Alabama Football vs. Missouri Postgame Notes
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for today's SEC Championship Game are Landon Collins, Austin Shepherd and Jalston Fowler. The Crimson Tide won the toss and elected to receive.
SERIES HISTORY: After today's 42-13 victory for the Crimson Tide, Alabama owns a 3-2 lead in the series with Missouri. During the Tigers' time in the SEC, Alabama owns a 2-0 record, including a 42-10 victory for the Tide in Columbia in 2012.
TIDE WINS 12 FOR EIGHTH TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY: With today's victory, Alabama moves to 12-1 on the season, reaching the 12-win plateau for the eighth time in school history. Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide has collected 12 or more wins five times in his eight seasons in Tuscaloosa.
TIDE 84-5 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: The Crimson Tide is now 84-5 when leading at halftime under head coach Nick Saban. Alabama had converted 36 straight halftime leads into wins before falling at Auburn on Nov. 30, 2013. The Crimson Tide had also converted 28 consecutive halftime leads into victories before seeing that streak snapped in 2010 against LSU. The first two losses in the current run (when leading at the break) came against LSU, followed by a defeat to Auburn in 2010. In 2007, Alabama held a 20-17 halftime lead before losing to LSU, 41-34, in 2007 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In 2010, the Tide led 10-3 at the half before the Tigers rallied for a 24-20 win in Death Valley. Alabama lost 28-27 to Auburn to close out the 2010 season, after leading 24-7 at the half. The Crimson Tide is 3-7 under Saban when trailing at halftime and 3-3 when tied at halftime. The three wins in the Saban era when trailing at the half: 34-24 over No. 7 Virginia Tech in 2009 (in Atlanta); a 24-15 over No. 9 LSU in 2009; and 24-20 at Arkansas in 2010. And Alabama's three wins under Saban when tied at halftime: at LSU in 2008, (27-21), at Auburn in 2009 (26-21) and against Tennessee in 2011 (37-6).
TIDE GETTING PRESSURE ON THE QB: The Alabama defense was in the backfield all night. As a team, the Crimson Tide recorded 11 quarterback hurries, a season-high for the Alabama defense. UA entered this evening's contest with 42 for the season and a previous high of 10 in the Southern Miss game. Senior linebacker Xzavier Dickson led the Tide with a career-high four (previous, three vs. Southern Miss, Sept. 13, 2014). Second on the team for UA was Ryan Anderson with a career-high three quarterback pressures (previous, 2 (twice), last vs. Mississippi State, Nov. 15, 2014).
ROBINSON SETS CAREER-HIGH FOR TACKLES: Sophomore defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson entered tonight's game with a career high of seven for tackles in a game, which he had accomplished three times previously. He finished this evening's game with a team-high nine tackles, including three for a loss, to set a new career-highs in both categories. The three tackles for loss were also an Alabama all-time record by an individual in the SEC Championship game.
COLLINS CONTINUES TO EXCEL AT TACKLING: Junior safety Landon Collins recorded seven tackles on the evening while forcing and recovering one fumble. Collins has now recorded seven or more tackles in 10 of the last 14 games.
TIDE SETS SINGLE-GAME HIGHS FOR SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: In today's game the Alabama offense accumulated 28 first downs and 42 points on 76 total plays. The Tide also recorded four rushing touchdowns and completed 23 passes for the afternoon. All were single-game highs for an Alabama team in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
SIMS SETS RECORD FOR PASSING YARDS IN A SEASON: Entering Saturday's game, Crimson Tide senior quarterback Blake Sims had 2,988 yards passing for the season. With his 13-yard pass to fullback Jalston Fowler on the Tide's first offensive play, Sims moved past the 3,000-yard mark on the season. Thanks to his 58-yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew White in the second quarter, Sims passed AJ McCarron to set the Alabama all-time record for yards in a season. McCarron's record was 3,063 yards set last season. Sims finished with 262 yards through the air and sits at 3,250 for the season.
SIMS SETS ALABAMA RECORD FOR TOTAL OFFENSE IN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: With his 262 yards passing and 19 yards rushing, quarterback Blake Sims accumulated 281 total yards of offense for the game. His 281 yards are the all-time record by an Alabama player in a SEC Championship Game.
SIMS OWNS RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS IN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: Senior Blake Sims started off today's game completing his first 10 passes through the first quarter and part of the second. The 10 consecutive completions is the most all-time in a Southeastern Conference Championship Game. Shane Matthews of Florida (1st Quarter, 1992) and Danny Wuerffel of Florida (1st Quarter, 1995) were tied for the previous all-time mark with nine.
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE RECORD FOR SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GOES TO SIMS: Quarterback Blake Sims finished today's game 23-of-27 passing, an all-time record-setting 85.2 percent completion percentage. The previous record was 77.1 (27-of-35) percent by Auburn's Jason Campbell in the 2004 SEC Championship Game.
COOPER SETS SEC SEASON RECEPTIONS RECORD: With his 10 receptions in the first half, junior wideout Amari Cooper passed Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews for most receptions in a season in the Southeastern Conference. Matthews accumulated 112 receptions for 1,477 yards in 2013. Following today's game, Cooper has 115 receptions for 1,656 yards on the season.
COOPER SETS SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECEPTIONS RECORD: Junior wideout Amari Cooper collected 12 receptions on the day to set the all-time record for catches in a Southeastern Conference Championship Game. He surpasses the previous leader, Reidel Anthony of Florida, who recorded 11 in the 1996 SEC Championship.
COOPER MOVES IN RECORD BOOKS FOR ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Entering this afternoon's contest, junior wide receiver Amari Cooper had amassed 1,587 all-purpose yards this season and 3,351 total for his career. With his 92 yards of total offense today, he now sits at 1,679 this season and 3,443 total for his career. The 1,679 this season ranks him eighth all-time in Alabama annals. His 3,443 yards are 10th all-time for a career by an Alabama player.
HENRY HAS A CAREER DAY: Sophomore tailback Derrick Henry finished this afternoon's contest with 141 yards on the ground on 20 attempts with two rushing touchdowns. The 141 yards rushing are a career-high for Henry, eclipsing his previous total of 113 in this season's opener against West Virginia. The two rushing touchdowns and 20 attempts tie his previous career-highs. Henry rushed 20 times earlier this season in the Florida game on Sept. 20. He has previously recorded two rushing touchdowns in a game twice, with his last multi-score effort coming versus Western Carolina on Nov. 22 of this year.
YELDON MOVES UP THE ALL-TIME TOUCHDOWN RANKS: Junior tailback T.J. Yeldon entered this afternoon's contest against Missouri with 34 career rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth all-time with Johnny Musso (1969-71). Following his one-yard dive for a touchdown in the first half, Yeldon moved into a tie for third place all-time with Trent Richardson (2009-11). Following his two-yard rush for the Tide's third score of the game, Yeldon moved into sole possession of third place for rushing touchdowns in a career with 36. Next on the list is Shaun Alexander (1996-99) with 41.
WHITE GOES FOR 100: Senior DeAndrew White entered today's game with just one 100-yard game for his career, a 139-yard performance against Oklahoma in 2013. He finished today's game with four receptions for 101 yards.
TIDE SCORES IN FIRST HALF FOR 102nd CONSECUTIVE GAME: With the one-yard touchdown run by T.J. Yeldon on the Crimson Tide's opening drive, Alabama has now scored in the first half in 102 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: With T.J. Yeldon's one-yard rush into the end zone on Alabama's first offensive drive of the game, the Tide has scored in 182 consecutive games - the longest streak in program history.
JONES SETS AVERGAGE FOR KICK RETURN YARDS RECORD: Senior kick returned Christion Jones returned three kickoffs for 85 total yards for an average of 28.3 yards on the day. The 28.33 return yards average is a Southeastern Conference Championship game record, eclipsing the previous total of 27.5 by Peerless Price of Tennessee who returned two kicks for 55 yards in 1998.
