No. 10 Alabama decimated Eastern Illinois 56-0 at home Saturday in a game that saw the Crimson Tide’s depth on full display before the Iron Bowl next week. Head coach Kalen DeBoer said it was “good to get a lot of guys out there today.” For a team that ranks 121st in rushing, six different rushers found the endzone for Alabama for a combined eight rushing touchdowns. “We did mix in running backs. I thought they all ran hard and got their opportunities,” DeBoer said. Alabama got to work right away after freshman corner Dijon Lee intercepted quarterback Cole LaCrue on the first drive of the game. Two drives later, running back Daniel Hill added a rushing score of his own, going seven yards untouched to make the score 14-0 with 4: 49 left in the first quarter. The Crimson Tide added to the lead to start the second quarter after running back Kevin Riley dashed for a one-yard score, making the advantage 21-0 with 10: 04 left in the half. After a few defensive stops and an interception from quarterback Ty Simpson, Alabama tacked on another score, with Riley scoring his second touchdown of the afternoon to give the Crimson Tide a 28-0 lead to cap off the half. The Crimson Tide’s defense was efficient in the first half, as the Panthers only time spent in Alabama territory occurred after the Simpson interception. Eastern Illinois lost yards on that drive and came up empty on the scoreboard. “You’ve got to be disciplined, I really feel like he’ll [Simpson] do that moving forward,” DeBoer said about Simpson’s two first half interceptions. The Crimson Tide opened the second half with a four minute 59-yard touchdown drive that saw freshman running back AK Dear scamper in for a touchdown, extending the blowout to 35-0. Alabama’s lead ballooned to 42-0 as quarterback Austin Mack toted the rock for 20 yards into the endzone for a touchdown with 1: 05 left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw much of the same for the Crimson Tide, as the team punched in a pair of rushing touchdowns to close out an emphatic victory. Alabama put up one of its best rushing performances of the season, with 49 carries for 269 yards with several backs getting opportunities to carry the rock. When asked about his team’s stellar afternoon rushing the ball, Miller gave “all credit” to the team’s offensive line. He also noted that the performance gave his team a “confidence boost heading into next week.” The team’s focus now turns to next week’s Iron Bowl where Alabama must win to punch its ticket to the College Football playoff and potentially the SEC Championship Game. DeBoer said that his team is looking forward to the “excitement of what lies ahead with the Iron Bowl” and the “opportunities” that are in front of the team. The regular season finale versus Auburn on the Plains is scheduled to kick off at 6: 30 p. m. CT and can be streamed on ABC.
https://thecrimsonwhite.com/125143/sports/crimson-tide-demolish-panthers-on-senior-day/
