Football vs. Clemson Postgame Notes
1/10/2017 1:14:00 AM | Football
FOR THE RECORD: Monday's game against Clemson was Alabama's 1,247th 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 1,269th football game. The Tide's actual on-field record in all games is 907-318-44 (.732), including a mark of 86-11 (.887) this decade. Alabama's all-time record against ranked opponents is 154-125-7 (.550). Alabama is 125-76-3 (.620) as a ranked team playing a ranked opponent. Alabama is now 13-4 all-time vs. Clemson (.765).
Alabama (14-1 in 2016) fell short of becoming the first college football team since 1897 (Penn) to win 15 games in a single season. The Crimson Tide has won 13 games or more in a season five times, the most by any school in college football history, and has earned 14 wins or more three times, also the most in college football history. The loss to the second-ranked Tigers ended Alabama's 16-game winning streak over ranked opponents dating back to a loss to Ole Miss in September of 2015.
Monday night's game was Alabama's 17th bowl game appearance in the state of Florida and the Crimson Tide has an 10-7-0 (.588) record in those games (0-1 in CFP Championship; 1-0 in BCS Championship; 4-4 in Orange Bowl; 1-1 in Gator Bowl; 1-0 in Blockbuster Bowl; 2-0 in Citrus/Capital One Bowl; 0-1 in Hall of Fame Bowl; 1-0 in Outback Bowl). Alabama falls to 1-1 all-time in games played in Tampa, adding tonight's loss to a 17-14 win over Michigan in the 1997 Outback Bowl (1996 season).
Alabama falls to 4-1 in "formal/official" college football national championship games encompassing either the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) or College Football Playoff (CFP), going 3-0 in BCS National Championship Games (2010: 37-21 win over Texas; 2012: 21-0 win over LSU; 2013: 42-14 win over Notre Dame) and 1-1 in CFP National Championship Games (2016: 45-40 win over Clemson; 2017: 35-31 loss to Clemson).
The Crimson Tide's combined postseason records (combining SEC Championship Games, traditional bowl games, BCS title games and CFP title games) falls to 37-25-3 (.592) including a vacated victory in the 2006 Cotton Bowl. The actual on-field record (without the vacated game) is 38-25-3 (.598).
Monday's game was Alabama's 122nd in its history against schools currently competing as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), including one vacated game in 2006. The Crimson Tide has a record of 81-36-4 (.686) while accounting for that vacated game, but the actual on-field mark is 82-36-4 (.688) against ACC opponents.
Alabama now stands 5-5-0 in bowl games against current ACC opponents (1-0 vs. Boston College; 1-1 vs. Clemson; 0-1 vs. Duke; 0-1 vs. Louisville; 1-1 vs. Miami; 1-0 vs. North Carolina; 1-0 vs. Syracuse; 0-1 vs. Virginia Tech).
Alabama's loss to Clemson snaps the Tide's 13-game series win streak over the Tigers. Prior to Monday, the Tigers had only won the first three meetings in 1900, 1904 and 1905 with their last win over the Tide coming in a 25-0 verdict on October 25, 1905. Alabama's winning streak in the series began with a 3-0 win on October 16, 1909.
Alabama has an 8-2-0 lead over Clemson in home games, leads 2-1-0 versus the Tigers in true road games at Clemson, and falls to 2-1-0 in the series at neutral sites.
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for tonight's game vs. Clemson were defensive end Jonathan Allen, linebacker Reuben Foster, cornerback Eddie Jackson and offensive tackle Cam Robinson.
106-7 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 106-7 (.938) when leading at the half. Alabama led Clemson, 14-7, at the half in the CFP National Championship Game and has held the lead at the break in 24 of its last 30 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season, including 13 of 15 games this season.
ALABAMA AS THE NATION'S NO. 1: Alabama has played 74 games as the nation's top-ranked team since the inception of the Associated Press poll in 1936. In those games, the Crimson Tide boasts a 63-11 (.851) record. Those numbers get even more impressive when you look at the 10 seasons under the direction of head coach Nick Saban (2007-present). Since the ninth game of the 2008 season (116 games), Alabama has played 50 games while being ranked No. 1, posting a 44-6 (.888) record during that span.
NEUTRAL SITES: Alabama is now 83-49-4 (.625) in neutral site contests. The list includes all Alabama-Auburn games not played on campus, including Legion Field from 1948-88. The Crimson Tide opened the 2016 season with a 52-6 win over USC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, defeated Florida, 54-16, in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3, then followed up with a 24-7 win over Washington in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. The Crimson Tide is 16-5 (.762) in neutral site games during head coach Nick Saban's tenure at Alabama.
Defensive Notes
FOSTER SEASON TACKLES: Senior Reuben Foster's 12 tackles this evening gives the Butkus Award winner 115 for the season, tying him with Saleem Rasheed (2001) for eighth all-time on the Crimson Tide single-season list. Foster finishes his career with 222 tackles.
ANDERSON NOW 2ND IN CAREER FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Ryan Anderson's two fumble recoveries tonight give him six for his career, tying him for second on the Alabama career list in that category with Mike DuBose (1972-74) and Murray Legg (1976-78). Colenzo Hubbard (1973-76) is the career leader with nine.
ALLEN, WILLIAMS, ANDERSON MOVE UP CAREER SACKS LIST: With one sack tonight, senior Jonathan Allen ended his career with 28.5 sacks and ranks second on Alabama's all-time sack list. Fellow senior Ryan Anderson recorded a sack tonight to move into ninth place on the career list with 19.5. Linebacker Tim Williams ends his career with 21.0 sacks to rank seventh all-time at Alabama. Derrick Thomas is the Tide career leader with 52.0 from 1985-88.
Offensive Notes
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama's school-record consecutive games scoring streak was extended to 213 games tonight with Bo Scarbrough's 25-yard first quarter touchdown run. Alabama was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
HOWARD VS. CLEMSON: In two College Football Playoff National Championship Game appearances vs. Clemson, senior tight end O.J. Howard caught nine passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Howard earned offensive MVP honors in last season's CFP championship game with five catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns and added four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown this evening. Howard ends his career at Alabama with 114 receptions, which ranks 10th all-time in school history, 1,726 yards, which also ranks 10th all-time, and seven touchdowns.
SCARBROUGH FINISHED STRONG: In the last three games of the 2016 season, beginning with the Southeastern Conference Championship Game on Dec. 3, running back Bo Scarbrough carried the ball 46 times for 364 yards and six touchdowns. Scarbrough averaged 7.9 yards per carry against No. 15 Florida, No. 4 Washington and No. 2 Clemson over that span.
STEWART CAREER LONG CARRY: ArDarius Stewart's 25-yard run on a jet sweep in the second quarter is a new career-long rush for Stewart. His previous long was 17 yards vs. USC in the 2016 season opener on Sept. 3.
HURTS TOUCHDOWN RESPONSIBILITY: Quarterback Jalen Hurts' 68-yard touchdown pass to O.J. Howard in the third quarter and 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gives the freshman the Alabama single-record for touchdown responsibility with 36, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Blake Sims in 2014. Hurts finished his debut campaign with 23 touchdown passes and 13 rushing touchdowns.
HURTS RUSHING: Quarterback Jalen Hurts ended the season with 954 yards rushing, a new single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback. The previous record was 791 yards by Steadman Shealy in 1979.
HURTS TOTAL OFFENSE: Freshman Jalen Hurts finishes his first season at Alabama with 3,734 yards in total offense (2,780 yards passing, 954 yards rushing), the second-highest single-season total in Crimson Tide history. Blake Sims holds the record with 3,837 yards (3,487 passing, 350 rushing) in 2014.
Special Teams Notes
SCOTT PUNTING: J.K. Scott's 10 punts this evening is a new career high for the junior. Scott's previous high was nine, set at LSU in 2014. He averaged 45.8 yards this evening with five of his 10 punts landing inside the 20
GRIFFITH SIXTH ON ALABAMA SINGLE-SEASON SCORING LIST, THIRD ON KICK-SCORING LIST: Senior placekicker Adam Griffith now has 129 points this season (21 field goals and 66 PATs), the sixth-best season scoring total in school history. Griffith's 131 points in 2015 (23 field goals, 62 PATs) ranks fifth. Derrick Henry holds the single season record with 168 points on 28 touchdowns in 2015. Griffith's total this season is also the third-best season kick-scoring total. Leigh Tiffin holds the single-season record in that category with 132 points (30 field goals, 42 PATs) in 2009.
GRIFFITH SECOND ON ALL-TIME SCORING LIST AND KICK-SCORING LISTS: With his seven points tonight (1 field goal, 4 PATs), senior placekicker Adam Griffith has scored 129 points in 2016 (21 field goals and 66 PATs) to give him 357 career points (57 FG, 186 PATs). Griffith ranks No. 2 all-time at Alabama on both the scoring and kick-scoring lists. Leigh Tiffin (2006-09) is Alabama's all-time scoring and kicking points scored leader with 385 points (83 field goals, 136 PATs).
GRIFFITH AMONG CAREER PAT & FIELD GOAL LEADERS: With four extra points tonight, senior placekicker Adam Griffith has 66 this season to extend his Alabama career school record to 186. Griffith's 57 career field goals (on 82 attempts) is fifth on Alabama's career list. Van Tiffin (1983-86) is fourth at 59. Leigh Tiffin (2006-09) is the career leader with 83 field goals.
