3 keys to victory for Alabama football against East Carolina

Finally, the day is here. Alabama football opens the 2026 season on Saturday, hosting East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11:07 a.m. CT, and will be aired on ABC.As kickoff approaches after the long offseason, here’s what the Tide must do to score an expected win on Saturday.Get the running game in rhythm Last season’s Alabama team never got the run game operating at a satisfactory level. While at times, UA was able to overcome its lack of a ground game, in postseason losses to Georgia and Indiana, the issues were glaring.The Crimson Tide will look much different in the places that matter for the run game. Up front, the offensive line has four new starters, and the lone returnee, Michael Carroll, has moved from right tackle to right guard.How quick that group can gel will be important, and a game against an American Conference opponent could help. The new group includes Jackson Lloyd at left tackle, with Will Sanders playing guard on that side, Cal Poly transfer Racin Delgatty at center and Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James at right tackle to replace Carroll. At running back, Daniel Hill is back, and is expected to be the most impactful returnee, though Kevin Riley has a chance to contribute in a big way as well. Five-star freshman EJ Crowell is returning from a run of poor offseason injury luck for Saturday’s game, and another freshman, Trae’Shawn Brown, could make an impact too. However, the on-field combinations shake out, Alabama has to start the season on the right foot. If the run game is improving, UA needs to show it on Saturday to build confidence.Let Keelon Russell settle inSaturday is a big moment for the winner of the Crimson Tide’s highest-profile positon battle. Keelon Russell beat out Austin Mack for the job of replacing Ty Simpson, and will be making his first start as Alabama quarterback against the Pirates.Russell was an upside play for Alabama. He didn’t have the experience that Mack brought to the battle, but his potential was too great for the Crimson Tide coaches to ignore.On Saturday, the stage will be the biggest Russell has ever played on. And if he can adapt quickly to the college game, it could be huge for the rest of Alabama’s season.Russell saw the field a few times as a freshman, so the East Carolina game won’t be his first time playing a stadium like Bryant-Denny. However, it will, obviously, be his most action in such a large building, so getting him used to major environments is important.If the new offensive line can keep Russell relatively clean, it would big a benefit. The goal should be for the the new starter to get through the game and feel far more comfortable as a college quarterback on the other side.Take care of business on defenseMost of the questions about Alabama this offseason were offensively focused. That’s partially because of the quarterback battle and how the unit struggled in the Rose Bowl loss to Indiana.But it’s also due to how solid the defense appears to be. Especially in the secondary.Safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb each could have tested the NFL Draft waters, but both opted to stay in college for another year. Cornerbacks Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee return as well, not to mention Red Morgan, starter at the nickelback spot Kane Wommack calls the “husky.”The Crimson Tide also has Yhonzae Pierre back at edge. Pierre has been the top pass-rush threat that Alabama has had during Wommack’s two seasons as defensive coordinator, racking up eight sacks last year.There’s new players across the defensive line, and both inside linebackers are changing out. However, the talent level across the unit remains extremely high, and transfers like Devon Thompkins and Caleb Woodson have power conference experience. The defense can help the effort on Saturday by turning in a performance that’s businesslike and dominant. Let the questions stay on the other side of the ball as SEC play approaches. Matt Stahl covers University of Alabama sports for AL.com. He joined AL.com in July of 2023. He previously covered University of Missouri athletics for the Columbia Daily Tribune and started his career covering...