Junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went 17-of-21 for 293 yards and five scores through the air

TUSCALOOSA, Ala – Junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made Alabama history by throwing five touchdown passes for the second-consecutive week and the third time in his career as the No. 2 Alabama football team defeated Southern Miss, 49-7 in Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday. The Crimson Tide moves to 4-0, while the Golden Eagles drop to 2-2 in their 2019 campaign.

Tagovailoa completed 17-of-21 passes for 293 yards and five passing scores marking the first time in Alabama history a quarterback has had back-to-back games with four or more touchdown passes. On the receiving end of two of those touchdown passes was junior wideout Henry Ruggs III who had four catches for a career-best 148 yards and two scores. Junior wideout Jerry Jeudy caught six passes for 96 yards, while also tallying two touchdown receptions. On the ground, junior running back Najee Harris totaled 110 yards on 14 carries, along with a five-yard touchdown catch.

On defense, senior defensive back Jared Mayden led the Tide with a career-best eight tackles, while freshman linebacker Christian Harris finished second with six tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss. In addition, senior defensive back Trevon Diggs grabbed his second interception of the season to go along with three tackles on the day.

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How It Happened

• Tagovailoa found Ruggs III for two long touchdown strikes from 74 and 45 yards out in the first quarter to put the Tide ahead 14-0 after the first frame.
• In the second quarter, Tagovailoa linked up with junior running back Najee Harris for a five-yard score for his third touchdown pass of the game. Later in the period, Tagovailoa found a wide open Jeudy for a 17-yard score to make it 28-0.
• Southern Miss added a touchdown before the half to make it 28-7 heading into the break.
• The Tide added to its point total in the third quarter when Tagovailoa completed his fifth touchdown pass of the day, and second to Jeudy, from 20 yards out.
• Junior running back Brian Robinson Jr. made it 42-7 after scampering in for a six-yard score with 5:43 to go in the third.
• Late in the game, the Tide added another touchdown when redshirt freshman running back Jerome Ford rumbled in for a five-yard score to make it 49-7, the eventual final.

Players of the Game

• Tagovailoa threw five touchdown passes in three quarters of action and has thrown 10 touchdown passes in the last two games.
• Ruggs III set a new career high with 148 yards on just four catches for an average of 37 yards per reception. In the first quarter, Ruggs III totaled 131 yards on three grabs.
• Harris went over 100 yards on the ground for the second time in his career and the first time this season. The junior needed just 14 carries to accumulate a team-high 110 yards for a 7.9 per rush clip.
• Mayden posted a career-high in tackles set with eight for the game.

Key Stats

• The Crimson Tide outgained the Golden Eagles 514-226.
• Through the air, Alabama averaged 16.9 yards per completion. The Crimson Tide also averaged 8.6 yards per play compared to Southern Miss’ 3.9 yards per attempt.
• Alabama won the turnover battle, 2-1. Diggs had an interception in the first quarter and in the third frame, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis forced a fumble that freshman defensive back Jordan Battle recovered.

Up Next

Alabama is back in action next Saturday, Sept. 28, hosting its first home SEC game of the season against Ole Miss. Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and the Rebels is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with the game airing live on CBS.

Tagovailoa earns Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week accolade

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football team put in two hours of work at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility on Wednesday in advance of this weekend’s home meeting with Southern Miss.

Saturday’s matchup with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium will air on ESPN2 at 11:01 a.m. CT with Roy Philpott and Kelly Stouffer in the booth and Lauren Sisler working the sidelines.

Prior to practice, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was selected as the winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week Award after his big performance at South Carolina on Sept. 14. Tagovailoa tied a career high with five touchdown passes and threw for a career-best 444 yards to become the first quarterback in school history to throw for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in the same game. The junior, who was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, completed 28-of-36 pass attempts in the SEC tilt.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Terry Saban will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the welding and GED classroom additions at the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 18.

The addition to the existing gymnasium at the Tuscaloosa Country Juvenile Detention Center will house a state-of-the-art welding classroom as well as a multi-purpose classroom for GED instruction and vocational classes.

Along with Mrs. Saban, Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Daria, Tuscaloosa County Superintendent Walter Davie, District Attorney Hayes Webb and Senator Gerald Allen will take part in the groundbreaking ceremony. Media wishing to cover the event report to the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center (5941 12^th Ave. East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405) prior to the start of the event.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama’s game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28 is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on CBS the SEC office announced Monday.

Alabama and Ole Miss will meet for the 67th time in a series that dates back to 1894. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 54-10-2 (51-11-2 NCAA), including a 26-2 (25-2 NCAA) record in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has won the last three meetings between the two schools, including last year’s 62-7 victory in Oxford.

Four selections apiece on offense and special teams with two on defense

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama coaching staff selected 10 players of the week following the Crimson Tide’s 47-23 win at South Carolina last Saturday to open the Tide’s Southeastern Conference slate. Landon Dickerson, Najee Harris, Henry Ruggs III and Tua Tagovailoa on offense; Trevon Diggs and Anfernee Jennings on defense; and Slade Bolden, Josh Jobe, Ale Kaho and Jaylen Moody on special teams all earned the nod for their standout efforts in Columbia against the Gamecocks.

OFFENSE

Landon Dickerson

• Started at right guard and played 58 snaps on the afternoon
• Did not allow a quarterback hurry, pressure or sack
• The redshirt junior did not miss an assignment for the day and helped the Crimson Tide roll up 576 yards of total offense against the Gamecocks.

Najee Harris

• Put together a huge day at tailback, with the junior catching five passes for 87 yards and a team-high tying two touchdowns
• Added 36 yards on seven carries in the run game
• His day was punctuated by a highlight-reel play for the Tide’s final touchdown of the first half. Harris caught a pass, broke a tackle, hurdled a defender and then powered into the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown to give Alabama a 24-10 lead going into halftime.

Henry Ruggs III

• Had a career day in Columbia, finishing with six catches for 122 yards and a touchdown
• The 122 yards were a new career-high total with the six receptions matching the junior’s career-best mark
• Ruggs III joined DeVonta Smith in going over 100-plus yards receiving. It was the ninth instance in Alabama history that two wideouts eclipsed the 100-yard marker in the same game
• The touchdown catch was the 19^th of his career to move him into a tie with Calvin Ridley (2015-17) for third place on the Alabama career touchdown receptions list, just behind junior Jerry Jeudy’s 20.

Tua Tagovailoa

• Finished his day 28-of-36 for 444 yards and five touchdowns
• Tagovailoa set a new career high for passing yards with 444, a total that ranked as the third-most in a single game in Alabama history. The junior signal-caller added a career-high tying five touchdown passes, matching his output from the Auburn matchup in 2018.
• Became the first quarterback in school history to throw for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in the same game

DEFENSE

Trevon Diggs

• Recorded three tackles on the afternoon
• The junior helped lock down his side of the field from his starting corner spot

Anfernee Jennings

• The third consecutive player of the week nomination from the Crimson Tide coaches for the redshirt senior
• Was dominant up front once again, finishing with six tackles, two for a loss (-7 yards), including a strip sack (-6 yards)
• The strip sack led to an SC fumble that Alabama recovered to thwart the Gamecock drive
• Added one quarterback pressure by day’s end

SPECIAL TEAMS

Slade Bolden

• Recorded a key tackle on punt coverage
• Stopped the Gamecock up-back from getting a first down on a fake punt midway through the second quarter

Josh Jobe

• Finished with eight tackles on the day, two of which came on kickoff coverage
• Helped hold South Carolina returners to 62 yards on kickoffs with his two stops

Ale Kaho

• Notched one tackle on kickoff coverage, pairing with Jobe to limit the Gamecock returner to a 14-yard return and place SC deep in its own territory

Jaylen Moody

• Set the tone early, laying a big hit on the Tide’s first kickoff of the game

Tagovailoa earned Offensive Player of the Week recognition while Dickerson was the Offensive Lineman of the Week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama football’s Tua Tagovailoa and Landon Dickerson were each selected for Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors, the league office announced on Monday morning. Tagovailoa earned Offensive Player of the Week, his second this season, while Dickerson was named Offensive Lineman of the Week.

Offensive Player of the Week

Tua Tagovailoa

• Shined in his first SEC matchup of the 2019 campaign, going 28-of-36 for 444 yards and five touchdowns
• With his day in Columbia, Tagovailoa became the first quarterback in Alabama history to throw for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in the same game
• His 444 yards through the air were a new career high and ranked as the third-most in a single game in program history. The junior’s five touchdown passes matched his career-best mark which he previously set against Auburn to close out last year’s regular season slate.
• Led seven scoring drives, including five touchdowns and two field goals, in nine total drives and registered a 227.21 passer efficiency rating by day’s end

Offensive Lineman of the Week

Landon Dickerson

• The redshirt junior turned in his most consistent performance as a member of the Crimson Tide
• Saw 58 snaps at guard and did not allow a quarterback hurry, pressure or sack against the Gamecocks
• Dickerson was good on all assignments and helped the Crimson Tide roll up 576 yards of total offense against the Gamecocks.
• Provided time for Tagovailoa to throw for a career-high 444 yards and five touchdowns in Alabama’s 47-23 victory over South Carolina to kick off SEC play

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 444 yards and five scores, while Najee Harris caught the first two touchdowns of his Alabama career

COLUMBIA, S.C.  – The No. 2-ranked Alabama football team beat South Carolina 47-23 in the Crimson Tide’s Southeastern Conference opener in Columbia, S.C., Saturday. Alabama moved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC while the Gamecocks dropped to 1-2, 0-1 in the SEC.

On offense, junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa totaled a career-best 444 yards and five touchdowns through the air on 28-of-36 passing.  Junior running back Najee Harris had a huge game, hauling in five passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns to go with a team-best 36 yards on seven carries on the ground.

Junior wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III tallied 136 and 122 receiving yards, respectively, marking just the ninth time in school history that two Alabama receivers have gone over 100 yards in the same game. Smith caught two touchdown passes while Ruggs III hauled in another.

On defense, 22 players recorded a tackle, led by sophomore free safety Xavier McKinnery who tallied nine, including five solo stops. McKinney also recorded an interception and a tackle for loss. Senior linebacker Anfernee Jennings had a sack and caused a fumble while freshman defensive lineman DJ Dale and freshman Jordan Battle also recorded sacks on the day.

How It Happened

• Alabama scored on its first drive of the game when junior running back Najee Harris took a Tua Tagovailoa pass 24 yards for a touchdown.
• Overall, Tagovailoa threw five touchdown passes, including two to Harris, three to DeVonta Smith and one to Henry Ruggs III.
• In addition to his touchdown reception on the first drive, Harris also scored on a 42-yard catch and run in the second quarter, breaking two tackles and hurdling a defender on the way to the end zone.
• Smith had receiving touchdowns of 42 and 48 yards, coming in the third and fourth quarter, respectively.
• Ruggs III grabbed the Tide’s second touchdown of the day, taking Tagovailoa’s pass and racing 81 yards into the end zone in the first quarter.
• Freshman Will Reichard made a pair of field goals on the day, the first from 23 yards in the second quarter and the second from 21 yards in the third.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Mac Jones closed out the Tide’s scoring with a one-yard push up the middle.
• South Carolina scored a trio of field goals to go with two touchdowns, with the Gamecocks final score coming 11 seconds left in the game.

Players of the Game

• Harris scored the first two receiving touchdowns of his Alabama career and had five catches against South Carolina after having just 11 receptions all last year. He also tallied 36 yards rushing on seven carries to combine for 123 yards of total offense.
• Tagovailoa finished with four or more scores for the third consecutive game to begin his 2019 campaign and tallied a career-best 444 yards through the air.
• With Smith (136) and Ruggs (122) going over 100 yards receiving against South Carolina, it marked the ninth time in school history and the first time this season that two UA receivers have topped the century mark in the same game.
• After racing for a 75-yard rushing touchdown against New Mexico State, Ruggs exploded for a long score for the second game in a row, taking a Tagovailoa pass 81 yards for a touchdown.
• McKinney snagged an interception in the end zone to end a South Carolina scoring threat and led the team with nine tackles.

Key Stats

• Alabama outgained the South Carolina offense 571-124, including a 495-103 passing differential while outgaining the Gamecocks 76-21 on the ground.
• UA averaged 16 yards per catch after totaling 496 receiving yards on 31 catches and six scores from three different players.
• Alabama once again won the turnover battle with two takeaways to none after forcing a fumble and an interception.

Up Next

Alabama returns home to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21 to face Southern Miss in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and Golden Eagles is set for 11 a.m. CT with the game airing live on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Saturday’s game marks the beginning of Southeastern Conference play for the Tide in 2019

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –The Crimson Tide practiced for two hours outside at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields on Tuesday to prepare its game plan for this weekend’s Southeastern Conference opener at South Carolina.

Practice will resume on Wednesday before Alabama hits the road this Saturday, Sept. 14, to open its conference slate against South Carolina. Game time is set for 2:39 p.m. CT at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. The matchup will air on CBS with Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson in the booth and Jamie Erdahl working the sidelines.

Alabama and South Carolina will meet for the 16th time in series history when the two teams square off on Saturday with the Crimson Tide holding a 12-3 (10-4 NCAA) advantage in the series. The matchup will also be the ninth time the two schools have met since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992 with Alabama leading, 5-3, in league parings. The Crimson Tide also maintains a 3-2 mark in Columbia.

The Crimson Tide totaled 603 yards of offense, including 300+ on the ground

TUSCALOOSA, Ala – The No. 2-ranked Alabama football team put up 603 yards of total offense in its 62-10 win against New Mexico State in the Crimson Tide’s home opener inside Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday. Alabama moved to 2-0 on the season while the Aggies dropped to 0-2.

On offense, junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa totaled 227 yards on 16-of-24 passing and three touchdowns, to go along with a 25-yard rushing touchdown. Junior wideout Jerry Jeudy had a career-high three touchdowns, after ending his day with eight receptions and 103 yards. Junior wide receiver Henry Ruggs III added 141 total yards and two scores of his own with one on the ground and one receiving.

On defense, senior defensive end Raekwon Davis and junior defensive back Xavier McKinney tied for the most tackles with six each. Sophomore defensive back Patrick Surtain II came up with his first interception of the season while also forcing a fumble.

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HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first play from scrimmage resulted in a touchdown for the Tide as Ruggs III rushed for 75 yards down the sideline to give the Tide a 7-0 advantage just 13 seconds into the game.
• On the next offensive possession, Alabama went 89 yards in 10 plays, capped by Jeudy scoring his first touchdown of the day from 21 yards out. The Crimson Tide led 14-0 with 9:08 left in the opening frame.
• Later in the first quarter, Tagovailoa found Jeudy for their second touchdown connection of the game, this time it was a 23-yard score that had the Tide up 21-0 as time expired in the first quarter.
• Alabama continued to pile on the points in the second quarter when Tagovailoa connected with Ruggs III for a 10-yard score to finish a seven-play, 72-yard scoring drive. The Tide held a 28-0 advantage with 10:08 left before the half.
• On the ensuing New Mexico State possession, the Tide defense came up with a turnover as sophomore defensive back Patrick Surtain II picked off a pass at the Tide’s 16-yard line to setup the Alabama offense. The Tide only needed five plays to go 84 yards, with Tagovailoa running it in from 25-yards out to give UA the 35-0 lead.
• Just before the half, freshman kicker Will Reichard split the uprights from 48 yards for the first made field goal of his career, extending the lead to 38-0 at the break.
• The onslaught continued in the second half with junior running back Najee Harris taking it in for an eight-yard score with 8:20 to go in the third. UA led 45-0 after the nine-play 55-yard drive.
• New Mexico State got on the board midway through the third period with a four-yard pitch-and-catch, before Alabama responded on its next drive with another score. Junior quarterback Mac Jones found Jeudy for the wideout’s third score of the day to push the lead to 52-7.
• Later in the quarter, Reichard knocked in his second field goal of the day, this time from 49 yards out, making it 55-7.
• To close the third period, freshman running back Keilan Robinson scampered 74 yards for the first score of his Alabama career.
• New Mexico State added a field goal in the fourth quarter to make it 62-10, the eventual final.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

• Tagovailoa finished with four scores for the second consecutive game to begin his 2019 campaign.
• Jeudy went over 100 yards for the third consecutive game dating back to last year. The junior also set a new career-high with three receiving touchdowns.
• Ruggs III showed his explosiveness on the first play of the game taking the ball 75 yards for a rushing score. He followed it up with a receiving touchdown in the second quarter, his first of the season.
• Reichard made the first two field goals of his career Saturday, knocking it through from 48 and 49 yards on the day.
• On the defensive side of the ball, McKinney tied for the most tackles on the team with six, including one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry.
• Surtain II recorded his first interception on the year and forced fumble to go along with one pass breakup to hold down the secondary.

KEY STATS

• For the game, Alabama outgained New Mexico State 603-262 including grinding out over 300 yards on the ground. The 600-plus yards were the most when the Tide tallied 639 on Oct. 18, 2018 at Arkansas.
• UA averaged 9.9 yards per carry after putting up 318 rushing yards on 32 carries and four scores from four different rushers.
• At the half, Alabama had 391 yards compared to the Aggies’ 64.
• The Tide defense stood tall with seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks on the day.
• Alabama won the turnover battle 3-0 after forcing two fumbles and picking off one pass.

UP NEXT

• Alabama will face its first true road test next Saturday, Sept. 14, when it takes on South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and Gamecocks is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with the game airing live on CBS.

Alabama and New Mexico State will meet for the first time on Saturday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama held its first full-pad practice of the week on Tuesday as the Crimson Tide put in a two-hour session at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.

Tuesday’s 3:30 p.m. CT practice was the second of four this week before Alabama opens the home portion of the 2019 schedule this Saturday, Sept. 7, against New Mexico State. The game is set to kick off at 3:01 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The matchup will air on SEC Network with Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb calling the action from the booth while Alyssa Lang works the sidelines.

The Crimson Tide and Aggies will meet for the first time in the history of the two programs. Alabama owns a 4-5 (.444) all-time mark against Independent opponents.

Also on Tuesday, junior quarterback was selected as one of eight quarterbacks this week named a Manning Award Star of the Week. Tagovailoa tallied his seventh career 300-plus yard game as well as his seventh four-touchdown game in less than three quarters of action against Duke last Saturday.