Football vs. Arkansas State Postgame Notes
9/8/2018 6:56:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for the game with Arkansas State were defensive back Shyheim Carter, tight end Hale Hentges and offensive lineman Jonah Williams
FIRST TIME STARTERS: Sophomore Jerry Jeudy became the 12th Crimson Tide student-athlete to make his first career start this season when he took the field for the opening snap against Arkansas State. Jeudy responded to the opening nod with a 58-yard touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa on the game's fifth play. It was the duo's second opening-drive touchdown connection in two games. Tagovailoa found Jeudy for an 11-yard score against Louisville in Alabama's season opener on Sept. 1.
119-7 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama is 119-7 (.944) when leading at the half. The Crimson Tide led Arkansas State, 40-0 at the break and has held the lead in 36 of its last 46 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season.
Defensive Notes
NON-OFFENSIVE TDs IN THE SABAN ERA: Saivion Smith's 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter was Alabama's 64th non-offensive touchdown of the Nick Saban era and the third for the Crimson Tide in two games this season.
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: Savion Smith's second-quarter interception also gives the Crimson Tide at least one forced turnover in 44 of its last 46 games dating to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, the Crimson Tide has forced 76 turnovers (53 interceptions, 23 fumbles) and returned 19 of those miscues for touchdowns.
Offensive Notes
TIDE TOPS 500 YARDS IN TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama's 599 yards in total offense against Arkansas State marks the 14th time since the start of the 2015 season that the Crimson Tide has surpassed the 500-yard mark and gives UA back-to-back 500+ yard total offense games – UA had 519 yards against Louisville last week - for the second time in the last two seasons. Alabama recorded 677 yards against Vanderbilt and 613 against Ole Miss in consecutive games in 2017.
BRYANT-DENNY OPENER POINTS HIGH UNDER SABAN: Alabama's 57 points against Arkansas State is the most scored by a Nick Saban team in its Bryant-Denny opener. The previous high under Saban occurred in a 52-6 win over Western Carolina in Saban's first game at Alabama on Sept. 1, 2007. The total is also the most points scored by the Tide in its Bryant-Denny season debut since a 63-14 win over Southern Miss on Sept. 27, 1969.
CONSECUTIVE 50+ POINT GAMES TO START THE SEASON: Today's 57-7 win over Arkansas State coupled with last week's 51-14 victory over Louisville marks the first time since 1925 that Alabama has scored 50 or more points in the first two games of a season.
SIX SCORING TOSSES BY THE TIDE: Alabama's six touchdown passes in the win over Arkansas State – four by Tua Tagovailoa and two by Jalen Hurts – ties for the second-most in school history. Hurts and Tagovailoa combined for six against Mercer a season ago. The school record of seven scoring tosses came in Alabama's 53-0 win over Southern Miss on Nov. 11, 1950.
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Alabama has now won 17-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.
CAREER DAY FOR TAGOVAILOA: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa established new career highs for passing yards and passing touchdowns in the win over Arkansas State. The sophomore finished the game with 228 yards passing and four scoring tosses. The touchdown total ties for No. 2 on the single-game touchdown passes record. Gary Hollingsworth threw for five touchdowns in a 62-27 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 7, 1989.
TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN A QUARTER: Tua Tagovailoa's three first quarter touchdown passes against Arkansas State were the most in a single quarter by an Alabama quarterback since AJ McCarron threw three in the second quarter against Auburn on Nov. 24, 2012.
DAMIEN HARRIS NOW 14TH ON ALABAMA CAREER RUSHING LIST: Damien Harris' 61 rushing yards against Arkansas State gives the senior running back 2,310 yards for his career, moving him into 14th place on the Alabama career rushing list. Eddie Lacy is No. 13 at 2,402 yards.
NAJEE HARRIS TOPS THE CENTURY MARK: Running back Najee Harris established a new career high in rushing yards against Arkansas State with the first 100-yard rushing performance of his Alabama career. The sophomore finished with 135 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, averaging 10.4 yards per rush.
