Highlights of Alabama 35 Virginia Tech 10

Impressions of Alabama’s win over Virginia Tech

The star of Alabama’s season opening win over Virginia Tech was Christion Jones. The wide receiver scored as a kick returner, punt returner and receiver.

According to Alabama’s release, “According to the Alabama records dating back to 1944, Jones is the first player to score two touchdowns via returns in one game. Tide safety Vinnie Sunseri scored on a 38-yard interception return in the second period. Running back T.J. Yeldon added to the first half scoring with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter as the Tide rolled to a 28-10 halftime lead. The Alabama offense was limited to 206 total yards and the Tide defense limited Tech to 212 total yards (153 rushing, 59 passing) and only seven first downs. Quarterback AJ McCarron completed 10 of 21 pass attempts for 110 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Wide receiver Amari Cooper led the Tide with 38 yards on four catches while T.J. Yeldon led Alabama with 75 rushing yards on 17 carries. Defensive end Ed Stinson was the leading tackler for the Tide with eight tackles and shared a quarterback sack. Linebacker C.J. Mosley had seven tackles for Alabama while free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made six stops.”

Alabama Football player T.J. Yeldon against Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game in Atlanta. Photo by UA Media Relations.
Alabama Football player T.J. Yeldon against Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game in Atlanta. Photo by UA Media Relations.
No doubt the talk from tonight’s game will center on Alabama’s offense and specifically on the offensive line. The play here was inconsistent. Fans should temper criticism with keeping two things in mind, the line needs time to improve and the Virginia Tech defensive line is much better than the line Alabama will face when it takes on Texas A&M.

The offense produced 206 total yards.

Here are the official Game Notes from Alabama:
ALABAMA FOOTBALL
GAME NOTES – ALABAMA vs. VIRGINIA TECH
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2013 • GEORGIA DOME • ATLANTA, GA.

Alabama Captains
• Alabama’s captains for the 2013 season opener against Virginia Tech were AJ McCarron, C.J. Mosley and Anthony Steen. The Crimson Tide won the toss and deferred the opening kickoff.

Series Notes
• With the win Alabama, is now 12-1 against Virginia Tech.

General Notes
• Alabama had six players make their first starts including offensive linemen Arie Kouandjio, Ryan Kelly and Austin Shepherd, defensive lineman Jeoffrey Pagan, defensive back Jarrick Williams and long snapper, Cole Mazza, who is also a true freshman.

• With the 35-10 win over Virginia Tech, Alabama has outscored its opponents, 292-74, in season openers under head coach Nick Saban.

• Alabama is 15-5-1 in domed stadiums, including a 6-0 mark since 2009, and 7-2 record during Saban’s tenure.

• With the win, Alabama extended its streak of wins away from Bryant-Denny Stadium to 15. The 15-game streak includes both true road games and neutral-site games.

• Alabama recorded three non-offensive touchdowns in a game for the first time since it did so against Georgia on Sept. 30, 1995. Christion Jones got the Tide on the board first with a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown and then went 94 yards on a kickoff return in the second quarter. Vinnie Sunseri scored the first touchdown of his career with a 38-yard interception return. In the 1995 matchup with the Bulldogs, Kevin Jackson had a 26-yard interception return, Deshea Townsend blocked a field goal that led to a 90-yard return and Cedric Samuel recorded a 23-yard fumble return.

• The last time the Crimson Tide started a game with a non-offensive touchdown was when All-American Mark Barron returned an interception 77 yards in a 20-6 win against No. 22 South Carolina on Oct. 17, 2009.

• Christion Jones recorded his first punt return for a touchdown, going 72 yards for the score, with 13:21 to go in the first quarter. It was the first punt return for a touchdown by a Tide player since Marquis Maze went 83 yards against Arkansas on Sept. 24, 2011.

• According to the Alabama record books dating back to 1944, Christion Jones is the first player to score two returns/non-offensive touchdowns in one game. Jones had a 72-yard punt return in the first quarter and a 94-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. Jones added on a 38-yard reception for a touchdown in the third quarter.

• Christion Jones is the first player in the FBS to have both a punt return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown since 2006.

• With Christion Jones’ 72-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, Alabama has scored in 157 consecutive games – the longest streak in program history.

• Actual attendance was sold-out crowd of 73,114.

Offensive Notes
• Alabama has scored at least one rushing touchdown in 13 of the last 14 games.

• With his 110 passing yards, AJ McCarron now has 6,066 for his career.

Defensive Notes
• At the 14:04 mark of the second quarter, Vinnie Sunseri returned a 38-yard interception for his first touchdown in the crimson and white. The interception was also the third of his career.

• In head coach Nick Saban’s 82-game tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has limited opponents to under 300 yards of total offense 53 times, or 64.6 percent of the time.

29 thoughts on “Alabama Football: Jones stars in win over Virginia Tech”

  1. ” Chirp Chirp” Crickets to yet another capstone story. Trying to spin that crappy offensive performance into a positive is just not bringing in the readers is it? I will give you credit on one thing. VT’s D-line is better than aTm , BUT you better score more than 14 offensive points to stay in the game. Keep in mind aTm had several key defensive players out against rice that will be on the field when they play bama. I find it hilarious that a sputtering Auburn offense that was being lead by a new QB STILL put up numbers that dwarfed bama’s output. Can not wait till montravius adams , and carl lawson introduces them self to that bama o-line.

    1. Alabama must score more to beat A&M. However, you are trying to spin how Auburn was much worse than expected against one of the WORST teams offense and defensive teams in college football into a positive.

      Before that game, I’ve said Auburn could win between 3 and 8 games. After that performance, I’m certainly going toward the low end of the scale. AU’s defense is in worse shape than expected and the offense will get better but it was clearly inferior QB play to what Auburn needs to win consistently.

      Right now, Auburn is battling MSU for position in the SEC West and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Last night showed just how far the gap between a team like Auburn and a team like Ole Miss truly is.

    2. So what say you Barnterd…is your bottle of Maalox half empty or half full??? (X~D)

      Roll Tide Roll
      Reigning IB Champs, 49-0 OUCH!!!
      Reigning SEC Champs, 32-28 UGA 5 yards short of GLORY…LOL
      Reigning 2X National Champs, 42-14 Notre Dame & T’eo…PPFFTTT…
      Protect America, Build Submarines

  2. Did not spin anything. I only pointed out the fact that Auburn’s sputtering O out performed the ” best offense in bama history” . You would have to be dumb and blind to not see that bama’s offense is in a world of hurt come their conference schedule. Now as far as Auburn’s D being in trouble….please explain. I noticed a Defense that only gave up 3 points and 70 passing yards in the 2nd half Vs. a team that threw 60 passes. Coach EJ made the correct adjustments at half and it showed in the 2nd half. What adjustments did bama’s O coach make at half , and how did that work out for you? Tell TJ Yeldon that its not too late to switch back to AU. Working out great for Grant , who the materminds at bama could not use right. THANKS. lmao Hey while we are talking about performance and stats….how many views has the site got today? roflmfao!!! RAWL TAHD

    1. Alabama’s offense will score more PPG than Auburn’s in SEC play. You can write that prediction down. Same theme every year, Auburn fans promise more than their team can deliver.

      it is why everyone makes fun of you guys. Your fans are so delusional.

    2. You outperformed Alabama on offense…against Washington State?

      That’s insulting to Virginia Tech. Good grief, you hate Alabama.

      As for watching Auburn, hrm, I’d rather not. The rest of the Northern Hemisphere was watching Georgia vs Clemson when Auburn was struggling with Washington State.

  3. If rushing for 300yds a game at the same time that your starting qb is finding his legs is poor offensive production then I will take it. WSU knew the run was coming and still could not stop it. Running game is clicking and once Marshall gets going it will be hell to pay for the rest of the defenses on Auburn’s schedule. Just sit back and watch .

    1. Stats against one of the worst teams in the country. Congrats.

      Can’t wait to see the high school coach face a real team. Auburn will have a tough time winning any games in the SEC. I think they can get 1 or 2, but it is going to be rough.

  4. Also keep in mind that WSU had the 9th ranked passing offense last year. In light of that, I think Auburn’s defense did fairly well.

    1. As things stand right now Ole Miss and Vanderbilt would both beat Neckburn by at least two touchdowns. You Neckburn Dumbasses need to get over yourselves. You had to hold onto beat a very bad WSU team. Right now, the only team in the SEC you’re better than is Kentucky. Now, I’ll yield the floor and listen to you Dumbasses brag about how Neckburn will play for the MNC in January. Brag! Brag! Brag!

  5. Is this guy really blasting Alabama while bragging about Auburn? Smh. Look Alabama’s offensive line with 3 new starters and a new position coach struggled mightily. I would note that that Virginia Tech D-Line has 3 NFL caliber players on it. However that is the burden that Alabama now carrries. They have gotten so good that beating a Virginia Tech team by 25 in a game they controlled from the kickoff that was never in doubt now brings criticism.

  6. What a titturd retard. Aubie played a team that won 3 games last year. VT would beat Aubie 28-0. Dumbass! RTR!

  7. WHAT!? Is the bammer nashun making excuses already? Kt with the WAAAAHHHHHH of the day. We got 3 new starters WAAAAAAHHHH. Thought nick ” reloads” every year? Thought this was the best offense in bama history? Plus when did a unranked VT become such a tough match up for the power house tide? VT is a joke. Logan Thomas is one of the most over rated players in the country. They had a TRUE FRESHMAN DB shutting down bama’s WR all game. Now what is even more funny is with the off week you turds have to set and worry for 2 weeks about that poor effort your O line gave. 2 weeks to wonder why AJ had just as many INTs as TD passes. Why TJ could only muster 70 yards. Oh this is going to be a fun year. Hey AJ …. Adams, Lawson, Ford, Bradley. and company are coming!

    1. You ADs (Auburn Dumbasses) better worry about Arkansas State next week. You can bet your asses they want to pay Gussie back for walking out on them. Funny thing is that he probably left behind a team with more talent in order to return to SPAU (Stupidity Plagued Auburn University).

      WAR DAMN CHICKEN!!!

    1. Hey auburoid sacfan, “get use” to throwing crap paper down at Toomers for sqeaking out late fourth quarter wins over powerhouses like Wash. St. Was that the gus bus in effect last night? I certainly hope so!

  8. Why are barners on this site trying to act like their team isn’t the biggest piece of shit in the country? Please…give me a freaking break.

  9. Doesn’t matter what you think of VT you retarded dumbass. The only fact in this conversation is that the team you played couldn’t beat UAB or South Alabama and your pathetic team struggled with them to the last possession. Nobody is saying VT is Oregon, shit for brains. But they are a regular national power and down right now or not there are many national pundits such as USAToday and SI and ESPN and CBS who said that VT could have the best defense in the nation and certainly have a top 10 defense. And I agree with the other poster above – I think Arkansas St just might whip your ass. As bad as Bama’s O’line played, which caused the rest of the offense to look bad; such as the receivers not having time to get separation before AJ was forced to throw, and there not being holes for the RB’s, and as bad as the Bama nation thought they played – amazingly the media has not taken that route. For the most part they understand VT’s defense and the learning curve needed for a new O’line. None of them are ready to abandon the Bama ship yet. We’ll still be #1 Tuesday. Where will Aubies dumb asses be? Bwaa Haww Haww! What’s more fuck face, #2 Ohio St looked like shit and didn’t even cover, #3 Oregon ran up the score on one of the worst FCS teams in the country, #4 Stanford didn’t play, #5 Georgia lost, #6 USC beat UNC by 17 – Whoopie Doo, and #7 Texas A&M’s defense looked worse than Bama’s offense and they couldn’t cover against RICE! So what’s your point goat fucker? Aubie will not do better than 6-6 and I’ll do a Pay Pal bet with you anytime. RTR!

  10. Im surprised you could spell pay pal much less know what it is. Good job Crimsonshite. You have to be in complete denial to not see that bama took a MAJOR step backwards. Just look at the majority of the doom and gloom posts on the legitimate alabama sites. You have reason to be mad when a fan of a rival school enjoys anything negative about bama the way you and the rest of the bammer nashun cling to every made up rumor about other schools. Get use to it bubbas. All that crap you have been dishing out is about to fall on your head. lmao. Now go to your 1974 mobile home and sweat out these next 2 weeks worrying about that crappy oline that is part of the best O in bama history. LMAO ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLZA_Z_OEec

    1. Major step backwards, LOL. Oh how the Crimson Tide must haunt your every night when a 25 point win and an ejaculatory perceived chink in the Crimson armor leads you to say something so stupid.

  11. Lets step back and look at the bama vs. VT game. Lets both sides put away our biased opinion and be realistic. … Alabama’s special teams did a fantastic job against what is usually a very dangerous special teams unit at VT. Beamer is usually the ST guru of College football. Ironic that is what really swung momentum in bama’s favor. Then VT offense that is lead by a over rated QB , and missing their #1 option at tailback was just what the DR ordered for the bama defense. THERE IS NOT AN OFFENSE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THAT WILL OUT POWER A SABAN/SMART LEAD DEFENSE. Just not going to work out. They are too big , fast , well coached for that. I can not think of a team other than LSU in recent years that has managed to get a win vs. bama with that style of football. Now with that being said, Saban’s achilles heel is a Spread type offense with some sort of misdirection with a mobile QB. You have to use their aggression against them . You have to have a qb that can use his legs when protection breaks down. Speed up the tempo so it makes it difficult for Saban/Smart to ” out coach ” the opposing coach with better match ups. Here is where the problem exists for bama in their match up with Texas a&m in 2 weeks. You not only have to worry about Johnny Manziel , but they still have a lot of weapons around him on offense. Then throw in the fact of how he ran over the bama D last year and that was with the #1 DB in the country Milner on the field. If Manziel does not take himself out of the game with foolish decisions on or off the field , bama’s D is in for one hell of a work out in 2 weeks. Texas a&m ‘s front 7 on D is no where near as hyped as VT’s was but you can bet they are well coached and also want to prove that last year’s win against bama was not a fluke.

    1. Good take here on your part, although it’s a good day when Saban’s achilles heel is an offense that he normally beats anyway. AU’s narrow improbable 1-pt. win in ’10 and TAMU’s 5-pointer last year aren’t exactly harrowing death nails to be afraid of.

      Still, the spread offers plenty of challenges. But defense isn’t the problem right now; the defense I saw in the Georgia Dome is fast and punishing. With Manziel’s tendencies to try to create something on every play, and immaturity in not knowing when to throw it away, there is a better than average chance he doesn’t finish the game. Even our safeties can break him in half, especially if Sunseri gets hold of him.

      TAMU is well-coached, and it will be a great game for sure. One that the coaching staff, team and fans have been waiting for for about 10 months now.

  12. You’re blowing smoke up your own ass, moron. A&M scored on a fluke play and Bama threw away a td by running stupid plays inside the 5 yard line. Then when Bama would have gotten the ball back on A&M’s side of the field with time left to score, a freshman on the D’line who should have never been in the game to begin with, jumped offsides and gave A&M a first down to run out the clock. So with about 2 minutes left and the game on the line, JFF couldn’t move the ball past his own 10 yard line without help from the officials. So much for Bama’s tired defense and the stupid spread offense. Relative to how A&M normally moves the ball, Bama’s D virtually shut them down with only 8 points in the last 3 quarters. Since A&M had the second best spread offense behind Oregon, then show me, dumbass, where Saban’s defense can’t curb stomp a spread offense. Saturday Manziel’s offense scored 24 points against Rice and the backup QB scored 28. A&M’s defense gave up 31 points and over 500 yards to a pathetic SunBelt team who may have never had a winning season in their history (certainly not a winning record against D1 schools).Bama, even playing like they did Saturday, will run through A&M’s D like a bad case of Diarrhea. What’s more, pathetic l’ill Rice’s defense held A&M to only 485 yards. If Rice can do that then Bama at their worst can hold A&M to less than 300 yards and 21 points, while even Awbie could score 28 against that A&M D. As for Millner you dumbass, we still have 4 future first round picks in the secondary with Mosley, Dix, DePriest and Collins. Belue and Sunseri ‘aint bad either. So I suggest you take your retarded opinions and shove them up your ass – if you can get your doggies dick out long enough. Your piece of shit team has their 3rd curb stomping in a row coming late in November, and that’s what your ass should be worried about. Damn I hate Awbies and Corndogs! Bwaa Haww Haww! RTR!

  13. I see crimsonshite is still a lonely POS that gets his only company in life from mexican truck stop whores. GET OUT OF THE MOBILE HOME SOMETIMES YOU SILLY FUCK TARD! Now when I said the spread was Saban’s “achilles heel” I did not mean he loses every time. I meant the few loses he has had , majority of those came against a spread offense. Auburn. Texas a&m , Florida, Utah, hell even a 2009 Auburn team with Chris Todd of all people at QB had the lead late and scared the hell out of bama. Even LA-MO ran a lot of hurry up no huddle spread in their upset against saban/bama a few years back. There is a reason that Saban wants to slow down the HUNH and it has nothing to do with player safety.

  14. Hey ITK….got an idea for your next ” cartoon “. How about showing Kenny Bell jumping ship, like a rat off of a sinking ship? Has there ever been a key player quit football after the first game of a season? I guess one look at that o line and he knew aj would not have time to get the ball to him.Hey quick quiz….who had the better QB rating after week 1? Marshall or Mccarron?

    1. See, this is why people outside of Alabama hate Auburn. You think they don’t, but they sure love to tell us why they hate you too, and you love to remind us in case we forget. At least you’re not celebrating his leg being broken (did you?). Maybe you did. Not gonna judge though because I don’t know, but wow are you looking for anything you can to hate on Big Brother. Good grief.

      1. Barner hate knows no limits, my friend. They are a delusional, irrational, envious bunch.

        Oh, and we’re still much, much better than them (and always will be!)

  15. Hey motherfucker, who played against a top 10 defense and who played against the Sisters Of Mercy in wheelchairs? Got Pay Pal! Got a $1000 says Marshall ends the season 50 points below McCarron! Retarded troll!

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