“I’m just glad that we had a smile on our face,” Sims said. “Before the game I just looked in every player’s face and I could just tell they were ready. I just said, ‘Man, it’s going to be a good day for us,’ and that’s what happened.”
Sims helmed an offense that accrued 602 yards, racking up distance and points with ease.
“As an offense, we practiced hard, and we had one motto: be better than we were last week,” Sims said.
Sims completed 16 passes on 27 attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
Eight different receivers caught passes for Alabama, including running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Junior wide receiver Amari Cooper recorded 140 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.
“[Cooper] did a good job,” said coach Nick Saban. “Blake [Sims] did a good job getting it out there to him at the right time and he did a good job making plays with it, making them miss.”
Sims’ pregame exuberance and performance was one facet of a new spirit Saban and players said comes from a tension-free team and more experienced leaders.
“The leaders are becoming better and better every week,” Sims said. “The guys are hearing us so very well. After a win today, I think the younger guys and the other guys on the team know, ‘Hey, what these guys are saying is true. If we abide by what they’re saying, these are the results we can get.’”
