Rushing yards per game: 255.2 (12th nationally, 2nd in SEC)
Passing yards per game: 237.0 (62nd, 5th)
Total yards per game: 492.2 (23rd, 1st)
Points per game: 41.2 (14th, 1st)
Rushing yards allowed per game: 68.8 (1st, 1st)
Passing yards allowed per game: 190.7 (18th, 2nd)
Total yards allowed per game: 259.5 (2nd, 1st)
Points allowed per game: 12.2 (2nd, 1st)
Turnover margin: +2 (45th, t-6th)
1. The weekly update on Alabama's scoring pace: The Tide is now averaging 41.2 points per game and has scored 412 total points. The school record for points is 542 scored in 2014 and the school record for points per game is 43.0 in 1945. Alabama needs to score 130 more points this season to break the school record for total points. That means Alabama needs to score just 32.5 points per game in 4 games (2 reg season, SEC champ, playoff/bowl) to break the scoring record or just 26 points per game if they play 5 more (playoff and national championship).
2. In case you haven't heard, Jalen Hurts became the first player in school history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a game. He set career highs in completions (38), attempts (47), passing yards (347), passing touchdowns (four), and total yards (447). Coming out of the four-game stretch against ranked SEC opponents I wanted to see if Hurts and the offense had grown, but hadn't been able to show it against better defenses. It looked like he had, throwing to the middle of the field, reading the whole field instead of cutting it in half, stuff like that. We'll see if he's ready for a step up in competition in a couple of weeks.
3. Alabama is now leading the SEC in total offense. It has never finished first in the SEC in total offense under Nick Saban, and the SEC hasn't had a team lead the league in both total offense and total defense since LSU did it in 2006.
4. Tim Williams, Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson are now t-4th, 7th, and t-8th in the SEC in sacks. Williams has 8 after getting one more yesterday, while Allen has 7, and Anderson got one yesterday to get to 6.5 this season. Alabama has 7 players who are in the top 50 in sacks in the SEC (Dalvin Tomlinson, Reuben Foster, Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton are all on that list).
5. After Mississippi State's two quarterbacks combined to go 16-43 yesterday, Alabama's defense is 5th in the nation in completion percentage allowed. There have been 167 completions on 330 attempts (50.6%). There was actually a point late in the third quarter where Alabama's total completion percentage for the season as a whole dipped below 50 percent. The 2009 and 2011 defenses are the only Alabama defenses under Saban to hold opponents below 50 percent on passing for the whole season.
6. The defense has now gone 2:27:54 of game time without giving up a touchdown after keeping Mississippi State and LSU out of the end zone. The last touchdown surrendered by the defense was Texas A&M's when the Aggies took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter on Oct. 22. Thanks to the bye week and FCS Chattanooga coming in on Saturday, there's a good chance the defense can go a calendar month without giving up a touchdown.
Passing yards per game: 237.0 (62nd, 5th)
Total yards per game: 492.2 (23rd, 1st)
Points per game: 41.2 (14th, 1st)
Rushing yards allowed per game: 68.8 (1st, 1st)
Passing yards allowed per game: 190.7 (18th, 2nd)
Total yards allowed per game: 259.5 (2nd, 1st)
Points allowed per game: 12.2 (2nd, 1st)
Turnover margin: +2 (45th, t-6th)
1. The weekly update on Alabama's scoring pace: The Tide is now averaging 41.2 points per game and has scored 412 total points. The school record for points is 542 scored in 2014 and the school record for points per game is 43.0 in 1945. Alabama needs to score 130 more points this season to break the school record for total points. That means Alabama needs to score just 32.5 points per game in 4 games (2 reg season, SEC champ, playoff/bowl) to break the scoring record or just 26 points per game if they play 5 more (playoff and national championship).
2. In case you haven't heard, Jalen Hurts became the first player in school history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a game. He set career highs in completions (38), attempts (47), passing yards (347), passing touchdowns (four), and total yards (447). Coming out of the four-game stretch against ranked SEC opponents I wanted to see if Hurts and the offense had grown, but hadn't been able to show it against better defenses. It looked like he had, throwing to the middle of the field, reading the whole field instead of cutting it in half, stuff like that. We'll see if he's ready for a step up in competition in a couple of weeks.
3. Alabama is now leading the SEC in total offense. It has never finished first in the SEC in total offense under Nick Saban, and the SEC hasn't had a team lead the league in both total offense and total defense since LSU did it in 2006.
4. Tim Williams, Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson are now t-4th, 7th, and t-8th in the SEC in sacks. Williams has 8 after getting one more yesterday, while Allen has 7, and Anderson got one yesterday to get to 6.5 this season. Alabama has 7 players who are in the top 50 in sacks in the SEC (Dalvin Tomlinson, Reuben Foster, Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton are all on that list).
5. After Mississippi State's two quarterbacks combined to go 16-43 yesterday, Alabama's defense is 5th in the nation in completion percentage allowed. There have been 167 completions on 330 attempts (50.6%). There was actually a point late in the third quarter where Alabama's total completion percentage for the season as a whole dipped below 50 percent. The 2009 and 2011 defenses are the only Alabama defenses under Saban to hold opponents below 50 percent on passing for the whole season.
6. The defense has now gone 2:27:54 of game time without giving up a touchdown after keeping Mississippi State and LSU out of the end zone. The last touchdown surrendered by the defense was Texas A&M's when the Aggies took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter on Oct. 22. Thanks to the bye week and FCS Chattanooga coming in on Saturday, there's a good chance the defense can go a calendar month without giving up a touchdown.
