Alabama Football vs. Florida State Postgame Notes
9/2/2017 10:51:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for tonight's game vs. Florida State were offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman, linebacker Rashaan Evans and defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
FIRST TIME STARTERS: The Crimson Tide had seven student-athletes make their first career start tonight vs. Florida State, including two on offense, three on defense and two specialists. Getting their first career nod on offense were tight end Irv Smith Jr. and offensive tackle Matt Womack. Making their first start on defense were defensive back Trevon Diggs, linebacker Anfernee Jennings and defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs. Place kicker Andy Pappanastos made his first career start on special teams handling field goal attempts while Scott Meyer made his first start as the Tide's long snapper.
SEASON OPENERS: Alabama has compiled a 99-21-3 (.817) all-time record in season openers, and is in the midst of a 16-game winning streak dating back to a 39-34 victory over Middle Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2002. Alabama is 37-4 (.902) in its last 41 season-opening contests dating to 1977 and the Tide has posted a 24-2 (.923) opening day record since 1991. The 2017 season marks the 18th consecutive year that the Crimson Tide has opened the season with a non-conference opponent.
SABAN IN SEASON OPENERS: Head coach Nick Saban is 19-3 (.864) in his collegiate career in season openers, including a perfect 11-0 mark at Alabama. Saban won his very first collegiate game on Sept. 8, 1990, as he led Toledo to a 20-14 win over Miami (Ohio) in his only season at the school. He was 3-2 in season openers at Michigan State and 4-1 in season openers at LSU.
DOME OPENERS: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama has played in eight season-opening games in a domed stadium. In those eight contests, the Crimson Tide is a perfect 8-0 and owns a 289-111 (36.1-13.9) scoring advantage over its opponents.
DOME SWEET DOME: The Crimson Tide is 25-7-1 (.773) all-time in domed stadiums, including a 16-2 (.889) mark since 2009 and is 17-4 (.810) in Nick Saban's tenure. The Tide was 3-0 indoors in 2016. Alabama opened the year with a 52-6 win over USC on Sept. 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, then posted back-to-back wins at Atlanta's Georgia Dome - a 54-16 win over Florida in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3 and a 24-7 win over Washington in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31.
NEUTRAL SITES: Alabama is 84-49-4 (.628) all-time in 137 neutral site contests. The list includes all Alabama-Auburn games not played on campus, including Legion Field from 1948-88. Alabama is 17-5 (.773) in neutral site games during head coach Nick Saban's tenure at Alabama.
OPENING DAY SUCCESS UNDER SABAN: Alabama is a perfect 11-0 under Nick Saban and has outscored its opponents 435-127 in those games. The Tide has averaged 39.5 points per opening contest under Saban and given up just 11.5 points per game.
SABAN IN ATLANTA: Alabama's Nick Saban has a 14-1 career record in games played in Atlanta as the head coach at Alabama (11-1) and LSU (3-0). Saban's Alabama record includes a 5-1 record in SEC Championship Games, a 5-0 mark in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games and a 1-0 record in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
107-7 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 107-7 (.939) when leading at the half. Alabama led Florida State, 10-7, at the half tonight and has held the lead in 26 of its last 32 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season, including 13 of 15 games in 2016.
ALABAMA AS THE NATION'S NO. 1: The University of Alabama has played 71 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 61-10 (.859) 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 (113 games), Alabama has played 47 games while being ranked No. 1, posting a 42-5 (.894) record during that span.
SABAN'S 51st GAME AS AP No. 1: Tonight's game against Florida State was Nick Saban's 51sts career game coaching Alabama as the Associated Press No. 1 team, the most games coached as No. 1 at one school. At 45-6 (.882), Saban has won more games coaching at No. 1 team at one school than any other coach in college football history. Woody Hayes (Ohio State) and Bobby Bowden (Florida State) are tied for second with 40 wins each.
Bowden was 40-5 at Florida State as No. 1 and Hayes went 40-6 with Ohio State.
CAREER FIRSTS: Damien Harris' punt block, Keith Holcombe's fumble recovery, Levi Wallace's interception and Mack Wilson's interception tonight were the first of their careers in those categories.
Defensive Notes
10 POINTS OR FEWER: Alabama's 24-7 win over Florida State marks the 67th time the Crimson Tide has held an opponent to 10 points or fewer under head coach Nick Saban since the start of the 2007 season.
RUSHING DEFENSE: Alabama has surrendered only 17 individual 100-yard rushing performances dating back to the 2005 season, a mark that is the lowest in the nation. Alabama has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 24 games (Nick Chubb, Georgia on Oct. 3, 2015). Since head coach Nick Saban's arrival in 2007, the Tide has allowed 11 players to rush for more than 100 yards in a game
HAMILTON CAREER-HIGH IN TACKLES FOR LOSS: Senior linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton finished with a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss tonight. Hamilton's previous high was 2.0, which he had achieved three times in his career, most recently against Tennessee in 2016.
Offensive Notes
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama's school record consecutive games scoring streak was extended to 214 games tonight with Andy Pappanastos' 35-yard first quarter field goal. Alabama was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
RIDLEY NOW TIED FOR FIFTH ON ALABAMA CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS LIST: Calvin Ridley's 53-yard second quarter touchdown reception is the 15th of his career, moving him into a tie for fifth place all-time at Alabama with Joey Jones (1980-83) and Julio Jones (2008-10). Ozzie Newsome (1974-77) is No. 4 all-time with 16. Amari Cooper (2012-14) is Alabama's career leader with 31 scoring grabs.
RIDLEY MOVES INTO FIFTH PLACE ON ALABAMA CAREER RECEIVING YARDS CHART: Calvin Ridley's 82 receiving yards on seven catches gives the junior 1,896 yards for his career, which ranks No. 5 all-time at Alabama. Ozzie Newsome (1974-77) is fourth with 2,070 yards. Amari Cooper (2012-14) is Alabama's all-time leader with 3,463 yards.
Special Teams Notes
SCOTT NOW THIRD ON ALABAMA CAREER PUNT ATTEMPTS LIST: Punter JK Scott's six attempts tonight moves him into third place on the Alabama career punting attempts list with 195. Chris Mohr (1985-88) is No. 2 all-time with 203 attempts. P.J. Fitzgerald (2006-09) is Alabama's career leader with 238 punts.
