Seven players on defense, six on offense and one on special teams selected for their performances in Baton Rouge
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Crimson Tide coaching staff selected 14 players of the week following Alabama’s 29-0, SEC West-clinching victory at LSU on Saturday. Damien Harris along with the five starting linemen on offense; Isaiah Buggs, Shyheim Carter, Anfernee Jennings, Xavier McKinney, Christian Miller, Dylan Moses and Quinnen Williams on defense; and Ale Kaho on special teams all earned the recognition for their play in Baton Rouge.
Harris recorded the ninth 100-plus yard performance of his career and the second of the 2018 season with 107 yards on the ground against the Tigers. The senior tailback carried 19 times and added one touchdown to his rushing totals while catching three passes for six yards on the night. The offensive line unit provided the holes for Harris and his teammates to accumulate 281 yards and two scores on 37 carries to average a season-high 7.6 yards per rush. The unit allowed only one sack on a season-high 42 pass attempts and now ranks fourth nationally, allowing just .67 sacks per game. The Tide finished with 576 yards of total offense as sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 295 yards and two more scores.
Alabama’s defense was dominant on the Bayou, limiting the Tigers to 196 total yards of offense, including just 12 yards on 25 total carries in the shutout effort. The shutout was LSU’s fourth at home in the last 25 years – all four of which came at the hands of the Alabama defense. Williams paced the defensive unit, totaling a career-high 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks (-18 yards) to go with the redshirt sophomore’s career-high tying 3.5 tackles for loss (-19 yards). Joining him on the front line was Buggs, as the senior tallied two tackles, including one for loss (-4 yards) and half a sack (-2 yards). He added one pass breakup, part of the Tide’s seven on the night.
The next level was led by Moses, as the sophomore finished with six stops, including half a tackle for loss (-1 yard). Jennings and Miller both impressed off the edge. Jennings, a redshirt junior, recorded a sack (-7 yards) and one pass breakup in addition to three tackles on the night. Miller provided pressure all evening, as the redshirt senior hurried the quarterback twice and got to the Tiger signal-caller on one occasion (-2 yards), part of UA’s five sacks in Baton Rouge. In the secondary, Carter and McKinney provided the coverage to limit LSU to only 184 yards passing. Carter, a junior, recorded five tackles and a pass breakup while McKinney, a sophomore, added four tackles and broke up a pass himself.
Kaho recorded one tackle on kickoff coverage, keeping the Tiger returner from a possible touchdown. The tackle was his seventh of his freshman season and his sixth on special teams, a total that leads all Alabama special teamers.
