Alabama-Tennessee game notes

POST-GAME NOTES (courtesy of UA Media Relations)
ALABAMA vs. TENNESSEE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2009 – BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM (92,012), TUSCALOOSA, ALA.

ALABAMA-TENNESSEE SERIES NOTES
With the victory on Saturday, Alabama leads the series with Tennessee 47-38-7.

The victory gives Alabama its first three-game series winning streak since winning seven straight games against the Vols from 1986-92. The Tide also has its third straight home win in the series for the first time since winning three in a row at Legion Field from 1987-91.

FIRST CONSECUTIVE 8-0 STARTS SINCE 1973-74
The victory over Tennessee moves Alabama to 8-0 for the season and, along with a 12-0 start in 2008, this marks the first time since the 1973 and 1974 seasons that Alabama has constructed 8-0 starts in consecutive seasons. Alabama, which finished 12-2 in 2009, finished 11-1 in both 1973 and 1974 as they won 11 straight games prior to losing bowl games in those seasons, the Sugar Bowl vs. Notre Dame (24-23 in 1973) and the Orange Bowl vs. Notre Dame (13-11 in 1974).

OFFENSE NOTES
Alabama failed to score a touchdown against Tennessee, marking the first time in 26 games that the Crimson Tide has not reached the end zone in a game, dating back to a 17-12 loss at Mississippi State on November 10, 2007. The Tennessee game marks the first time in 46 games that Alabama has won without scoring a touchdown dating back to a 6-3 victory over Tennessee on October 22, 2005, in Tuscaloosa.

RB MARK INGRAM
With 99 yards rushing against Tennessee, sophomore running back Mark Ingram has rushed for 1,004 yards and eight touchdowns this season for a 125.5-yards per game average. Ingram has also added 19 receptions for 186 yards and three scores. Below is a look at Ingram’s season on a game-by-game basis.

Mark Ingram 2009 Game-By-Game
RUSHING RECEIVING
Game Att. Yards TD Rec. Yards TD All-Purpose
vs. Virginia Tech 26 150 1 3 35 1 185
Florida Int’l 10 56 1 4 47 0 103
North Texas 8 91 1 3 38 1 129
Arkansas 17 50 1 3 21 1 71
at Kentucky 22 140 2 1 6 0 146
at Mississippi 28 172 1 3 16 0 188
South Carolina 24 246 1 2 23 0 269
Tennessee 18 99 0 0 0 0 99
Totals 153 1004 8 19 186 3 1190

INGRAM ECLIPSES 1,000 YARDS RUSHING FOR THE SEASON
Sophomore running back Mark Ingram, who entered the Tennessee game with 905 yards rushing this season, rushed for 99 yards against the Volunteers, giving him 1,004 rushing yards this season. It marks the 14th 1,000-yard rushing season in Alabama history and Ingram is the 10th individual to do so.

Alabama’s 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons
Yards Player (Attempts) Year
1,471 Bobby Humphrey (236 att.) 1986
1,383 Shaun Alexander (302 att.) 1999
1,383 Glen Coffee (233 att.) 2008
1,367 Shaud Williams (280 att.) 2003
1,341 Sherman Williams (291 att.) 1994
1,255 Bobby Humphrey (238 att.) 1987
1,242 Kenneth Darby (239 att.) 2005
1,178 Shaun Alexander (258 att.) 1998
1,137 Johnny Musso (226 att.) 1970
1,088 Johnny Musso (191 att.) 1971
1,079 Dennis Riddle (242 att.) 1996
1,079 Siran Stacy (216 att.) 1989
1,062 Kenneth Darby (219 att.) 2005
1,004 Mark Ingram (154 att.) 2009

Ingram is the second sophomore in school history to rush for 1,000 yards, joining Kenneth Darby, who ran for 1,062 yards as a sophomore in 2004. Alabama has had at least one 1,000-yard rusher in five of the last seven years. Alabama has had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers in Glen Coffee (1,383 in 2008) and Mark Ingram (905 in 2009) for the first time since 2003-05 when Shaud Williams (1,367 in 2003) and Kenneth Darby (1,062 in 2004 and 1,242 in 2005) had three straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Ingram tied Shaun Alexander’s school record for the fastest player to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Ingram broke the 1,000-yard barrier in the eighth game of the season today against Tennessee. Shaun Alexander also did it in eight games during the 1999 season, surpassing the 1,000-yard barrier with a 98-yard game against Tennessee in 1999.

ALABAMA’S FASTEST TO 1,000 YARDS
Player Yards (Season) Eclipsed 1,000 Yards (Rushing Yards)
Shaun Alexander 1,383 (1999) Game 8 vs. Tennessee (98)
Mark Ingram 1,004 (2009) Game 8 vs. Tennessee (99
Bobby Humphrey 1,471 (1986) Game 9 at Miss. State (284)
Bobby Humphrey 1,255 (1987) Game 9 at LSU (177)
Sherman Williams 1,341 (1994) Game 9 at LSU (99)
Shaun Alexander 1,178 (1998) Game 9 at LSU (109)
Shaud Williams 1,367 (2003) Game 9 vs. Tennessee (166)
Johnny Musso 1,088 (1971) Game 10 vs. Auburn (167)
Siran Stacy 1,079 (1989) Game 10 vs. Southern Mississippi (120)
Kenneth Darby 1,062 (2004) Game 10 at LSU (109)
Kenneth Darby 1,242 (2005) Game 10 vs. LSU (104)
Glen Coffee 1,383 (2008) Game 10 at LSU (126)
Johnny Musso 1,137 (1970) Game 11 vs. Auburn (231)
Dennis Riddle 1,079 (1996) Game 11 vs. Auburn (164)

Ingram lost a fumble with 3:29 remaining in the game, marking the first time in his 22-game Alabama career that he has lost a fumble. It was Ingram’s first fumble lost in 296 career rushing attempts and 26 career receptions for a total of 322 career touches. Counting Saturday’s fumble, Ingram has only put the ball on the ground twice in his Alabama career – Saturday vs. Tennessee and at LSU in 2008. The fumble at LSU was recovered by the Tide. He has 1,633 rushing yards in those 21 games with 20 rushing touchdowns while also catching 26 passes for 243 yards and three scores.

JONES HAS BUSY DAY
Sophomore receiver Julio Jones had an active day against Tennessee, notching seven receptions for 54 yards. Jones, whose previous 2009 season high for catches was four against Virginia Tech and Mississippi, entered the game with 13 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown this season. Jones matched his single-game career-high for receptions with seven, previously accomplished against Utah and LSU in 2008.

DEFENSE NOTES
Alabama allowed 318 yards of total offense against Tennessee, a season-high allowance for 2009. The previous high yardage allowed was 301 yards against Kentucky on October 3 in Lexington, a 38-20 Alabama victory. The Crimson Tide defense entered the Tennessee game allowing national-best 226.57 yards per game.

2009 Alabama Defense Game-by-Game
Opponent Total Offense Rushing Passing
Virginia Tech 155 64 91
Florida Int’l 214 1 213
North Texas 187 61 126
Arkansas 254 63 191
Mississippi 197 57 140
South Carolina 278 64 214
Tennessee 318 63 255

By holding Tennessee to 63 rushing yards, Alabama’s defense over the past 22 games – or two seasons – has held 19 teams under 100 yards rushing as only LSU and Florida in 2008 and Kentucky in 2009 have been able to crack the 100-yard barrier as a team. In 2009, only Kentucky has managed more than 72 yards rushing on the Tide. UA has surrendered just 1,559 yards on the ground in the last 22 games, an average of 70.9 yards per game. No running back has cracked the 100-yard mark since Mississippi’s BenJarvus Green-Ellis went for 131 on Oct. 13, 2007, a span of 27 games.

DEFENSE’S STREAK WITHOUT A TOUCHDOWN ENDS AT 11 QUARTERS
An 11-yard pass from Jonathan Crompton to Gerald Jones with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter was the first touchdown allowed by the Alabama defense in almost three full games. Prior to the play, Alabama had not allowed a touchdown in 11 quarters (two full games and three quarters). The most recent touchdown allowed by Alabama before that was by Kentucky with 12:52 left in the fourth quarter of a 38-20 win at Lexington on October 3. Prior to this season, the last time Alabama kept three or more consecutive opponents out of the end zone was during the 1990 season when four straight foes failed to score a touchdown. That span included wins on the road at Southwestern Louisiana (W, 25-6), Tennessee (W, 9-6) and Mississippi State (W, 22-0), and a home loss to Penn State (L, 0-9).

BARRON NOTCHES SEC-LEADING 4TH INTERCEPTION
Sophomore strong safety Mark Barron intercepted a Tennessee pass by Jonathan Crompton with 4:46 left in the first quarter to stop a Volunteers drive at the Alabama 30-yard line. The interception was Barron’s fourth of the 2009 season, moving him into the SEC lead for interceptions ahead of Myron Lewis of Vanderbilt, who also had 3 entering Saturday’s action.

ARENAS RETURNS TO ACTION
Senior cornerback Javier Arenas, who missed last week’s game against South Carolina due to injury, returned to the starting lineup and full action against Tennessee. Arenas, whose absence last week snapped a 42-game streak of games played, quickly returned to form with three early tackles including one for a loss 6 yards on Tennessee’s first offensive series to stifle a Vols scoring threat.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
TIFFIN MOVES UP CAREER SCORING CHART
Alabama senior placekicker Leigh Tiffin scored all 12 of Alabama’s points against Tennessee as he kicked four field goals: a 38-yarder with 1:22 left in the first quarter; a 50-yarder with 7:54 left in the second quarter; a 22-yarder with 1:11 remaining in the second period, and a 49-yarder with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter. The field goals gave the Muscle Shoals, Ala., native 337 career points to move him ahead of Michael Proctor (326 points from 1992-95) for second place on the Alabama career scoring list. Tiffin passed his father, Van (312 from 1983-86), for third place on the list earlier this season. Leigh Tiffin is eight points shy of Phillip Doyle’s school record of 345 points accomplished from 1987-90.

Tiffin’s four field goals give him 73 career field goals, second all-time at Alabama. He surpassed his father, Van Tiffin (59 from 1983-86), earlier this season against North Texas and moved past Michael Proctor vs. Mississippi on October 10. Tiffin’s 73 field goals leaves him just five shy of the school record held by Philip Doyle (78 from 1987-90).

50-YARDER IS TIFFIN’S LONGEST THIS SEASON
Tiffin’s 50-yard field goal with 7:54 left in the second quarter is his longest of the 2009 season and the fifth 50+-yard field goal of Tiffin’s Alabama career. Tiffin’s five field goals of 50 or more yards ranks second in Alabama history behind his father, Van Tiffin, who had six of 50 yards or more during his career that spanned 1983-86. Of the 21 field goals of at least 50 yards in Alabama history, the Tiffins have 11. Only Philip Doyle (2 from 1987-90) and Neal Thomas (2 from 1998-2001).

HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has compiled a 5-1 (.833) career record against Tennessee. He is 3-0 in his career at Alabama, including a 41-17 win in 2007 and a 29-9 last year.

Saban has compiled a 27-8 (.771) record in his career with the Tide and the 27 wins rank as the fourth-most for any Crimson Tide head football coach after 35 games. Wallace Wade holds the record for most wins after 35 games with 31 victories. Frank Thomas is second with 30 wins in 35 games while Gene Stallings ranks third with 29. Below are the most wins by UA coaches after the first 35 career games.

Most Wins (After 35 Games)
Wallace Wade 31
Frank Thomas 30
Gene Stallings 29
Nick Saban 27
Xen Scott 25
Paul Bryant 23