No. 21 Missouri (6-1, 2-1) at No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2)
2:30 p.m. CDT Saturday (ABC)
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa
2 More points have been scored by Alabama’s opponents than by the Crimson Tide in the third quarter this season. Alabama’s 50-48 scoring deficit in the third quarter contrasts with the Tide’s 219-99 scoring advantage in the remainder of the game. Missouri has outscored its opponents 61-17 in the third quarter and 139-75 in the rest of the game in 20024.
4 Consecutive games with a fourth-quarter deficit for Alabama, the first time that has happened for the Crimson Tide since the 2007 season. Alabama hadn’t trailed in the fourth quarter of back-to-back games since the Ole Miss and Arkansas games on Oct. 4 and 11, respectively, in 2014. The Tide never had the lead in a 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5. In its 41-34 victory over Georgia on Sept. 28, Alabama trailed 34-33 with 2:31 to play when the Bulldogs scored their third touchdown of the final period. Alabama entered the fourth quarter of 27-25 victory over South Carolina on Oct. 12 trailing 19-14. Tennessee took the lead in its 24-17 victory over the Tide on Oct. 19 with 5:52 to play. Alabama faced four consecutive fourth-quarter deficits during losses to LSU, Mississippi State, Louisiana-Monroe and Auburn in 2007. Between that losing streak and the current four-game streak of fourth-quarter deficits, Alabama trailed in the fourth quarter of 41 of its 226 games, with 23 losses.
5 Consecutive victories for Alabama against Missouri. The Tigers won the first meeting 35-10 in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 28, 1968, then upended Alabama 20-7 at Legion Field on Sept. 8, 1975. The Crimson Tide has won all the meetings since, including the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 6, 2014; Missouri’s only previous visit to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 13, 2018 (also for the Tide’s homecoming game); and the most recent game on Sept. 26, 2020. Alabama currently holds its lowest ranking in the AP Poll for a game against Missouri. The Tide was No. 12 for the Gator Bowl meeting and has been No. 1 four times and No. 2 twice for the other contests against the Tigers.
13 Victories in 16 games against teams ranked in the AP Poll by Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. Among active NCAA FBS coaches, DeBoer ranks second for victories over ranked opponents behind the 18 of Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz has a 6-12 record against ranked opponents since joining the Tigers in 2020.
15 Field goals have been made by Missouri K Blake Craig this season, tied for second in the nation. Craig has attempted 22 field goals in 2024, the most in the nation. Alabama K Graham Nicholson is 2-of-4 on field-goal attempts this season.
17 Years since the previous time that Alabama had two losses before the final Saturday in October. At 5-2, the Crimson Tide has its most losses at this point in the season since it had two in 2007. In the intervening 16 seasons, Alabama lost six games before the final contest in October. The most recent season in which Alabama had three losses entering November is 2006.
21 Consecutive homecoming games have been won by Alabama entering this year’s contest. LSU spoiled the Crimson Tide’s homecoming with a 35-21 victory on Nov. 3, 2001, and Alabama has won its homecoming game annually since. (There was no homecoming game in 2020.)
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41 Consecutive home games have been won in October by Alabama. The Crimson Tide hasn’t been beaten at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the 10th month since South Carolina took a 20-3 victory on Oct. 2, 2004. During that winning streak, Alabama has a 27-8 record on the road in October.
141.3 Rushing yards per game has been the average gained against the Alabama defense this season. The Crimson Tide hasn’t completed a season with a figure that high since 1998, when opponents averaged 147.7 rushing yards per game against an Alabama team that finished with a 7-5 record after a 38-7 loss to Virginia Tech in the Music City Bowl. In the intervening 25 seasons, the Alabama defense held its opponents to an average of fewer than 100 rushing yards per game 11 times. Missouri has averaged 172.9 rushing yards per game in 2024, but leading rusher Nate Noel is expected to miss Saturday’s game. Noel has 503 yards and two touchdowns on 85 rushing attempts this season.
146 Alabama points have been the responsibility of QB Jalen Milroe, the most in the SEC this season. Milroe has 13 TD passes, 11 TD runs and one 2-point conversion pass.
206 Passing yards this season for Missouri QB Drew Pyne, who will play if Brady Cook can’t go. Cook, who has thrown for 8,261 yards and 46 TDs during his Missouri career, sustained an ankle injury last week against Auburn and his status is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game. Pyne has completed 29-of-43 passes for 206 yards with no TDs and no interceptions in his first season at Missouri. Playing for Notre Dame in 2022, Pyne passed for 2,021 yards and 22 TDs.
317 Games have been played by Alabama since it was most recently shut out. Alabama’s scoring streak is the third-longest in SEC history. Alabama’s most recent shutout loss came 9-0 to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
424 Yards per game has been the average output for the Alabama offense this season – 2 more yards per game than the Missouri offense has averaged. The Crimson Tide’s defense has yielded an average of 352 yards per game, and Missouri’s defense has given up an average of 273 yards per game.
649 Receiving yards for Alabama WR Ryan Williams this season, the most of any freshman in the nation. Williams has seven TD receptions among his 31 catches, the most for an Alabama freshman since Calvin Ridley had seven in 2015. The Alabama freshman record is 11 TD receptions by Amari Cooper in 2012.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
