DEFENSIVE NOTES
SAFETY DANCE: Quinnen Williams’ end zone sack of Missouri’s Drew Lock to end the third quarter was Alabama’s first safety since the 2015 SEC Championship Game against Florida. The safety is the first of Williams’ career.
TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS, TURNOVERS: Alabama’s three forced turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble) against Missouri tonight gives the Crimson Tide at least one forced turnover in 49 of its last 51 games dating to the start of the 2015 season. During the current run, the Crimson Tide has forced 88 turnovers (61 interceptions, 27 fumbles) and returned 21 of those miscues for touchdowns.
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: With its two post-turnover scoring drives in the first half, Alabama has scored 90 points off 16 opponent giveaways this season, scoring on 14 of the turnovers and intercepting a pass to end the first half against Louisiana on Sept. 29. The Tide defense has directly accounted for 28 points on four interception returns, while the offense has posted 62 points on its 11 post-turnover possessions.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
TAGOVAILOA VS. SEC: In four games against Southeastern Conference opponents this season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,177 yards and 13 touchdowns on 55-of-80 passing (.688) for an efficiency rating of 245.96.
TWO OVER 100: With 100-yard receiving performances by DeVonta Smith (100) and Jerry Jeudy (147) tonight, Alabama has now recorded three consecutive games with multiple 100-yard receivers (Jaylen Waddle, 138; Henry Ruggs III, 116 vs. UL & Jerry Jeudy, 135; Irv Smith Jr., 123 at Arkansas). Prior to this steak, Alabama had only seen multiple receivers have 100-yard or more receiving yards in the same game five times in program history and only once in the Nick Saban era before this season.
TUA AT THE HELM: Sophomore Tua Tagovailoa has directed 52 drives as the Tide’s starting quarterback this season with 34 resulting touchdowns (65.3 percent) and five culminating in field goals for 36 total scoring drives (69.2). In those drives, the Tide offense is 24-for-37 on third down conversions, accounting for 2,580 yards on 263 snaps for an average of 9.81 yards per play and 250 of the 332 points scored by the UA offense.
TAGOVAILOA FIRST HALF TOUCHDOWN PASSES: With his three first-half touchdown passes tonight, Tua Tagovailoa joins Johnny Manziel as the only SEC quarterbacks to throw three or more scoring passes in the first half of three consecutive conference games. Tagovailoa found the end zone three times against Texas A&M on Sept. 22 and four times at Arkansas on Oct. 6.
LAST THREE FIRST HALVES FOR TAGOVAILOA: Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa is 30-for-40 with 727 yards passing and nine touchdowns in the first half of his last three games for a passing efficiency rating of 301.92.
DAMIEN HARRIS NOW 10TH ON UA CAREER RUSHING LIST: With 62 yards rushing tonight, senior Damien Harris has 2,617 yards on the ground for his career, moving him into 10th place on the UA career rushing chart. Dennis Riddle (1994-97) is ninth with 2,645 yards.
LONG TOSS: With Tua Tagovailoa’s 57-yard pass to DeVonta Smith and his 81-yard touchdown strike to Jerry Jeudy tonight, Alabama has 11 pass plays of 50 yards or more in seven games this season – nine thrown by Tagovailoa, and one each by Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones.
DRIVES UNDER A MINUTE: With three first-half scoring drives of 23, 52 and eight seconds, 18 of the Crimson Tide’s scoring drives this season have lasted less than a minute with nine lasting less than 30 seconds. Alabama led the nation in scoring drives under a minute with 15 entering the Missouri game.
FIRST HALF TOTAL OFFENSE: With 358 total yards in the first two quarters, Alabama is now averaging 373.1 yards in total offense in the first half this season (2,612 yards in seven games). The Tide has racked up 340 or more total yards in the first half in six of seven games this season – 340 vs. Louisville, 395 vs. Arkansas State, 418 at Ole Miss, 357 vs. Louisiana and 463 vs. Arkansas.
FIRST HALF SCORING: Through seven games this season, Alabama is outscoring its opponents, 268-44 (38.3-6.3), in the first half. That total includes a 137-31 (19.6-4.4) first quarter advantage and a 128-13 (18.3-1.9) difference in the second quarter.
THIRTY FOR SIX: Alabama has now scored 30 or more points in the first half of six consecutive games dating back to the Arkansas State game on Sept. 8, the longest streak in the FBS since Baylor from 2012-13.
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Tua Tagovailoa’s 81-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy on Alabama’s first possession against the Tigers was the Crimson Tide’s seventh-straight opening-drive touchdown this season. Alabama has now won 22-straight games when scoring a touchdown on its first offensive possession of a game. The Tide’s last loss after finding the end zone on its first drive was to Oklahoma in the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE 500+ YARD TOTAL OFFENSE GAME: Alabama’s 564 yards in total offense against Missouri marks the seventh time the Crimson Tide has topped 500 yards this season and the 19th time in the last 51 games dating to the start of the 2015 campaign. This is Alabama’s first seven-game run of 500-yard total offense performances in program history.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
WELCOME BACK: Skyler DeLong’s third quarter punt tonight was Alabama’s first punt attempt in 10 quarters, dating to the Texas A&M game on Sept. 22, a span of 156 minutes.