Alabama dominates yet again

It was yet another dominating performance by Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide beat up on Arkansas State during an 57-7 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

A high-powered offense commanded by both Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts produced seven touchdowns and 599 yards. The defense, meanwhile, stifled the Red Wolves and its capable quarterback, Justice Hansen. The only item of intrigue during the game was Alabama coach Nick Saban's decision to play Hurts with a possible redshirt season still hanging in the balance for the junior quarterback. But Hurts entered the game late in the first quarter and then contributed to the decimation of the hapless Red Wolves.

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So Jalen Hurts throws a TD pass, and look who is the first person on the field to congratulate him: Tua Tagovailoa. Cant lie, that's pretty damn cool pic.twitter.com/BubBTrxZrh — Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) September 8, 2018

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Tua Tagovailoa continues to impress

Tua Tagovailoa seems to have the Midas touch. On Saturday, that became evident almost immediately. His first two completions resulted in touchdowns -- one on a slant to Jerry Jeudy that resulted in a 58-yard score and the other on a 31-yard pass over the middle to Henry Ruggs III that left the Red Wolves dazed and confused.

Tagovailoa, who threw for 228 yards and posted a 68 percent completion rate, proved remarkably efficient. He averaged 12 yards per attempt while leading the Crimson Tide to the end zone on three of his first four drives.

But not everything was perfect. A pass Tagovailoa uncorked early in the first quarter nearly was intercepted and he was sacked once. For Tagovailoa, the lowlights are memorable because they are so infrequent. That's what happens when watching a transcendent talent, and Tagovailoa has taken that mantle in short order.

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Tua Tagovailoa connects with a wide-open DeVonta Smith for an easy 41-yard touchdown pic.twitter.com/mtYF9wGMVN — ESPN Player (@espnplayer) September 8, 2018

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Jalen Hurts excels in backup role

Earlier this week, Nick Saban told reporters Jalen Hurts would play an ancillary role after declaring that Tua Tagovailoa would continue to be the starter at quarterback.

He also said the new NCAA redshirt rule would not factor into Alabama's plan for Hurts.

The issue has become a hot topic of discussion because of Hurts' uncertain future with the program. Does Hurts want to preserve another year of eligibility if he has designs on transferring to another school? And if so, will he try to play in four games or fewer in order to realize that goal?

Well, on Saturday, Hurts appeared for the second week in a row, and that means the quarterback is fast approaching the prescribed ceiling of games in order to redshirt.

Staked with a 19-point lead, Hurts first entered the game at the end of the first quarter. He then went on to author an impressive performance while completing 7-of-9 pass attempts for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

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Kicking mishaps continue

The Austin Jones Era appears to be over. The graduate transfer from Temple was booed off the field after he missed his second point-after attempt at the end of the first quarter.

Joseph Bulovas, the redshirt freshman who had handled kickoffs, replaced Jones and fared much better.

He converted each of his five extra-point tries and also made a 39-yard field goal.

Bulovas' performance was an encouraging development, considering that he was known more for his strong leg than his accuracy.

As for Jones, his stint at Alabama has been an abject disappointment thus far. He missed an extra point and a 27-yard field goal during the season opener. On Saturday, his misery continued.

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So far this season, Austin Jones has already missed three extra points and a 27-yard field goal — Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 8, 2018

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Defense remains stingy

Powered by a fast-paced spread offense and a quarterback who began his career at Oklahoma, Arkansas State appeared as if it had the capability to pose a challenge for Alabama's secondary. Nick Saban even fretted about it. But on Saturday, the Red Wolves could do little. Arkansas State failed to score in the first half and Justice Hansen, the preseason Sun Belt offensive player of the year, was ineffective.

He passed for 140 yards, completed only 42 percent of his attempts and threw an interception that Alabama cornerback Saivion Smith returned to the end zone to make the score, 40-0, with 6:44 left in the second quarter. It was the second consecutive week the Tide produced a non-offensive touchdown -- a positive sign for a revamped defensive unit that is surpassing expectations.

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Other Noteworthy Tidbits

-- Alabama running back Najee Harris had a good game. He gained a career-high 135 yards on 12 carries and scored one touchdown while hurdling a few defenders along the way.

-- Jerry Jeudy scored two touchdowns Saturday. He now has reached the end zone four times this season, which is once more than he did during the entire 2017 campaign.

-- Alabama recorded only two sacks, but that low number can be attributed to Arkansas State's plan to unload the ball quickly.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin

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