Casagrande: What I saw looking closer at Alabama, young stars

This is an opinion column.After a long offseason, we finally have some college football to analyze. Then over-analyze. That’s what the Sunday after opening day means around here, even if we’re talking about Alabama beating up on a G6 team. Some might recall the old DVR rewind series from a different era. This isn’t that, but maybe in spirit as we look at our notes while watching the broadcast again.Let’s take a deeper look at some of the important issues entering Alabama’s 48-10 win over East Carolina and the people behind it.Alabama running game looking better?Let’s get the caveat out of the way. This was East Carolina and not an SEC team, even if the Pirates were No. 26 against the run last year on defense. This was more about what Alabama could do because it wasn’t even dominant against the likes of Eastern Illinois late in the season. While criticizing the operation after last season, it was hard to miss the number of stuffed runs. The Tide was ranked 76th in that stat last year and 108th in 2024 after ranking 22nd in 2023. Anyway, it felt like every run struggled to get past a scrum at the line of scrimmage.Against East Carolina, a rebuilt offensive line appeared to get a better push. Granted, there were some light boxes when the five up front got hats on hats, but the rebuild must start somewhere.There were 28 carries recorded by four running backs before garbage time. Of those, two were stopped behind the line. There was a breakdown in blocking on Trae’shawn Brown’s first carry that ended six yards behind the line.There appeared to be some issues on that left side of the line a few times Saturday. Something to watch as the competition improves.In terms of distribution and volume, I’d be curious to hear the thought process behind moving away from the ground game early. They were getting five or six a pop in the first few drives running between the tackles.Ultimately, Daniel Hill’s nine attempts led the running backs. He tallied 47 yards with a pair of touchdowns, but he looked to be running strong when getting the ball.The RBs finished with 116 yards on 28 carries (4.1-yard average) but that number probably should have been higher.Trae’shawn Brown broke a 68-yard touchdown in an otherwise listless third quarter. It was called back, however, on a holding flag that was questionable at best. Even the ESPN official’s expert didn’t love the penalty on transfer center Racin Delgatty that helped spring the run.It’s worth noting that the 68-yard run would have been longer than any rushing play in the 2025 season. EJ Crowell impresses in Alabama debutThe anticipation for EJ Crowell’s debut was almost on QB levels. Given his high school tape and the fact that he was hurt for A-Day and then both scrimmages, everyone was ready to see this 5-star talent run. Well, he did, seven times Saturday. At the risk of overdoing it, I was impressed. Of those seven carries for 37 yards, his second one for two yards spoke the loudest. That touchdown run, seen below, stood out from our view in the press box. He saw nothing up the middle except a mass of big, immovable bodies. So, he planted his feet and changed plans. Bouncing it out to the left, there was oxygen and green grass. Crowell showed the vision, speed, and mental processing to make a play that didn’t happen much last year.He has the respect of teammates too.“He’s been through a lot since he got here,” fellow RB Hill said. “In the spring, he was hurt. Then in fall camp, he got hurt again but EJ is a tough guy. He’s a tough dude. He came in, head down, ready to work and he’s going to fight through any injury he gets. I’m really proud of them.”Ryan Coleman-Williams dropsThere were two bad ones. The kind the fuel nightmares after an offseason combating the narrative of having great feet but questionable hands.The first one was crazy because he appeared to have the time for a fair catch. But it slipped through his gloveless hands and into his body for what should have been a big play early.Then, there was the one negated by ECU’s offside on fourth-down. Again, just squirted through his hands. Like he has the yips on certain balls thrown his way.The junior was asked specifically about the drops.“I just got to show up for my team,” he said. “I have a great young quarterback that expects me to make those plays and I’m going to make those plays.Kalen DeBoer had an answer when asked about those moments.“I thought well there made some contested catches too,” DeBoer said. We’re going to keep feeding him. …we’re not going to shy away from going to Ryan. I know that.”And that’s true. Coleman-Williams caught some nice passes in traffic in plays considered to be a higher degree of difficulty. He also had a 23-yard punt return in which that footwork was on display. The range of possibility with Coleman-Williams remains wide. He’s capable of making plays nobody else on that roster can. That only makes the basic mistakes even more frustrating.What about the Alabama defense?Almost every word I’ve written about this game is offensive-centric. That’s what happens when there’s so much to prove and so many new faces involved.The fact we’ve written less about the defense is a good thing because the level of concern was lower. That’s still true.Alabama handled business for the most part on the defensive side.ECU gained 68 of its 162 total yards on one busted coverage in the Alabama secondary. That happens in a season opener. No reason to panic.The lone TD pass for the Pirates was a perfectly thrown ball. So was the 30-yarder later in the first half.Otherwise, solid.Most impressive: Alabama was flagged zero times for a defensive penalty. A first defensive touchdown for AlabamaThe Crimson Tide had a few memorable Pick 6 touchdowns last year. None could top Zabien Brown’s 99-yarder to close the first half in a win over Tennessee. Or the one at Oklahoma in the playoff.None of the three defensive touchdowns last year was scored by a linebacker. The one from 2026 was.Yhonzae Pierre’s 27-yard interception returned for a touchdown was the first score by an Alabama linebacker since 2023 when Jihaad Campbell scooped a fumble and returned it 24 yards against the Vols.A long way to go before equaling the insane 15 non-offensive touchdowns scored by the 2016 Crimson Tide, but Pierre’s TD was impressive. A note about the East Carolina fansWanted to give credit to the ECU fans who made the trip to Tuscaloosa. That was the biggest and most spirited non-conference crowd in recent memory -- especially for the G6 schools. They were all over the place before the game and filled the visitor’s section at kickoff. A school official told me they sold their complete allotment and asked Alabama for more tickets.