He supplanted AJ McCarron for the passing touchdowns mark last week and in the first half against Auburn, Tua Tagovailoa stamped his name to another single-season record for the University of Alabama as it holds a 17-14 lead at halftime.
He tallied two scores (one passing, one rushing) to put him at 37 on the year, which sets a new output for total touchdowns in a season. Jalen Hurts previously held the mark at 36, going back to his performance as a freshman in 2016. Tagovailoa completed 14 of 20 attempts for 116 passing yards, while totaling 36 yards rushing on three carries to pair with both scoring efforts.
Henry Ruggs III leads the Crimson Tide in receiving with 40 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. The sophomore leads the team in touchdown receptions (nine) and is now tied with former receiver Dennis Howman (1967) for fifth in history for scoring receptions in a season.
Jerry Jeudy has 31 receiving yards on four catches, and six players caught at least one pass from Tagovailoa in the first half. Damien Harris, who was cleared from concussion protocol this week, has 25 yards rushing on five carries. Josh Jacobs falls behind him with 16 yards on four rushes.
Despite shutting down Jarrett Stidham, Auburn’s offense has managed to rush for a score and pull a gadget for touchdown as wide receiver Ryan Davis tossed a scoring pass.
Saivion Smith and LaBryan Ray lead Alabama with four tackles apiece.
Linebacker Mack Wilson stands with three others — Shyheim Carter, Deionte Thompson and Raekwon Davis — with three total tackles. Carter also shares a tackle for loss and has two pass breakups.
The Tide has four players with at least two tackles – including safety Xavier McKinney, who shares a tackle for loss and has a quarterback pressure.
Alabama held Auburn to 123 yards of offense in the first half; however, it needs to maintain focus on trick plays and continue holding the edge against the run in the second half.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
