Football vs. Ole Miss Postgame Notes
9/17/2016 7:45:00 PM | Football
LARGEST DEFICIT OVERCOME: Alabama erased a 21-point second-quarter deficit Saturday at Ole Miss, tying the largest deficit overcome in the program's history (not just in a victory, but in any game). Trailing, 24-3, with less than three minutes remaining in the second period, the Tide launched a comeback that tied the Alabama football record for the largest deficit overcome in a game, another 21-point lead a Rebels squad had over the Tide in a memorable 62-27 Alabama win in 1989. The Tide used a punt return touchdown by Eddie Jackson, a fumble return touchdown by Da'Ron Payne and an interception return by Jonathan Allen to punctuate the victory.
LARGEST DEFICIT OF THE SABAN ERA: In scoring 24 points in the first half, not only did Ole Miss put up the most points by any Alabama opponent in the opening half since head coach Nick Saban took over the Tide for the 2007 season, but the 24-3 lead also tied the largest deficit at any point in a game for the Tide over the span (0-21 vs. Utah in the 2009 Sugar Bowl). However, this time Alabama completed the comeback to tie the school mark for the largest deficit erased.
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for Saturday's game against Ole Miss were Cam Robinson, Reuben Foster and Eddie Jackson.
SABAN'S ROAD RECORD: With the victory over Ole Miss, head coach Nick Saban owns a 61-29-1 mark in road games across his four career stops, including a 33-6 mark while at Alabama. Saban has notched five perfect road seasons (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015) and has lost more than one game on the road in only two seasons (2007, 2010). Alabama has won 20 of its last 22 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 victory over Ole Miss, head coach Nick Saban owns a 43-14 mark in SEC road games across his time at LSU and Alabama, including a 31-6 mark with the Crimson Tide. Saban has notched six perfect SEC road seasons (2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015), including the last five at Alabama.
SABAN IN SEC ROAD OPENERS: With the victory over Ole Miss, Nick Saban is 11-4 all-time in Southeastern Conference road openers spanning his time at Alabama and LSU. He is 9-1 in road conference openers during his time with the Crimson Tide and has outscored his opponents, 380-206 (38.0-20.6 ppg) in his first 10 seasons at Alabama.
SABAN VS. SEC OPPONENTS: With the victory over Ole Miss, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban owns a 96-26 career record in 122 games against SEC opponents across three different stops. While at Alabama, he has compiled a 66-13 record across conference foes, and is outscoring opponents by a staggering 3,144-1,243, or 39.8-15.7 points per game.
SABAN MOVING UP SEC WINS LIST: Alabama head coach Nick Saban is quickly moving up the charts for victories in SEC regular season games against conference opponents with 95 following the win over Ole Miss. His 95 wins rank seventh in SEC history, three behind Shug Jordan (Auburn) and Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee) on the league's list of conference wins. Each coach ahead of Saban on the list, except for recently-retired South Carolina and Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, is in the College Football Hall of Fame. Paul "Bear" Bryant tops the list with 159 conference wins at Kentucky (1946-53) and Alabama (1958-82). Spurrier is second with 131 league wins followed by Johnny Vaught (Ole Miss, 106), Vince Dooley (Georgia, 105), Jordan (Auburn, 98) and Fulmer (Tennessee, 98). Saban ranks first in league history in SEC regular season winning percentage at .792 (95-25). He is second in league history in all-time winning percentage at .816 (151-34) and ranks ninth all-time for career wins, just one shy of Fulmer's 152.
Defensive Notes
ANDERSON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY: Linebacker Ryan Anderson's sack and forced fumble in the third quarter that led to the Tide's tying touchdown continues the senior's strong play this season. Anderson has 10 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble after today's game to continue his hot streak that ended the 2015 season. In the final six games of the 2015 campaign, Anderson recorded eight tackles for loss and six sacks. Eight of his career 13 sacks and 10 of his 23.5 career tackles for loss have come in his last nine games played. Across his time at Alabama, the redshirt senior has accumulated 23.5 tackles for a loss of 112 yards and added 13 sacks for -93 yards.
TWO DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Tide defensive end Jonathan Allen scored on an interception return and Da'Ron Payne scored a touchdown on a fumble return, giving Alabama four defensive touchdowns this season.
Offensive Notes
HURTS OVER 100 RUSHING AND PASSING: Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts became the first Tide signal caller to rush for more than 100 yards since Tyler Watts in 2001 (110 vs. Ole Miss on October 13, 2001) in Saturday's win over the Rebels. Hurts accounted for 146 yards on the ground and threw for 158 more to accumulate 304 yards of total offense on the day. Hurts' rushing total ranks fifth in Alabama history for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Rushing Yards by an Alabama Quarterback
216 (6-2) Harry Gilmer at Kentucky (Nov. 3, 1945)
190 (20-1) Steadman Shealy vs. Mississippi State - Nov. 3, 1979
162 (22-2) Tyler Watts at South Carolina - Sept. 29, 2001
156 (21-0) Walter Lewis vs. Cincinnati (Oct. 23, 1982)
146 (18-0) Jalen Hurts at Mississippi (Sept. 17, 2016)
HARRIS & HURTS BOTH ECLIPSE 100 ON THE GROUND: Running back Damien Harris rushed for a career-best 144 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to lead the Tide on the ground in the win over Ole Miss. Harris and quarterback Jalen Hurts (146 yards) gave Alabama two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the 18th time in Crimson Tide history, marking the first time a quarterback has figured into that achievement since Jeff Rutledge and running back Johnny Davis did so against Auburn in 1977.
FIRST HALF POINTS: Adam Griffith's 32-yard field goal in the first quarter extended Alabama's first half scoring streak to 121 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 owns a 103-16 record during the current streak.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama's school record consecutive games scoring streak was extended to 201 games with Adam Griffith's 32-yard first quarter field goal today.
Special Teams Notes
NON-OFFENSIVE TDs IN THE SABAN ERA: Eddie Jackson's 85-yard punt return for a score in the second quarter today was the 49th non-offensive touchdown of the Nick Saban era and the third for Alabama this season. Against Western Kentucky on Sept. 10, Jackson returned a second quarter interception 55 yards for a score. Against USC, Marlon Humphrey returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown in the Tide's season-opening 52-6 win over the Trojans. Alabama has scored non-offensive touchdowns in its last five games – two interceptions, two punt returns and a kickoff return – dating back to the CFP semifinal vs. Michigan State on Dec. 31, 2015.
EDDIE JACKSON FINDS THE END ZONE AGAIN: Eddie Jackson's second quarter 85-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first for Alabama since Cyrus Jones went 57 yards for a score against Michigan State in the 2016 CFP Semifinal at the 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Jackson's return ties for the eighth-longest in school history. The score also the senior's second non-offensive touchdown in two weeks. He returned an interception 55 yards for a score vs. Western Kentucky a week ago.
