Football vs. Louisiana Postgame Notes
9/29/2018 2:47:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for against Louisiana were offensive lineman Joshua Casher, linebacker Christian Miller and defensive back Deionte Thompson.
122-7 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 122-7 (.946) when leading at the half. The Tide led Louisiana, 49-0, at intermission against Louisiana. Alabama has held the lead at the half in 39 of its last 49 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. Alabama is also 106-4 (.964) when leading by seven or more points at the break during the Saban era.
22 IN A ROW AT HOME: With its 56-14 win over Louisiana, Alabama has now won 22-consecutive games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the second-longest home winning streak in school history. The Crimson Tide won 24 in a row at home (Bryant-Denny and Legion Field combined) from Sept. 18, 1971 to Nov 9, 1974.
CAREER FIRSTS: Freshman Jaylen Waddle recorded his first career punt return touchdown and first two career touchdown receptions today. Redshirt freshman Mac Jones threw his first touchdown pass to Waddle in the third quarter.
Defensive Notes
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: Alabama's two interceptions today gives the Crimson Tide at least one forced turnover in 47 of its last 49 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, the Crimson Tide has forced 82 turnovers (58 interceptions, 24 fumbles) and returned 19 of those miscues for touchdowns.
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: The Tide has scored 59 points off of 10 opponent giveaways this season and has scored on nine of the opposition miscues with the 10th turnover coming on an interception at the end of the first half against Louisiana. Defensively, Alabama has not allowed a point following any of its four miscues. The Tide defense has directly accounted for 21 points on three interception returns, while the offense has posted 38 points on its five post-turnover possessions.
Offensive Notes
500 YARDS IN TOTAL OFFENSE FOR A UA RECORD FIFTH GAME IN A ROW: Alabama's 608 yards in total offense against Louisiana marks the fifth time the Crimson Tide has topped 500 yards this season and the 17th time in the last 49 games dating to the start of the 2015 season. This is Alabama's first five-game run of 500-yard total offense performances in program history. This was also Alabama's first 600-yard game since rolling up 604 yards against Tennessee in 2017.
45-for-5: With today's win over the Ragin' Cajuns, Alabama has scored 45 or more points in five-consecutive games for the first time in school history. The 1945 Crimson Tide hit the 45-point mark four times (Kentucky, 60-19; Vanderbilt, 71-0; Pensacola N.A.S, 55-6; Mississippi State, 55-13).
TAGOVAILOA AT THE HELM: Through five games in 2018, sophomore Tua Tagovailoa has directed 35 drives as the Tide's starting quarterback with 24 resulting touchdowns and two culminating in field goals. In those drives, the Tide offense is 17-for-21 on third down conversions, accounting for 1,692 yards on 185 snaps for an average of 9.1 yards per play and 172 of the 244 points scored by the UA offense.
TAGOVAILOA ON THIRD DOWN: In Alabama's four possessions against Louisiana with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, the Crimson Tide was 2-for-2 on third down conversions with Tagovailoa converting one attempt with a two-yard run on the Tide's opening drive and throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle on third-and-eight on UA's final scoring drive of the first half. The sophomore signal caller is 18-for-21 passing on third down in 2018 for 392 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also carried the ball five times on third down for 38 yards and five first downs this season.
CAREER DAY FOR RUGGS III: Sophomore Henry Ruggs III led all Crimson Tide receivers today with five catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. The totals are all career highs for the Montgomery, Ala., native.
SECOND-LONGEST TOUCHDOWN PASS IN SCHOOL HISTORY: Mac Jones' 94-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle equals the second-longest scoring pass in school history, trailing only the 99-yard AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper touchdown pass at Auburn in 2013. The pass against Louisiana was also Jones' first career scoring toss and Waddle's second TD catch of the game.
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Junior Josh Jacobs' nine-yard scoring run on Alabama's first possession against Louisiana was the Crimson Tide's fifth-straight opening drive touchdown this season. Alabama has now won 20-straight games when scoring a touchdown on its first offensive possession of a game. The Tide's last loss after finding the end zone on its first drive was to Oklahoma in the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
DRIVES UNDER A MINUTE: Alabama's 55-second scoring drive in the first quarter and 33-second, one-play drive in the third quarter against Louisiana were the Crimson Tide's NCAA-leading 12th and 13th scoring drives of less than a minute this season.
FIRST HALF SCORING: Through five games this season, Alabama is outscoring its opponents, 197-20 (39.4-4.0), in the first half. That total includes a 103-14 first quarter advantage and a 94-6 difference in the second quarter.
FIRST HALF TOTAL OFFENSE: With 357 total yards in the first two quarters against Louisiana today, Alabama is averaging 358.2 yards in total offense in the first half this season.
Special Teams Notes
FIRST QUARTER SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Derek Kief's blocked punt against Louisiana was the first for the Crimson Tide since Damien Harris' block against Florida State on Sept. 2, 2017 in Atlanta. Jaylen Waddle's 63-yard punt return on Louisiana's next punt was the first punt return for a score since Eddie Jackson went 79 yards at Tennessee on Oct. 15, 2016.
NON-OFFENSIVE TDs IN THE SABAN ERA: Jaylen Waddle's first quarter 63-yard punt return for a touchdown against UL was Alabama's 66th non-offensive touchdown of the Nick Saban era and the Tide's fifth this season (3 INT, 1 PR, 1 KOR).
