Football vs. Arkansas Postgame Notes
10/8/2016 10:32:00 PM | Football
FOR THE RECORD: Saturday's game against Arkansas was Alabama's 1,238th college football game. That figure takes into account games both forfeited and vacated per NCAA rulings. Without accounting for those stipulations, the game was actually Alabama's 1,260th football game. With the victory, the Tide's actual on-field record is 899-317-44 (.729), including a mark of 78-10 (.886) this decade. Saturday's game with Arkansas was Alabama's 587th all-time SEC game and the Tide has an official record of 389-167-20 (.693), accounting for forfeiture and vacated games. Alabama's actual, on-field record in SEC games is 400-167-20 (.710). The victory improved Alabama's record against Arkansas to 17-8-0 (.680) all-time, including 10 consecutive victories in the series dating back to a 24-23 double-overtime loss in 2006. The Tide is 8-4-0 against Arkansas on the road, including 7-4-0 mark in games played at Fayetteville. Alabama is 7-1-0 (.875) against Arkansas when the Razorbacks are nationally ranked. Alabama has defeated 10 consecutive ranked opponents dating back to a loss to Ole Miss in September of 2015. Alabama's all-time record against ranked opponents is 148-124-7 (.543). Alabama's all-time record against ranked opponents on at road sites is 49-47-2 (.510). The Crimson Tide has won its last six games against ranked opponents as the visiting team. Alabama is 119-75-3 (.612) as a ranked team playing a ranked opponent. Saturday's game was the 422nd road game at an opponent's venue in Alabama history and the 13th played in the state of Arkansas. The win improved Alabama to 266-142-14 (.647) in road games. The game was televised by ESPN and the Tide is 38-16 (.7048) all-time in games televised by ESPN.
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for tonight's game at Arkansas were Cam Robinson, Eddie Jackson and Jonathan Allen.
STREAKING: With the win over Arkansas, Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision, having won 18 consecutive games dating back to last season (last loss: Sept. 19, 2015 vs. Ole Miss). The 18-game streak is the sixth-longest in school history (the record is 28 games, accomplished twice: 1991-93 & 1978-80) and the second-longest under the direction of head coach Nick Saban (19 games 2009-10). During the current stretch the Crimson Tide have won eight games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, six road games and four consecutive neutral-site games while going 11-0 against teams from the Southeastern Conference. During the streak, Alabama has outscored its opponents by 434 points (686-252; 38.1-14.0), an average of 24.1 points per game.
SABAN'S ROAD RECORD: With the win over Arkansas, Alabama head coach Nick Saban owns a 62-29-1 (.679) mark in road games across his four career stops, including a 34-6 (.850) mark at Alabama. Saban has notched five perfect road seasons (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015) and has lost more than one game on the road in only two seasons (2007, 2010). Alabama has won 21 of its last 23 road games dating back to the start of the 2011 season and is riding an eight-game road winning streak.
SABAN IN SEC ROAD GAMES: With the win over Arkansas, head coach Nick Saban owns a 44-14 (.759) mark in SEC road games across his time at LSU and Alabama, including a 32-6 (.842) mark with the Crimson Tide. Saban has notched six perfect SEC road seasons (2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015), including the last five at Alabama.
SABAN VS. SEC OPPONENTS: With the win over Arkansas, head coach Nick Saban owns a 98-26 (.790) career record in 124 games against SEC opponents. While at Alabama, he has compiled a 68-13 (.839) record versus conference foes, and is outscoring opponents by a staggering 3,227-1,273, or 39.8-15.7 points per game. Of his 13 losses against SEC opponents while at Alabama, all but two (Florida, 2008 and South Carolina, 2010) have been by seven points or less. Saban's first matchup with an SEC team came in the 1995 Independence Bowl against LSU, where his Michigan State Spartans fell, 45-26, to the Tigers. He would later go on to coach LSU to 30-12 overall record against conference opponents.
SABAN VS. AP TOP 25: With the Tide's 49-30 win at No. 16 Arkansas, head coach Nick Saban has passed Bear Bryant for third place in career wins vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams at 66. Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno leads the list with 86, four victories ahead of Florida State's Bobby Bowden (82). Recently retired Duke, Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is fifth at 64.
SABAN MOVING UP SEC WINS LIST: With the win over Arkansas, head coach Nick Saban ranks second in league history in all-time winning percentage at .819 (154-34) and ranks eight all-time for career wins. Tennessee's Robert Neyland is seventh at 173.
99-6 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: The Crimson Tide led Arkansas, 35-17, at halftime. With the win over Arkansas, Alabama is 99-6 (.943) under head coach Nick Saban when leading at the half. Alabama has led at the half in six of its seven games this season and has held a halftime lead in 17 of its last 22 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season.
Defensive Notes
TIDE LEADS THE NATION IN DEFENSIVE TOUCDHOWNS: Alabama posted two touchdowns by its defense in the win over Arkansas, giving the Tide a national-leading nine defensive touchdowns this season. Minkah Fitzpatrick returned an interception 100 yards for a score in the fourth quarter and Tim Williams took a fumble back 23 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Ohio State is second with four defensive scores in 2016.
ANDERSON SETS CAREER HIGH IN TACKLES: Ryan Anderson's nine tackles tonight is a new career high. His previous career high was six, set against Texas A&M in 2014. Anderson had 14 tackles this season entering tonight's game.
Offensive Notes
FIRST HALF POINTS: Jalen Hurts' five-yard first quarter touchdown run tonight extended Alabama's first half scoring streak to 124 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. Entering tonight's game, Alabama owns a 106-16 record during the current streak.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama's school record consecutive games scoring streak was extended to 204 games with Jalen Hurts' five-yard touchdown run in the first quarter tonight. Alabama was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
HURTS RUSHING TDs: Jalen Hurts' two first quarter touchdowns equals his career high in that category. The freshman previously rushed for two scores in his collegiate debut vs. USC on Sept. 3. Hurts has rushed for five touchdowns and 296 yards in six games this season.
HURTS PASSING TOUCHDOWNS: With two touchdown passes tonight, freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts equaled his career high set in his college debut vs. USC on Sept. 3. Hurts now as 9 touchdown passes this season.
HURTS TOUCHDOWNS RESPONSIBLE FOR: With four touchdowns responsible for (two rushing, two passing) this evening, quarterback Jalen Hurts tied the career high he established vs. USC in Alabama's season opener on Sept. 3. The four scores is one off the Alabama school record of five in single game, which has been reached on three occasions, the most recent being Santonio Beard (five rushing) vs. Ole Miss on Oct. 12, 2002.
ATTEMPTS WITHOUT AN INTERCEPTION STREAK SNAPPED: Jalen Hurts' third quarter interception snapped a streak of 139 consecutive passes without an interception. His last pass of the Southern California game was picked off and his 16th pass against Arkansas. Hurts streak tied Jake Coker for the seventh longest string of consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
CAREER NIGHT FOR STEWART: ArDarius Stewart established a new career high in receiving yards with 120 yards on 5 receptions tonight, topping his previous single-game best of 113 yards on eight receptions vs. USC in the 2016 season opener on Sept. 3.
Special Teams Notes
NON-OFFENSIVE TDs IN THE SABAN ERA: The two touchdowns by the Alabama defense against Arkansas tonight marked the 54th and 55th non-offensive touchdowns of the Nick Saban era and the eighth and ninth for Alabama this season, which leads the nation. Alabama has scored at least one non-offensive touchdown in each of its last eight games – two interceptions, four fumble returns, three punt returns and a kickoff return – dating back to the CFP semifinal vs. Michigan State on Dec. 31, 2015.
