The best thing that can be said about Alabama’s 52-7 win over Mercer is that the Crimson Tide did what fans and media expected it to do.

Alabama rolled to an easy victory, with its starters watching from the sideline for the final quarter of the game.

It’s the type of performance that Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer likely hoped to see following his teams win over then-No. 1 Georgia in September. Instead, the team went on a stretch in which is dropped two of its next three games.

Alabama seemed far more prepared this time, showing its focus immediately following last week’s road win over then-No. 15 LSU.

“The intensity in practice, it’s not like guys are flying off the wall and things like that, but there’s a focus that they bring and there’s a business-like approach where they know they’ve got to do this,” DeBoer said. “They’ve got to eat right, sleep right, do all those things off the field, take care of their business there and it leads to the success that they’ve had.”

The Crimson Tide scored on its first three offensive possessions and the defense scored its first touchdown of the season to boost Alabama to a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The defense forced turnovers on three of Mercer’s first four possessions first four defensive possessions and now has 12 takeaways in its past four games.

Zabien Browns 68-yard scoop and score in the second quarter broke a nine-game drought by the defense which was finally able to breakthrough. Alabama’s last defensive touchdown came in last season’s win against Tennessee, almost 13 months ago.

“For us to get him in the endzone with that long return it was something that was exciting for the whole team because they’ve gotten the takeaways, we just haven’t ended up with one in the endzone like that. I love the mindset, again, just going back to what the defense is doing, they’re attacking. Three and out is what they’re shooting for, but right now, the position they’re putting our offense in, getting points on the board now too, it’s really good.”

Alabama’s offense also took care of business, scoring points in five of its first six possessions of the game. One of those scores was a 44-yard touchdown catch by senior tight end Robbie Outz, his first score of the season and his second touchdown of his college career.

After the game, DeBoer referred to Outz as a “swiss-army knife” type player that often does the dirty work that can be overlooked by the average fan but is essential for the overall success of the offense.

“For Robbie to haul one in, that was really exciting for our guys, exciting for him. I love to see it,” DeBoer said. “He got a chance as a senior to talk to the team last night. You can just tell the love our team has for him, how much they appreciate the effort that he brings, each and every day, not just each and every week, but he’s got a mindset, a toughness about him that just exudes what Alabama football is all about.”

The Crimson Tide collected 508 yards of total offense in the win, it’s third game with more than 500 yards of offense this season.

Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) will travel to Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC) next Saturday before finishing the regular season at home against Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Next weeks game in Norman, Okla. is set for 6:30 PM CST on ABC.



A VERY NICE FALL SATURDAY: After a chilly start with early morning lows in the upper 30s to the mid 40s, daytime highs will top out in the upper 60s to the lower 70s under mostly sunny skies.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe (11:45 a.m. kickoff, Jordan-Hare Stadium) — Expect a bright, sunny sky throughout the game. Temperatures will start in the mid-60s at kickoff and rise to near 70 degrees by the final whistle.

Alabama vs. Mercer (1 p.m. kickoff, Bryant-Denny Stadium) — Sunny conditions will prevail in Tuscaloosa as well. Temperatures during the game will range from 68 to 71 degrees — perfect football weather.

UAB at Memphis (7 p.m. kickoff, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium) — For the Blazers’ evening game in Memphis, the sky will be clear with crisp conditions. Temperatures will start in the low 60s at kickoff and drop into the low 50s by the fourth quarter.

SUNDAY: Ridging continues to hang out over the Southeast, keeping our weather very nice. We’ll have mostly sunny skies with highs in the upper 60s to the mid 70s.

NEXT WEEK: We’ll get one more nice day on Monday before a cold front moves into the state on Tuesday. Skies will be mostly sunny through the daylight hours, with clouds moving in late. Some locations could see showers around or just after midnight. Highs will be in the lower to mid 70s.

The cold front will move through Alabama on Tuesday and into the early morning Wednesday, bringing solid rain chances to the state. We also have the potential of the remnants of Tropical Storm Sarah moving up over the Gulf Coast. If that plays out, we’ll have scattered showers and storms over the northern half, with rain and storms likely over the south. The highest coverage looks to take place during the afternoon and evening. Highs will be in the upper 60s to the mid 70s.

We’ll have another low moving across the northern portions of the state on Wednesday that will bring another chance of showers. Any showers look to stay over the Tennessee Valley and north, while the rest of the state will remain dry with mostly sunny skies. Cold air will begin to be pulled into the state, as highs top out in the lower 60s to the lower 70s.

BIG COOLDOWN TO END THE WORK WEEK: On Thursday, we’ll see daytime highs reach only the 50s, while 30s to lower 40s can be expected before sunrise. Widespread 30s can be expected to start the day Friday, and frost advisories will likely be issued. It will remain cool and dry, with highs in the lower 50s to right around 60.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Sara remains largely unchanged, maintaining deep convection north of its center and a tighter band to the west, with winds holding steady at 50 mph. The storm has stalled but is expected to slowly drift westward before moving toward Belize late Sunday as a ridge strengthens to its north. No significant intensification is forecast due to Sara’s broad structure and possible land interaction, with the system likely weakening into a remnant low near the southern Yucatán Peninsula. The primary concern remains catastrophic flash flooding, with significant rainfall already reported along the north coast and mountainous regions of Honduras. The rest of the tropics are quiet.

For more weather news and information from James Spann, Scott Martin and other members of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWx.

Alabama hosts Mercer on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 (11/16/24) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

How to watch: Fans can watch the game only with a subscription to ESPN+.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: SEC Football

Who: Alabama vs. Mercer

When: Nov. 16, 2024

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium

Time: Noon ET (11 a.m. CT)

TV: N/A

Live stream: ESPN+

Here’s a college football story from the AP:

The last time a Kalen DeBoer-coached team lost two games by mid-October, his Washington Huskies suddenly went on a tear.

DeBoer and No. 9 Alabama would love a similar run of sustained success after a dominant road win over then-No. 14 LSU. Those Huskies went on to win 21 consecutive games following road losses to UCLA and Arizona State in 2022, a streak that extended all the way into last season’s national championship game.

Alabama (7-2, No. 9 CFP) gets a reprieve from Southeastern Conference play Saturday against FCS team Mercer (9-1) before resuming the chase for league championship and playoff shots. Barring a monumental upset, of course.

“Honestly, it’s really simple,” DeBoer said. “You’ve got momentum to build off of, and you make sure you take advantage of it, and then you also continue to keep the pedal down, keep focused on what you believe in. And we’ve been doing that. We were doing that then, that year, and we’re doing that now.”

Alabama has won two straight blowouts against ranked teams — 42-13 at LSU and 34-0 over then-No. 21 Missouri— since road losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The team closes DeBoer’s first regular season against Oklahoma and Auburn.

It’s a tall order to replicate that success starting in his debut season at Washington, but DeBoer said it’s something he can look at and “try to figure out what worked and what didn’t to keep the team moving in the right direction.”

Mercer coach Mike Jacobs knows his team can’t treat this game as “a tourist thing” but wants to play well on a national stage.

“The reality is most kids grow up wanting to play in the SEC or the Big Ten and I think it provides them an opportunity to prove themselves,” Jacobs said.

He said quarterback DJ Smith is day to day for the game with a “lower body injury.”

Mercer’s season

Unlike Alabama, the Bears are already in the playoffs, at the FCS level. They have clinched at least a share of the Southern Conference championship and the league’s automatic berth. It’s Mercer’s first league title since winning the Dixie Conference in 1932, and a win over Furman on Nov. 23 would give the Bears the outright league title.

Mercer’s only loss this season came in the state of Alabama, falling 55-35 at Samford on Oct. 19.

Milroe’s foursomes

Quarterback Jalen Milroe joined Shaun Alexander as the only Alabama players with multiple games scoring at least four rushing touchdowns. Milroe accomplished the feat against LSU last weekend and also against the Tigers last season.

Ty Simpson’s shot?

Alabama backup quarterback Ty Simpson is a former five-star recruit who hasn’t seen much action this season behind Milroe but figures to contend for the starting job next season. The third-year sophomore has played in four games this season, completing 9 of 14 passes for 96 yards. Simpson could see more extended action if this game goes as expected.

The turnover battle

Alabama’s 21 forced turnovers (eight fumbles, 13 interceptions) leads the SEC and is fourth-most in FBS. Malachi Moore has forced two fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes.

The Bears, meanwhile, have had three straight turnover-free games.

Winning coaches

Both coaches are high on the list of Division I winning percentages among coaches with at least five seasons. DeBoer leads all active D-1 coaches with a winning percentage 88.7 (110-14). Mercer’s Jacobs (82.2%, 83-18) is fourth. ___

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