Football vs. Ole Miss Postgame Notes
10/10/2020 11:37:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for tonight's game at Ole Miss were quarterback Mac Jones, linebacker Joshua McMillon and defensive back Patrick Surtain II.
FIRST TIME STARTERS: The Crimson Tide had two student-athletes make their first career start in tonight's game with Ole Miss. On offense, sophomore wide receiver John Metchie III earned his first nod while redshirt junior Christopher Allen got the start at linebacker on defense. The pair joins a group of seven who earned their first start in the opener at Missouri on Sept. 26. The group included two on offense, three on defense and two specialists. Getting the nod on offense were offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. and tight end Carl Tucker. The first-time starters on defense included linebacker Will Anderson Jr. along with defensive backs Malachi Moore and Daniel Wright. Rounding out the group on special teams were placekicker Chase Allen and punter Sam Johnson.
SABAN VS. FORMER ASSISTANTS: Alabama's matchup with Ole Miss was the 22nd meeting and second this season between Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and one of his former assistants (last Saturday vs. Jimbo Fisher – Texas A&M). Saban is 22-0 all-time against his former staffers during his tenure at Alabama. His most wins against a former assistant is four, which have come against Jimbo Fisher (Florida State, 2017; Texas A&M 2018-20). He has also totaled three wins vs. Derek Dooley (Tennessee, 2010-12), Jim McElwain (Colorado State, 2013; Florida 2015-16) and Will Muschamp (Florida, 2011 and 2014; South Carolina, 2019). Saban has two wins over Mark Dantonio (Michigan State, 2010-15), Lane Kiffin (Tennessee, 2008; Ole Miss, 2020), Jeremy Pruitt (Tennessee, 2018-19) and Kirby Smart (Georgia, 2018 CFP National Championship Game and SEC Championship) and one victory over Billy Napier (Louisiana, 2018) and now Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss, 2020).
SABAN MOVING UP SEC WINS LIST: Alabama head coach Nick Saban's win in tonight's game was his 202nd career regular season victory in Southeastern Conference play. The 202 wins passes Vince Dooley (Georgia, 1964-88) for third all-time in conference history. Saban trails only the 206 by Steve Spurrier and 292 by Paul "Bear" Bryant.
SABAN'S ROAD RECORD: Head coach Nick Saban owns a 76-32-1 (.702) mark in road games across his four career stops, including a 48-9 (.842) mark while at Alabama. Saban has notched seven perfect road records (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2018) and has lost more than one game on the road in only two seasons (2007, 2010). Alabama came away with a 38-19 win at Missouri to start the 2020 campaign and has now won 34 of its last 38 road games dating back to the 2011 campaign.
SABAN IN SEC ROAD GAMES: Head coach Nick Saban owns a 58-16 (.784) mark in SEC road games across his time at LSU and Alabama, including a 46-8 (.852) mark with the Crimson Tide. Saban has notched eight perfect SEC road seasons (2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2018).
OCTOBER DOMINANCE UNDER SABAN: Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been dominant in the month of October during his time in Tuscaloosa. Saban has compiled a 46-2 (.958) mark with the only two losses coming on the road during that time. His first loss came in 2010 at South Carolina with the only other loss being a 2014 loss at Ole Miss. For his career, Saban is 73-17 (.811) including a 3-1 mark at Toledo, a 12-8 record at Michigan State and a 12-6 stretch at LSU in addition to his time with the Crimson Tide.
UNRANKED, NO PROBLEM UNDER SABAN: With its 63-48 win at Ole Miss, Alabama has defeated 93 consecutive unranked teams under head coach Nick Saban, the longest streak in FBS history. 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 97-3 (.970) (93-3, .969 after vacations) mark against unranked opponents.
Defensive Notes
MOSES POSTS CAREER-HIGH FOR TACKLES: Senior Dylan Moses finished tonight's game with 13 tackles, a new career-high total. Moses' previous career-best for tackles was 11 against Mercer in 2017.
Offensive Notes
35-OR-MORE IN 15 STRAIGHT: The Crimson Tide scored 63 points in tonight's game. That total marked the 15th straight game that Alabama's offense has scored 35-or-more points, tied for the longest streak in major-college football history. Oregon scored at least 35 points in 15 consecutive games from Nov. 5, 2011 through a Nov. 17, 2012 loss to Stanford by a score of 17-14. Alabama's last game of not posting 35-or-more points came in the Tide's 44-16 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 7, 2019.
700+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: The Crimson Tide posted 723 yards of total offense in tonight's game. That total is the most since Alabama put up 833 at home against Virginia Tech on Oct. 27, 1973.
500+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama recorded 723 yards of total offense against Ole Miss this evening, marking the 35th time in the last 75 games, dating to the start of the 2015 season, that the Crimson Tide has eclipsed the 500-yard mark. In 2018, UA totaled 500 or more yards in 12 of 15 games to set a single-season record. The Tide followed that up by eclipsing 500 yards of offense in nine of the 13 games of the 2019 campaign. Alabama has gone over 500 yards in each of the last two games during the 2020 season.
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Redshirt junior Mac Jones connected with senior DeVonta Smith for a 14-yard touchdown on the Crimson Tide's opening drive of tonight's game. Alabama has now won 36 straight games when scoring a touchdown on the first offensive possession of the 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.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama extended its school record for consecutive games with a score to 258 thanks to DeVonta Smith's 14-yard touchdown catch from Mac Jones on the Tide's first drive in tonight's game. The Crimson Tide was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000. Alabama has a 200-55 (.784) record over the course of the current streak.
CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS STREAK FOR JONES: Quarterback Mac Jones completed 13 consecutive passes in a row without an incompletion, a total that ranks third all-time by an Alabama quarterback. Jones closed out last week's matchup with a completion to John Metchie III. He then began tonight's game 12-for-12 to push the total to 13. Alabama's all-time consecutive completions streak is 16 by Greg McElroy in 2010. McElroy also holds the No. 2 longest streak at 14 which occurred one year prior in 2009.
FIRST-HALF 100s: DeVonta Smith recorded 105 yards in the first half of tonight's matchup at Ole Miss. With the senior's 105-yard half, Crimson Tide wideouts have now totaled 100-plus yards in the first half of UA's last four games and have gone over the 100-yard marker in the first half on eight occasions in Alabama's last 16 games.
SMITH REWRITING ALABAMA RECORD BOOKS: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith finished tonight's game with 13 catches for 164 yards. Smith has totaled 145 catches for 2,425 yards and 25 touchdowns. His catches now rank him seventh for career receptions at UA while his yardage total is sixth-best in Alabama history.
SMITH TIES RECEPTIONS RECORD: DeVonta Smith hauled in a career-high 13 receptions in tonight's matchup. Those 13 catches tie the most in a single game by an Alabama pass-catcher in program history (13 by DJ Hall in 2007 and Amari Cooper twice in 2014).
NAJEE IN 10: With Najee Harris' five-yard rushing score in the second quarter of tonight's matchup, the senior has notched a rushing touchdown in 10 straight games dating back to the Oct. 19 matchup with Tennessee last season. Over the 10-game streak, Harris has accumulated 22 rushing touchdowns and two-or-more scores in seven of those games. Harris has totaled 1,120 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 187 carries during that stretch. He has also contributed 10 rushing scores through three games this season after doubling his season total in tonight's matchup.
HARRIS MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Najee Harris continued his hot start to the season with an impressive game this evening at Ole Miss. After carrying for 206 yards and five scores against the Rebels, Harris has totaled 2,741 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns for his career. He is now tied with Johnny Musso (1969-71) for ninth all-time on the career rushing yards list. The senior is also tied with Eddie Lacy (2010-12) for eighth on the career rushing touchdowns list. Alabama's all-time leader for career rushing yards is Derrick Henry with 3,591 from 2013-15 while the career rushing touchdowns leader is split between Mark Ingram (2008-10) and Henry at 42.
CAREER DAY FOR NAJEE: Senior Najee Harris posted a career-best effort in tonight's game. The tailback rushed for 206 yards and five touchdowns. Those totals were both career-high marks for the senior. The 206 yards was the 19th 200-yard performance in program history and the first since Derrick Henry had 271 yards at Auburn on Nov. 25, 2015. Harris' five touchdowns tie for the program record in a single game, matching Santonio Beard (vs. Ole Miss, 2002) and Shaun Alexander (vs. BYU, 1998).
GOOD HANDS ON HARRIS: Najee Harris' fumble in the first quarter of tonight's game was his first during his Crimson Tide career. Prior to his fumble, the senior had totaled 466 career touches (423 rushes, 43 receptions) without giving up the ball.
