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WATCH: Alabama opens game against Mercer with blocked punt touchdown

by: Austin Brezina09/11/21AustinBrezina59

With their offense starting slow to begin the game, Alabama’s defense steps up early with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first quarter. Mercer’s punt was blocked by Chris Braswell and returned by Jase McClellan for 33 yards and the first touchdown of the game.

Alabama blocked punt for touchdown

Alabama entered their second game of the season as massive favorites over Mercer, and their defense has started proving why early. With the Crimson Tide’s first two drives ending in punts, one of which following a holding penalty, Alabama’s defense held Mercer to just ten yards on six plays on their own drives.

On Mercer’s second punt of the game, Alabama lit up the scoreboard with a big special teams play. Braswell’s blocked punt comes fresh off of comments made by head coach Nick Saban who named him as one of three freshman who were going to get an opportunity to step up after the injury suffered by linebacker Chris Allen.

Looking to freshman on defense

Alabama head coach Nick Saban highlighted three Alabama freshmen in Kool-Aid McKinstry, Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell as underclassmen expected to take bigger roles along the Tide’s defense through the rest of the season.

“I think that (Chris) Braswell and Dallas Turner are two guys we have a lot of high hopes for that we think are really good young players that are now going to get a greater opportunity to play because of Chris Allen, losing Chris Allen,” Saban said on Thursday’s ‘Hey Coach & The Nick Saban Show’. “Losing Chris was a big blow … but I think these other guys have a chance to develop and into being pretty good players and they’ll get more opportunity now to do that.”

Braswell and McKinstry opened the game living up to their coach’s expectations, with Braswell’s blocked punt and McKinstry’s interception on the following drive.

Braswell is a second-year freshman who didn’t see playing time for Alabama in 2020. Coming out of high school, Braswell was a five-star linebacker from Maryland powerhouse St. Frances Academy.

On3’s Tim Verghese contributed to this article.