Alabama Football: Surprising statistics from the 2020 season
By Dakota Cox
The stats for Alabama football may surprise you
With only one game left in the college football season, most of the narrative has been determined. We know who thrived and who struggled. DeVonta Smith won the Heisman, and Alabama football will at least be a top-two team at the end of the year.
While the narratives are set in stone, the data to back them up is a little surprising. While looking at the Crimson Tide’s 2020 stats, some things jumped off of the page. Here were the biggest surprises from offense and special teams.
Jase McClellan is averaging 10.7 yards a carry
To be fair, McClellan only has 23 carries on the season, and he has broken off a couple of big runs. Still, this average is absolutely ridiculous. He is using his speed and agility to reach the second level of the defense on a consistent basis. With Najee Harris and Brian Robinson likely leaving for the NFL, Jase McClellan will compete to be the starter next season. With this solid of a 2020 campaign, fans can see why he is the future of Alabama’s running back room.
Alabama’s balance on offense is truly staggering
We expected Alabama to be balanced on offense. When you begin the year with the best running back in college football and two first-round locks at receiver, you obviously can do just about anything offensively. Still, Alabama has stuck to the script so far. Including garbage time, the Crimson Tide have scored 35 rushing touchdowns. Alabama has also scored 37 passing touchdowns. You can add in the dominance of their best players to show the balance as well. Najee Harris has 24 rushing touchdowns, and DeVonta Smith has 20 receiving touchdowns. That shouldn’t be possible, but Alabama has made it work this season.
DeVonta Smith is averaging 24.3 yards per punt return
It’s dangerous to start your best players on special teams, but it’s clear why Nick Saban does it. Alabama football has a distinct advantage when Smith is out there returning punts. He covers nearly a quarter of the field when he can return one, and that type of gain is massive.
The biggest part of the equation is that teams are also scared to punt to Smitty. If you don’t have a quality punter, you either have to settle for short punts or risk Smith returning one for a touchdown.