Carolina University – Won 38-24
Samford – Won 42-27
Bulldogs Offense
The Citadel offense is averaging 29 points per game on 382 yards per game. The Bulldogs are rushing for 292 yards per game and only passing for 90 yards per game. With Alabama’s shut-down defense, all the Tide has to do is stop the run and the Bulldogs will have no offensive production. Here are the key play makers for The Citadel:
Quarterback
Jordan Black is a 6’1”, 200-pound junior. He has completed 41 of his 93 passing attempts for three touchdowns and four interceptions. He does have a 91-yard touchdown pass this season as well. Black is another dual-threat quarterback and the Bulldogs’ second leading rusher. He has rushed 113 times for 465 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also has big play ability on his feet and scored on a 71-yard run.
Running Backs
Lorenzo Ward is a 5’10”, 210-pound junior. He has rushed 160 times for 661 yards and seven touchdowns.
Brandon Rainey is a 6’, 205-pound sophomore. He has only played in two games this season but has rushed 57 times for 405 yards and two touchdowns.
Receivers
Raleigh Webb is a 6’2”, 205-pound sophomore. He has 16 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Webb was the recipient of the 91-yard touchdown pass that Black threw.
Grant Drakeford is a 5’10”, 175-pound senior. He has nice receptions for 184 yards and one touchdown.
Special Teams
Jacob Godek is the field goal kicker for the Bulldogs. He is eight out of nine with a season long of 44 yards.
Bulldog Defense
The defense for the Bulldogs has struggled mightily this season and is giving up almost 30 points per game. The rush defense is somewhat better than the pass defense. Opponents are averaging 153 yards per game on the ground and 260 yards per game through the air. Total offensive average for opponents is 413 yards per game. Here are the defensive play makers for the Bulldogs:
Willie Eubanks is a 6’2”, 215-pound sophomore linebacker. He leads the team with 67 tackles. He also has two interceptions, one quarterback hurry and two fumble recoveries.
Noah Dawkins is a 6’1”, 215-pound senior linebacker. He has 59 tackles, two interceptions and one quarterback hurry.
Aron Spann, III is a 6’2”, 205-pound senior defensive back. He has 42 tackles this season and three interceptions.
Bulldogs Coach
The Head Coach for The Citadel Bulldogs is Brent Thompson. Thompson was an assistant from 1998 until 2009 at four different colleges: Dickinson, Stony Brook, Northeastern and Bucknell. He was then hired as Offensive Coordinator at Lenoir-Rhyne from 2010-2013 and then at The Citadel from 2014 to 2015. In 2016 he was named the head coach of the Bulldogs.
In 2016 he took the Bulldogs to the second round of the FCS Playoffs and finished the season 10-2 overall and 8-0 in the Southern Conference. 2017 and 2018 has not been what his first year was. The 2017 season saw The Citadel finish with a 5-6 record and this season the Bulldogs are 4-5 with only two games left to play; Alabama and Charleston Southern. If this trend continues, Coach Thompson may be looking for a new job in the near future.
Wrap up and Prediction
There is not much to say about this FCS team that the Tide will be facing Saturday. This is a team that is having a hard time having success within their league, so success against the number one team in the FBS is not going to come easy. In fact, it will not come at all. Alabama will have the opportunity to rest the starters, nurse some injuries and get some on-field practice for the rest of the team. This will be the easiest game of the season for Alabama and the Tide will roll 64-0.
Author’s Note: Due to the fact that The Citadel is an FCS team, individual player links are unavailable. We would also like to thank The Citadel military personnel as well as all Military Veterans for their commitment and service to our nation.
