Football vs. Georgia Postgame Notes
12/1/2018 7:47:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains against Georgia today were tight end Hale Hentges, linebacker Anfernee Jennings and offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher. Â
JACOBS EARNS SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MVP HONORS: Junior running back Josh Jacobs rushed for a game-high 83 yards and two touchdowns to earn SEC Championship Game MVP honors. Jacobs averaged 10.4 yards per carry on eight rushing attempts to pace the Tide ground game. He is just the sixth UA back to rush for multiple touchdowns in an SEC Championship Game.
TIDE SENIORS POST NCAA-RECORD 54TH WIN: Alabama's win over Georgia was the 54th for members of Alabama's senior class. The group has now posted a record of 54-3 (.947) to surpass Alabama's 2017 senior class (53-5, .914) for the most wins by a senior class in NCAA history.
ALABAMA REACHES 13 WINS FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY: With its 35-28 win over Georgia, Alabama moves to 13-0 in 2018, marking the sixth time in school history the Tide has reached the 13-win plateau. Alabama finished 13-0 in 1992, 14-0 in 2009, 13-1 in 2012, 14-1 in 2015 and 2016 and is currently 13-0 this season. The six seasons with at least 13 wins are the most by any school in Football Bowl Subdivision history.
Defensive Notes
CAREER HIGH IN TACKLES FOR SAIVION SMITH: Junior Saivion Smith established a new career high in tackles with a team-leading 11 total stops against Georgia. His previous high was six, achieved four times, most recently against Auburn on Nov. 24. The total is also the second-most by an Alabama defender in the SEC Championship Game (12 - Chris Donnelly vs. Florida, 1993).
QUINNEN WILLIAMS NOW TIED FOR NINTH ON UA SINGLE-SEASON TACKLES FOR LOSS LIST: With two tackles for loss against Georgia, Quinnen Williams now has 18 TFLs on the season, which ties the redshirt sophomore for ninth in the school single-season list with Trevis Smith (1997) and Mark Anderson (2005)
Offensive Notes
JACOBS' TWO FIRST-HALF RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS TIES FOR SECOND MOST IN UA SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY: Junior Josh Jacobs' two first-half rushing touchdowns are one shy of the Alabama record for rushing scores in an SEC Championship Game. Mark Ingram rushed for three touchdowns against Florida in 2009. Jacobs' two rushing scores ties him with Bo Scarbrough (2016), Derrick Henry (2014) Eddie Lacy (2012) and Derrick Lassic (1992) for second behind Ingram. The two scores gives Jacobs three touchdowns on the ground in two SEC Championship Game appearances, which also ranks No. 2 in Tide championship game history behind Ingram (4, 2008-09)
JACOBS RECORDS SECOND-LONGEST ALABAMA RUSH IN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY: Josh Jacobs' second-quarter, 59-yard run to set up the Tide's second touchdown is the second-longest run for an Alabama player in SEC Championship Game history, trailing Freddie Milons' 77-yard scoring scamper against Florida in 1999.
HURTS CLOSING IN ON 5,000/2,000 MILESTONE: With 28 yards on the ground in the fourth quarter against Georgia, Jalen Hurts upped his career rushing total to 1,976 yards, putting him just 24 yards away from becoming the first quarterback in Alabama history to rush for 2,000 yards and pass for 5,000 yards in his career. Hurts has thrown for 5,616 yards in 40 games at the Capstone. He is one of seven 5,000-yard passers in school history.
HURTS' CAREER TOUCHDOWN RESPONSIBILITY: Jalen Hurts' rushing and passing touchdowns against Georgia gives the junior 71 combined career touchdowns, just nine behind UA career leader AJ McCarron (80 in 53 games, 2010-13). Hurts has thrown 48 touchdown passes and rushed for 23 scores in 40 career games.
HURTS AND TAGOVAILOA TIED IN SECOND ON UA CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASSES LIST: Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts each threw their 48th career scoring toss against Georgia to share second place on the UA career touchdown passes list. The duo was tied with John Parker Wilson (2005-08) at 47 entering the SEC Championship Game. AJ McCarron (2010-13) is the Alabama career leader with 77 touchdown passes.
JEUDY SECOND ON UA SINGLE-SEASON TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS LIST: Jerry Jeudy's 10-yard, game-tying touchdown reception from Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter today was the sophomore's 12th scoring catch of the season, good for second on the Alabama single-season touchdown receptions list behind school record holder Amari Cooper, who caught 16 in 2014.
JEUDY MOVES INTO THIRD PLACE ON THE TIDE SEASON RECEIVING YARDS CHART: Jerry Jeudy's 24 receiving yards on three catches against Georgia gives him 1,103 yards receiving this season, just 30 yards behind second-place Julio Jones (1,133 yards in 2010). Amari Cooper is the school record-holder with 1,727 yards in 2014.
FIRST HALF SCORING: Through 13 games this season, Alabama is outscoring its opponents, 388-103 (29.4-7.9), in the first half. That total includes a 199-45 (15.3-3.5) first quarter advantage and a 189-58 (14.5-4.5) difference in the second quarter.
Special Teams Notes
BULOVAS NOW SECOND ON UA SINGLE-SEASON PAT LIST: Redshirt freshman Joseph Bulovas' five PATs against Georgia gives the Mandeville, La., native 68 for the season, moving him into second place on the UA single-season PAT list. Jeremy Shelley is Alabama's season leader with 69 conversions in 2012.
