Notebook: Alabama Defense Frustrated By Ole Miss' Up-Tempo Offense in Road Win
OXFORD, Miss. — While the University of Alabama's offense continued to hum on Saturday night, dropping 63 points on the Ole Miss Rebels, the defense took a step back against Lane Kiffin's high-powered offense, allowing 647 yards, the most in school history.
It was a balanced attack for the Rebels, earning 268 yards on the ground and 379 through the air.
Two Ole Miss tailbacks, Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy, went for over 120 yards and two touchdowns each, joining the likes of Todd Gurley II, Ezekiel Elliot, Darren McFadden, and Dontae Smith to accomplish that feat against a Nick Saban-coached team.
"We've never played this way on defense," Saban said. "It's certainly not what we aspire to try to be as a defensive team. I believe in our players, and I think we have to get our players to play better. I think we're capable of it.
"I think this was a good offensive team, and they’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to learn and grow from this game.”
While the up-tempo, fast attack of the Rebels frustrated the Crimson Tide all night, senior linebacker Dylan Moses believes that the best is yet to come for the team's defensive unit, and no where near a finished product.
“I just think we have to finish, run our feet through the ball,” Moses said. “I know a lot of guys weren’t used to going fast-tempo. We have a lot of young guys on our defense, and for them to experience this at the beginning of the season, I feel like this was a great opportunity to learn from it and just get better.”
Make it Ten Straight for Najee Harris
Alabama's Najee Harris found himself in the end zone five times against Ole Miss on Saturday night and it marked the tenth-straight contest that Harris has scored a rushing touchdown dating back to last year's Tennessee game.
His 206 rushing yards moved him to ninth all-time in school history, tying Johnny Musso.
Harris' career-game also brought a couple of firsts, one being the first lost fumble of his Alabama career after 466 touches. It came on the Crimson Tide's second drive of the game in the first quarter.
However, his 39-yard touchdown with 1:28 remaining in the game, that sealed the 63-48 win became his longest-career rush and first carry that went over 35 yards for his Crimson Tide career.
Jordan Battle To Miss First Half Against Georgia
The Crimson Tide will be without one of its key starters in the secondary for the first half of next week's highly-anticipated matchup with No. 3 Georgia.
With 2:14 remaining in the fourth quarter against the Rebels, sophomore safety Jordan Battle was called for targeting, when he hit Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore on a 46-yard reception.
Before his ejection, Battle had 11 total tackles and one pass breakup.
Tide-bits ...
- After defeating Kiffin, Saban is now 21-0 against former assistants in his career and next week he will face Georgia's Kirby Smart, then Tennessee's Jeremy Pruitt.
- Saturday's victory was the Crimson Tide's 36th consecutive win after Alabama scores a touchdown on the opening possession.
- Under Saban, Alabama has now defeated 93 consecutive unranked opponents dating back to the 2007 Independence Bowl against Colorado.
- Saban now has 202 wins in the Southeastern Conference, which is good for third all-time passing Georgia's Vince Dooley. He only trails Steve Spurrier (206) and Paul W. Bryant (292).
