Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 50 days
If you can believe it, we are officially at the 50-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in early January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.
This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
With today being July 15, that means we are only 50 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and the start of football season. Let’s focus on a player who represents the No. 50.
*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 21 days away.
Who currently wears the No. 50?
There are currently two players wearing the No. 50 for Alabama. One is walk-on Gabe Pugh, a fourth-year long snapper from right here in Tuscaloosa (Northridge). The other, of course, is rising junior Tim Smith. He’s the name that most fans are more familiar with.
Smith arrived in Tuscaloosa as a top-50 player in the 2020 On3 Consensus rankings. He was a four-star prospect who was the No. 41 player nationally, No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 7 player from the state of Florida.
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As his career has continued to progress, Smith has seen his snap share move in a positive direction. First, it was 163 snaps in 10 games as a rotational defensive lineman in 2020. Then last season, that number increased to 282 snaps in 15 games, with two of those being starts.
With DJ Dale set to return alongside Byron Young and Justin Eboigbe, that likelihood of Smith being a consistent starter remains slim. Still, he’s a heavy part of Alabama’s rotation and should have a significant role on game days, especially if his consistency has improved.
2022 Alabama Football Schedule
Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)
Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK
Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)
Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)
Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)
