Football vs. Texas A&M Postgame Notes
10/3/2020 6:35:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for today's game with Texas A&M were tight end Miller Forristall, offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood and defensive tackle LaBryan Ray.
FIRST TIME PLAYERS: Alabama had two players make their first career appearance for the Crimson Tide in today's game. Freshmen Brian Branch and Demouy Kennedy each saw time against Texas A&M. The duo joins a group of 11 from the week prior. That group that saw their first time at Missouri included: freshmen Chase Allen, Will Anderson Jr., Sam Johnson, Jase McClellan, Malachi Moore, Drew Sanders, Trey Sanders, Roydell Williams and Bryce Young, along with seniors Joshua Lanier and Carl Tucker.
SABAN VS. FORMER ASSISTANTS: Alabama's matchup with Texas A&M was the 20th meeting and first this season between Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and one of his former assistants. Saban is 20-0 all-time against his former staffers during his tenure at Alabama. His most wins against a former assistant is four, which have now 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), 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).
SABAN MOVING UP SEC WINS LIST: Alabama head coach Nick Saban's win in today's game was his 201st career regular season victory in Southeastern Conference play. The 201 wins match 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.
HOME SWEET HOME OPENERS: The Crimson Tide owns an 80-11-2 (.871) all-time record across 93 total home-opening games. With today's victory, UA is riding a 19-game winning streak in the team's first game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Under head coach Nick Saban, the Tide sports a perfect 14-0 record in home openers.
SABAN IN HOME OPENERS: Nick Saban is 23-2 (.920) all-time in home openers across his four stops as a head coach. He is currently riding a 20-game winning streak in the first game at his home stadium, with the last loss coming in 1998 when his Michigan State Spartans fell to Colorado State, 23-16. In home openers, Saban's teams are outscoring the opposition 984-299 (39.4-12.0 ppg) and have shut out the competition on three occasions with the most recent shutout coming in 2014's rain-shortened, 41-0 win over Florida Atlantic. For his career, he owns a 1-0 record at Toledo, 3-2 mark at Michigan State, and perfect records of 5-0 and 13-0 (actual 14-0) at LSU and Alabama, respectively.
SABAN IN SEC HOME OPENERS: Nick Saban is 17-2 (.895) all-time in Southeastern Conference home openers spanning his time at Alabama and LSU. Across his time in the SEC, Saban's teams have outscored the opponent by a score of 690-314 (36.3-16.5 ppg). He is 13-1 (.929) at Alabama with the Crimson Tide outscoring its foes by a margin of 504-210 (36.0-15.0) mark during his first 14 conference home openers in Tuscaloosa.
SABAN'S HOME RECORD: Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 143-20 (.877) in home games during his collegiate head coaching career. He owns an advantage at every stop he has made as a college head coach, including an 84-8 (.913) mark while at UA. Saban has won 54 of his last 57 contests at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
SABAN VS. AP TOP 25: Alabama's 52-24 win over No. 13 Texas A&M in today's game is Nick Saban's 85th career win vs. the Associated Press Top 25, pushing him one behind Joe Paterno's 86 career wins against the AP Top 25, a total that is tops in the history the poll. Last season, Saban's win over then-No. 24 Texas A&M moved him ahead of Florida State legend Bobby Bowden for second all-time. Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant is fourth at 66. Former Duke, Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is fifth at 64. Saban's winning percentage against AP ranked teams (85-42, .669) tops Bryant (.592), Bowden (.557), Spurrier (.529) and Paterno (.512).
141-8 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama is 141-8 (.946) when leading at the half. The Crimson Tide has held the lead in 58 of its last 74 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. UA is also 125-4 (.969) when leading by seven or more points at the break during the Saban era.
NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS IN THE SABAN ERA: Redshirt junior Daniel Wright's 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half of today's game marked Alabama's 76th non-offensive touchdown of the Nick Saban era and the first in 2020. The Crimson Tide has totaled 34 pick-sixes during Saban's tenure, including two a season ago.
Defensive Notes
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: With Daniel Wright's 47-yard interception return for a score, the Crimson Tide has forced at least one turnover in 69 of its last 74 contests dating back to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, the Crimson Tide has forced 124 turnovers (81 interceptions, 43 fumbles) and returned 26 of those miscues for touchdowns.
WRIGHT'S PICK-SIX: Redshirt junior Daniel Wright's 47-yard interception return for a touchdown was Alabama's first pick-six of the season. It is the Crimson Tide's first interception return for a score since Xavier McKinney recorded an 81-yard interception against Western Carolina on Nov. 23 of last season.
Offensive Notes
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Mac Jones connected with John Metchie III for a 78-yard touchdown on the Crimson Tide's opening drive in today's game. With that score, extended its streak to 35 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 257 thanks to John Metchie III's 78-yard touchdown reception from Mac Jones to get UA on the board against Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000. Alabama has a 199-55 (.783) record over the course of the current streak.
500+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama recorded 544 yards of total offense in the win, marking the 34th time in the last 74 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 school record. The Tide followed that up by eclipsing 500 yards of offense in nine of the 13 games in the 2019 campaign.
TIDE'S 100-YARD RECEVING HALVES: John Metchie III recorded 118 yards in the first half of today's game. With Metchie's 118-yard half, Crimson Tide wideouts have now totaled 100-plus yards in the first half of UA's last three games. Jerry Jeudy wrapped up the first half of the Citrus Bowl with 132 yards on four catches to close out 2019. Junior Jaylen Waddle followed with a seven-catch, 121-yard performance at Missouri last week.
WADDLE'S CAREER DAY: Jaylen Waddle finished today's game with 142 receiving yards, a new career-high mark for the junior. His previous career-high total for a game was 138 yards against Louisiana on Sept. 29, 2018.
MAC TO WADDLE GOES BIG (AGAIN): Mac Jones found Jaylen Waddle for an 87-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter. The 87-yard scoring strike ties for the fifth longest in program history, matching three others, most recently Blake Sims to Kenyan Drake against Florida on Sept. 20, 2014. Jones and Waddle also tied for the second-longest scoring connection in program history when the duo went 94 yards against Louisiana on Sept. 29, 2018.
JONES SHOWS OUT: Mac Jones put together another impressive performance for a second straight week. The redshirt junior finished 20-of-27 for a career-high 435 yards and four scores. His previous career-high total for passing yards was 335 at Auburn to close out the 2019 regular season. Jones began his day by amassing 273 yards passing in the first half. The 273 yards are the most in the first half of a game during his career and the most by an Alabama quarterback since Tua Tagovailoa had 301 at Ole Miss on Sept. 28 of last season.
METCHIE'S BIG FIRST HALF: Sophomore John Metchie III led all Crimson Tide wideouts in the first half with 118 yards on four catches. Those totals are both career-high marks in a full game by the sophomore. Metchie also recorded the first score of his Alabama career with his first catch, a 78-yard touchdown reception from Mac Jones.
NAJEE ACROSS NINE: With Najee Harris' six-yard rushing score in the first quarter of today's game, the senior has now notched a rushing touchdown in nine straight games dating back to the Oct. 19 matchup with Tennessee last season. Over the nine-game streak, Harris has accumulated 17 rushing touchdowns and two-or-more scores in six of those games. Harris has totaled 914 yards and 17 touchdowns on just 164 carries during that stretch.
NAJEE CLIMIBING THE RUSHING CHARTS: Najee Harris finished today's game with 43 rushing yards. Those 43 yards moved him into 13th place on Alabama's career rushing yards list with 2,518, surpassing Sherman Williams (1991-94) who accumulated 2,486 yards during his career. Johnny Davis (1974-77) is currently ahead of Harris at 12th in UA records with 2,519 yards rushing.
SMITH MOVING UP THE RANKS: Senior wideout DeVonta Smith finished today's game with six catches for 63 yards and one score. His six catches puts him at 132 for his career, tying him for eighth on Alabama's career receptions list with David Bailey (1969-71). His touchdown reception was the 24th of his career, tying him with former teammate Henry Ruggs III (2017-19) for third all-time on the school's career touchdown receptions list.
Special Teams Notes
OPPONENT FIELD GOAL STREAK BROKEN: Texas A&M's Seth Small became the first opposing kicker to miss a field goal against Alabama since Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship missed from 30 yards out in the third quarter of the 2018 SEC Championship Game (Dec. 1, 2018). Opponents had made 25 consecutive field goals, including 20-of-20 a season ago.
