Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 JAN. 1, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED All are higher than Tagovailoa's sin- gle-season bests. Jones leads the country with a 202.3 passer rating and has thrown 32 touchdowns (second nationally) with just four interceptions. His completion rate is on pace to be the second-highest single-season figure in Football Bowl Subdivision history. Pro Football Focus also gave the Crimson Tide signal-caller the highest grade (95.3) in college football this sea- son. It also happens to be the top single- season QB grade in the PFF College era, surpassing the marks posted by LSU's Joe Burrow (94.9 in 2019), and Okla- homa's Kyler Murray (94.6 in 2018) and Baker Mayfield (94.6 in 2017). Jones' top target is senior wide re- ceiver DeVonta Smith, the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on the day the CFP field was set. He has disposed of coverage with envi- able ease and surpassed 160 receiving yards seven times. In 11 games, he has 98 catches, 1,511 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns — the kind of season that erases the loss of two top-15 picks (Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy). Like Notre Dame, Alabama's offen- sive line is one of three finalists for the Joe Moore Award. The Crimson Tide has allowed the ninth-fewest tackles for loss per game and the 25th-fewest sacks per game. They clear paths for senior running back Najee Harris, who has rushed for 1,262 yards (5.9 per carry) and a nation-best 24 touch- downs. Ask Saban and Harris about the ground game, and they'll deflect to the importance of the front five and allow them in the spotlight. "Our offensive line has been the rea- son we've been so successful and pro- ductive on offense," Saban said. "They control the line of scrimmage. We cre- ate tremendous balance in our ability to run the ball as well as throw it. "That's what makes us different. It was important we control the time of possession and tempo." But like Notre Dame, the offensive line is missing a critical member. Fifth- year senior center Landon Dickerson was injured in the SEC Championship win over Florida Dec. 19. There was no official word on the injury as of Dec. 22, but in a media session the follow- ing day, Saban hinted at the severity of it by noting "he's hard to replace." As if Smith, Harris and Jones weren't enough, Alabama remains an upper-echelon defensive team. It has ranked in the top 25 in yards al- lowed per play each of the last three seasons, though outside the top-five spot it occupied almost yearly from 2010-17. The Crimson Tide is cur- rently ninth in defensive SP+. Alabama is in the top 25 for sacks per game (24th, 2.91), takeaways (tied for seventh, 21), yards per carry (12th, 3.17), passes defended per game (fifth, 6.0) and pass efficiency defense (25th, 121.17). The holes, though, are in allowing big gains. Alabama has given up 12 plays of at least 40 yards, tied for 95th in the FBS. It is allowing nearly four 20-yard gains per outing. That's where the door may swing open for Notre Dame to keep pace. Individual talent is plentiful. Junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II has the defense's flashiest numbers. Per Pro Football Focus, he allows a 42 percent catch rate and a reception every 24.2 coverage snaps (third among FBS cor- ners). PFF has credited him with 12 forced incompletions, second in the Power Five. No FBS cornerback has a higher PFF press coverage grade. The front seven is a younger unit, but it remains productive. Fresh- man linebacker Will Anderson leads the FBS in pressures (52), per PFF. Redshirt sophomore lineman Chris- tian Barmore is a productive inte- rior rusher who also has three forced fumbles and three batted passes. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: ALABAMA Junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II has allowed catches on just 42 percent of passes thrown at him and ranked second among Power Five outside corners in most forced incompletions (12) per PFF. PHOTO COURTESY CRIMSON TIDE PHOTOS/UA ATHLETICS 2020 ALABAMA SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 26 at Missouri W, 38-19 Oct. 3 Texas A&M W, 52-24 Oct. 10 at Ole Miss W, 63-48 Oct. 17 Georgia W, 41-24 Oct. 24 at Tennessee W, 48-17 Oct. 31 Mississippi State W, 41-0 Nov. 21 Kentucky W, 63-3 Nov. 28 Auburn W, 42-13 Dec. 5 at LSU W, 55-17 Dec. 12 at Arkansas W, 52-3 Dec. 19 vs. Florida* W, 52-46 Jan. 1 vs. Notre Dame^ (ESPN) 4 p.m. * SEC Championship in Atlanta ^ College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl at Arlington, Texas 2020 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 12 Duke W, 27-13 Sept. 19 South Florida W, 52-0 Oct. 10 Florida State W, 42-26 Oct. 17 Louisville W, 12-7 Oct. 24 at Pittsburgh W, 45-3 Oct. 31 at Georgia Tech W, 31-13 Nov. 7 Clemson W, 47-40 (2OT) Nov. 14 at Boston College W, 45-31 Nov. 27 at North Carolina W, 31-17 Dec. 5 Syracuse W, 45-21 Dec. 19 vs. Clemson* L, 34-10 Jan. 1 vs. Alabama^ (ESPN) 4 p.m. * ACC Championship in Charlotte, N.C. ^ College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl at Arlington, Texas