Alabama did some fast work last week to make the end zone playing area safer after linebacker Dylan Moses collided with an end zone wall while in coverage and suffered a bruise. Athletics director Greg Byrne indicted via his Twitter account that more than 40 inches of extra space had been created in the end zone corners.
For his part, Moses didn’t check up on the work.
“I didn’t even look at it,” he said after the game. “I got news that it was changed. It makes you feel pretty good they care so much.”
First drive strike
It took eight plays, but for the fifth-straight time this season, Alabama scored on its first offensive drive. Running back Josh Jacobs kept the streak alive with a 9-yard run to score.
The Crimson Tide has now won 20 consecutive games that featured a touchdown on its first drive. That number dates back to the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl, which Alabama ultimately lost to Oklahoma despite putting up points immediately on offense.
When leading at the half, Alabama is 122-7 under Nick Saban. To get even more specific, it’s 106-4 when leading by at least seven points come halftime. The Crimson Tide went into the locker room up 49-0 against the Ragin’ Cajuns and finished with a 56-14 victory.
This also was the first game in 2018 that Alabama scored on every drive through two quarters. Overall, it never punted, but there were two missed field-goal attempts in the second half.
Tide bits
Honorary captains for the game were former linebacker/tight end Mike Hall and defensive back Bobby Johns. Hall played from 1966-68 and was an All-American in 1968. Johns was a three-time All-SEC choice during his career from 1965-67 and an All-American in 1967. … Game captains were safety Deionte Thompson, outside linebacker Christian Miller and offensive lineman Joshua Casher. … Alabama won the toss and chose to receive. Alabama is 3-2 in coin tosses this season. . … Paid attendance was announced as 101,471. …. Nick Saban remained undefeated in 14 games against his former assistants. He has also won 77 straight games against unranked teams at Alabama. The Crimson Tide has now won 22 straight games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. … Mac Jones’ 94-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle in the third quarter was tied for the second-longest touchdown pass in school history. … Coaching staffs from Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette wore special arm patches in honor of the American Football Coaches Association’s “Coach to Cure MD” program to raise funding and awareness for muscular dystrophy.
