Undefeated, but untested.  That was the prevailing opinion of this Alabama team as they rolled into Knoxville.

     The Crimson Tide was tested by the Vols high-powered offense Saturday night and scored a solid “A”.  The 44-13 victory over Tennessee was easily the most complete game of the season for Nick Saban’s squad.

     As usual, Alabama scored first.  AJ McCarron connected with freshman Amari Cooper on a 23-yard scoring pass midway through the opening quarter.

     Tennessee did manage to do something that no other team has done against Alabama in the first quarter this year – get a score of their own.  The Volunteers followed the Alabama touchdown with a field goal.  The Crimson Tide has now outscored opponents by a total of 90-3 in the opening quarter this season.

     The Tide outscored the Vols 16-7 in the second quarter and took a 23-10 lead into halftime.

     Alabama completely dominated the second half of play.  Every time Tennessee looked to be gaining some momentum, the Tide defense quickly turned them away.  The two defensive highlights were Foley’s Robert Lester intercepting a pass in the end zone and the defense stopping Tennessee on a fourth and one attempt at the Alabama 33 yard line.

     The stars of the night were mostly on the offensive side of the ball.  AJ McCarron had one of the best games of his career.  The junior quarterback continued to be efficient with the football and has now thrown 239 consecutive passes without an interception.

     McCarron also threw for a career-high 306 yards and tied his career best with four touchdown passes.

     McCarron’s favorite receiver of the night was freshman Amari Cooper.  The talented youngster caught 7 passes for a freshman record 162 yards.

     Another freshman, Daphne’s TJ Yeldon, was the Tide’s leading rusher.  Yeldon carried the ball 15 times for 129 yards.

     Opposing coaches can’t get much sleep at night knowing they have at least two more years of facing the likes of Cooper and Yeldon.

     The win is the sixth straight for Alabama over Tennessee.

     The test has been passed, but much tougher ones await starting this week with Mississippi State.

     When the Bulldogs visit Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night, they’ll do so with an undefeated record and ranked #11 in the BSC poll.  This is just the second time in their 113-year history that the Bulldogs have gone 7-0 to start the season. Their toughest contest, however, has been a 41-31 victory over the same Tennessee team that Alabama just dismantled.

     Mississippi State will bring with them the most balanced offensive attack that Alabama has faced this season.  The Bulldogs offense averages 416 yards and 36.7 points per game compared to Alabama’s total of 439 yards and 41 points per contest.

     They are led by quarterback Tyler Russell.  Russell has completed 60.1% of his passes and thrown for fifteen touchdowns and just one interception.  He has provided this Mississippi State team with the solid quarterback play they have been lacking for many years.

     Russell’s favorite receiving targets are Chad Bumphis and Chris Smith.  Combined, the two have caught 55 passes and average more than 100 receiving yards per game.  Bumphis leads the team with six touchdown receptions.

     In red zone situations, Alabama will have to pay extra attention to tight end Marcus Green.  Green has caught just 14 passes this season, but five have gone for touchdowns.

     You can bet that Alabama linebacker CJ Mosley will be paying extra attention to Green if the Bulldogs venture near the goal line.  A great all-around player, Mosley excels when the ball is in the air.  He may be the best pass defending linebacker ever to play for the Crimson Tide.

     The leading rusher for the Bulldogs is LaDarius Perkins.  The junior has carried the ball 125 times for 725 yards and eight touchdowns this season.  Perkins has been nicknamed “the rabbit” by teammates due to his quick-twitch style of running.

     The Mississippi State defense gives up just 327 yards and 14.4 points per game.  Only Alabama and Florida are allowing fewer points this season.

     The Bulldogs would love nothing more than to defeat the number one ranked Crimson Tide Saturday night.  A win would put them in the drivers seat in the SEC Western Division and make them contenders for the national title.  It would also be one of the biggest victories in the history of the program.

     For Alabama, this game is the next step in the process.  The team will take use a business-like approach that has become the trademark of the program under Nick Saban.

     Mississippi State will clearly be the most complete team Alabama has faced this season.  The Crimson Tide is also clearly better in just about every way.

     This will be the biggest test of the year for Alabama, but there’s no reason to think they won’t pass it with flying colors.