Things were going so well for Kentucky.
Entering Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday night as 35-point underdogs, the Wildcats played the top-ranked Crimson Tide to a 3-3 standoff in the first quarter and were down just 10-3 midway through the second with the ball just across midfield.
Then Alabama’s defense did what Alabama’s defense does.
Linebacker Rashaan Evans stripped the ball from quarterback Stephen Johnson, and safety Ronnie Harrison gathered the fumble and raced 55 yards for a back-breaking touchdown. The Crimson Tide cruised from there in a 34-6 victory.
“They definitely can change a game quickly,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “You know you’re in for a tough matchup all night, because of how good defensively they are, so you need to play great defense and special teams, and you have to keep the game close and get your shots and opportunities when you have them. That turnover was so critical, because it was 10-3 at the time, and we were in good field position to at least punt and back them up.
“When they scoop and score, it became extremely difficult against a great team like Alabama, and especially in that environment, because now their crowd is into it, and their defense is fired up because they get to pin their ears back.”
Stoops is merely the latest to experience an Alabama defensive touchdown, with the Crimson Tide having produced five through their first five games entering Saturday night’s game at Arkansas. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown in the opening 52-6 rout of Southern California, and safety Eddie Jackson had a 55-yard interception return in Alabama’s ensuing 38-10 defeat of Western Kentucky.
In Alabama’s biggest game to date, a 48-43 win at Ole Miss on Sept. 17, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne returned a fumble 3 yards for a touchdown and defensive end Jonathan Allen returned a fumble 75 yards for a score.
“We definitely want to keep it going,” Harrison said in a news conference after the win over Kentucky. “We pride ourselves on making plays and giving our offense some leeway in making plays. It’s a great thing we want to keep going.
“I was like the only DB who hadn’t scored a touchdown, so it felt good to get one.”
Alabama’s five defensive scores match the number of touchdowns the Tide defense has allowed. The Tide also have scored twice on special teams, and their 21 offensive scores are countered by just one score by an opposing defense, with Ole Miss accomplishing that.
“I didn’t even know that, so I guess I am surprised,” Tide coach Nick Saban said when asked about defensive scores. “We do a lot of work on attacking the ball and trying to get the ball out. We’re always harping on, ‘Get more turnovers. Get more turnovers,’ and I think when you get those turnovers and you have those kinds of players who are focused on those kinds of things, you’re going to have more opportunities to do that.
“Whether it’s playing good pass defense, getting balls tipped or putting pressure and affecting the quarterback – all these things as a team is what helps you do those kinds of things. I hope that we can continue to do this to some degree for the rest of the season.”
Coincidentally, the scores by Humphrey, Jackson and Harrison each occurred in the second quarter and turned a 10-3 lead into 17-3.
Ole Miss actually had a 17-3 lead in the second quarter against Alabama and made it 24-3 when John Youngblood returned a Jalen Hurts fumble 44 yards for a touchdown. An 85-yard punt return for a score by Jackson pulled the Tide within 24-17 shortly before halftime, and Alabama tied the game early in the third quarter when outside linebacker Ryan Anderson slammed into Chad Kelly, causing the fumble that Payne picked up.
Kelly shredded the Tide for 421 passing yards on a Rebels offense that amassed 522, but Alabama’s two defensive touchdowns proved to be the difference.
“It’s a huge momentum shift,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said, “and when you’re playing teams of that caliber, it’s very difficult to give them immediate scores off of turnovers and expect to win. It’s a demoralizing period in the game for sure when those things happen, and they seem to be very opportunistic and good at it.
“Our ball security was poor, but they created the pressure that caused us to get uncomfortable.”
Alabama’s five defensive touchdowns are the most under Saban since the 2008 team also had five, so the next such score will set a new standard. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema just hopes it doesn’t come at his expense.
“Whatever you emphasize with players, you have a better chance to get,” Saban said, “and that’s always been our philosophy. Attacking the ball is the thing we’ve emphasized the most, and it’s not about the resulting touchdown.”
Said Bielema: “Unfortunately, it’s a stat that’s very, very important to winning games, and they do a lot of it. It’s another great measuring stick of why they’ve been so successful. They truly capitalize on every opportunity.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.