Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
In previous years, Nick Saban has had the Alabama Crimson Tide in National Championship contention with a lack of high-end talent at quarterback.
Now, the Crimson Tide have a quarterback, a remarkably talented and uber-promising one. His name is Tua Tagovailoa, and he will lead No. 1 Alabama (1-0) against Arkansas State (1-0) into Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
The game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN and ESPN 2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
Tagovailoa dominated Louisville last week in Alabama’s 51-14 blowout win; the game was nevrer in doubt as he finished 12-for-16 with 227 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 26 yards on five attempts with a touchdown on the ground. It was the type of early-season, precision performance in limited time that will likely put Jalen Hurts’ opportunity to win his job back in the rearview mirror.
DeVonta Smith was Tagovailoa’s preferred target, reeling in four catches for 99 yards.
It is unlikely Alabama suffers a letdown coming off of last week’s ultra-dominant performance, but Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen will give Saban and the rest of the coaching staff somebody to gameplan for. Hansen threw for 423 yards and six touchdowns last week n the Red Wolves’ 48-21 win against Southeast Missouri State.
Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson, on his weekly TV show, said he welcomes the opportunity to put the spotlight on his program and showcase his team to a national audience, while going against the best of the best.
“There’s nothing like going to Tuscaloosa against the No. 1-ranked team in the country. They put a pretty good beating on Louisville. You live for these opportunities.”
While it is doubtful a small school Arkansas State can come close to pulling off an upset, it will be intriguing to see if Justice’s play affects the Crimson Tide defense. In recent seasons, Alabama’s strength has been the strength of dominant defensive linemen up front, and while the unit collectively has been solid against the pass, the secondary is still prone to talented quarterbacks being able to make plays and the occasional big throw.