Alabama football played an ugly game on Saturday, but still managed to beat South Florida. Despite only having a two-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide scored late in the game and won 42-16.

Next up, it’s Power Four time. UA hits the road on Saturday, taking on Wisconsin at Camp Randall for its first trip outside Bryant-Denny Stadium in the Kalen DeBoer era.

As Alabama heads into that game, here’s how we graded the Crimson Tide’s performance on Saturday.

Attack: D

A “D” will make a grade. It won’t impress anyone.

Alabama’s offense struggled more than expected Saturday, starting up front, where an injury-plagued line struggled mightily.

It wasn’t just that the Crimson Tide couldn’t block the Bulls. Even when they did, the success came with a high probability that the play would be neutralized by a penalty.

Alabama added touchdowns in the final period, making the final score look much more like a blowout than the game actually was. If the Crimson Tide continues on the offensive path they followed for most of the game, it will bring back some unpleasant memories from before Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa to save the program.

Defense: A-

On the other hand, Alabama’s defense has generally played well. Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is a major threat, and the Tide have limited his effectiveness in the passing game to great effect.

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

It wasn’t quite perfect. Alabama failed to force a turnover, though a potential interception slipped past Jihaad Campbell’s hands early on.

Still, UA did everything it could to do it. When push came to shove, the defense proved its worth.

Special teams: B

Alabama had a couple of punts on the ground that probably should have been caught to salvage some of the negative yardage that followed, but overall it was a solid day for the special teams units.

James Burnip kicked the ball well when he was called upon far too often. Oddly enough, reigning Lou Groza Award winner Graham Nicholson hasn’t even attempted a field goal this season, but he has made all the extra points.

On the punt return, Jaylen Mbakwe made a nice play late in the game, running one back 28 yards into Bull territory. Mbakwe’s play will be crucial at that spot after Cole Adams injured his arm in Saturday’s game.

General: C

Not Alabama’s best performance. If the Crimson Tide wants to beat better teams as the season progresses, it will have to improve on all fronts.

But a win is a win. If the Tide can get their act together once the offensive line is fully healthy, it will be remembered more as a speed bump and less as the canary in the coal mine.