Football vs. Arkansas Postgame Notes
12/12/2020 4:03:00 PM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama captains for the Arkansas game were Landon Dickerson, Thomas Fletcher and Joshua McMillon. Dickerson went to midfield for the coin toss.
SEC RECORD: Alabama extended its record for the most consecutive 10-win seasons in Southeastern Conference history to 13 when it defeated Arkansas, 52-3. The Crimson Tide stands a perfect 10-0 on the season following its win in Fayetteville. UA had a 12-2 record in 2008, 14-0 in 2009, 10-3 in 2010, 12-1 in 2011, 13-1 in 2012, 11-2 in 2013, 12-2 in 2014, 14-1 marks in 2015 and 2016, 13-1 in 2017, a 14-1 mark in 2018 and 11-2 in 2019.
CONFERENCE FIRST: With Saturday's win in Fayetteville, Alabama sports a perfect 10-0 league record, making the Crimson Tide the only team in SEC history to win 10 conference games in a season.
SABAN'S ROAD RECORD: Head coach Nick Saban owns a 79-32-1 (.709) mark in road games across his four-career stops, including a 51-9 (.850) mark while at Alabama. Saban has notched eight perfect road records (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020) and has lost more than one game on the road in just two seasons (2007, 2010). After its 52-3 win over Arkansas, Alabama has now won 37 of its last 41 road games dating back to the 2011 campaign.
SABAN IN SEC ROAD GAMES: Head coach Nick Saban owns a 61-16 (.792) mark in SEC road games across his time at LSU and Alabama, including a 51-9 (.850) record with the Crimson Tide. Saban has notched nine perfect SEC road seasons (2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020).
UNRANKED, NO PROBLEM UNDER SABAN: With its 52-3 win over Arkansas this afternoon, Alabama has defeated 98-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). Over the 98-game stretch, only Ohio State has single-digit losses to unranked opponents with nine. Under Saban, Alabama holds a 102-3 (.971) (98-3, .970 after vacations) mark against unranked opponents.
147-8 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama is 147-8 (.948) when leading at the half. The Crimson Tide has held the lead in 64 of its last 82 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. UA is also 131-4 (.970) when leading by seven or more points at the break during the Saban era.
Offensive Notes
35-OR-MORE IN 23 STRAIGHT: The Crimson Tide scored 52 points in its matchup with Arkansas, including 38 in the first half. That total marked the 23rd-straight game that Alabama's offense has scored 35-or-more points, 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.
SCORING 38-PLUS ON THE ROAD: Included in Alabama's 23-straight games of 35-or-more points is a streak of nine-straight road games with 38-plus points scored. That streak ties the current Ohio State team for the second-longest stretch of 38-or-more points on the road in the Associated Press Poll Era (since 1936). The only program with a longer run was Oregon with the Ducks posting a nine-game streak from 2011-13.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama extended its school record for consecutive games with a score to 265 thanks to Will Reichard's 45-yard field goal on the Crimson Tide's opening drive. Alabama was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000. The Tide has a 209-55 (.792) record over the course of the current streak.
DRIVE ON: The Crimson Tide put together the longest drive of the 2020 season with Mac Jones at the helm to open the second half. Brian Robinson Jr.'s 4-yard rushing touchdown capped off the longest drive of the season relative to number of plays (14) and time of possession (7:24).
TRIPLE THREAT: DeVonta Smith returned a punt for a touchdown for the first time in his career against Arkansas. The 84-yard touchdown marks the third way Smith has scored this season - rushing, receiving and returning.
HARRIS FOR SIX: Najee Harris has racked up 22 rushing touchdowns during his senior season. With his two rushing scores in the second quarter at Arkansas, Harris has now totaled at least one touchdown in nine of the Crimson Tide's 10 games and two-or-more scores in seven of those contests.
HARRIS MOVING UP THE CHARTS: After carrying 14 times for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, Harris has totaled 3,461 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns for his career. Those numbers include 783 yards and four scores as a sophomore to go with 370 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman, in addition to his junior totals. Harris stands in a three-way tie with Alabama's all-time leaders for career rushing touchdowns between Mark Ingram (2008-10) and Derrick Henry (2013-15) at 42.
TRIO OF SCORES FOR ROBINSON: Senior Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for three touchdowns, two in the first half and the other coming in the third quarter of today's game. It marked the first time Robinson has recorded three rushing scores in a game. Robinson previously scored one rushing touchdown 11 times, the last coming against Kentucky.
SMITH LOOKING TO SET ALL THE CAREER RECORDS: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith passed up the 2020 NFL Draft to return for his senior season and is in the process of rewriting the Alabama record books. Smith has totaled 204 catches for 3,458 yards and 39 touchdowns. He already owns the career touchdown receptions mark and ranks in the top five of the other major receiving categories.
Defensive Notes
SEASON HIGH SACKS: Alabama recorded a season-high 8.0 sacks, with 5.0 coming during the first half alone in Fayetteville. Coming into the game, the Tide had 19.0 sacks on the season. Alabama registered 5.0 against LSU last weekend.
DUO HAS CAREER DAY: Junior Jaylen Moody and sophomore Byron Young both recorded a team-high and career-high seven tackles in today's game. Moody's previous high was three while Young's was five.
LAST 26 QUARTERS FOR THE TIDE DEFENSE: Alabama's defense has come into its own over the last 26 quarters of football (6.5 games). Since halftime of a 41-24 win over then-No. 3/3 Georgia on Oct. 17, Alabama has only allowed 53 points (0 to UGA; 17 at Tennessee; 0 vs. Mississippi State; 3 vs. Kentucky; 13 vs. Auburn; 17 at LSU; 3 at Arkansas) or 8.2 points per game.
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: Alabama's defense forced four turnovers in the Crimson Tide's win at Arkansas. The Crimson Tide has forced at least one turnover in 76 of the last 82 contests dating back to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, Alabama has forced 139 turnovers (90 interceptions, 49 fumbles) and returned 29 of those miscues for touchdowns.
HOLDING OPPONENTS UNDER 200: The Razorback's 188 yards of total offense marked the 53rd time in the last 177 games under Nick Saban (since the start of the 2008 season) that the Crimson Tide defense has held the opposition to fewer than 200 yards of total offense.
10 POINTS OR LESS: Alabama's trademark has been its defense ever since head coach Nick Saban's arrival on campus in 2007. Since that first season in Tuscaloosa, Saban-coached defenses have held Crimson Tide opponents to 10-points-or-less on 94 occasions. Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, UA's defense has limited the opposition to 10-or-fewer-points 38 times across 82-total contests.
Special Teams
12 IN A ROW FOR REICHARD: Dating back to last season, placekicker Will Reichard has made 12-straight field goals, including all 11 attempts in 2020. Arizona State's Cristian Zendejas leads the nation with 13-straight made field goals.
