The Alabama football team played an ugly game on Saturday but still managed to beat South Florida. Despite only leading by two points in the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide rallied late to win 42-16.

Next up is Power Four play. UA hits the road on Saturday to face Wisconsin at Camp Randall, the first trip away from Bryant-Denny Stadium in the Kalen DeBoer era.

As Alabama turns its attention to that game, here is our assessment of the Crimson Tide’s performance on Saturday.

Attack: D

With a “D” you pass a class. But that doesn’t impress anyone.

Alabama’s offense had far more problems than expected on Saturday, starting up front, where an injury-weakened line struggled.

It wasn’t just that the Crimson Tide couldn’t block the Bulls. Even when they did, there was a good chance the play would be overturned by a penalty.

Alabama scored touchdowns late, making the final score look much more of a clear victory than it actually was. If the Crimson Tide continues the offensive trajectory it followed for most of the game, some unpleasant memories will come flooding back from before Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa to rescue the team.

Defense: A-

On the other hand, Alabama’s defense played well for the most part. Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is a deep threat, and the Tide limited his effectiveness in the passing game with great success.

While Alabama’s offense seemed broken and kept giving USF the ball throughout the game, the defense held together. The defense was Alabama’s MVP in Saturday’s win.

It wasn’t quite perfect. Alabama failed to force a turnover, although Jihaad Campbell let a potential interception slip through his hands early on.

Nevertheless, UA managed to take all the necessary defensive measures. When push came to shove, the defense proved its strength.

Special teams: B

Alabama dropped a few punts on the ground that probably should have been caught to avoid some of the resulting negative yards, but overall it was a solid day for the special teams.

James Burnip flawlessly punted the ball on the far too many occasions he was called upon to do so. Oddly enough, reigning Lou Groza Award winner Graham Nicholson hasn’t even attempted a field goal so far this season, but he’s made all of the extra points.

On the punt return, Jaylen Mbakwe made a nice play late in the game, running a ball back 28 yards into Bulls territory. Mbakwe’s play will be crucial in the future at this spot after Cole Adams suffered an arm injury during Saturday’s game.

Total: C

Not Alabama’s best performance. If the Crimson Tide wants to beat better teams throughout the season, they’ll need to improve across the board.

Still, a win is a win. If the Tide can get things back under control once the offense is back in full swing, they will be remembered more as a drag than a canary in the coal mine.