Alabama Football vs. Charleston Southern Postgame Notes
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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SENIOR DAY: Saturday's matchup with Charleston Southern was Alabama's Senior Day. Honored at Saturday's pregame ceremonies were: Parker Barrineau, Jake Coker, Paden Crowder, David D'Amico, Denzel Devall, Kenyan Drake, TY Flournoy-Smith, Nick Gauna, Alex Harrelson, Stephen Hodge, Dominick Jackson, Bernel Jones, Cyrus Jones, Ryan Kelly, Darren Lake, Dillon Lee, Isaac Luatua, Geno Matias-Smith, Richard Mullaney, Michael Nysewander, D.J. Pettway, Reggie Ragland, Jarran Reed, Bradley Sylve and Jabriel Washington.
SENIOR SEND OFF: With the win over Charleston Southern, Alabama's 2015 senior class has compiled an overall record of 46-6 over the last four seasons. That victory total is one of the best in the country during that span. They won the 2012 and 2014 SEC Championships and helped bring home the 2012 BCS National Championship.
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains final home game of 2015 against Charleston Southern were seniors Jake Coker, Cyrus Jones, Dillon Lee and Jarran Reed. The rest of the senior class joined the four captains on field for today's coin toss. The Crimson Tide won the opening toss and elected to receive to open today's game.
10-WIN SEASONS: With the victory over Charleston Southern, Alabama reached the 10-win plateau for the eighth straight season. The eight consecutive years with 10 wins extends the school record that was set by the Tide last season. Prior to finishing 2014 with 12 wins, the previous total for most consecutive 10-win seasons was five, set by coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's teams from 1971-75. In 120 seasons, the Tide has won 10 or more games 35 times. Alabama has produced 10, 10-win seasons since 2002 (2002, 2005, 2008-15). Tide head coach Nick Saban is the 11th coach in school history to lead his team to a 10-win season and is the fifth coach in school history to have more than one 10-win campaign. Bryant had a school-record 12 10-win seasons at UA, while Saban is second with seven. Other coaches to reach the milestone include: Gene Stallings (4), Wallace Wade (2), Frank Thomas (2), Harold "Red" Drew (1), Ray Perkins (1), Bill Curry (1), Mike DuBose (1), Dennis Franchione (1) and Mike Shula (1).
THE ALABAMA-CHARLESTON SOUTHERN SERIES: Alabama owns the 1-0 series advantage against Charleston Southern following Saturday's inaugural meeting.
FIRST TIME STARTERS: Many new faces have earned a start this season for the Crimson Tide. Against Charleston Southern, both junior Korren Kirven (right tackle) and freshman Hale Hentges (tight end) made their first career starts. Prior to the CSU matchup, freshman defensive back Ronnie Harrison earned his first career start at Texas A&M on Oct. 17, and the Arkansas contest saw freshman nose guard Da'Ron Payne made his first career start. A pair of wideouts made their first career start against ULM, including senior Richard Mullaney and freshman Calvin Ridley. Quarterback Cooper Bateman made his first career start against Ole Miss. In the Middle Tennessee contest, Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB) and Dakota Ball (TE) each made their first career starts. In the season opener against Wisconsin, seven students made their first career start, including three on defense and four on offense. Getting their first career nod on defense were Marlon Humphrey (DB), Darren Lake (DT) and Shaun Dion Hamilton (LB). The offensive starters were made up of Jake Coker (QB), Robert Foster (WR), Dominick Jackson (OL) and Ross Pierschbacher (OT).
MOST POINTS IN A HALF UNDER SABAN: Alabama's 49 points in the first half against Charleston Southern were the most in a single half under head coach Nick Saban since his arrival in Tuscaloosa. The previous high under Saban was 45 at Duke in 2010. The points total is also the most in a half by a Crimson Tide team since scoring 52 in the first half against Vanderbilt in 1990 when Alabama held a 52-7 lead at halftime.
NON-OFFENSIVE TDs IN THE SABAN ERA: Cyrus Jones' pair of punt returns for touchdowns in the first half against Charleston Southern marked the 43rd and 44th non-offensive touchdowns of the Nick Saban era. On Nov. 14, Jones returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter at Mississippi State, the 42nd non-offense touchdown of the Nick Saban era. The Tide has recorded eight non-offensive touchdowns in 2015. The Crimson Tide took a school-record three interceptions back for a touchdown against Texas A&M on Oct. 17, first a 33-yard return by Minkah Fitzpatrick, then a return of 93 yards by Eddie Jackson and, finally, a 55-yard return to seal the victory, once again by Fitzpatrick. It was the first time since 2013 that Alabama had three non-offensive touchdowns in a single game. Prior to the weekend in College Station, UA returned both a blocked punt and an interception for touchdowns against Georgia. Since Saban took over in 2007, Alabama has garnered 16 interception returns, 12 punt returns, five kickoff returns, four fumble returns and four blocked punt returns for a touchdown. Alabama scored one non-offensive touchdown in 2014. The Tide scored seven non-offensive touchdowns in 2013, including three in the season opener against Virginia Tech, marking the first time the Crimson Tide had done so in a game since Sept. 30, 1995, against Georgia.
SABAN'S HOME RECORD: With the win over Charleston Southern, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 115-19 across his four career stops in home games. He owns the advantage at every stop he has made during his collegiate coaching career, including a 56-7 mark while at Alabama. Saban has won 23 of his last 25 contests inside Bryant-Denny Stadium and has lost back-to-back matchups only one time, with the consecutive losses coming at the end of the 2007 season (LSU and ULM).
SABAN AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPOSITION: With the win over CSU, Nick Saban owns a career mark of 69-18 against non-conference opponents (including bowl games) across his 20 years as a head coach in the collegiate ranks. During his time at Alabama, Saban owns a 38-5 record in against non-conference opposition, including a 26-1 mark at home. The Crimson Tide is currently riding a 24 game winning streak against non-conference opponents at home after losing to ULM in 2007 by a score of 21-14. Saban-coached Alabama teams are outscoring its non-conference opponents by an average of 38.8-11.9 (1,669-511) and have shut out the opposition eight times.
92-6 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Alabama led Charleston Southern, 49-0, at halftime and finished with a 56-6 victory over the Buccaneers. On Nov. 14, UA led Mississippi State, 21-3, heading into halftime, and finished with a 31-6 win in Starkville. Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 91-6 (.938) when leading at the half. Alabama has led at the half in eight of its 11 games this year, trailing Ole Miss and Arkansas, and tied at 7-7 versus Tennessee at the midway point. The four 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; 24-20 at Arkansas in 2010; 27-14 vs. Arkansas in 2015. His Tide teams are 4-3 when tied at halftime, and Alabama's four wins under Saban when tied at halftime: at LSU in 2008, (27-21), at Auburn in 2009 (26-21), against Tennessee in 2011 (37-6) and against Tennessee this season (19-14).
FORCING TURNOVERS: In the seven games since losing the turnover battle 5-0 and falling to Ole Miss by six points, Alabama has turned the tide in regards to turnovers. Since the matchup with the Rebels, the Crimson Tide is plus-8 in turnovers, having forced 17 total - 13 interceptions - in those seven games. The Crimson Tide has now forced 22 turnovers this season.
10 POINTS OR FEWER: Alabama held Charleston Southern to six points on Saturday in a 56-6 win. Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide has held opponents to 10 points or fewer 56 times since the start of the 2007 season. The Charleston Southern game marked the fifth time this season that Alabama has held an opponent to 10 points or less. Last year, Alabama shut out two opponents. Alabama held 9-of-13 opponents to 10 points or less in 2013 with three shutouts. Seven opponents were limited to 10 points or less in 2012, four of which were shutouts. Alabama was successful in holding opponents in the 0-10 point range in nine games in 2011 and eight times in 2010. UA kept opponents within that range seven times in both 2008 and 2009, and in 2007 posted two games in which it held opponents to 0-10 points. Alabama has shut out the opposition 16 times during the Saban era.
HARD TO FIND THE END ZONE AGAINST THE TIDE: Since the start of the 2009 season, no defense has allowed fewer touchdowns than the Crimson Tide. Alabama's defense, led by coordinator Kirby Smart and head coach Nick Saban, has surrendered only 135 touchdowns over the last 91 games. That is 41 fewer than the second most in the nation (Florida with 176).
HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 300: Alabama limited Charleston Southern to 134 yards of total offense, the seventh time the Tide has kept a team under 300 in 2015. UA held LSU to 182, Arkansas to 220 yards, Georgia to 299 yards, ULM to 92 yards and Middle Tennessee to 275 yards, one week after holding Wisconsin to 268 yards of total offense in the season opener. In head coach Nick Saban's 119-game tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has limited opponents to under 300 yards of total offense 73 times, or 61.3 percent of the time. UA held six of its 14 opponents below 300 yards in 2014.
HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 200: During head coach Nick Saban's last 106 games at the Capstone (since the start of the 2008 season), the Crimson Tide defense has held the opposing offense to fewer than 200 yards of total offense 35 times, including three times this year (Charleston Southern - 134, LSU - 182 yards, ULM - 92). The Tide accomplished the feat twice in 2014 including against Texas A&M on Oct. 18 and versus Florida Atlantic in a weather-shortened contest to open the home schedule on Sept. 6. Alabama limited opponents to 200 or less four times in 2013. In 2012, UA did so five times, and in 2011, the Tide accomplished the feat eight times, limiting Kent State to 90 yards and LSU to only 92 yards in the BCS Championship Game (the second and third times a Saban defense had limited its opponent to less than 100 yards of total offense). Alabama's best came in 2009 when the Tide held Chattanooga to 84 yards of total offense. UA held opponents under 200 yards three times in 2010, four times in 2009 and six times in 2008.
HENRY REACHING THE END ZONE CONSISTENTLY: Derrick Henry's 17-yard touchdown run on the Crimson Tide's first drive against Charleston Southern moved his consecutive games with a touchdown streak to 16. The 16-game streak is the longest active streak in the nation, and the longest by an SEC player in the past 20 years eclipsing Tim Tebow's streak of 14 games that he set from 2006-07. The streak is also the longest in Alabama history, with the previous high being 10 by Terry Davis across the 1971 and 1972 seasons from Nov. 6, 1971-Oct. 21, 1972. The last time Henry failed to notch a score was in the LSU game on Nov. 8, 2014.
HENRY MOVING UP IN THE SINGLE-SEASON RANKS: Derrick Henry's two rushing scores against Charleston Southern moved him into a tie for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season in Alabama history with 21. Henry matches Trent Richardson for the Crimson Tide record, with Richardson accomplishing the feat in 2011.
HENRY MOVING UP IN THE CAREER RANKS: With his two scores in the first quarter against Charleston Southern, Derrick Henry has collected 35 rushing touchdowns for his career. The 35 scores matches Trent Richardson for fourth in Alabama history. Next on the list is T.J. Yeldon with 37 from 2012-14. In front of Yeldon is Shaun Alexander (1996-99) with 41 and the all-time leader, Mark Ingram (2008-10), with 42.
HENRY PASSES THE 1,500-YARD MARK: Derrick Henry's 68 yards in the first quarter against Charleston Southern pushed him past the 1,500 yards for the season making him only the third Alabama back in UA history to accomplish the feat. The only other two running backs to move past 1,500 yards were Mark Ingram in 2009 (1,658) and Trent Richardson in 2011 (1,679). He has now amassed 1,526 total rushing yards during the 2015 season.
HENRY STANDING OUT AS A STARTER: Junior Derrick Henry earned the starting nod at tailback in the 2015 season opener and has filled that role in every game since. With 68 yards while playing only the first quarter against Charleston Southern, in 13 games as a starter he has rushed for 1,728 yards on 274 carries (6.3 yards per carry) with 23 touchdowns. Prior to 2015, Henry started only twice - vs. Western Carolina and Ohio State in 2014. He has collected at least one rushing touchdown in each start, and has notched double-digit scoring days eight times. Through the air, he has hauled in 13 passes for 160 yards (12.3 yards per catch) with one receiving score.
RIDLEY GOES FOR HUGE SCORES: Freshman wideout Calvin Ridley has notched five touchdown catches this season, four of which have gone for 30 yards or more, including a 30-yard catch and score from Jake Coker against Charleston Southern. His second career TD was a 45-yard strike against Georgia, and he followed that with an 81-yard reception against Arkansas the very next week. His touchdown score at Mississippi State came on a screen that the freshman took for a 60-yard score. His other touchdown catch this season was a 15-yard reception against ULM, the first receiving score of his career.
Jake Coker IMPROVING EVERY WEEK: Senior quarterback Jake Coker's toughness has been on display several times in recent weeks and his efforts running the ball have converted several first downs for the Crimson Tide. While his feet and toughness have gotten him attention, his quiet command of the Tide offense has helped win games. Over the past six games, Coker is completing 73.0 percent (119-for-163) of his passes for 1,320 yards and six touchdowns.
FIRST HALF POINTS: With Derrick Henry's 17-yard rush for a touchdown on the opening drive against Charleston Southern, the Crimson Tide has scored in the first half of its last 114 games, the longest streak in the nation. The last time UA failed to score in the first half was on Sept. 29, 2007, when Alabama and Florida State headed into halftime in a scoreless tie. The Seminoles won that game, 21-14. Alabama has a 98-16 record during the streak.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: With a 17-yard rushing touchdown by Derrick Henry on the Crimson Tide's opening drive of the game against Charleston Southern, Alabama has now scored in 194 consecutive games - the longest streak in program history.
RUSHING TO SUCCESS: Alabama is 76-4 since the start of the 2008 season when rushing for at least 140 yards. The only losses were at Auburn in 2013, Ole Miss and Ohio State in 2014, and Ole Miss in 2015.
PUNT RETURN TOUCHDOWN FOR JONES: Cyrus Jones' 43-yard and 70-yard punt returns for a touchdown against Charleston Southern were the second and third of his career, all three coming in the past two games. It was Alabama's first set of punt returns for a touchdown in consecutive weeks by the same player in Crimson Tide history (in records dating back to 1944). The closest to previously accomplishing that feat was David Palmer in 1991, when he took one 56 yards against Vanderbilt on Sept. 28 and then two games later took a second one back for 69 yards against Tulane on Oct. 12. Jones' two punt return touchdowns also marked the first pair of punt return TDs by the same player in a single game in Alabama history (in records dating back to 1944).
