Freshman DeVonta Smith's touchdown more than made up for his past mistakes
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — What a difference a week makes.
At this time last week, freshman DeVonta Smith was the name circled when discussing several dropped passes from Alabama receivers against LSU. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver dropped two passes, the most blatant coming on a perfect throw from Jalen Hurts that bounced off Smith’s hands on a slant route around midfield.
Instead of extending a possible scoring drive to bury the Tigers before the half, Smith’s drop eventually led to a punt two plays later. The error had to sting for Smith, an Amite, La., native going up against the team from his home state.
However, this past Saturday provided the freshman an opportunity at redemption.
Tied at 24 on the road against No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 2 Alabama lined up at the Bulldogs’ 26-yard line with 31 seconds remaining. Deployed on the left side, Smith made a quick cut on a slant route, as Mississippi State sent seven pass rushers after Hurts. No sooner than the ball hit his hands, the quarterback reared back and fired another dart in Smith’s direction.
Adjusting slightly, the receiver pulled in the ball, running past one Mississippi State defender and through another en route to the end zone for the game-winning score. Crossing the end zone Smith but a finger to his face mask, quieting the boisterous cowbells in the crowd.
"He was just tired of them cowbells,” Alabama receiver Cam Sims said. "He was saying that they were making his head hurt, so I guess that's what that meant."
He might have well been shushing his critics as well.
"I told him that was a big-time moment for him,” said Sims, a fellow Louisiana native. “I told him just keep producing. He a boot boy, so I have to show him some love about that one."
Sims might have had more to say, but it wouldn’t have mattered. At that point, Smith was in a state of euphoria.
"Couldn't tell him nothing. He was just smiling from ear to ear,” Sims said. “You would have had to see it."
Through 10 games this season Smith has tallied 105 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. He is one of three true freshman receivers to feature in Alabama’s offense this season. Jerry Jeudy (12 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown) and Henry Ruggs III (6 catches for 159 yards and a team-high five touchdowns) have also been in the rotation.
“We've probably played more freshmen than most teams this year,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “Those guys have provided a tremendous amount of depth, and on some occasions filled in very admirably for guys when they're called on, whether it's special teams or whatever the role has been as contributors to the team.”
Saban said Alabama will continue to feature its freshmen moving forward. That figures to feature a few more highlights like the one last week. It will also most likely result in a few freshman mistakes as well.
As far as Alabama’s concerned, that’s just part of it.
"Drops are going to happen. Bad throws are going to happen,” Hurts said last week before the game. “Missed blocks are going to happen. Defensively, missed tackles are going to happen and sometimes you're going to bust a coverage, unfortunately. I think it just comes down to locking in. You have to catch the ball to execute. You have to throw the ball in the right place to execute. You have to do all of those things to execute and I think that’s going to be our main motto — to execute."
That’s exactly what Smith did against Mississippi State.