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Alabama vs Southern Miss final score: Crimson Tide defense suffocates Golden Eagles, 52-12

By Patrick Schmidt

Sep 13, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) rolls out to pass against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) rolls out to pass against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Alabama Crimson Tide improved to 3-0 on the season with a dominating 52-12 win over the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and put to bed any conversation of a quarterback competition in Tuscaloosa.

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Alabama quarterback Blake Sims finished 12-of-17 on the night with 168 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to Jake Coker late in the fourth quarter with the game decided. Coker nearly had a rushing touchdown but was stopped short of the goal line and took a big sack that led to a 30-yard field goal from Adam Griffith.

Sims was not spectacular but he was the efficient signal-caller that Nick Saban wants under center and didn’t cost the team with any interceptions and he’s developed quite the rapport with wide receiver Amari Cooper who had his fifth straight 100-yard game dating back to last season.

Sep 13, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) scrambles back around the field against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) scrambles back around the field against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

Cooper tied the school’s record for consecutive 100-yard games held by DJ Hall and finished with 135 yards on eight receptions and a 22-yard touchdown.

He moved past Marquis Maze into fourth place on the all-time receptions list for Alabama with his 137th career catch and moved past Ozzie Newsome for third place for yardage.

T.J. Yeldon finished with nine carries and 56 yards but did not play in the second half with a strained hamstring, but after the game Saban said it was nothing serious.

That meant more opportunities for Derrick Henry who led the team with 11 carries and 73 yards and Kanyan Drake had three touchdowns and 59 yards on nine carries.

Tyren Jones added a late touchdown and combined with Altee Tenpenny to rush for 95 yards on 12 carries as Alabama had 333 rushing yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry.

The offense scored 52 points but the most impressive unit was the defense that was suffocating in the first half and only allowed five rushing yards on seven attempts for a paltry .7 yards per carry as the Golden Eagles were unable to do anything on the ground.

Nick Mullens had Xzavier Dickson in his face all night long but finished with a respectable 207 yards passing, but it was the rush defense that only allowed 56 yards and a clutch defense that limited Southern Miss to 3-of-13 on third downs.

The level of competition will be higher next week when Alabama takes on the Florida Gators, but the defense looks like it has found its identity and Sims won’t have to look over his shoulder any longer so long as he keeps feeding Cooper who has been unstoppable through three weeks.

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