College football is alive and kicking in the state of Alabama, and Talegate would like to highlight a few of the players across the state to look for on Saturday’s robust gridiron docket.
Let’s jump right in:
Alabama
Alabama blew WKU’s doors off this past Saturday, and it was a coming out party for 17-year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams. The former 5-star recruit from Saraland, Ala., snagged only two receptions, but both catches were for touchdowns and acquired large chunks of real estate: the first reception was for 84 yards and the second for a mere 55.
But don’t forget about Justice Haynes. Haynes 85-yard second quarter scamper was the longest touchdown run by a Tide player since Jase McClellan’s 81-yard rushing score at Texas in 2022. It was also the longest scoring play since Bryce Young and Jameson Williams combined for a 94-yard touchdown on Sept. 4, 2021, versus Miami.
Though Saturday’s matchup against USF is hyped by the dedication of Saban Field, there is still a game to play. QB Jalen Milroe will look to redeem himself against the Bulls after being benched in last season’s contest in Tampa.
Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
Auburn
Did you miss Payton Thorne’s four touchdown night against Alabama A&M last Saturday? That’s right, the Auburn quarterback was 13-for-21 passing for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 73-3 romp of the Bulldogs. Oh, and Thorne also gained 49 yards on the ground and had a rushing touchdown as well.
But what about Auburn receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith? Three catches, 80 yards, and 2 touchdowns, punctuated by a 67-yard first quarter score courtesy of—you guessed it—Payton Thorne. Auburn will meet Cal at 2:30 p.m. today.
UAB
Though UAB head coach Trent Dilfer lamented his team’s offensive consistency in a postgame press conference last week, the Blazers (1-0) racked up 517 yards of total offense against Alcorn State in a 41-3 shellacking. Top performers included RB Lee Beebe Jr, who had 82 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, QB Jacob Zeno, who was 23-for-32 passing for 215 yards and 2 TDs, and wide receiver Kam Shanks, who had 171 all-purpose yards and a 57-yard punt return for a TD.
Defensively, the Blazers were led by safety Chris Bracy, who logged 8 tackles. Defensive tackle LD Cox had 4 tackles, two for loss. UAB faces Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
North Alabama
Remember this name: Gregory Reddick. So far this season, Reddick, a redshirt senior defensive back from Miami, Fla., leads the UNA defense with 19 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss. Last week at Memphis, Reddick had seven solo tackles. He was also named Co-Defensive Player of the Week by the United Athletic Conference in Week 0 with a game-high 12 tackles against Southeast Missouri.
Other notables for North Alabama include: LB Jackson Bratton – 10 tackles (2.5 tackles for loss) and RB Jayvian Allen (13 rush, 100 yards). Allen missed last week with an injury and is hopeful to return this week against Illinois State.
Jacksonville State
Jax State football faces a tough test on Saturday when the Gamecocks travel to face Louisville. And though the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers dealt JSU its first loss of the season last week, the Gamecocks will be looking to build on the success of players like Michael Pettway and Laletia Hale. Against Coastal Carolina, Pettway, a junior wide receiver from Alabaster, had a 92-yard touchdown reception, and Hale, a 6’0” 220-lb. senior linebacker from Montgomery, posted 8 tackles, 4 solo. Safeties Pat Taylor and Antonio Carter also had outstanding performances, with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively.
On playing Louisville, Pettway said, “It’s just awesome. It’s the biggest stage of it all, so I know a lot of guys are ready to play. I know I’m ready to play.”
South Alabama
The Major Applewhite era at South Alabama did not start the way the Jaguar faithful would have hoped, but there were a few bright spots against the North Texas Mean Green. First, USA quarterback Gio Lopez threw for 432 yards and 3 touchdowns. But he wasn’t done there. Lopez also rushed for 62 yards on 13 carries (1 TD) to lead the Jaguars. His performance set South Alabama single-game records for passing yards and total offense.
Receiver Jamaal Pritchett also had himself an afternoon, grabbing 10 receptions for 197 yards and 1 TD. Lopez’s favorite target had a 52-yard reception and a 26-yarder for a third quarter score. Pritchett’s 197 yards were the second-most in a single game in program history.
Keep an eye on Blayne Myrick, a sophomore linebacker from Fairhope, who had a career-high 12 tackles against the Mean Green.
Alabama State
The Hornets (0-1) opened the 2024 season with a 31-24 loss to the North Carolina Central Eagles in the Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The loss didn’t stop running back Andrew Body from having a big day. The senior QB from Corpus Christi, Tex., threw for only 27 yards, but rushed for 134 more and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Demarkus Cunningham and James Burgess led the Hornets with 5 tackles each.
Troy
The Troy Trojans have plenty of offensive firepower with which to battle Memphis this weekend.
Talk to me, Goose. Troy’s Top Gun is quarterback Goose Crowder, a junior from Gardendale, Ala., who pitched it around last week for 200 yards passing and a late fourth quarter touchdown to Devonte Ross. But it wasn’t enough as the Trojans fell in a 28-26 nail biter against Nevada.
The Trojans also boast the luxury of having Damien Taylor on the roster. Against Nevada, the junior running back from Northport, Ala., rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries and had a 25-yard touchdown run.
We mentioned Mr. Ross earlier. Versus the Wolfpack, Ross secured 7 catches for 102 yards, a 14.6 yards-per-catch average.
Alabama A&M
Though the Bulldogs were bludgeoned last weekend on the Plains, this Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky State at home is a bit more palatable. Look for quarterback Cornelious Brown IV and receiver Duke Miller to shine. Brown was 13-of-27 for 182 yards and Miller had 6 receptions for 92 yards against Auburn.
Samford
Samford faces the biggest test of the aforementioned schools this weekend, as the Bulldogs travel to Gainesville to meet the Florida Gators for a 6 p.m. kickoff in “The Swamp.” Samford (0-1) will rely heavily on the feet and arm of quarterback Quincy Crittendon, who was24-for-41 passing for 302 yards and 2 TDs, and rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries last week against West Georgia. Samford also boasts a corps of wide receivers that includes Brendan Jenkins, Iaan Cousin, E. Jai Mason, and D.J. Rias.
So, there you have it. Impact players for Week 2 of the college football slate in the state of Alabama. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your Rotel dip.
But most of all, rest knowing you live in the epicenter of college football on the entire planet. TG
