TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Overall, Nick Saban was pleased with his Alabama team’s special teams performance in its 56-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“I think that we’re doing a really good job on special teams,” Saban said. “I think that we’ve changed some of the things we’ve done in the past. I think we do a really good job coaching, I think our coaches have done a great job and we’ve got some players in the right positions that can make plays. … (Special teams) is something that I think can be a weapon for us and something that we want the players can gain confidence in so it is a weapon for us.”

Senior wide receiver Derek Kief’s blocked punt against the Ragin’ Cajuns was the first for the Crimson Tide since Damien Harris accomplished the same feat against Florida State last year. Freshman wideout Jaylen Waddle’s 63-yard punt return on Louisiana’s next punt was the first punt return for a score since Eddie Jackson went 79 yards at Tennessee back in 2016.

After the 42-point win for No. 1 Alabama, UL-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier said the Tide’s success in the return game kept him up at night in the week’s preparation for the Week 5 game.

And while Waddle’s first-quarter punt return for a touchdown was Alabama’s 66th non-offensive touchdown of the Saban era -- and the Tide’s fifth this year -- it was on the game’s first punt that UA took advantage of its scouting. Saban said Alabama knew it wanted to pressure ULL’s punter, who “rugby-punted right into where we were going and their shield didn’t stay together.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban chats with placekicker Joseph Bulovas during the ULL game.

Kief explains the rest of the play better than me here:

“After I blocked it, I was just trying to find the ball, then I was thinking scoop-and-score and then I just ended up jumping on it,” Kief said. “... I was actually supposed to come on the outside of the shield, but it ended up opening up a little different, so when I came through it was just like the Red Sea parted. I didn’t really have to do much. The play came to me.”

Josh Jacobs, the Tide’s primary kickoff returner, did not touch the ball Saturday, which was by design. The Cajuns, instead, short-kicked to Miller Forristall and Brian Robinson. Also shut out in Week 5 was freshman punter Skyler DeLong, who was not needed against ULL.

Overall, Saban was satisfied with Alabama’s special teams play. And even though placekicker Joseph Bulovas missed a pair of field goals, the head coach remains confident in the kicker.

“Joseph’s very capable, and I think he hit both balls well, he just didn’t finish exactly right and maybe his focus wasn’t what it needed to be,” Saban said. “But he has been making progress. He’s done a good job of kicking off for us. We have confidence in him, and he made some good kicks on a pretty consistent basis, made a big kick last week for us in the game right before the half. So, we have confidence in him and we’ll continue to coach him with confidence.”

Factoring in Bulovas’ misses (from 24 and 31 yards), Alabama’s kickers have missed four field goals and three extra points -- all by graduate transfer Austin Jones -- through five weeks.

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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