Alabama’s 20-19 topping of Texas last weekend marked the 54th consecutive regular season win by the Crimson Tide over a nonconference opponent.
The last nonconference foe to defeat Alabama? Louisiana-Monroe. This week’s visitor to Bryant-Denny Stadium? Louisiana-Monroe.
“I remember when these guys beat us,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said this week in a news conference. “I know that our players won’t remember that, because history sometimes is not that important, and they were only 5 or 6 years old when that happened.”
Before Alabama started reeling off national championships under Saban, and there have been six of those since 2009, there was his first team in 2007 that needed a 30-24 defeat of Colorado in the Independence Bowl to secure a winning season at 7-6. The Crimson Tide peaked that year in a 41-17 thumping of Tennessee, giving them a 6-2 record and a No. 17 ranking in the Associated Press poll, but they would lose games down the stretch against LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn.
And against the Warhawks, falling 21-14 to deliver Saban the most stunning setback of his coaching career.