Alabama defeated North Texas 41-0. Here are the official game notes from UA: (CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME)

ALABAMA FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES – ALABAMA VS. NORTH TEXAS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011 • BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM • TUSCALOOSA, ALA. (courtesy of UA Media Relations)

ALABAMA UNDER SABAN IN SEPTEMBER: Alabama has been very successful in the opening month of the season under head coach Nick Saban. Now in his fifth season at Alabama, the Crimson Tide sports an 18-2 record in September following the win against North Texas. Since 2008, Alabama is a perfect 15-0 in September games.

TIDE AT HOME SINCE 2008: Alabama is 22-1 in its last 23 games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, dating back to the start of the 2008 season. During that stretch the Crimson Tide has been extremely stingy on defense and very effective on offense. Some of the most impressive numbers include 54 rushing touchdowns for the Alabama offense while the Crimson Tide defense has surrendered just two rushing touchdowns at home since the beginning of the 2008 season.

ALABAMA IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES: Under Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 20-3 against non-conference opponents, including a 6-1 mark against ranked teams. Alabama is currently riding a 13-game winning streak against non-conference opponents (including bowl games), with its last loss coming to Utah in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. The Tide sports back-to-back seasons of 5-0 records against non-conference opponents and is off to a 3-0 mark this year. Now in his fifth season at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has outscored its non-conference opponents 858-267 over that span.

ALABAMA HAS SECOND MOST WINS SINCE 2008: Alabama has won 39 games dating back to the start of the 2008 season, which is the second most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Crimson Tide won 12 games in 2008, followed that with a perfect 14-0 record in 2009 and a 10-3 mark in 2010. Alabama is one win back of Boise State, with 40 wins. The Crimson Tide has the most victories of any team that plays in a BCS conference.

TIDE 41-3 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: The Crimson Tide is 41-3 when leading at halftime under head coach Nick Saban. Alabama had a 28-game winning streak snapped in 2010 against LSU. The first two losses came against LSU with the last loss to Auburn in 2010. In 2007, UA held a 20-17 halftime lead before losing, 41-34, on Nov. 3, 2007, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In 2010, UA led 10-3 at the half before the Tigers rallied for a 24-20 win at Tiger Stadium. The Tide lost 28-27 to Auburn to close out the 2010 season after leading 24-7 at the half. The Crimson Tide is 3-5 under Saban when trailing at halftime and 2-2 when tied at halftime. The three wins when trailing at the half came in a 34-24 win over No. 7 Virginia Tech on Sept. 5, 2009, in Atlanta; a 24-15 victory over No. 9 LSU on Nov. 7, 2009; and a 24-20 win at Arkansas on Sept. 25, 2010 . Alabama’s two wins when tied at halftime came at LSU on Nov. 8, 2008, (a 27-21 victory) and at Auburn with a 26-21 win on Nov. 27, 2009.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
10 POINTS OR LESS: Alabama held North Texas scoreless tonight, posting the fourth shutout of the Nick Saban Era at Alabama and the first since a 45-0 win over Chattanooga on November 21, 2009. Under Saban, the Crimson Tide has held opponents to 10 points or less 26 times including twice in three games this season. Last season Alabama held opponents to 10 points or less eight times and limited opponents to that mark seven times in 2009 and 2008. In 2007, the Tide posted two games in which it held opponents to that mark. Since 2007, Alabama has held opponents to less than a touchdown 12 times.

17 POINTS ALLOWED OVER THE LAST 16 QUARTERS: In the 16 quarters of play spanning tonight’s win over North Texas, last week’s game at Penn State, the 2011 season opener against Kent State, and the 2011 Capital One Bowl against Michigan State, the Alabama defense has allowed a total of 17 points.

STOUT DEFENSIVE OUTING: The Alabama defense limited North Texas to x total yards (x rushing, x passing) on Saturday, Sept. 17. In Saban’s 57-game tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has limited the opposition to less than 300 yards of total offense 32 times, or 56 percent of the time.

STINGY FIRST QUARTER DEFENSE: Alabama opponents have had a tough time scoring in the first quarter as the Crimson Tide has not allowed a touchdown in the opening quarter since Tauren Poole found pay dirt for Tennessee on Oct. 23, 2010. The streaks spans eight games and includes five shutout first quarters. The opening drive field goal by Penn State last Saturday broke a four-game first quarter scoreless streak by opponents.

YARDS HARD TO COME BY: For the 15th time during Nick Saban’s last 44 games at the Capstone, the Crimson Tide defense held the opposing offense to less than 200 yards of total offense as North Texas gained 91 yards of total offense. Alabama’s best came in 2009 when they held Chattanooga to just 84 yards of total offense. The Tide held opponents under 200 yards three times in 2010, four times in 2009 and six times in 2008. In Saban’s entire 57-game tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has limited the opposition to less than 300 yards of total offense 31 times, or 54.5 percent of the time.

NOWHERE TO RUN: Alabama held North Texas to 68 rushing yards in the victory tonight. In Saban’s 57-game tenure at Alabama, the
Crimson Tide has limited the opposition to less than 100 rushing yards 34 times, or 59.6 percent of the time.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
MULTI-100 YARD RUSHERS: Alabama running backs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy became the first duo in Crimson Tide history to rush for over 150 yards in the same game. With the duo of Richardson and Lacy both eclipsing the 100-yard mark on the ground, they become the 12th tandem in Alabama history to tally over 100 yards in the same game. Richardson has been a part of two of those games.

MULTIPLE 100-YARD RUSHERS IN THE SAME GAME (12)

Date Opponent Players Yards

Sept. 17, 2011 North Texas Trent Richardson 167 and Eddie Lacy 161

Jan. 7, 2010 Texas Mark Ingram 116 and Trent Richardson 109

Sept. 4, 2004 Utah State Kenneth Darby 111 and Ray Hudson 111

Nov. 17, 2001 at Auburn Santonio Beard 199 and Ahmaad Galloway 127

Oct. 15, 1996 Mississippi State Shaun Alexander 106 and Dennis Riddle 103

Oct. 3, 1992 South Carolina Chris Anderson 120 and Derrick Lassic 100

Oct. 9, 1991 LSU Kevin Turner 143 and Siran Stacy 102

Dec. 3, 1983 Auburn Kerry Goode 142 and Ricky Moore 109

Sept. 20, 1980 Mississippi Linnie Patrick 111 and Billy Jackson 108

Nov. 26, 1977 Auburn Johnny Davis 104 and Jeff Rutledge 102

Oct. 27, 1973 Virginia Tech James Taylor 142 and Wilbur Jackson 138 and Calvin Culliver 127 and Richard Todd 102

Dec. 2, 1951 Auburn Bobby Marlow 223 and Bimbo Melton 109

RICHARDSON SETS CAREER-BEST: Alabama junior running back Trent Richardson had a career game against North Texas. Richardson set a single-game best with 167 yards on the strength of a career-long 71-yard touchdown. His previous best came against Penn State (Sept. 11, 2010) last season when he rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries. His previous long run was a 65-yarder at Tennessee (Oct. 23, 2010). He moved into the top 20 on the Alabama career rushing yard list with 1,766 yards to rank 19th in Alabama history.

IMPRESSIVE GROUND ATTACK: Alabama scored 5 touchdowns on the ground Saturday to move its season total to 12. The Crimson Tide has scored 14 touchdowns this season with 12 coming on the ground. Trent Richardson leads the charge on the ground with 8 touchdowns this season.

RICHARDSON ON RECORD PACE: Alabama junior running back Trent Richardson has been scoring touchdowns at an alarming rate to start the 2011 season. In just three games, Richardson has found the end zone eight times. Richardson opened the year with three touchdowns against Kent State and followed that up with two more at Penn State. Richardson scored three touchdowns for Alabama against North Texas. Richardson pushes his career total to 22 touchdowns on the ground and 27 overall.

MULTI-RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS: The three touchdowns by Trent Richardson and the two by Eddie Lacy on Saturday marked the fourth straight game that an Alabama rusher has recorded two or more touchdowns. Richardson recorded two at Penn State and three to open the season against Kent State. In the Capital One Bowl to cap off last season, Lacy and Mark Ingram tallied two scores apiece.

DARIUS HANKS RETURNS: Alabama senior wide receiver Darius Hanks earned a start in his first game back after sitting out two games due to compliance with NCAA redshirt rules. Hanks caught his first pass of the 2011 season at the 5:55 mark in the first quarter. The reception went for 14 yards and a first down. He finished the game with 2 catches for 20 yards.

SERIES NOTES
THE ALABAMA-NORTH TEXAS SERIES: Alabama leads the all-time series with North Texas 4-0 after the win on Saturday. In the series the Crimson Tide has not allowed more than 19 points in a single game against the Mean Green and has posted 33 or more points in all four contests.

SABAN VERSUS NORTH TEXAS: Alabama head coach Nick Saban faced the Mean Green for the second time in his career with the first coming two seasons ago. Alabama won the second meeting tonight, 41-0. In the first meeting, the Crimson Tide posted a 53-7 win over North Texas in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

ALABAMA VERSUS SUN BELT CONFERENCE: Alabama is 20-1 all-time against Sun Belt Conference teams, following the win against North Texas. The Crimson Tide posted a 2-0 record against Sun Belt foes during the 2008 and 2009 seasons facing Western Kentucky and Arkansas State in 2008 and Florida International and North Texas in 2009. Alabama’s only loss to a Sun Belt Conference team came on Nov. 17, 2007, when Louisiana-Monroe handed Alabama a 21-14 setback in Tuscaloosa.

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