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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Nick Saban's "tin horn" rant should have caught his team's attention. But if there was anyone left in Alabama's locker room who thought Saturday's game against FCS Charleston Southern was going to be a cakewalk, they were dealt a wake-up call when, prior to kickoff, South Carolina lost to The Citadel and Florida needed overtime to survive against Florida Atlantic. Instead, the No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide took care of business at home against the Bucs, scoring on their first eight drives to win going away, 56-6. Derrick Henry scored the first touchdown of the afternoon, running 17 yards to pay dirt. Though Alabama's junior running back didn't play much, carrying the ball nine times before his day was over, he made an impact. The Heisman Trophy front-runner wound up with 68 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak of games with a rushing score to 16 while also tying an Alabama record for single-season rushing touchdowns (21).  What the win means for Alabama: The final score didn't matter. The starters played well and got out in a hurry, and the backups received valuable experience. In the end, that's all coach Nick Saban needed Saturday against Charleston Southern. Next up: Auburn and the Iron Bowl.
What the loss means for Charleston Southern: At least Alabama paid Charleston Southern $500,000 to lose. And for a program that doesn't have nearly the same revenue as the Tide, that's no small matter. What's more, the lopsided loss to an FBS opponent isn't going to hurt Charleston Southern when it comes to the FCS, where they're ranked No. 9. Player of the game: Cyrus Jones wasn't interested in calling for a fair catch and taking a breather on the sideline during Saturday's blowout win over Charleston Southern. Alabama's starting cornerback and lead punt returner had other plans. The senior didn't have just one punt return for a touchdown, he had two. With that, he became the first Alabama player to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game since the school began keeping records in 1944. Top play: Richard Mullaney paid the price for his fourth touchdown reception of the season. On first-and-10 from the CSU 21-yard line, the senior receiver and former Oregon State transfer went up for the pass in the end zone, planted one foot down and landed hard. What was initially called an incomplete pass was quickly overturned and ruled a touchdown. You can watch the catch here.
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