TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama was favored by six touchdowns and outmatched Mercer at every position. The Crimson Tide should have won Saturday’s game by 40+ points, and it did with the 52-7 victory over the Bears. But performing well for four quarters in a game like this isn’t always the norm.
A matchup against an FCS opponent this late in the season with an early kickoff can be a barometer for how locked in a team is. After a big road win at LSU, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Alabama came out sluggish and slow against the Bears. Instead, the offense and defense were clicking from the opening possession, and that all started in practice throughout the week.
“Guys worked hard all week long,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game. “I thought they really had a good demeanor about them, working on themselves individually. Wanting to build on what we did a week ago.”…