No. 2 Alabama opened their 2014 season in Atlanta Saturday afternoon, taking on West Virginia in the Georgia Dome in a game that turned out much closer than most expected. Alabama running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry each topped 100 yards while West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett threw for 365, and it was the Tide that came away with the 33-23 win.
3 things we learned from Alabama’s win over West Virginia
The Tide won, but it wasn’t pretty.
Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports
The two teams traded field goals early, but it was Yeldon who got on the board first. Yeldon used an impressive burst of speed to get past the front seven, juking to get just the right angle against the Mountaineer secondary before diving in for the score.
West Virginia responded swiftly, tying things up on the next drive with one of a number of circus catches against a Crimson Tide secondary that was exposed repeatedly. Alabama responded in kind, utilizing a 38-yard reception from DeAndrew White on third down to lead to a goal-line dive by Yeldon. On the very next play, this happened:
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Alabama took the lead into halftime after Adam Griffith’s 41-yard field goal, but struggled early in the second half offensively. These issues came to a head on a fourth down conversion attempt near midfield, when Sims overthrew Amari Cooper by nearly 10 yards after some apparent miscommunication. West Virginia missed the potential game-tying field goal, and the Tide took advantage with Henry’s 19-yard touchdown run.
Trailing 30-20 in the fourth quarter, West Virginia drove down the field thanks to a pair of impressive catches made by the Mountaineer receiving corps. Facing third and goal, a misfired snap flew over the head of Trickett, forcing the Mountaineers to settle for a field goal.
After Griffith’s 45-yard field goal (his fourth of the game) gave the Tide a 10-point lead, West Virginia was forced to punt. Alabama held on to the ball for more than four minutes, giving it back to the Mountaineers with just over two minutes left to play and a 10-point Tide lead. Trickett and WVU went three-and-out, giving the Tide the victory.
Three things we learned
1. Alabama's offense might not look so smooth this season. T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry are a fearsome duo in the backfield and the Tide did score 33 points, but Blake Sims struggled to make some pretty simple throws. His stats looked okay (24-of-33 for 250 yards), but having a number of blue-chip receivers to rely on helped him out considerably. It was also the Tide's first game with offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, and head coach Nick Saban didn't look all that happy with him.
2. Special teams will be an issue for the Tide ... again. It’s haunted the Tide in the past, and will continue to haunt them in the future. Griffith had no issue hitting his kicks, but Mario Alford’s kick return provided a much-needed momentum boost after one of many back-breaking Alabama rushing touchdowns.
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3. West Virginia back?! Dana Holgorsen posted a 10-win season complete with an Orange Bowl victory in his first year at the helm of the Mountaineers. Since then, West Virginia's wins have declined by three each year, in large part due to a lack of explosiveness from his usually explosive offensive system. With Clint Trickett, Holgorsen may have finally found the quarterback who can pick up where Geno Smith left off.
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