19 for 19: Which Alabama players can break records this season?
Free 30-Days | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram
Forums: TOC | Recruiting with Andrew Bone | Contact Us
Alabama will begin its quest for an 18th national title on Aug. 31 when the Crimson Tide takes on Duke inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. To help pass the time until then, BamaInsider is answering 19 important questions concerning the 2019 season.
Today we continue the series by taking a look at three Alabama players who could be in a position to break school records this season.
Tua Tagovailoa
Career passing yards.
Record holder: AJ McCarron — 9,019 yards
Where Tagovailoa stands: 4,602 yards
Outlook: This would be a nice feather for Tagovailoa to add to his hat before his likely departure to the NFL next year. Last season, Tagovailoa set Alabama’s single-season passing record with 3,966 yards. He’d need to throw for 4,417 yards to match McCarron’s record. While that’s a big jump, Tagovailoa will likely receive more snaps now that Jalen Hurts has departed. The junior will also have the nation’s top offense at his disposal.
Will he break it?
This one is probably just out of Tagovailoa’s reach unless he decides to return for his senior season. Keep in mind, McCarron set this mark over four seasons, including three as a starter. While Tagovailoa is certainly capable of breaking the record, Alabama would likely have to leave him on the field during blowouts. That would be an unnecessary risk for a program that prides itself on team goals over individual achievements.
Career passing touchdowns
Record holder: AJ McCarron — 77 touchdowns
Where Tagovailoa stands: 54 touchdowns
Outlook: This is another prestigious milestone on Tagovailoa’s road to becoming the top quarterback in school history. It also seems very attainable. After passing for a school-record 43 touchdowns last year, Tagovailoa needs only 23 to match McCarron’s mark.
Will he break it?
Barring a significant injury, yes. Last season, Tagovailoa threw his 23rd touchdown pass during the Week 8 victory over Tennessee. This record should be wrapped up around the same time this season.
Career total yards
Record holder: AJ McCarron — 8,969 total yards
Where Tagovailoa stands: 4,925 total yards
Outlook: This is where Tagovailoa can really set himself apart from past Alabama quarterbacks. Unlike some of the pure pocket passers currently ahead of him on this list, Tagovailoa’s dual-threat ability allows him to pick up yards both through the air and with his feet.
Will he break it?
Unlike the career passing yard mark, this one seems more attainable. Last year, Tagovailoa set the school’s single-season mark with 4,156 combined yards. He would only need 4,044 to match McCarron this season. That being said, reaching the milestone would likely require Alabama to once again reach the national championship game.
Career total touchdowns
Record holder: AJ McCarron — 80
Where Tagovailoa stands: 61
Outlook: Much like the record for passing touchdowns, this would help cement Tagovailoa’s legacy as perhaps the Crimson Tide’s best ever quarterback.
Will he break it?
Yes. It would be hard for Tagovailoa not to break this record. McCarron was the last Alabama starting quarterback to finish with less than 19 touchdowns in a season, accounting for 18 (16 passing, two rushing) during his redshirt sophomore season in 2011. He played in just 13 games that season.
Single-game passing yards
Record holder: Scott Hunter — 484 passing yards (1969 against Auburn)
Tagovailoa’s best: 387 passing yards (2018 against Texas A&M)
Outlook: It’s not just career records Tagovailoa is after. Last season, he tied the single-game touchdown record with five against Auburn. Depending on the situation, he could be in store for more big games this season.
Will he break it?
While Tagovailoa might play deeper into games this season, it’d likely take a special scenario for this to play out. Nick Saban isn’t one to run up scores, so a blowout would likely see Alabama take to the ground to milk the clock. Chances are, this would have to come in the playoffs against a team that was going back and forth with Alabama.
Single game total yards
Record holder: Blake Sims — 484 total yards (2014 against Florida)
Tagovailoa’s best game: 397 total yards (2018 against Texas A&M)
Outlook: Interestingly enough, this record is the same amount of yards as the single-game passing mark, but it’s set by a different person. Sims passed for 445 yards and ran for another 39 yards during a 42-21 victory over Florida in 2014, proving it is possible to reach the mark under Saban.
Will he break it?
This might be a bit more reachable given Tagovailoa’s ability to pick up yards through the air. Still, the left-hander would have to have a few things break in his favor. Two of Sims’ four touchdowns passes during the record-breaking game traveled 75 or more yards through the air. Tagovailoa showed a penchant for big plays last season which makes this possible.
Jerry Jeudy
Career receiving touchdowns
Record holder: Amari Cooper — 31
Where Jeudy stands: 16
Outlook: Jeudy and Cooper stand alone as the only two Alabama receivers to earn the Biletnikoff Award handed out to the nation’s best receiver. Assuming Jeudy, a projected top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft, leaves after this season, he has little chance of reaching Cooper’s career receiving yard record of 3,463 yards. Entering his junior season, Jeudy sits at just 1,579 yards and would need to destroy Cooper’s single-season record of 1,727 yards to pass him for No. 1 on the school’s all-time list.
A much more attainable route at history is by finding the end zone. After reeling in 14 touchdown passes last season, Jeudy is at 16, putting him at least in striking range of Cooper’s record of 31.
Will he break it?
This is a twofer as Jeudy would have to break Cooper’s single-season receiving touchdown mark of 16 in order to pass him in career touchdown receptions. While difficult, Jeudy pulled in 14 touchdowns through the air last season and will have even more chemistry with Tagovailoa this season. Perhaps his biggest hurdle will be Alabama’s loaded wide receiver unit.
Will Reichard
Single-season field goals
Record holder: Leigh Tiffin — 30 (2009)
Outlook: We’re getting ahead of ourselves here, but hang with us. No, Reichard hasn’t been named Alabama’s starting kicker. Even if he is, we haven’t seen him kick in an actual game. However, given his pedigree and how good the Crimson Tide’s offense projects to be, it’s not inconceivable that the freshman could have a historic season.
Will he break it?
This might not be a record Alabama wants to be broken. The Crimson Tide attempted just 20 total field goals last season as most of its drives went for touchdowns. Tiffin made 30 of his 35 attempts (85.7 percent) during the 2009 season. However, Alabama’s offense ranked No. 43 in the nation that year. A near-perfect season from Reichard combined with a frustrating red-zone percentage might result in a record-breaking season, but it isn’t something Alabama fans should root for.
Single-season extra points
Record holder: Joseph Bulovas — 75 (2018)
Outlook: This is a record Alabama fans can get behind. If Reichard wins the placekicking job, he’ll likely get plenty of opportunities at extra points as the Crimson Tide’s high-powered offense racks up touchdowns. While this record has more to say about Alabama’s offense, Alabama doesn’t need a reminder that extra points aren’t always automatic.
Will he break it?
Why not? Assuming Reichard is in charge of extra points, he’s in a good position to achieve this milestone. After all, Bulovas holds the record despite missing on a shocking six attempts last season. Reichard was perfect on all 109 of his extra-point attempts during his high school career, so they shouldn’t be an issue for him.