Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

SEC slant: Alabama's problem letting off the gas

Every team has its flaws. It’s just that kind of season where no one in the top four is perfect. Florida State, the only undefeated Power 5 team left, is ranked third because there’s so much about the Seminoles that’s concerning. Which, in a roundabout way, brings us to No. 1 Alabama. The SEC-leading Crimson Tide have come on strong of late, but that doesn’t mean they’re without a fairly serious problem: The offense, it seems, lets off the gas.

Mapping out the inconsistencies

Alabama has started awfully fast in games.

With Lane Kiffin guiding the offense, the Crimson Tide have put up an average of 21.5 points in the first half of games. They’re 12th nationally in average yards in the first and second quarters, with 96.1 yards rushing and 175.5 yards passing. And they have converted 55 percent of third downs in the first half.

But from the third quarter on, things change.

In the second half of games, Alabama dips to an average of 11.5 points. It dips to 52nd nationally in yards with averages of 101.8 yards rushing and 98.7 yards passing. And that wouldn’t be so bad if the Tide didn’t go three-and-out so much: 15 times in the second half Alabama has gone three-and-out, a number that ranks 81st nationally.

Alabama wins the turnover battle at plus-five in the first half. In the second half, that balance becomes minus-two.

Blake Sims is streaky

When Blake Sims is on, he’s on.

Usually, like the rest of the offense, he starts fast. In the first half of games, his raw QBR is an impressive 87.4, which ranks second in the country. He has 13 touchdowns, no interceptions and completes 60 percent of his passes.

But in the second half, his raw QBR falls to 61.9, his touchdown-to-interception ration becomes a pedestrian 5-3 and his completion rate falls by 2.5 percent.

Granted, he’s had some impressive game-winning drives, but far too often he’s been found to be pressing.

Against Mississippi State last Saturday, he conducted what coach Nick Saban referred to as one of the best drives in school history. In it, he scrambled on third down twice to move the sticks.

“We know that Blake's style of athleticism at his position, at quarterback, is something that can be of benefit to us,” Saban said. “We want him to use good judgment when he makes those decisions. I think so far this year he has used really good judgment when things break down, but at the same time we also want him to make sure he goes through his progression.”

What Saban was referring to was a key mistake in the third quarter.

“There was a time in the game where he got sacked when they didn’t cover the back. They were in man-to-man coverage, and they busted on the back," Saban said. “Well, he was thinking about scrambling and getting out of there. If he had completed the progression, he’d have thrown the ball to the shakedown and the guy probably would have run for a touchdown.”

Instead, Alabama scored just six points in the second half and hung on for a 25-20 win.

The running game hasn’t been dominant

Some of that has been Sims getting pressured by the defense, though.

Alabama’s offensive line just hasn’t been as strong this season as in years past, and often that shows up in the second half of games.

In the first and second quarters, Sims has been sacked just twice. From then on, he’s been sacked five times.

But it’s the running game that’s experienced an even bigger lag in production in the second half, as Alabama’s yards per carry fall from 5.14 to 4.67. Its touchdowns-per-rush ratio craters from 7.1 to 3.8, and nearly 18 percent of all the team’s carries end at or behind the line of scrimmage.

With little success running the football, Alabama becomes one-dimensional. Too much of the burden is placed on Sims, play-action is less effective and the offense sputters out.

Coaches will tell you there’s no bigger key to having a successful offense than winning on first down. And whether it’s running or passing, Alabama thrives in the first half of games, averaging 7.52 yards per play on first down. But in the second half, it isn’t ahead of the sticks as much because its yards per play on first down falls by nearly a full yard.

That may not sound like a lot, but it's a part of a larger problem facing the Tide.

Will it come back and bite them eventually? Who knows.

But like every team in college football, there's reason to be concerned.

Alabama's defense has been great this season, but the offense must do its part for all four quarters.

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