Even After Georgia Southern’s Big Day, Bama Still On Top Of National Defensive Stats

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All week, Nick Saban tried to warn Alabama players, fans and media that Georgia Southern’s wishbone-style attack could pose problems for the Crimson Tide’s vaunted defense.  Turns out, he was right.

The Eagles put up 21 points (though 7 came on a kick return), 341 total yards and 302 rushing yards in Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday.  For a squad hoping to become the first since Oklahoma in 1986 to lead the nation in the top four defensive team stats, that’s the kind of day that can ruin a season’s worth of work.  So did it?

Nope.  Bama had a big enough lead in most categories that even Saturday’s slip-up didn’t knock the Tide down a peg in any of the main statistical areas. 


Scoring Defense
1.  Alabama — 8.4
2.  LSU — 10.0
3.  Penn State — 13.0

Rushing Defense
1.  Alabama — 74.6
2.  Georgia — 81.2
3.  Florida State — 84.3

Passing Defense
1.  Alabama — 121.3
2.  South Carolina — 137.5
3.  Wisconsin — 146.8

Total Defense
1.  Alabama — 195.9
2.  LSU — 247.9
3.  Michigan State — 257.3


Barring a huge offensive performance by Auburn in this weekend’s Iron Bowl, it appears as though Bama will match the Sooners’ feat from a quarter-century ago.