After an apparent fumble recovery was disallowed by an inadvertent whistle, Alabama allowed the Catamounts to march down the field for the first score of the game, conceding a nine-play drive that put Western Carolina up 7-0 with 11:57 left in the first quarter.
“I don’t think that we started the game out the way we’d hoped to or how we planned,” coach Nick Saban said. “We wanted to maintain focus, and I thought the players did a really good job all week of practicing well and preparing for the game. It’s really up to me to make sure that the guys have the right psychological disposition when we come out and play a game. We just didn’t have much energy in the beginning of the game, and just didn’t have much energy and enthusiasm in pregame.”
After the opening drive, the defense began to grow more comfortable, shutting the Catamounts out until Derrick Henry’s fumble gave Western Carolina the ball on the Alabama 12-yard line. A touchdown pass one play later cut Alabama’s lead to 17-14 with 10:46 left in the first half. Western Carolina would not score again.
Landon Collins led Alabama with 11 tackles, including a brutal tackle on Western Carolina kicker Richard Sigmon on a fake field goal.
“Run him down, don’t let him get a first down, that was the first thing on my mind. Just make the play,” Collins said. “He had the ball in his hand. Can’t help how hard you hit him.”
Alabama’s lopsided win allowed the coaching staff to grant playing time to players who rarely see the field. Thirty-four defensive players saw playing time on Saturday, many of whom played their first ever snaps for Alabama. Josh Frazier recorded his first ever tackle for Alabama, sacking Western Carolina quarterback Troy Mitchell for a 12-yard loss.
“I saw a lot of toughness, a lot of guys competing,” linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “We always excited. Josh Frazier came in and got a sack, did what he had to do.”
Relatively speaking, the Alabama defense escaped Saturday’s injury-heavy win mostly unscathed. Seven players were lost to injury at some point on Saturday, but only one defensive starter left the game – defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, who went down with a sprained ankle midway through the first, sustained on a Western Carolina chop block. In his post-game press conference, Saban said he expects Robinson to be available for the Iron Bowl.
