Fansided

Alabama defeats Wisconsin 35-17: Derrick Henry steamrolls the Badgers

By Jack Crosby

Sep 5, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) runs in a touchdown against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) runs in a touchdown against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama got their season off to a nice start, easily taking care of the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night

As the marquee match up on Saturday night to open up the 2015 college football season, we were treated to a battle featuring the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide taking on the No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers in a huge SEC vs Big Ten showdown. Could Alabama really lose to two Big Ten teams in a row?

Well, the answer to that question was an emphatic “no,” as the Tide got their year off to a great start, easily handling the Badgers, 35-17 inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Coming into this one everyone was wondering who the starting quarterback for Alabama would be and on their first possession we learned that the answer to that question was Jacob Coker. Cooper Bateman did see some time under center as well.

Through two quarters of this one, it seemed as if Wisconsin might be able to hang with Alabama, as they only found themselves down 14-7 headed into the locker room. However, it was the Alabama show in the final 30 minutes as the Tide cruised to the win.

Three Stars

1) Derrick Henry: Well, yeah, once again we were reminded that Derrick Henry is quite simply a freak of nature. The bruising Tide back ripped off touchdown runs of 37, 56 and two yards to help fuel the onslaught. On the evening, Henry finished with 147 yards on the ground on 13 carries. Yes, this young man is still an Army tank with legs.

2) Jacob Coker: Was it a stunning performance by any means? No. However, with all of the controversy surrounding the quarterback position throughout the summer, Coker was stepping into a pretty tough situation in this opener. In the win, the former Florida State QB finished 16-of-22 for 230 yards and a touchdown. He should progress as the season moves along and Alabama may have found their man for the 2015 campaign.

3) The Alabama Defensive Front: Alabama’s defense had one job coming into this game: Make sure Corey Clement didn’t run wild. Well, they more than succeeded in that mission. When all was said and done in this one, the back who finished with nearly 1,000 yards last year totaled just 16 yards on eight carries. The Wisconsin run game was never really able to get going and that was ultimately their downfall.

Odds

Coming in, Alabama was a 12-point favorite in Las Vegas. With the 35-17 win, they had no problem covering that spread.

Next Week

Alabama: Next week, Alabama will try to move to 2-0 when they take on Middle Tennessee State at home in Tuscaloosa. This should not be an issue after what we saw this evening.

Wisconsin: As for the Badgers, they’ll look to get their first win of the season when they take on Miami (OH) inside Camp Randall Stadium.

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