Tech

Jalen Hurts leads No. 1 Alabama past Fresno State, 41-10

Adam Floyd
Sep 12, 2017     
Jalen Hurts leads No. 1 Alabama past Fresno State, 41-10

The Crimson Tide scored on the second play of the game when Jalen Hurts took a carry to the right side and cut it up field for a 55-yard touchdown.

It took Alabama just two plays to find the end zone.

Offensively, Alabama football averages 24.0 points and 269.0 total yards, 96.0 in passing and 173.0 in rushing per game.

Hurts also hit a wide-open Hentges for a 23-yarder in the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts accounted for 282 yards individually, posting 154 yards on 10 carries, and went 14-of-18 through the air for 128 yards.

Alabama (2-0) polished off the 44-point underdog Bulldogs (1-1) with a workmanlike performance on the heels of a hard-hitting opening victory over No. 10 Florida State in Atlanta. Time is winding down before the Tide's trip to Vanderbilt in two weeks, so Tagovailoa is primed to see some action if (when) Saturday's game becomes a farce.

"I thought he did a pretty good job in the game", Saban said.

For the second week in a row Alabama did not turn over the football and compared to six punts in week one, Alabama only punted three times against Fresno State.

Saban referred to first-year Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford (formerly California's head man) as "a really good offensive coach" but the Bulldogs will be hard-pressed to compete with the Crimson Tide.

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Alabama outgained the Bulldogs 305-58 on the ground.

Fresno State responded by going 70 yards on nine plays to set up a 27-yard field goal, making it 14-3 Alabama with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

Quinten Dormady was 13 of 18 for 194 yards with two touchdown passes to go along with two turnovers - one fumble and an interception. It has to happen sooner or later, but will this be the week that an Alabama opponent finally gets a takeaway?

Following back-to-back Bulldog punts, the Crimson Tide drove the ball down the field easily, using six plays and amassing 77 yards in just 2:29, finishing the drive with a five-yard touchdown run by junior running back Damien Harris.

Kenny Hill was 21-of-31 passing for 166 yards for TCU, and the Horned Frogs held the Razorbacks to 267 yards of total offense - a week after allowing only 65 yards in a 63-0 victory over Jackson State. He connected with Henry Ruggs, III on a 16-yard touchdown pass for the game's final score.

Alabama had four of its top linebackers on the sidelines with injuries, with Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis out for the season.

"But it wasn't a flawless game - I wasn't 100 percent (passing), we had some mistakes offensively, special teams and defensively (we) had some mistakes I'm sure", Hurts said.

Colorado State is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games against a team with a winning record and 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 non-conference games while the over is 5-2 in their last 7 games overall.