Football vs. Southern Miss Postgame Notes
9/21/2019 2:35:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for today's game with Southern Miss were senior defensive back Trevon Diggs, junior long snapper Thomas Fletcher and junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.
FIRST TIME STARTERS: Freshman defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe became the 13th Crimson Tide student-athlete to make his first career start this season when he took the field for the Tide's opening defensive snap. Eboigbe joins junior running back Najee Harris and freshman defensive back Jordan Battle, who recorded their first starts against New Mexico State on Sept. 7, while running back Jerome Ford, offensive linemen Landon Dickerson, Evan Neal and Chris Owens, defensive lineman DJ Dale, linebackers Christian Harris and Shane Lee, defensive backs Josh Jobe and Jared Mayden and placekicker/punter Will Reichard started for the first time in the season opener against Duke.
UNRANKED, NO PROBLEM UNDER SABAN: With its 49-7 win over Southern Miss on Sept. 21, Alabama has defeated 86 consecutive unranked teams under head coach Nick Saban, the longest streak in FBS history. Alabama's last loss to a team not ranked in the Associated Press poll was a 17-10 defeat at the hands of Auburn on November 24, 2007. The current streak began with a win over Colorado on December 30, 2007 in the Independence Bowl. The previous record was 72 games, shared by Miami (Fla.) (1984-95) and Florida (1989-2000). Under Saban, Alabama holds a 90-3 (.968) (86-3, .966 after vacations) mark against unranked opponents.
20-POINT VICTORY STREAK: Alabama has opened the season with four consecutive victories by 20 points or more. Last season, the Crimson Tide accounted for 12 consecutive 20-point victories at any point in a season, passing Boise State (September 14 – November 23, 2002).
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama extended its school record for consecutive games with a score to 246 with junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III's 45-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter against Southern Miss on September 21. The Crimson Tide was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000. Alabama has a 193-53 (.785) record over the course of the current streak.
Defensive Notes
10 POINTS OR LESS: Alabama's 49-7 win this afternoon marked the 88th time under head coach Nick Saban that the Crimson Tide has held opponents to 10 points or less and the 32nd time in the last 63 games dating to the start of the 2015 season.
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: With an interception and a fumble recovery against Southern Miss on September 21, the Crimson Tide has forced at least one turnover in 58 of its last 63 contests dating back to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, the Crimson Tide has forced 103 turnovers (68 interceptions, 35 fumbles) and returned 22 of those miscues for touchdowns.
HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 300: The Crimson Tide defense held Southern Miss to just 226 yards in Alabama's 49-7 victory, marking the 108th time in 171 games (63.2 percent) under head coach Nick Saban that the Tide has held an opponent to less than 300 yards of total offense. The Tide has held 20 of its last 33 opponents below 300 yards, dating back to the start of the 2017 campaign.
MAYDEN WITH CAREER-HIGH MARK FOR TACKLES: Senior defensive back Jared Mayden had a career-high total for tackles with eight stops against Southern Miss, five of which were solo.
Offensive Notes
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III for a 24-yard touchdown pass on the third drive of the game against Southern Miss. With that score, Alabama extended its streak to 29 straight wins 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 the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
500+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama recorded 514 yards of total offense against Southern Miss. The 500-plus yard performance marked the 28th time in the last 63 games, dating to the start of the 2015 season, that the Crimson Tide has eclipsed the 500-yard mark. Last season, UA totaled 500 or more yards in 12 of 15 games to set a single-season school record. The Tide has eclipsed 500 yards of offense in all four games of the 2019 campaign.
HARRIS ECLIPSES 100-YARD RUSHING MARK: Junior running back Najee Harris finished with 110 yards on the ground, becoming Alabama's first rusher to go over the century mark this season. It is the second 100-plus yard performance of his career with the first coming against Arkansas State on September 8, 2018 (135 yards).
TAGOVAILOA THROWS FOR FOUR OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS AGAIN: Junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's five touchdown passes against Southern Miss, not only tied his career high, but also marked the ninth time he has thrown for four or more touchdowns in a game during his career. The nine games with at least four touchdowns passes AJ McCarron (2010-13) for the Alabama program record. Last season, Tagovailoa threw for four or more scores six times to a set new single-season school record. The Crimson Tide has played 1,281 games in program history and only 13 times prior to Tagovailoa's 2018 effort had a Tide quarterback thrown for four touchdowns in a game.
TAGOVAILOA'S CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS: Junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa started the game against Southern Miss by completing his first seven pass attempts. That pushed his string of consecutive pass attempts without an incompletion to 14 as Tagovailoa had completed his final seven passes at South Carolina on September 14. Over the course of the 14-pass streak, Tagovailoa threw for a total of 229 yards and three touchdowns without an incompletion. That ties him for second on the Alabama all-time record for consecutive completions with Greg McElroy.
TAGOVAILOA NOW FIFTH ON UA CAREER PASSING YARDS LIST: With his 293 passing yards against Southern Miss on September 21, junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has accumulated 5,902 passing yards in 28 career games to rank fifth all-time at Alabama. Andrew Zow (1998-2001) is fourth on the list with 5,983 yards while the program's all-time leader AJ McCarron at 9,019 across his four seasons in Tuscaloosa.
RUGGS III SHINES IN FIRST QUARTER: Henry Ruggs III recorded a career-high 131 yards on two catches for two touchdown receptions in the first quarter alone. He finished the game with 148 yards and two scores on four receptions.
RUGGS III, JEUDY CLIMBING CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS LIST: Junior wideout Jerry Jeudy's two touchdown receptions today keeps him at second on the Alabama all-time touchdown receptions list with 22, while fellow junior wideout Henry Ruggs III sits one touchdown catch behind at 21. Alabama's all-time leader is Amari Cooper, who recorded 31 from 2012-14.
133-7 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 133-7 (.950) when leading at the half. Alabama has held the lead in 50 of its last 63 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. Alabama is also 117-4 (.966) when leading by seven or more points at the break during the Saban era.
