No surprise that defense rules the day at Alabama's A-Day game
Alabama's annual A-Day game was close, if not breathtaking. It was intriguing, if far from conclusive. For Nick Saban, that seemed to be enough.
The White team won the annual steak-versus-beans battle 7-3 on Saturday as safety Ronnie Harrison intercepted a Cooper Bateman pass at the goal line with less than a minute to play. The conclusion added some spice to an A-Day that was, to no one's surprise, dominated by defense.
"When you match yourself against yourself, sometimes there are mismatches that you can't overcome," Saban said. "There are several players that are missing. So I don't think any conclusions can be drawn except this is an opportunity for us, as coaches, to look at where we are.
"It was a little disappointing offensively on false starts and penalties, something that we worked on very hard on this spring and thought we had improved on."
Saban did not single out any of the four quarterbacks who saw significant action in the game. Freshman Jalen Hurts had the best statistical day, completing 11 of 15 passes for 120 yards and the eventual game winner, a 5-yard touchdown to Derek Kief with 2:48 to go. Saban, though, was quick to caution that "it matters who you're playing against."
"We had some good plays at quarterback and some things we need to work," Saban said. "Obviously, we need more explosive plays but when you limit your offense and limit your defense, I'm not sure how often that's going to happen.
"I thought the White team moved the ball more consistently but missed four field goals," Saban said.
"All the pieces are not together but we can continue to improve. Who you're playing against matters. It wasn't surprising to me that the second offense played better because they're a little better than the second defense, to be honest.
"Don't draw conclusions. If you do, you're going to be wrong."
The fireworks, which rose roughly to the sparkler level, came in the fourth quarter. A 33-yard pass from David Cornwell to Calvin Ridley put the Crimson team in position for the afternoon's first score at the White 7-yard line. The drive went no further but Adam Griffith, who had miss four first field goal attempts in the first half, came on to a kick a 21-yarder that put the Crimson team ahead 3-0 with 10:55 remaining.
After an exchange of punts, Hurts led the winning drive, starting with a 32-yard completion from the White 48, a play enhanced by a 10-yard face mask penalty that set the Whites up at their 10-yard line. Two plays later, Hurts found Kief for the decisive score with 48 seconds to go.
Bateman then drove the Crimson team to the White 13-yard line in the final seconds, but Harrison ended the final threat with an interception.
Sophomore Damien Harris, the No. 2 tailback for much of the spring, won Outstanding Player honors after rushing 20 times for 114 yards. Defensive end Tim Williams, with three sacks, earned Most Valuable Lineman honors.
The attendance was estimated at 76,212, significantly larger than last year's crowd.
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.