Initial takeaways from Alabama beating Mississippi State

Alabama football defeated Mississippi State 53-26 at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.

Here are some initial takeaways from the game:

Keelon Russell Is Close To Arriving

Keelon Russell was the best quarterback on the field as the opposite signal caller to Kamario Taylor. The Alabama quarterback finished the game with 285 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and one rushing score. The sophomore simply made some big-time throws as he tied another four-touchdown performance together. With the momentum he has built, he has an opportunity to fully arrive against Georgia next week.

Stable Of Backs Is A Huge Plus For Tide

Alabama football has a stable of backs it can lean on, and this group has proven it can be leaned on. It is hard to guess which back will be the lead guy from week to week. Will it be Trae’shawn Brown? Will it be Daniel Hill? Will it be EJ Crowell? Today it was Brown. He finished the game with 66 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Crowell had 49 yards himself on three rushes.

Get Ready To See More Xavier Griffin

The freshman is seeing more playing time with Xavier Griffin and Desmond Umeozulu sidelined at the moment. He was making plays all over the field at different spots against Mississippi State on Saturday. The athletic linebacker finished the game leading Alabama in tackles with nine. He also added a sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.

Alabama Football’s Run Defense Bounces Back

Alabama football limited Mississippi State to 18 rushing yards after getting gashed on the ground against South Carolina. This was a major moment for the Crimson Tide defense ahead of facing a Georgia team that rarely abandons the run game.