Alabama

Alabama NFL roundup: Josh Jacobs carries the load in Packers’ win

Published

2 years ago

September 16, 2024

Alabama NFL roundup: Josh Jacobs carries the load in Packers’ win

With six seconds left in the Green Bay Packers’ season-opening game on Sept. 6, quarterback Jordan Love went out with a knee injury. That left Green Bay with Malik Willis at quarterback, and he had started practicing with the team only on Aug. 28 after being acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.

With Willis in the lineup for their second game on Sunday, the Packers had a new game plan, and it centered on running back Josh Jacobs.

The former Alabama ball-carrier ran for 151 yards on 32 carries as Green Bay totaled 261 yards on 53 rushing attempts in a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Packers hadn’t run that many times in a non-overtime game since Sept. 3, 1978, when Green Bay had 181 yards on 55 carries in a 13-7 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Jacobs had the third-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing attempts of his career. Jacobs’ day would have been even better, but he lost a 20-yard touchdown run to an offensive-holding penalty in the first quarter and lost a fumble as he was about to cross the goal line in the second quarter.

Only four Green Bay players have had more than 32 rushing attempts in a game, and Jacobs was the first Packers ball-carrier to reach 32 since Oct. 12, 2008, when Ryan Grant had 90 yards on 33 carries.

Jacobs’ biggest game as an NFL ball-carrier came on Nov. 27, 2022, when he ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Jacobs had 154 yards and one touchdown on 21 rushing attempts in the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 10, 2022.

Jacobs was playing in his second game with the Packers. He joined Green Bay as a free agent in the offseason.

Jacobs was among the 48 former Alabama players who got on the field on the second Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.

Four other former Alabama players were involved in the Indianapolis-Green Bay game:

· Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis made three tackles.

· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison did not record any stats. Indianapolis activated Harrison from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.

· Ryan Kelly started at center for the Colts.

· Xavier McKinney started at safety for the Packers. McKinney made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and intercepted one pass. In the second quarter, McKinney intercepted Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson at the Green Bay 13-yard line and returned it 18 yards. Signed in free agency during the offseason, McKinney has two interceptions in two games for the Packers.

In the other Sunday games:

Las Vegas Raiders 26, Baltimore Ravens 23

· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made one tackle on special teams.

· Ravens guard Darrian Dalcourt is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Derrick Henry started at running back for the Ravens. Henry ran for 84 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries and had a 12-yard reception. Henry scored on a 3-yard run as Baltimore took a 23-13 lead with 12:11 remaining. Henry had 5 yards on seven rushing attempts in the first half.

· Marlon Humphrey (Hoover) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Humphrey reached a career high with 10 tackles. He also had one tackle for loss and intercepted a pass. Humphrey got his 14th career interception when he picked off a pass by Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew at the Baltimore 33-yard line with 5:03 left in the first half.

· Eddie Jackson started at free safety for the Ravens. Jackson made two tackles.

Los Angeles Chargers 26, Carolina Panthers 3

· Bradley Bozeman (Handley) started at center for the Chargers against his team of the previous two seasons.

· Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Chargers offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Panthers defensive end LaBryan Ray (James Clemens) made two tackles.

· A’Shawn Robinson started at defensive end for the Panthers. Robinson made six tackles.

· Chargers punter JK Scott averaged 43.0 yards on three punts, with a 32.0-yard net. Scott had a 38-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Carolina 13-yard line, a 44-yarder for a touchback and a 47-yarder returned 13 yards to the Carolina 19.

· Bryce Young started at quarterback for the Panthers. Young completed 18-of-26 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and had a 6-yard run.

CAROLINA PANTHERS STRUGGLE AGAIN: ‘BRYCE YOUNG IS OUR QUARTERBACK’

New Orleans Saints 44, Dallas Cowboys 19

· Trevon Diggs started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Diggs made five tackles.

· Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley) started at cornerback for the Saints. McKinstry made five tackles and broke up one pass. He made his first NFL start in his second game with New Orleans in the place of Marshon Lattimore, who missed the contest because of a hamstring injury.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Detroit Lions 16

· Terrion Arnold started at cornerback for the Lions. Arnold made one tackle.

· Buccaneers safety Marcus Banks is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Brian Branch started at safety for the Lions. Branch tied for the team lead with six tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another. Branch’s fourth NFL interception came off Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield at the Detroit 43-yard line with 1:52 left in the first half, and he had a 1-yard return.

· Buccaneers outside linebacker Chris Braswell made one tackle and registered one quarterback hit.

· Jahmyr Gibbs started at running back for the Lions. Gibbs ran for 84 yards on 13 carries and caught seven passes for 22 yards.

· Jameson Williams started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams had five receptions for 79 yards, including a 50-yarder, and a 15-yard run.

Cleveland Browns 18, Jacksonville Jaguars 13

· Browns cornerback Tony Brown is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Browns guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Amari Cooper started at wide receiver for the Browns. Cooper had three receptions 11 yards.

· Browns running back Jerome Ford ran for 64 yards on seven carries and caught one pass for no gain.

· Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had five receptions for 73 yards.

· Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones dressed but did not play.

· Browns tight end Cameron Latu is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Cam Robinson started at left offensive tackle for the Jaguars.

· Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Dalvin Tomlinson started at defensive tackle for the Browns. Tomlinson made two tackles.

· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was designated as a game-day inactive. Wills is recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss the final nine games of the 2023 season. He has been a limited participant in practice and did not play in the season-opening game either.

Minnesota Vikings 23, San Francisco 49ers 17

· Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover) made three field goals and two extra points. Reichard made a 22-yard field goal with 4:45 left in the first quarter for the first points of the game and the first three-pointer of his NFL career. He also had field goals of 39 yards on the final snap of the first half and 27 yards with 3:30 left in the game.

· Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner made two tackles.

Seattle Seahawks 23, New England Patriots 20 (OT)

· Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker did not record any stats in his NFL debut.

· Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is on the non-football illness list and not eligible to play.

· Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) started at outside linebacker for the Patriots. Jennings made seven tackles.

· Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Jarran Reed started at defensive end for the Seahawks. Reed made six tackles.

New York Jets 24, Tennessee Titans 17

· Jets safety Jaylen Key (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· J.C. Latham started at left offensive tackle for the Titans.

· C.J. Mosley (Theodore) started at linebacker for the Jets. Mosley made three tackles. Mosley left the game with a toe injury in the second quarter and did not return.

· Calvin Ridley started at wide receiver for the Titans. Ridley had four receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Ridley scored the first points of the game on the first rushing TD of his career with 2:30 left in the first quarter and caught a 40-yard touchdown pass with 3:22 left in the third quarter as Tennessee tied the game at 17-17.

· Quinnen Williams (Wenonah) started at defensive tackle for the Jets. Williams made three tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 18

· Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Allen made two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

· Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis made one tackle.

· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal dressed for the game but did not play.

· Daron Payne (Shades Valley) started defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne did not record any stats.

· Brian Robinson Jr. (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa) started at running back for the Commanders. Robinson ran for 133 yards on 17 carries and had a 3-yard reception. Robinson reached his career high for rushing yards with his second 100-yard game. Robinson ran for 105 yards on 18 carries in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 27, 2022.

Arizona Cardinals 41, Los Angeles Rams 10

· Rams tight end Miller Forristall is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Cardinals offensive tackle Jonah Williams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) started at inside linebacker for the Cardinals. Wilson made four tackles.

Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Denver Broncos 6

· Steelers cornerback Anthony Averett is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Minkah Fitzpatrick started at safety for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick made seven tackles.

· Najee Harris started at running back for the Steelers. Harris ran for 69 yards on 17 carries and had a 5-yard reception.

· Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and not eligible to play.

· Patrick Surtain II started at left cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made one tackle.

· Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace made one tackle.

Kansas City Chiefs 26, Cincinnati Bengals 25

· Bengals safety Jordan Battle did not record any stats.

· Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton caught only one pass, but it went for a 47-yard gain. Burton’s reception moved Cincinnati to the Kansas City 23-yard line to open a touchdown drive as the Bengals took a 22-17 lead with 2:16 left in the third quarter.

Houston Texans 19, Chicago Bears 13

· Will Anderson Jr. started at defensive end for the Texans. Anderson had four tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks.

· Texans linebacker Christian Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· John Metchie III was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Henry To’oTo’o started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o led Houston with 13 tackles. To’oTo’o’s career-high total included the first sack of his NFL career.

Week 2 started on Thursday night, when the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10.

Week 2 concludes on Monday, when the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. ESPN will televise the game.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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Alabama

How To Watch: Michigan vs Alabama in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

How To Watch: Michigan vs Alabama in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

After taking care of business in the first two rounds, the Michigan Wolverines head to Chicago for a tough, but passable second weekend. An Elite Eight draw of either Iowa State (Kenpom No. 7) or Tennessee (No. 14) makes for an interesting matchup, but up first is the Alabama Crimson Tide, who sits 12th in Kenpom with the No. 3 offense but No. 60 defense.

The Tide rolls into the Sweet Sixteen after crushing Hofstra and a JT Toppin-less Texas Tech, but faces its own star-player absence with the ongoing Aden Holloway saga. Michigan is nearly a double-digit favorite, but like a turbocharged Saint Louis, the Alabama offense can be the stuff of nightmares. Every game from here on out is a battle, though, and all things considered, the bracket is set up just fine for the Wolverines.

Sweet Sixteen: No. 1 Michigan (33-3) vs. No. 4 Alabama (25-9)

Date & Time: Friday, March 27, 7:35 p.m. ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
TV/Streaming: TBS

These programs have actually not met in basketball since a neutral site Alabama win back in 2009. Of course, there have been a couple notable football encounters over the past 28 months, which makes it five games on the gridiron this century. It is fitting that these squads now meet in the Sweet Sixteen, as they are arguably the top two schools over the past decade when it comes to combined football and basketball success.

Alabama 2PT Defense: 48.2% (44th)

On paper, it looks like the Bama defense might be able to hang with Michigan’s elite interior shooting, but I struggle to believe the raw numbers. The size mismatch in this game will be apparent right away, as Aiden Sherrell is the only real big in the lineup with Charles Bediako no longer eligible (lol). While the Tide gives up a decent number of threes and plenty of assists, jumpers are not the way to go in this one.

There is a very real chance that the Wolverines just hammer the paint and put up ridiculous efficiency numbers. Aday Mara looks like the x-factor here, and if Sherrell gets in any sort of foul trouble, it might just be too much for the defense to handle. This may turn into a track meet (more below), but this game sets up well for Michigan to score whenever it wants down low.

Alabama 3PT Rate: 53.9% (1st)

With this potential problem in the paint, Nate Oats knows his squad will need to put up big numbers of their own, and like Jalen Milroe rushing the ball himself, the plan is no secret. This is not necessarily the most accurate three-point shooting team in the nation, but the volume figures are substantial. For Alabama to pull off the upset, it must trade threes for twos, and that — unfortunately — is a viable strategy on Friday.

The Wolverines absolutely must close out on all shooters and again entice their opponent to opt for shots inside the arc. Future lottery pick Labaron Philon is the biggest threat, both with his willingness to drive and ability to pass (5.0 APG), but really everyone on the floor is going to be an issue from distance. There have been instances this year where teams just cannot miss from deep, and a repeat of that would be a major concern for Michigan.

Alabama DReb: 67.3% (287th)

The Wolverines’ size advantage should also play a role on the offensive glass, as Alabama has been terrible in defensive rebounding. Though Michigan has fluctuated in its prioritization of grabbing misses, this does feel like the right opportunity to make the most of the offensive possessions with plenty of second-chance points being readily available without a ton of resistance.

Not only does the Tide struggle to clean up the boards, but it also owns takeaway numbers in the bottom-10 of the entire country, while Michigan’s ball security has quietly been very strong to close out the year. This sets up perfectly for a massive offensive output. The pitfalls are the same as always: fluky bounces, careless passes, and an over-reliance on threes. If the Wolverines can stick to their game, the scoreboard is going to be lit up.

Alabama Adj. Tempo: 73 (4th)

Even more than Saint Louis, Alabama wants to run, and when it does, it wants to chuck up threes. This is going to be such a fascinating game to watch, since obviously Michigan will be more than happy to do that going the other way as well, and the Tide’s absolute commitment to getting down the court is what could lead to all of the aforementioned offensive rebounding opportunities.

With this pace, Bama does not grab a ton of offensive rebounds itself, nor does it get to the line often. It does, however, get blocked A TON, which should be fun for all of the Wolverine bigs. How close this game is really comes down to whether or not Alabama’s threes fall. The Tide will run and will hoist up a ton of attempts; make a hearty amount and an upset is possible, but have a tepid outing and this could be a blowout.

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Longtime coaching friends Dusty May of Michigan and Nate Oats of Alabama to meet in Sweet 16

Published

19 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Longtime coaching friends Dusty May of Michigan and Nate Oats of Alabama to meet in Sweet 16

CHICAGO — Michigan coach Dusty May remembered when he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan watching 6 a.m. practices at Romulus High near Detroit.

At the time, Nate Oats was coaching boys’ basketball and teaching physical education at the school. The two forged a friendship that’s going strong 20 years later.

From a high school gym to the Sweet 16, May and Oats will be on opposing sides when top-seeded Michigan (33-3) meets fourth-seeded Alabama (25-9) in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region semifinals on Friday.

“To get to where he is now, I don’t think you ever think that,” May said. “You don’t ever anticipate them getting to this level where they’re (at the) top of the profession but you know they’re really, really good because so much has to happen.”

Oats has led Alabama to a 170-72 record and five trips to the Sweet 16 in seven seasons after a successful run at Buffalo. The Crimson Tide are in the regional semifinals for the fourth year in a row.

Oats has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the North Carolina job, though he insisted he has “absolutely no reason to leave” to leave Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide to the Final Four two years ago and got a new contract during that run. He’s now in talks with the school about another extension.

Oats played at Division III Maranatha Baptist University in his hometown of Watertown, Wisconsin, and began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in the late 1990s.

Michigan head coach Dusty May looks on during the second half against Saint Louis in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. Credit: AP/Jeffrey T. Barnes

“On March 15, my salary went up $500,000,” Oats said. “I still can’t believe I’m getting paid this much. I’m coaching basketball. Guys, I did this thing free at Maranatha for three years. I got paid $500 out of the Warhawk fund at (Wisconsin-Whitewater) a year for the next two years. I made $4,700 a year for 11 years. … Glorified PE teacher making too much money right now. I’m not going to complain.”

May has done well for himself, too.

He coached Florida Atlantic for six years and led the school to a surprising Final Four appearance. Michigan has reached the Sweet 16 in each of his two seasons. And if the Wolverines beat Alabama, they’ll set the program record for wins in a season.

“He’s the same guy that I knew as an assistant at Eastern Michigan,” Oats said. “With all the success he’s had, his ego hasn’t gotten any bigger, and I think that speaks a lot to the character of the guy.”

That’s something that stood out to Oats when he was at Romulus. Some recruiters seemed to be using him simply to get to his players. But May wasn’t like that.

“Dusty was one of those guys that was genuine, real, smart, and worked hard. … We got to be very close because we were both young basketball junkies trying to learn every which way possible,” Oats said.

Through a friend of May’s who worked for the Chicago Bulls at the time, they got to spend five days at the Bulls’ training camp when Scott Skiles was the coach. They remained close after May left Eastern Michigan. He helped Oats get his first Division I job, as an assistant at Buffalo under Bobby Hurley in 2013.

At the time, May was on Mike White’s staff at Louisiana Tech. White’s brother Danny was the AD at Buffalo, and he put in a call when Hurley told him he was planning to hire Oats.

“Danny called Mike and Mike asked me, ‘Hey, this is your friend. Can you put your name on him?’” May said. “I said, ‘Absolutely. He’ll be as good or better than anyone he can hire as an assistant coach at Buffalo.’ It was the same deal when he moved him to the head coach. They’d done a great job recruiting, and that left a major mark on the success of coach Hurley’s teams.”

More recently, Oats has left his mark on Alabama. And May has done the same at Michigan.

“He texted me last night and asked what hotel we were staying at,” Oats said. “I thought we were staying next to him. I didn’t talk to him about our basketball game. I talked to him about other stuff.”

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Gov. Ivey orders flags to half-staff honoring fallen Alabama airmen

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Ivey orders flags to half-staff honoring fallen Alabama airmen

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued an updated directive calling for the lowering of all flags to half-staff across the state of Alabama on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of three Alabama Airmen who lost their lives in service to their country on March 12, 2026.

Below is Gov. Ivey’s flag-lowering directive.

“I authorize the lowering of flags at the Capitol Complex in Montgomery and statewide on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of U.S. military service members stationed in Alabama, who lost their lives on March 12, 2026, during an accident involving their KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury. These fallen military personnel served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron of the 117th Air Refueling Wing located at Sumpter Smith Joint Air National Guard Base in Birmingham.
“Major John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, a resident of Trussville, Alabama and graduate of Auburn University, served as chief of squadron standardization and evaluations. An eight-year Air Force veteran, Maj. Klinner’s awards include the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster. He is survived by his wife, Libby, and their three young children.
“Major Ariana G. Savino, 31, served as chief of current operations. A native of Washington state, Maj. Savino was a graduate of Central Washington University and Air Force ROTC, with over 300 combat hours. Her awards include the Air Medal and Air Space Commendation Medal.
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“Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, served as an assistant flight chief of operations. A native of Kentucky, Tech Sgt. Pruitt received two associate’s degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and had over 900 combat flight hours. She is survived by her husband, Gregory, a young daughter and stepson.
“To honor these brave Airmen who gave their lives in service to our country, I am directing all flags to be lowered from sunrise until sunset on Monday, March 30, 2026, the day of funeral services for Alabama native Major John A. Klinner.”

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