Rush offense: 231.6 (25th nationally, 4th in SEC)
Pass offense: 252.8 (52nd, 4th)
Total offense: 484.4 (30th, 5th)
Scoring offense: 44.0 (13th, 1st)
Rush defense: 68.4 (3rd, 1st)
Pass defense: 188.0 (27th, 2nd)
Total defense: 256.4 (8th, 2nd)
Scoring defense: 13.0 (13th, 2nd)
Turnover margin: +3 (t-31st, t-3rd)
1. Alabama has 17 non-offensive touchdowns in its last 16 games. To find 17 more, you have to go back 61 games to Nov. 18, 2010 vs. Georgia State (C.J. Mosley returned an interception). Greg McElroy was the starting quarterback in that game. Nick Saban had only one his first championship at Alabama. The 7 non-offensive touchdowns this year are already more than Alabama had in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, and tied for the seven total in 2013. Only 16 FBS players have more than seven touchdowns so far this season. Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette each have seven touchdowns. That’s how dangerous Alabama’s non-offensive scoring threat is.
2. Revisiting a stat from last week: Alabama has hung 220 points so far this season, the most it has in the first five games of a season since 1920 (Last week, they had score the most points in the first 4 games since 1921). The 1920 team won its first 5 games by a combined score of 243-0, then won the sixth game 21-0. It’s early but we’re looking at one of the most explosive scoring teams in Alabama history.
3. Calvin Ridley posted career highs in receptions (11) yards (174) and tied for his career high in TDs (2) yesterday, but he’s not in Amari Cooper or Julio Jones territory yet. Cooper’s career best game was 13 catches for 224 yards and 3 TDs against Auburn in his junior year. Jones’ best game was 12 games for 221 yards against Tennessee in his junior year.
4. Maybe Tim Williams just plays better when he’s attacking offensive linemen with fresh legs. He had 4 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss and a sack, after he entered the second half yesterday. He also had two more quarterback hurries. In the first four games of the season he had six tackles, 1.5 sacks and three total hurries.
5. Nick Saban is now 153-34 as an SEC coach (combined records at LSU and Alabama, not including vacated wins from 2007). His 153rd win as an SEC coach moves him ahead of Philip Fulmer for 8th all time among SEC coaches. Next up would be Robert Neyland, who has 173 career wins. If you count the vacated wins, Saban has 158 career wins as an SEC coach.
6. The schedule is about to get much more difficult. The combined records of Alabama’s first five opponents is currently 11-14; the combined record of the next four opponents (Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU) is 17-3. There’s been a lot of excitement in the first month-plus of the season, but we’re about to find out what Alabama is actually made of (as Cecil said.)
By the way, Football Outsiders has released its first set of S&P+ rankings this year. Alabama is second nationally, just a hair behind Ohio State.
Pass offense: 252.8 (52nd, 4th)
Total offense: 484.4 (30th, 5th)
Scoring offense: 44.0 (13th, 1st)
Rush defense: 68.4 (3rd, 1st)
Pass defense: 188.0 (27th, 2nd)
Total defense: 256.4 (8th, 2nd)
Scoring defense: 13.0 (13th, 2nd)
Turnover margin: +3 (t-31st, t-3rd)
1. Alabama has 17 non-offensive touchdowns in its last 16 games. To find 17 more, you have to go back 61 games to Nov. 18, 2010 vs. Georgia State (C.J. Mosley returned an interception). Greg McElroy was the starting quarterback in that game. Nick Saban had only one his first championship at Alabama. The 7 non-offensive touchdowns this year are already more than Alabama had in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, and tied for the seven total in 2013. Only 16 FBS players have more than seven touchdowns so far this season. Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette each have seven touchdowns. That’s how dangerous Alabama’s non-offensive scoring threat is.
2. Revisiting a stat from last week: Alabama has hung 220 points so far this season, the most it has in the first five games of a season since 1920 (Last week, they had score the most points in the first 4 games since 1921). The 1920 team won its first 5 games by a combined score of 243-0, then won the sixth game 21-0. It’s early but we’re looking at one of the most explosive scoring teams in Alabama history.
3. Calvin Ridley posted career highs in receptions (11) yards (174) and tied for his career high in TDs (2) yesterday, but he’s not in Amari Cooper or Julio Jones territory yet. Cooper’s career best game was 13 catches for 224 yards and 3 TDs against Auburn in his junior year. Jones’ best game was 12 games for 221 yards against Tennessee in his junior year.
4. Maybe Tim Williams just plays better when he’s attacking offensive linemen with fresh legs. He had 4 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss and a sack, after he entered the second half yesterday. He also had two more quarterback hurries. In the first four games of the season he had six tackles, 1.5 sacks and three total hurries.
5. Nick Saban is now 153-34 as an SEC coach (combined records at LSU and Alabama, not including vacated wins from 2007). His 153rd win as an SEC coach moves him ahead of Philip Fulmer for 8th all time among SEC coaches. Next up would be Robert Neyland, who has 173 career wins. If you count the vacated wins, Saban has 158 career wins as an SEC coach.
6. The schedule is about to get much more difficult. The combined records of Alabama’s first five opponents is currently 11-14; the combined record of the next four opponents (Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU) is 17-3. There’s been a lot of excitement in the first month-plus of the season, but we’re about to find out what Alabama is actually made of (as Cecil said.)
By the way, Football Outsiders has released its first set of S&P+ rankings this year. Alabama is second nationally, just a hair behind Ohio State.
