Alabama heard that they were next. They heard from others that perhaps there were cracks in this team’s armor. Two easy but perhaps not overwhelming wins over outmatched opposition had some wondering if this was the best team in college football despite their current #1 ranking.
Then Saturday came, and with it, a performance unlike any seen in Alabama history. In a 59-0 demolition of a then-unbeaten Vanderbilt that had just come off a win over a ranked Kansas State squad and had the nation’s #1 statistical defense, the Crimson Tide produced these eye-popping statistics:
- Alabama outgained Vanderbilt 677-78, a 599 yard difference. That is the largest margin in a game in Alabama history.
- The 677 yards of total offense is second in Alabama single-game history and the most in a game since 1973.
- Alabama had 38 first downs, a school record for a single game. Vanderbilt ran 38 offensive plays.
- Six different Alabama players had at least 40 yards rushing, as Alabama had 496 total. They averaged 7.5 yards per carry as a team.
- Vanderbilt never had a drive of more than six plays or sixteen yards, had three first downs, and never crossed their own 45-yard line in the game.
It’s safe to say that the nation took notice.
When you graduate the NCAA FBS all-time leading rusher, you’d think you’re in for a downturn in offensive rushing production. San Diego State hasn’t missed a beat. Donnell Pumphrey had 6,405 rushing yards for the Aztecs, but now Rashaad Penny carries the load. He had a somewhat low-output day in the rain against Air Force, running for 128 yards (well below his former average of 196 a game), but had three touchdowns, including a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as SDSU improved to 4-0 with a 28-24 win over the Falcons. Penny currently ranks second in the FBS this year with 716 rushing yards. San Diego State looks like the class of the Group of Five conferences, but they should be on their guard. Northern Illinois comes to town this weekend, and the Huskies already have a win over Nebraska on their record…
There may not be many quieter 4-0 records out there than Duke. The Blue Devils, after having won only four games last year, reached the mark in the most satisfying manner imaginable, beating rival North Carolina 27-17 on Saturday. The win was their second straight over the Tar Heels, only the second time that’s happened since 1989. Both sides of the ball are playing well for Duke, with the average final score of a game at 41-15, but their defense is especially good right now. The rush defense is currently second in the country, only allowing 65.3 yards per game, and is best in the country at third-down conversion percentage, only allowing a first down 14% of the time.
In small-school news, small schools don’t always mean small crowds. Minnesota schools St. John’s and St. Thomas played their annual rivalry game at Target Field in Minneapolis in front of 37,355 people, by far the largest crowd to ever witness a Division III college football game. The previous record was set last year between Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Wisconsin-Whitewater (17,535). For more perspective, the 37,355 in attendance was a larger figure than half of the 40 bowl games played last season and the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers’ first home game attendance. Oh, the game itself? St. Thomas won, 20-17, to keep the “Holy Grail” trophy and extend their win streak in the series to four games, their longest in the series since 1954-1957. St. John’s holds a 51-35-1 lead in a series that began in 1901.
Congratulations to G8rBamaLvr, who wins week 4 in a tie-breaker over TigerEyes17! They each finished with 235 points. Crimson Gator and pachyderm were each one point behind, with 234 points.
Standings after four weeks:
| 1st | JagAL | 941 |
| 2nd | Ralphie | 938 |
| T-3rd | JagRag | 935 |
| T-3rd | Bamarock | 935 |
| T-5th | Crimson Gator | 931 |
| T-5th | Paul Herron | 931 |
| 7th | AUBrian | 930 |
| 8th | Publius | 929 |
| T-9th | AllySun | 928 |
| T-9th | G8rBamaLvr | 928 |
We are in the thick of the conference season! Historically, that generally means the picks get tougher. A comparatively small slate of seventeen games awaits you this week, so points will be at a premium! The first game this week is Miami (FL) at Duke, Friday, September 29 @ 7 PM ET, so make sure to get your picks in by then!