Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Western Carolina game week coverage
The Alabama Crimson Tide now 9-1 will take on FCS foe Western Carolina this weekend at 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. Stay with BamaInsider.com during the week for complete game coverage.
Nick Saban talks Facetiming with Tua, Senior Day, and relationship with Bill Belichick
WEDNESDAY INSIDER REPORT: Raekwon Davis still missing from practice
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama worked outside again Wednesday as it held its second practice in preparation for Saturday’s game against Western Carolina. Players were dressed in full pads as they worked under sunny, 67-degree weather. Here are some notes from the media viewing period.
— Mac Jones led the quarterbacks followed by Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson. The unit participated in footwork drills before tossing balls to the running backs and receivers.
“Mac can move good,” receiver DeVonta Smith said. “That's what people really don't see out of Mac because Mac is the type he's going to stay in the pocket but Mac can really move. Just nobody's seen it yet.”
— Raekwon Davis (ankle) was absent for a second straight day. Fellow defensive linemen D.J. Dale (knee) and Phidarian Mathis were dressed out and present during the viewing period, but both were wearing shoes and did not participate in drills.
— Receiver Henry Ruggs III (bruised ribs) returned to practice but did not partake in drills with the rest of the receivers.
Inside the numbers: Alabama vs. Western Carolina
Alabama by the numbers
133 — Jerry Jeudy needs 133 receiving yards to reach 1,000 on the season. Alabama already has one 1,000-yard receiver this season in DeVonta Smith, who has recorded 1,026 yards through the air through 10 games. If Jeudy reaches the milestone it will mark the first time in Alabama’s history that it has two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season.
124 — Speaking of reaching the 1,000-yard mark, Najee Harris needs 124 more rushing yards to attain the milestone on the ground. Through 10 games, the junior has rushed for 876 yards and nine touchdowns, the same totals Damien Harris recorded through 15 games last season. Najee has done it on six fewer carries.
69.2 — Mac Jones has completed 69.2 percent of his passes this season. That percentage would rank No. 12 in the nation if he had enough passes to qualify. Tua Tagovailoa is sixth in the nation with a 71.4 completion percentage.
12 — Alabama (9-1, 6-1 in the SEC) entered November with no more than one loss for the 12th straight season. Only one other FBS program has done that since 1950, the Nebraska Cornhuskers under Tom Osborne. In those 12 seasons, the Crimson Tide has entered November undefeated eight times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). If Alabama beats Western Carolina it will secure its 12th straight 10-win season.
1.3 — Alabama is tied for No. 2 in the nation with a 1.3 turnover margin. The Crimson Tide has forced 20 turnovers (nine fumbles, 11 interceptions) and has given up the ball seven times (three fumbles, four interceptions).
Western Carolina by the numbers
56 — Western Carolina is 0-56 against FBS schools. The Catamounts are 0-20 all-time against the SEC, 0-4 against ranked FBS schools and 0-4 against Alabama.
15 — Western Carolina returned 15 out of a possible 25 starters between its offense, defense, and special teams. That includes six starters on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.
14 — A combined 14 Western Carolina football players share a last name – none of which are related. There are three players with the last name of Harris, three with the last name of Smith, two with Johnson, two with Jones, two with Mullen and two with Young.
7 — Receiver Daquan Patten, son of former NFL receiver David Patten, is 7 yards shy of 1,000 yards for his career over the last three seasons.
3 — Western Carolina has scored on its first offensive play from scrimmage three times this season. That includes a 69-yard Tyrie Adams pass to Jaylin Young at Wofford, a 78-yard TD pass from Adams to Donnavan Spencer at VMI and a 25-yard TD pass from Adams to Spencer vs. Samford.
Tuesday Insider Report: Mac Jones and Taulia Tagovailoa lead the quarterbacks
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama worked outside Tuesday as it held its first practice in preparation for the game against Western Carolina on Saturday. Players were dressed in full pads and worked under sunny, 67-degree weather. Here are some notes from the media viewing period.
— Defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (ankle) and receiver Henry Ruggs III (bruised ribs) were absent from the viewing period. Defensive linemen D.J. Dale (knee) and Phidarian Mathis were dressed out while wearing sneakers. Neither took part in drills. All four players are listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
— Freshman defensive back Scooby Carter was also missing from practice after putting his name into the NCAA transfer portal Monday night.
— The remaining defensive linemen worked in pairs as Byron Young and Tevita Musika led the way followed by Justin Eboigbe and Christian Barmore. Braylen Ingraham worked with Stephon Wynn Jr. in the third group, while Ishmael Sopsher was in the fourth group.
Alabama's OL a semifinalist for Joe Moore Award
The Alabama offensive line was selected as one of 10 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, the Foundation for Teamwork announced on Tuesday.
The Alabama offensive line has opened holes and provided time for a Crimson Tide offense that is third nationally in passing (347.7 ypg), No. 4 in scoring (46.8 ppg) and ranks eighth in total offense (510.4 ypg). The Tide’s offensive line has only surrendered 11 sacks all season and ranks seventh in Division I in sack percentage (one allowed every 29.7 attempts) and eighth in sacks per game (1.1).
The Joe Moore Award is presented annually to the nation's top offensive line unit. Alabama is joined on the semifinalist list by Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
The award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history and is the only major college football award to honor a unit. The award annually recognizes the nation's most outstanding offensive line unit that best displays toughness, effort, teamwork, physicality, tone setting and finishing. Alabama previously won the award in 2015 in its first year of existence. Finalists for this year’s award will be announced Dec. 10.
WATCH: Nick Saban gets emotional when talking about Tua Tagovailoa
Jedrick Wills Jr. talks Tua's injury and the offense moving forward
Just in
CBS has announced the kickoff time for Alabama and Auburn next weekend which will be at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Quick Hits
Alabama names seven players of the week following game against Mississippi State
Offense: Tua Tagovailoa and Jedrick Wills Jr.
Defense: Shyheim Carter, Trevon Diggs and Anfernee Jennings
Special teams: Jordan Battle and Joseph Bulovas
Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith are semifinalists for the Biletnikoff
Alabama wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith were selected as semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced on Monday morning.
Alabama has had two winners in program history, including Jeudy, who is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner from a season ago. Also taking home the hardware was Amari Cooper in 2014.
Jeudy leads all Tide receivers with 64 catches totaling 867 yards and nine touchdowns. The junior wideout leads UA with 44 catches that have gone for a first down or touchdown this season while he is tied for the team lead in explosive plays of 16-plus yards with 23 in 10 games. The Deerfield Beach, Fla., native ranks fifth on the Alabama career receiving yards list with 2,446 and has totaled nine games of 100-plus yards receiving, including four of 10 matchups in 2019.
A big-play threat every time he touches the ball, Smith has totaled a career-high 56 catches for 1,026 yards, a number that is second in the SEC and sixth nationally. He has added 11 touchdown receptions to lead all Alabama pass-catchers and ranks second in the league while tying for sixth nationally in that category. In 2019 alone, Smith has recorded two 200-plus yard receiving games, making him the first Crimson Tide wideout to achieve that feat since Cooper in 2014.
The duo is part of a group of 12 pass-catchers selected as semifinalists for the Biletnikoff. The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the season’s outstanding college receiver at any position that may receive a legal forward pass. The 2019 winner will be announced live on Dec. 12 at The Home Depot College Football Awards at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga.
The last time Alabama and Western Carolina played was in 2014
Henderson's Call-in show
WestGate Luxury Condos - To be any closer, you'd need a ticket
Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
Contact Andrew Bone for all of your real estate needs; buyers, sellers, investors, developers. Property management; BoneHomeTours.com Call 205-531-5577 or click here
