Grading Alabama football's performance in a dominating 63-3 win over Kentucky

Alabama’s 63-3 domination of Kentucky was so thorough the Crimson Tide used backups to finish the final minutes of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter.

Here’s how we graded Alabama in its win over the Wildcats.

Offense: A

Keep-away is not a sufficient strategy for stopping Alabama’s offense, apparently: the Crimson Tide only had five possessions in the first half but scored touchdowns on four of them.

Defense: B

The unit is fortunate to only be charged with three points, given two failed Kentucky field goal attempts. A second-half revival saved first-half struggles.

Special Teams: A

Well-played games by kicker Will Reichard, punter Charlie Scott and impromptu punt returner DeVonta Smith were positive. The only thing keeping this from an A+ was if it had blocked one of the two punts it came close to blocking.

Coaching: A

It did not take long for either offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian or defensive coordinator Pete Golding to respond to Kentucky’s limited successes in the first half. The staff also navigated a lack of depth to play others in the later stages.

Overall: A-

For a team coming off of two off weekends, a sluggish first quarter and nothing more is not something to gloss over.

Reach Brett Hudson at 205-722-0196 or bhudson@tuscaloosanews.com or via Twitter, @Brett_Hudson