Louisville talked and Alabama answered.

The few weeks of chatter from Cardinal offensive linemen and a receiver about potential domination of the Crimson Tide's rebuilt defense, it turns out, was overstated.

Top-ranked Alabama's 51-14 pounding of Louisville will be remembered for Tua Tagovailoa's wizardry, though its defense had its say. Sometimes violently.

Playing its first game without Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, Louisville managed just 16 rushing yards and 268 total. First-time starter Jawon Pass had his moments completing 20 of 39 passes for 252 yards and two scores. There just wasn't the consistency thanks in part to the Cardinals going 4-for-14 on third downs.

When it was still close, he had the Cardinals relatively marching inside the Alabama 30 before Deionte Thompson intercepted a pass in the end zone. Shyheim Carter then picked off another in the fourth quarter and returned it 45 yards for the Tide's first defensive score of the season.

It wasn't perfect and Nick Saban will have plenty of teaching moments in the wake of the second half.

The shutout ended midway through the third quarter on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive riddled with Alabama penalties.

"We basically just gave them a touchdown," Saban said.

Nick Saban went off on the sideline when Christian Miller was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct flag that kept the Louisville drive alive for the 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kemari Averett.

That followed a pattern that matches Louisville coach Bobby Petrino's taste for throwing to non-receivers. The first two passes of the game went to tight end Mickey Crum. Averett was the leading receiver at tight with four catches.

But in August, it was Cardinal receiver Dez Fitzpatrick who said Louisville's receivers "1,000 percent" had a talent edge on the Alabama secondary. Fitzpatrick caught three passes for 30 yards Saturday night.

"You know, they're receivers," Saban said, "they talked about how they were supposed to be pretty good so I was really sort of pleased with the way we covered."

Then last week, Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton said the Cardinal front would "shock a lot of people." His neighbor on the line, Lukayus McNeil, said Louisville was "not worried" about Alabama's front.

The Cardinals finished the third quarter with four rushing yards on 22 attempts. Alabama totaled 11 tackles for loss.

Quinnen Williams led that charge. Making his first start at nose tackle, the Birmingham product made six stops. Of those, 3.5 came in the backfield. He also deflected a pass near the Alabama goal line that was nearly intercepted. Mack Wilson also had 1.5 stops behind the line with four players combining for Alabama's three sacks.

Saivion Smith tied Williams team-high six tackles and nearly had an interception on the ball picked off by Thompson.

The 111 penalty yards on 10 flags -- largely assessed to the defense -- won't sit well in spite of the score. There were undisciplined moments and drive-extenders that are as good as turnovers.

But after the chatter from Louisville, it looked like a satisfying evening for an Alabama defense that played with an edge Saturday night in Orlando.