Rushing offense: 265.7 (10th nationally, 2nd in SEC)
Passing offense: 239.0 (54th, 6th)
Total offense: 504.7 (17th, 2nd)
Points per game: 45.4 (6th, 1st)
Rushing defense: 63.9 (1st, 1st)
Passing defense: 210 (46th, 6th)
Total defense: 274.0 (5th, 2nd)
Points allowed per game: 15.0 (8th, 3rd)
Turnover margin: +4 (32nd, t-4th)
Here's 6 stats to put the game last night and the season into better perspective overall:
1. The school record for total points is 542 scored in 14 games in 2014. The school record for points per game is 43.0 (430 points in 10 games in 1945). Alabama is on pace to break both of those records, averaging 45.4 points through the first 7 games. That puts them on pace to score 590 points in 13 games, 635 points in 14 games and 681 points in 15 games.
2. Here's your weekly reminder of how crazy Alabama's defensive/special teams scoring is: The non-offensive touchdowns alone would have won 4 of Alabama's 7 games. Alabama would have beaten USC 7-6, Kent State 7-0, Kentucky 7-6 and Tennessee 14-10. Seven of Alabama's defensive starters have scored touchdowns now (Dalvin Tomlinson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Ryan Anderson and Reuben Foster haven't scored). Eddie Jackson has scored three touchdowns this season, more than Leonard Fournette and Damien Harris, among others.
3. Alabama rushed for 438 yards against Tennessee, most in any game since rushing for 451 against the Volunteers in 1986. They nearly had 3 different 100-yard rushers, because Jalen Hurts had 132 yards, Bo Scarbrough had 109 yards and Damien Harris had 94 yards. They averaged 8.9 yards per rush attempt last night even despite 9 TFLs.
4. You could really see the Tennessee offense shift once left tackle Brett Kendrick was knocked out of the game. Alabama was already getting pressure (Jonathan Allen was Kendrick's man) before Kendrick was injured, and Tennessee really started to protect Josh Dobbs after he was done. Dobbs averaged just 5.75 yards per completion (92 yards on 16 completions) and his longest pass was 16 yards. That's a good indicator that they were getting the ball out early on quick passes rather than calling downfield routes that require more time to develop. Tennessee entered the game without its starting center and left guard, so they were minus 3 starting OL for most of the game.
5. If you want to find something to be unhappy about from yesterday's game, Alabama didn't do a particularly good job in the red zone. The offense got the ball inside the 20 on 5 different times and scored 2 touchdowns. One of those was the turnover on downs late in the 4th quarter with the game in hand and the backup offense in, so throw that one out. But one was an INT from Jalen Hurts, and the other was the missed FG right before halftime. Alabama hasn't been great in the red zone this season, scoring 21 TDs in 32 trips in the red zone this season. That's 65.6%, 50th in the country.
6. Enough of that. You want to celebrate after stomping a rival like that, so we'll finish on an upswing. That was the second-biggest win in the history of the rivalry for either team. The biggest was a 51-0 win by Alabama over Tennessee in 1906, when Theodore Roosevelt was president. Last night was also Alabama's 900th win in football all-time (not counting vacated wins because those are dumb).
Looking ahead to Texas A&M: You see how Alabama is second in the SEC in rushing yards? The Aggies are actually first, averaging 274 yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry. Texas A&M has a different look this year. Freshman RB Trayveon Williams has 704 rushing yards and 5 TDs in 6 games, and he's averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
Passing offense: 239.0 (54th, 6th)
Total offense: 504.7 (17th, 2nd)
Points per game: 45.4 (6th, 1st)
Rushing defense: 63.9 (1st, 1st)
Passing defense: 210 (46th, 6th)
Total defense: 274.0 (5th, 2nd)
Points allowed per game: 15.0 (8th, 3rd)
Turnover margin: +4 (32nd, t-4th)
Here's 6 stats to put the game last night and the season into better perspective overall:
1. The school record for total points is 542 scored in 14 games in 2014. The school record for points per game is 43.0 (430 points in 10 games in 1945). Alabama is on pace to break both of those records, averaging 45.4 points through the first 7 games. That puts them on pace to score 590 points in 13 games, 635 points in 14 games and 681 points in 15 games.
2. Here's your weekly reminder of how crazy Alabama's defensive/special teams scoring is: The non-offensive touchdowns alone would have won 4 of Alabama's 7 games. Alabama would have beaten USC 7-6, Kent State 7-0, Kentucky 7-6 and Tennessee 14-10. Seven of Alabama's defensive starters have scored touchdowns now (Dalvin Tomlinson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Ryan Anderson and Reuben Foster haven't scored). Eddie Jackson has scored three touchdowns this season, more than Leonard Fournette and Damien Harris, among others.
3. Alabama rushed for 438 yards against Tennessee, most in any game since rushing for 451 against the Volunteers in 1986. They nearly had 3 different 100-yard rushers, because Jalen Hurts had 132 yards, Bo Scarbrough had 109 yards and Damien Harris had 94 yards. They averaged 8.9 yards per rush attempt last night even despite 9 TFLs.
4. You could really see the Tennessee offense shift once left tackle Brett Kendrick was knocked out of the game. Alabama was already getting pressure (Jonathan Allen was Kendrick's man) before Kendrick was injured, and Tennessee really started to protect Josh Dobbs after he was done. Dobbs averaged just 5.75 yards per completion (92 yards on 16 completions) and his longest pass was 16 yards. That's a good indicator that they were getting the ball out early on quick passes rather than calling downfield routes that require more time to develop. Tennessee entered the game without its starting center and left guard, so they were minus 3 starting OL for most of the game.
5. If you want to find something to be unhappy about from yesterday's game, Alabama didn't do a particularly good job in the red zone. The offense got the ball inside the 20 on 5 different times and scored 2 touchdowns. One of those was the turnover on downs late in the 4th quarter with the game in hand and the backup offense in, so throw that one out. But one was an INT from Jalen Hurts, and the other was the missed FG right before halftime. Alabama hasn't been great in the red zone this season, scoring 21 TDs in 32 trips in the red zone this season. That's 65.6%, 50th in the country.
6. Enough of that. You want to celebrate after stomping a rival like that, so we'll finish on an upswing. That was the second-biggest win in the history of the rivalry for either team. The biggest was a 51-0 win by Alabama over Tennessee in 1906, when Theodore Roosevelt was president. Last night was also Alabama's 900th win in football all-time (not counting vacated wins because those are dumb).
Looking ahead to Texas A&M: You see how Alabama is second in the SEC in rushing yards? The Aggies are actually first, averaging 274 yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry. Texas A&M has a different look this year. Freshman RB Trayveon Williams has 704 rushing yards and 5 TDs in 6 games, and he's averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
