Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from neutral-site takedown of Miami

3. Will Reichard puts the Crimson Tide kicking woes into the past

Anyone who has followed college football for any length of time knows that kicking has long been a sore spot for Alabama. There is a long chain of names that immediately elicit a reaction of pure discomfort from Crimson Tide fans.

Jeremy Shelley. Adam Griffith. Andy Pappanastos.

While hardly quite as painful and sustained as the heartbreak of Florida State’s wide right/wide left history, Alabama has placed an emphasis on offense and defense at the expense of their kicking game. Since last year, though, it seems as though the Crimson Tide have finally turned around their luck when they place their fortunes on the foot of their placekicker.

Will Reichard was basically automatic last season, going 14-for-14 on his field goal attempts as Alabama rolled to another national championship. That trend continued on Saturday, as Reichard went a perfect 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts. Connecting from 38 yards, 51 yards, and 40 yards, the kicker also punched all five of his extra-point attempts through the uprights.

In a conference as deep as the SEC, coaches must be able to depend on every player to perform in all phases of the game. After years of disappointing results on special teams, Alabama fans can finally breathe easily when Saban sends out the field goal unit.