Instant reactions to Alabama's CFP loss vs. Indiana in Rose Bowl
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On Thursday afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide were back in action to play in a must-win game, doing so against the Indiana Hoosiers in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
With a trip to the CFP semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on the line, it was Indiana who secured a victory out in Pasadena, defeating Alabama in blowout fashion, 38-3.
Simply put, this was one of the worst bowl performances in recent memory for the Crimson Tide, one that included a 407-193 total yardage deficit for Alabama against the No. 1 overall seeded Hoosiers.
Following are some instant reactions to Alabama's loss against Indiana in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Alabama's third down struggles
One of the biggest stories from Alabama's loss to Indiana was the performance of the Crimson Tide on both sides of the ball on third down. Offensively, Alabama was held to 3-of-11 on third downs, as well as 0-2 on fourth, while the Crimson Tide defense also struggled, allowing Indiana to convert 9-of-14 attempts.
Alabama cannot overcome first half turnovers
Similar to the first round against Oklahoma, Alabama fell behind early on by a sizable margin, but this was a first half deficit the Crimson Tide could not overcome. Alabama turned the ball over on downs, as well as fumbled the ball, in the first half, both of which led to Indiana touchdowns to help build a 17-0 edge at halftime.
Alabama struggles to contain Fernando Mendoza
While the Crimson Tide posted three sacks, Indiana's Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a big day against the Alabama defense. In all, Mendoza completed 14-of-16 passes for 192 yards and three scores, while also rushing for 16 yards on eight attempts.
Austin Mack sees action at quarterback
Alabama made a quarterback change in the third quarter following an injury to Ty Simpson, with Austin Mack playing a majority of the second half. Mack ended up completing 11-of-16 passes for 103 yards during the second half.
Alabama's season comes to an end
As a result of the Crimson Tide's loss in the Rose Bowl, Alabama's season comes to an end in the CFP quarterfinal round with an 11-4 overall record. Indiana will advance to face No. 5 seeded Oregon in the CFP semifinals.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football instant reactions to Rose Bowl loss vs. Indiana
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