Rushing offense: 237 (20th nationally, t-3rd in SEC)
Passing offense: 252.8 (47th, 5th)
Total offense: 489.8 (24th, 4th)
Points per game: 44.8 (t-6th, 1st)
Rushing defense: 69.2 (1st, 1st)
Passing defense: 223.3 (61st, 8th)
Total defense: 292.5 (12th, 2nd)
Points allowed per game: 15.8 (11th, 3rd)
Turnover margin: +5 (20th, 3rd)
1. The 49 points scored last night run Alabama’s total through the first six games of the season to 269 points. That’s the second-most in any six-game stretch in school history (303 points in the final 6 games of 1945) and more than 67 entire teams in Alabama’s history. It’s also the most points in the first 6 games in any season in school history, which is even more impressive considering there’s a new quarterback and all new running backs. This group started from scratch, more or less.
2. Alabama now has 9 non-offensive touchdowns on the year, more total touchdowns than South Carolina (7 before Sunday’s game) and Buffalo (8 through five games). Heck, the Alabama defense has only allowed 9 total touchdowns all season. The defensive/special teams scoring is a big reason why Alabama has rolled up so many points this year. Take away those 9 TDs and Alabama is at 206 total points instead of 269.
3. The starting offense rolled up 486 total yards on 44 plays last night before they started to pull Jalen Hurts and some other players in the fourth quarter. That’s an average of over 11 yards per play. For comparison, Alabama is now averaging 6.85 yards per play this season, which is 14th nationally and 2nd in the conference - and they obliterated that mark. There were also chunk plays of 67, 60, 57 and 56 yards in there but the offense was explosive last night. It was so explosive that it only got 16 first downs (there were 25 against Kentucky), mostly because they ate up too much yardage at once to be getting five or six first downs on a single drive.
4. The rush defense looks deadly again this year. Even though the buzz was about the secondary, and even though the defensive line isn’t as deep as last year, here’s where Alabama stands this year in rushing defense and in yards per attempt relative to the last six years:
2016: 69.2 yards per game (1st nationally); 2.2 yards per rush (1st nationally)
2015: 75.7 (1st), 2.4 ypc (2nd)
2014: 102.4 (4th), 3.2 ypc (8th)
2013: 106.2 (7th), 3.3 ypc (14th)
2012: 76.3 (1st), 2.4 ypc (1st)
2011: 72.2 (1st), 2.4 (1st)
5. We need to mention Minkah Fitzpatrick here, right? We need to mention Minkah Fitzpatrick here. He had 3 interceptions returned 114 yards with one touchdown. Or as someone suggested on Twitter, a pretty good stat line for a slot WR. He tied the school record for INTs in a game and broke the school record for INT return yardage in a game.
6. Jalen Hurts’ interception in the third quarter was his first since throwing one in the third quarter against Southern Cal, a stretch of 139 straight passes without an interception. In that time he was 90-139 (64.7%) for 1,124 yards with five touchdowns and no picks. He also ran for 264 yards and three touchdowns in that time.
Passing offense: 252.8 (47th, 5th)
Total offense: 489.8 (24th, 4th)
Points per game: 44.8 (t-6th, 1st)
Rushing defense: 69.2 (1st, 1st)
Passing defense: 223.3 (61st, 8th)
Total defense: 292.5 (12th, 2nd)
Points allowed per game: 15.8 (11th, 3rd)
Turnover margin: +5 (20th, 3rd)
1. The 49 points scored last night run Alabama’s total through the first six games of the season to 269 points. That’s the second-most in any six-game stretch in school history (303 points in the final 6 games of 1945) and more than 67 entire teams in Alabama’s history. It’s also the most points in the first 6 games in any season in school history, which is even more impressive considering there’s a new quarterback and all new running backs. This group started from scratch, more or less.
2. Alabama now has 9 non-offensive touchdowns on the year, more total touchdowns than South Carolina (7 before Sunday’s game) and Buffalo (8 through five games). Heck, the Alabama defense has only allowed 9 total touchdowns all season. The defensive/special teams scoring is a big reason why Alabama has rolled up so many points this year. Take away those 9 TDs and Alabama is at 206 total points instead of 269.
3. The starting offense rolled up 486 total yards on 44 plays last night before they started to pull Jalen Hurts and some other players in the fourth quarter. That’s an average of over 11 yards per play. For comparison, Alabama is now averaging 6.85 yards per play this season, which is 14th nationally and 2nd in the conference - and they obliterated that mark. There were also chunk plays of 67, 60, 57 and 56 yards in there but the offense was explosive last night. It was so explosive that it only got 16 first downs (there were 25 against Kentucky), mostly because they ate up too much yardage at once to be getting five or six first downs on a single drive.
4. The rush defense looks deadly again this year. Even though the buzz was about the secondary, and even though the defensive line isn’t as deep as last year, here’s where Alabama stands this year in rushing defense and in yards per attempt relative to the last six years:
2016: 69.2 yards per game (1st nationally); 2.2 yards per rush (1st nationally)
2015: 75.7 (1st), 2.4 ypc (2nd)
2014: 102.4 (4th), 3.2 ypc (8th)
2013: 106.2 (7th), 3.3 ypc (14th)
2012: 76.3 (1st), 2.4 ypc (1st)
2011: 72.2 (1st), 2.4 (1st)
5. We need to mention Minkah Fitzpatrick here, right? We need to mention Minkah Fitzpatrick here. He had 3 interceptions returned 114 yards with one touchdown. Or as someone suggested on Twitter, a pretty good stat line for a slot WR. He tied the school record for INTs in a game and broke the school record for INT return yardage in a game.
6. Jalen Hurts’ interception in the third quarter was his first since throwing one in the third quarter against Southern Cal, a stretch of 139 straight passes without an interception. In that time he was 90-139 (64.7%) for 1,124 yards with five touchdowns and no picks. He also ran for 264 yards and three touchdowns in that time.
