Alabama v Miami Game Preview

Alabama and Miami travel to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend for the Chick-fil-A kickoff game. Both teams open their seasons on Saturday at 2:30 pm at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Preseason rankings have Alabama at No. 1 with Miami trailing far behind at No. 14.

History

This will be these teams’ 18th meeting in the history of their programs. In the 17 matchups that they have had so far, Miami has won only three, 1954, 1955 and their most recent win, in 1990.

In their last faceoff in 1993, Alabama took home the glory in the Sugar Bowl 34-13.

However, Miami’s seasoned quarterback makes them a strong opponent this year.

Miami Quarterback

Leading Miami’s offense is super-senior quarterback D’Eriq King. King had 2,686 passing yards, 729 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns last season. He is coming off of an ACL injury from last season’s Cheez-It Bowl, but is said to be back to business-as-usual.

Head Coach for The Tide said that King is going to be a strong opponent offensively.

King’s movement on the field is also something Saban wants his defense to pay attention to.

Saban even said that Miami is going to be a difficult opponent.

Then, he went on to say that facing a veteran team is going to present its own challenges because Miami is bringing so many returners.

Alabama Quarterback

On the opposite sideline, sophomore quarterback Bryce Young will be taking over for Mac Jones this season. In the 2020 season, Young played in five games. During his time as a backup for Jones, he had 13 completions, one touchdown and 156 yards.

This game will be a first glance at what the new era of The Tide after Jones and Alabama’s youth. Saban said that it will also be an opportunity for the team to develop their own identity.

Saturday’s Game

Saturday’s game will be a neutral site and can be viewed on ABC. Saban said that his team always has an enjoyable time in Atlanta.

After months of practice he also said that the players are excited for a real game experience.

Opening Game

With this being game one of the season, lots of things can happen. In order to play well, Saban said that the team needs to stay focused and not worry about the distractions.