Alabama Offense Off to Record-Setting Start
9/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Christopher Walsh
The numbers read like something between a fleet of Boeing planes and good SAT scores, but when it comes to the University of Alabama's offense one almost can't help but look at them and do a double-take.
In order, the Crimson Tide has recorded 538, 620, 547 and 672 offensive yards so far, and not just by running through defenses like it has in the past. By averaging 594.3 yards the 2,377 total yards is the most through four games of any Alabama season, and has this team on pace to break just about every non-rushing record.
Yes, Alabama -- the program that's still known for wearing down defenses and breaking the will of opponents. It's still doing that, only adding new ways, and has been so effective that on Saturday the Crimson Tide gave up four turnovers that led to three opposing touchdowns and it still defeated Florida 42-21.
"There will come a time when we won't be able to overcome these things, but these things are all correctable," Coach Nick Saban said about the turnovers and the uncharacteristic 11 penalties.
"I thought we did a great job on third down and that it was a big difference in the outcome of the game. We were about 12-for-16 on third down and they were about 2-for-13. That was a big difference in time of possession, as well as our ability to control the ball and get off the field on defense."
All told, it was the most yards the Gators had ever given up in 108 years of playing football, and the difference of 472 total yards (672 to 200) was the eighth largest yardage gap in Crimson Tide history ... even with all the mistakes and Alabama leaving points on the field as it let up in the fourth quarter.
But that only begins to touch upon the history that was made Saturday.
Although Alabama has played nearly 300 games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, dating back to 1929, never before had a Crimson Tide quarterback thrown for so many yards there, or a Crimson Tide player reach 200 receiving yards.
Specifically, Blake Sims' 445 passing yards were the second most in Crimson Tide history, junior wide receiver Amari Cooper's 201 receiving yards on 10 catches were the third-most, and sophomore running back Derrick Henry notched a 100-yard rushing game.
The 400-200-100 trifecta was a Crimson Tide first, and Cooper also hauled in career receiving touchdowns No. 18, 19 and 20 to become Alabama's all-time leader.
"It was just the great wide receivers getting open," said Sims, who completed 23 of 33 attempts. "It's just like playing catch in the backyard."
With touchdown passes of 87 and 79 yards in the first quarter, which silenced critics who had been claiming Sims couldn't complete passes downfield, his 272 passing yards in the opening frame surpassed his previous career high of 250 against West Virginia.
Sims finished the first half with 335 yards, second most in a half behind Greg McElroy's 339 yards against Auburn on Nov. 26, 2010. Overall, only Scott Hunter's 484-yard performance against Auburn at Legion Field on Nov. 29, 1969, remained ahead of Sims' final line, although he did break Hunter's team-record (457 total yards) with 484 against the Gators.
"I thought Blake did a really good job on third down all day," Saban said. "People have to respect him as a passer. He has made too many plays and too many good throws for people to not respect him as a passer."
They certainly already respected Cooper, who despite being frequently defended by one of the nation's top cornerbacks, sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III, still notched his sixth straight 100-yard performance - another Crimson Tide record -- and three touchdowns.
The first was the 79-yard bomb when he lined up in the slot but was left alone due to a tendency that offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin noticed while studying the Florida defense. With Sims airing out the pass and the Gators' safety turning the wrong way Cooper made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch looking back into the sun.
"That's a pretty good little catch, but I knew that I was wide open," Cooper said. "The safety wasn't looking at me at all."
His record-breaking touchdown came with Sims in the locker room, where he was getting checked out for a shoulder bruise. With just 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter his four-yard catch from junior Jacob Coker capped an 80-yard drive that all but the game out of reach at 35-21.
When Sims returned to the sideline the first person he congratulated was Coker, but with Alabama's running game dominating the second half he later capped the scoring with a high six-yard toss to Cooper in the end zone.
"It wasn't a high-pointable ball," Cooper said with a laugh about the technique receivers are taught.
"I'm not surprised at all because me and Blake having been working since the spring on our timing and everything like that."
Cooper became just the fourth player in UA history to catch three touchdowns in a single game, and the two other 200-yard games by an Alabama player were both on the road: Julio Jones' 221 yards at Tennessee in 2010 and David Palmer's 217 at Vanderbilt in 1993.
"(Cooper) was very impressive," Sims said. "He put on a good show for everybody today."
So did Sims, Henry, the line, Kiffin ... who are all just adding to the growing list of problems defenses have when facing Alabama because no matter what they try to take away the Crimson Tide can counter in numerous ways.
Alabama is tied for third in the nation in first downs, fifth in total offense (594.3 ypg), sixth in time of possession (35:03), 12th in passing offense (335.8 ypg) and 21st in scoring offense (42.0 ppg). It's also essentially tied for the lead in third-down offense, having converted 34 of 54 attempts (Auburn is 29 of 46) for .630 percent.
But to put into perspective how much more potent Alabama's passing game has become consider that the 3,230 passing yards it had in 2013 were the second most in program history.
This year Alabama is on pace to top 4,000 yards during the regular season alone.
"When you have great wide receivers that can get open, any quarterback can hit an open guy," Sims said. "I'm just blessed to have these guys besides me."
