Alabama football grades vs. ULM: Crimson Tide smashes Sun Belt foe — unlike Texas A&M

Nick Kelly, The Tuscaloosa News
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Alabama football didn’t get every answer correct on this exam, but the grade is still a good one.

There are areas for coach Nick Saban to nitpick, but Alabama cleaned up penalties from last week and took care of business against a Sun Belt team. Just a week ago in college football, we saw that’s not always a given.

Alabama beat the Warhawks 63-7 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, avoiding the type of disaster that beset Texas A&M against Appalachian State and Notre Dame against Marshall last week.

Here's how we graded Alabama (3-0) in the win over ULM (1-2).

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Offense: B

The group had moments of dominance, making ULM look more like the freshman team than even junior varsity. Then, the offense had some stumbles. That included two Alabama interceptions and a turnover on downs. Still, a solid day overall.

Defense: B+

The defense shouldn’t have let the ULM offense move like it did in the second quarter, but the defense scored a touchdown on a Will Anderson interception. That’s always going to lead to a boost in the grades. The group also tightened up in the second half. Plus, the pass rush looked about as sharp as it has been this season.

Special teams: A

No Will Reichard heroics needed this game, but the special teams were once again a strong point for Alabama. Malachi Moore returned an early blocked punt for a touchdown, and Brian Branch scored off a punt return. And the starting punt returner, Kool-Aid McKinstry, was fantastic.

Coaching: A-

The decision to go for it on fourth down late didn’t look as smart because it didn’t work, giving ULM a small window of opportunity. But overall, there weren’t any major blemishes. The coaches made adjustments on defense after ULM’s touchdown drive.

Overall: B+

Alabama had a good day overall. There were splash plays, and each side of the ball had moments of dominance. It wasn’t perfect, but pretty darn good still gives this team a good grade from its Week 3 game.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football grades vs. ULM: Crimson Tide smashes Sun Belt foe