For the 2018 University of Alabama football season, TideSports’ Terrin Waack will provide select stellar stats, obscure facts and notable quotes from the most recent game to show how the Crimson Tide uses “The Process” against its opponents.
No. 1 Alabama defeated then-No. 22 Texas A&M 45-23 at Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday in front of 101,821 people.
Stellar stats
• Linebacker Mack Wilson and defensive back Patrick Surtain II both intercepted Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond. Alabama has now forced at least one turnover in 46 of its last 48 games, and that includes the four this season so far.
• The Crimson Tide finished with 415 passing yards against the Aggies. Alabama hadn’t thrown for more than 400 passing yards in a game since the 2014 season against Florida.
• Alabama had two scoring drives that took less than a minute of game clock, giving it 10 total this season. Its first offensive play was a touchdown and took only 8 seconds. Its field goal before halftime took three plays to set up and 19 seconds.
• Tua Tagovailoa has led 31 drives as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback. Twenty of those closed out with touchdowns. Two finished with field goals.
• Alabama coach Nick Saban is now 13-0 against former assistant coaches. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher worked under Saban at LSU as his offensive coordinator from 2000-04. Fisher has lost to Saban twice now.
Obscure facts
• Tagovailoa still hasn’t taken a single snap in the fourth quarter this season. But he did just tie AJ McCarron (2014 against Oklahoma) for fifth-most passing yards in a game with 387 against Texas A&M.
• If quarterback Jalen Hurts plays next weekend against Louisiana-Lafayette, he will not be able to redshirt this season. The new NCAA rule says a player can play in four games and still redshirt. Five or more, that option is taken away.
• Alabama only managed 109 rushing yards, its lowest single-game total since running for just 66 against Arkansas in 2014.
• Even though he only had seven carries for 52 rushing yards, running back Damien Harris moved into 13th place on UA’s career rushing list. He’s at 2,424 yards, which is 62 yards away from Sherman Williams’ 12th-place mark from 1991-94.
• This was the first game Alabama has played in this season that saw a player ejected. Texas A&M defensive back Donovan Wilson was called for targeting UA wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in the first quarter.
The spread
OddSharks.com had Alabama as a 24.5-point favorite. For the first time this season, the Crimson Tide did not cover. It won but only by 22 points. “Only.”
Quoting Nick Saban
On rat poison but without actually talking about rat poison …
“I would appreciate it if you would, you know, sort of look at some of the things we didn’t do so well, and write about that. So maybe I can show it to some of the players and say, ‘Look here, man. Here’s something you can do better.”
Quoting the Crimson Tide
Tight end Hale Hentges on being an option in Alabama’s passing game …
“I don’t know if I’m a weapon yet. I might just be a sidearm.”
Quoting the opponent
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher on overall impressions of the game …
“I’d like to say congratulations to Alabama. They’ve got a heck of a football team. They did a great job, and their players played really well.”
GAME LEADERS
Top 3 rushers
1. TAMU: Kellen Mond, 18 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown
2. UA: Damien Harris, seven carries for 52 yards
3. UA: Najee Harris, eight carries for 43 yards
Top 3 receivers
1. UA: Henry Ruggs III, three receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown
2. UA: Jerry Jeudy, six receptions for 78 yards
3. UA: Irv Smith Jr., four receptions for 74 yards
Top 3 passers
1. UA: Tua Tagovailoa, 22-30-0 for 387 yards and four touchdowns
2. TAMU: Kellen Mond, 16-33-2 for 196 yards and a touchdown (sacked seven times)
3. TAMU: Nick Starkel, 7-11-0 for 67 yards
Top 3 defenders
1. UA: Dylan Moses, nine total tackles
2. TAMU: Deshawn Capers-Smith, eight total tackles
3. UA: Xavier McKinney, seven total tackles (a sack)
NEXT UP
Alabama (4-0) returns home again to play Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2) on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will kickoff at 11 a.m. and air on SEC Network.
