TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Thousands of hollering, pompom-waving faithful welcomed the Crimson Tide home to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time since Alabama won the national championship in January.
Inside a venue where the Tide rarely are defeated, Saturday was a hot, smothering September afternoon.
No. 1 Alabama was smothering, too.
"There's a reason why they've won so many championships," ASU senior quarterback Justice Hansen said.
"I see why they're No. 1," ASU junior safety Darreon Jackson said.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide throttled and tired Arkansas State University, blasting the Sun Belt Conference's preseason favorite 57-7. A deluge of quick-strike touchdowns by Alabama chewed up dozens of yards at a time to back a suffocating defense the Red Wolves could not conquer.
"We could've played our best game and still not won," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "We knew that was possible. We needed to play our best game. We needed them not to."
Despite revolving quarterbacks, the Tide threw for six total passing touchdowns between starter Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, who combined for 20 completions on 28 attempts. Alabama receivers barreled through the Red Wolves' secondary to set the afternoon's mood and eliminate any hope for drama.
Alabama's 40-0 lead after two quarters even sent half of the fans at Bryant-Denny out of the stadium with a victory locked up.
"They were as good or better than expected," Anderson said. "So no surprise there, considering they're the best team I've seen in pads on film in a very, very long time."
Arkansas State crossed Alabama's 50-yard line three times in the first half, but the Tide's defense was as advertised. The unit kept Hansen quiet on 15-of-36 passing for 140 yards and 1 touchdown, ASU's only score, marking a rocky day by Hansen's lauded capability. Hansen threw just one interception against a turnover-hunting defense, but that pick resulted in a 38-yard return for a touchdown by Saivion Smith to make it 40-0 with 6:44 left in the second quarter.
The Red Wolves produced two offensive drives of more than 50 yards before they swapped Hansen out for sophomore backup Logan Bonner in a fourth quarter that began with the Tide up 50-7. ASU's offense gathered a third of its 391 total yards in the final quarter.
ASU punted on each of its first six drives and couldn't put together a possession longer than 36 yards. In the same window, Alabama scored three times and missed two extra points.
The 19-0 deficit -- mostly the result of ASU's inability to tackle Alabama's skill players -- after the opening 15 minutes was more than enough to topple the Red Wolves.
The Red Wolves entered Saturday having not been shutout in 118 consecutive games. Hansen whipped a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Kendrick Edwards in the third quarter, clinching the quarterback's 19th consecutive game with at least one passing touchdown and the team's 119th with a score.
Hansen's touchdown was a bright spot on a day clouded by dull moments.
Alabama posted double-digit scoring quarters in three of the four quarters. A 19-point first quarter was a sufficient punch. A 21-point second quarter was a game-ender. A 10-point third quarter was gravy.
"We just wanted to come out and make a statement," Alabama junior tight end Irv Smith Jr. said "We are at home and it's our first home game, so we have to let our fans know and the whole world know what we are capable of doing."
On an afternoon when the Tide raised a 2017 national championship banner on a flag pole above an end zone, the Tide weren't in a losing mood.
Should this season go the way they assume it will, the Tide may raise another next September.
"Luckily, we're not going to play anybody that looks like Alabama for the rest of the year," Anderson said. "They'll look a lot more like us."
Sports on 09/09/2018