Five takeaways from Alabama’s crushing win over Wisconsin

MADISON, WIS. — Alabama aimed to silence the notoriously hostile atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium all week and the Crimson Tide came out on top with a resounding 42-10 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday.

Last week, the Crimson Tide beat South Florida 42-16 at home. However, the final score did not reflect the quality of the game, as Alabama held just a one-point lead, 14-13, entering the fourth quarter. The Tide then scored 21 unanswered points in the final six minutes.

However, Alabama’s fourth-quarter momentum against South Florida clearly continued on Saturday on the Badgers’ home field virtually from start to finish. This dominant road win, the first in the Kalen DeBoer era, had plenty to analyze. Here are five takeaways:

Simply put, Alabama’s 52.5 points per game through the first two meetings of the season was extremely impressive and quarterback Jalen Milroe is perhaps the biggest reason for that as he has had a hard time NOT getting into the end zone.

That continued on Saturday against Wisconsin as the true dual-threat recorded 14 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while also completing 12 of 17 attempts for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

Milroe’s scoring numbers put him in elite company, as the following quarterbacks have had three consecutive games of two or more passing touchdowns and two or more rushing touchdowns since 2008: Florida’s Tim Tebow (2008), Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick (2010), Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch (2012), Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel (2012) and Milroe (Saturday).

After being benched before last season’s third game against South Florida, Milroe regained the starting job the following week against then-No. 15 Ole Miss and turned in a stellar performance. That turned things around, and the Tide went on to win every game for the remainder of the regular season, and their SEC Championship win over No. 1 Georgia earned Alabama a spot in the four-team CFP. Three games into this season, it appears Milroe’s momentum toward the end of last year is still intact.

Despite dominant wins in the first two games, Alabama’s minus-2 turnover margin ranked 104th out of 134 FBS teams. In fact, Michigan transfer defensive back Keon Sabb’s two interceptions in the season opener against Western Kentucky were the Tide’s only turnovers before Saturday.

But Alabama won that battle against Wisconsin because of its ability to hit hard at all three levels of the defense. Linebacker Deontae Lawson, defensive back Malachi Moore, defensive lineman LT Overton and linebacker Que Robinson each forced a fumble and two of them were recovered by the Tide inside the Wisconsin 30-yard line.

While Alabama didn’t record any interceptions on Saturday, the Crimson Tide disrupted passing lanes all afternoon. Wisconsin starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered an injury in the first quarter and backup Braedyn Locke filled in for the remainder of the game. Locke completed 13 of 26 passes for 125 yards and Alabama recorded a very respectable seven pass deflections.

“Those two interceptions could have been huge for us,” DeBoer said during the postgame press conference. “Getting one early, just getting that momentum, it becomes contagious. And I love it. The guys have a lot of confidence. I think we almost had an interception there with Keon early on, too. So those guys are playing aggressive, playing competent, and they’re going to get in groups, and I feel like we’re just the tip of the iceberg taking the ball away from them.”

Winning the turnover battle will be crucial once SEC competition begins, starting with the highly anticipated home matchup against the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28. If Alabama doesn’t emerge victorious in this category that upcoming night, the final score at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium may not favor the Crimson Tide.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding former Texas A&M defensive lineman LT Overton as the former five-star recruit transferred to Alabama last December. He was considered the No. 3 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 4 defensive lineman in the class. Overton was the fifth-highest ranked recruit in the infamous class that sparked a war of words between former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.

Overton played in 23 games over two seasons for the Aggies and racked up 48 tackles. The defensive lineman has an intrinsic connection to Tuscaloosa, as his father, Milton Overton, served as associate athletic director at The Capstone from 2009 to 2015.

Overton remained relatively quiet in the trenches during the Tide’s first two games, but that wasn’t the case Saturday. In the first half alone against the Badgers, Overton recorded six tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. His stats stayed the same for the rest of the game, but they added to Alabama’s plethora of pass deflections in the second half.

“We expect that from him,” DeBoer said of Overton’s performance. “He’s going to get after you continually, you know, and it’s not just one or the other, running back or passing, it’s both. He’s just a physical presence. I love the way he plays. It’s a professional approach that he has, whether it’s in practice or in games. I have a lot of confidence that he’s going to do his best. And he fits into our scheme very well. I know we have a lot of confidence that whatever it is, if he has something that we ask him to do, he’ll do it, making sure that he takes care of his responsibility and then he goes out there and eats and makes plays.”

Following his performance against Wisconsin, the BANDIT’s competitive standing could be lost over the next few games as months of hype surrounding his name and status appeared to begin to pay off Saturday afternoon.

Prior to transferring to Alabama from Miami (OH) on April 21, kicker Graham Nicholson earned the 2023 Lou Groza Award after making 27 of his 28 field goal attempts and converting 35 of 37 extra point attempts. He came to Tuscaloosa to replace NCAA all-time scoring leader Will Reichard and was named to the AP Preseason First Team All-American list.

Alabama’s explosive offense over the first two games didn’t necessitate a field goal attempt, as the Tide rarely got to fourth down when at midfield. While this is a good problem to have, as is the turnover battle, once SEC play begins, field goal attempts will be an absolute certainty.

Alabama’s first field goal opportunity of the season came Saturday, when Nicholson was ready to make his first impression on Crimson Tide fans. But the reigning “best college field goal kicker” missed from 46 yards midway through the first quarter.

Of course, Nicholson shouldn’t be judged on one kick, but as stated above, the Tide will need him multiple times per game for much of the rest of the regular season. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back from this before then and show why he won the prestigious annual award not too long ago. To end this lesson on a high note, Nicholson hit 6-of-6 extra point attempts and is 13-of-13 in that department through the first three games.

Without a doubt, the biggest question heading into Saturday revolved around Alabama’s offensive line. Last week against South Florida, the Crimson Tide entered the fourth quarter with just a 14-13 lead. Fouls on the offensive line hampered Alabama all night, as all five starting forwards finished the game with nine fouls, two of which negated touchdowns. Milroe was also under constant pressure throughout the first three quarters, making it very difficult to move the ball down the field.

One of the main reasons for their struggles was due to the absence of left tackle Kadyn Proctor, who was pulled at the last minute minutes before the season opener against Western Kentucky due to a shoulder injury. Several players on the line had to be moved against South Florida, but the return of the All-American freshman against Wisconsin made the difference.

Milroe’s big day both in the air (when he found wide receivers Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard and tight end Josh Cuevas) and on the ground was due in large part to the extra time the offensive line gave him. The same was true for running back Jam Miller, who rushed for 71 yards on just nine carries, including a 34-yard touchdown run built on a perfect switch from the front five.

“I think they did a consistent job of making sure Jalen could stay upright, without being rushed,” DeBoer said. “It’s amazing how plays can be a lot easier when you’re in a defensive stance and the spacing is a lot more favorable when you can protect your quarterback and make as many throws as you can without having out-of-control throws where you get hit. And I think there was a good bond considering it was really their first game together.”

The sack and penalty numbers also went down against Wisconsin, as Alabama had two false starts and allowed two sacks. That said, the first sack was on a Milroe scramble, which resulted in a one-yard loss, and the second sack put backup quarterback Ty Simpson on the ground with under three minutes left in regulation, when the game was already decided at that point.