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The Lead: Jalen Hurts shows veteran poise in blowout of Fresno State
Analysis: Alabama rolls over Fresno State 41-10
No. 1 Alabama showed improvement on offense in Week 2 as it rolled past Fresno State 41-10. The Crimson Tide out gained the Bulldogs 497 yards to 274 yards behind an impressive performance from quarterback Jalen Hurts. Still, Alabama will face much tougher opponents than Fresno State moving forward, and Saturday’s game left plenty to work on.
Here’s a look at how Alabama graded out position by position:
Quarterback — A
Jalen Hurts had a near-perfect day in terms of what Alabama coaches asked him to do. The sophomore quarterback completed 14 of 18 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and rushed for 154 yards and two more scores on the ground. His 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hale Hentges showed maturity in the pocket, as Hurts looked off a safety in order to free up his tight end.
Alabama seemed to let Hurts ease into the offense at first. The quarterback's first five throws were either screens or swing passes. Only after Hurts started 5-for-5 did he air it out deep. One big positive was Hurts' ability to spread the ball around on the day as he connected with 11 different receivers. Obviously, there will be tougher defenses to break down. However, Saturday’s performance should be taken as a step in the right direction.
The game also saw the debut of freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who finished 6 of 9 for 64 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa probably could have had two touchdowns if not for fellow freshman Najee Harris running the wrong route out of the back field near the goal line. Coming in on the fourth drive of the game, Tagovailoa completed his first two passes before taking a costly sack that stalled the drive. The freshman should get more time to develop next week, but as far as first impressions go he was solid.
