Alabama Coaching Staff Recognizes Nine Players of the Week Following LSU
The Alabama coaching staff selected nine players of the week following the Crimson Tide’s 24-10 victory over the 19th-ranked LSU Tigers on Saturday evening at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Jalen Hurts and Irv Smith Jr. on offense, Rashaan Evans, Ronnie Harrison and Da’Ron Payne on defense, and Keaton Anderson, Thomas Fletcher, Keith Holcombe and JK Scott on special teams were each recognized for their performance.
Hurts contributed 227 yards of total offense against a stout LSU defense. The sophomore quarterback finished 11-of-24 for 183 yards and a touchdown through the air, while adding 44 net yards and one score on a team-high 14 rushes. Hurts’ passing touchdown went to Smith Jr., who tied for second on the team with a pair of catches totaling 25 yards. The Hurts-Smith Jr. combination connected from four-yards out for the Crimson Tide’s first touchdown, with Smith Jr. adding a 21-yard reception on his second catch of the evening.
Evans, Harrison and Payne all played key roles for an Alabama defense that limited the Tigers to only 155 yards passing and a lowly 48.4 completion percentage, forcing one pick on the night. Evans, a senior, paced the Crimson Tide defense in tackles with a season-high 10 stops, including one sack (-1 yards). Harrison picked off the seventh pass of his career and his team-high tying third this season, returning the interception six yards. The junior safety added six tackles, including half a sack for a loss of three yards. Payne, a junior, was a force up the middle, making four stops, including half a sack (-6 yards), and adding one quarterback hurry. The threesome contributed to the Tide defense’s season-high six sacks totaling minus-37 yards.
The trio of redshirt sophomore Anderson, freshman Fletcher and senior Scott combined to keep LSU in unfavorable field position all evening, allowing only two yards in returns on punt coverage. Scott put together the best game of his senior season, punting eight times for 413 yards to average 51.6 yards per boot. The Denver, Colo., native had a career-high tying five punts of 50-plus yards with a game-high 58-yard boot to highlight his night. Six of the eight kicks from Scott landed the Tigers inside the 20-yard line and the LSU returner was forced to call five fair catches in addition to two downed punts by the Tide special teams. Redshirt junior Holcombe added to his season totals on kickoff coverage, making two stops to lead all special teamers.