Alabama vs. Middle Tennessee: Game Grades, Analysis for the Crimson Tide

The No. 2 Crimson Tide made quick work of Middle Tennessee, shaking off a slow start to blow out the Blue Raiders by a 37-10 margin.

Led by its elite running backs and a defense that forced four turnovers, head coach Nick Saban's team mostly looked ready for next week's showdown with Ole Miss. However, the quarterbacks' performance should worry Saban heading into the toughest part of the season.

Positional Unit	1st Half	Final
Passing Offense	B-	C
Rushing Offense	D	A
Passing Defense	B+	A
Rushing Defense	C	A
Special Teams	B+	B
Coaching	B	B

Passing Offense: Jacob Coker and Cooper Bateman were both unimpressive in this one. Coker's stats were greatly padded by a 68-yard shovel pass to Kenyan Drake, and his field vision left much to be desired. The same goes for Bateman, who also benefited from Drake's elusiveness and threw an interception that would've been returned 100 yards by an SEC defensive back. This grade is made mostly by Drake and tight end O.J. Howard.

Rushing Offense: It was a painfully slow start for Drake and Derrick Henry on the ground, but both picked it up considerably. Henry turned in his second-straight, three-touchdown performance, breaking loose in the second half to turn it into a blowout. Freshman Damien Harris showed off his vast array of tools in mop-up duty.

Passing Defense: Marlon Humphrey and Eddie Jackson each forced fumbles, and Cyrus Jones picked off a pass when the Tide began to surge in the second quarter. This group also started slow but asserted its will in frustrating MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill into 4.1 yards per attempt.

Rushing Defense: The Blue Raiders averaged less than three yards per carry, and no player on the team ran for more than 30 yards. This group isn't 2011-good, but it'll get the job done.

Special Teams: The group blocked a punt for a safety, and the return game was solid throughout the afternoon. Calvin Ridley committed a catch interference, and Adam Griffith somehow managed to miss two more field goals.

Coaching: You would have liked to see the team come out a little faster. Once the second quarter hit, Saban got his guys playing sound football, and they predictably dominated. He has his hands full at quarterback, though, and might want to think about just committing to one guy to instill some confidence.