NCAAF Game Recap - Fresno State at Alabama
Sat Sep 9, 2017 3:30 PM EDT

Fres
10
Bama
41
F
Okla
31
OSU
16
F
Aub
6
Clem
14
F
Pitt
14
PSU
33
F
Stan
24
USC
42
F
Mont
7
Wash
63
F
Cin
14
Mich
36
F
FlAtl
14
Wisc
31
F
OkSt
44
SoAl
7
F
Chat
10
LSU
45
F
UGA
20
ND
19
F
Lou
47
UNC
35
F
Del
0
VaTec
27
F
UNCC
7
K St
55
F
Boise
44
WaSt
47
F(2OT)
TCU
28
Ark
7
F
InSt
7
Tenn
42
F
SamHu
44
PVAM
31
F
IdSt
13
UtSt
51
F
AlcSt
10
FLInt
17
F
Ohio
21
Purd
44
F
Buff
17
Army
21
F
UT-M
23
Miss
45
F
Iowa
44
IASt
41
F OT
ECU
20
WVU
56
F
Tows
17
MD
63
F
E Ky
16
KY
27
F
NW
17
Duke
41
F
JacSt
10
GATec
37
F
Wake
34
BC
10
F
TxSt
3
Colo
37
F
UAB
31
Ball
51
F
E Il
10
NIU
38
F
Sav
7
App
54
F
Tul
21
Navy
23
F
APSU
10
MiaOH
31
F
How
31
Kent
38
F
Abil
10
ColSt
38
F
SJSU
0
Tex
56
F
Ind
34
UVA
17
F
Vill
13
Temp
16
F
MidTN
30
Syr
23
F
E Mi
16
Rut
13
F
WestMI
14
MSU
28
F
OD
17
UMass
7
F
GWebb
0
Wyo
27
F
AlaAM
0
Vand
42
F
ULLaf
42
Tuls
66
F
C Mi
45
Kans
27
F
UNH
22
GaSo
12
F
Neb
35
Oreg
42
F
Hawaii
23
UCLA
56
F
Web
20
Cal
33
F
Mor
17
Lib
58
F
AlaSt
7
Troy
34
F
Marsh
20
NCSt
37
F
(N/A)
10
JMU
52
F
SD
35
BGSU
27
F
ArkPB
3
Akr
52
F
Toled
37
NEV
24
F
UNLV
44
Idaho
16
F
Nich
14
TxAM
24
F
Sou
0
SMiss
45
F
NorTx
32
SMU
54
F
SCar
31
MIZ
13
F
MissSt
57
LT
21
F
NMS
30
NM
28
F
Rice
31
UTEP
14
F
W Ky
7
Ill
20
F
UTSA
17
Bayl
10
F
MIN
48
OreSt
14
F
Utah
19
BYU
13
F
Hou
19
Ariz
16
F
SDSU
30
AzSt
20
F
MiaFL
ArkSt
Canc
NoCol
Fla
Canc
ULMon
FlaSt
PPD
SoFL
UConn
PPD
Mem
UCF
PPD

Sep 9, 2017, 3:30 PM EDT

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Fresno State (1-1)

3

0

0

7

10

(1) Alabama (2-0)

14

14

3

10

41

Jalen Hurts leads No. 1 Alabama past Fresno State, 41-10
Sat Sep 9, 2017 8:19 PM

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Jalen Hurts set the tone for Alabama early in the week and again to start the game.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide needed to play better Saturday against Fresno State, he told his teammates. Hurts certainly did.

He ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns and passed for a third score in No. 1 Alabama's 41-10 victory Saturday, getting the Tide rolling with a 55-yard touchdown run two plays into the game.

"He made it known to all of us right from the get-go that, `Hey guys, we've got to play better this week,"' tight end Hale Hentges said. "And we did."

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.

Hurts completed 14 of 18 passes for 128 yards, but his biggest play came in the opening minute. He kept on a zone read and sprinted for a touchdown, stepping out of a last-gasp tackle attempt at the 15.

Hurts also hit a wide-open Hentges for a 23-yarder in the first quarter. It was the tight end's first career touchdown.

"I thought we did a good job of executing the game plan, came out and played hard and did a way better job of executing," Hurts said.

The Tide led 28-3 at halftime against Fresno State, which opened coach Jeff Tedford's first season with a 66-0 win over FCS Incarnate Word.

"They're very big, very physical, very fast," Tedford said. "You try to contain the weapons on the field and the quarterback will get you. He ran all over us."

Fresno State scored on Chason Virgil's 26-yard pass to Derrion Grim with just over six minutes left. That was set up by Da'Mari Scott's 63-yard kick return

Alabama outgained the Bulldogs 305-58 on the ground.

"I think everybody needs to know that we're not interested in sliding backward," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "We need to move forward in terms of what we need to do to continue to try to improve and become a better team."

THE TAKEAWAY

Fresno State: Managed to move at times against Alabama's defense, but couldn't reach the end zone until late. Virgil had a solid day, completing 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards with an interception. Held Alabama to two short field goals in the second half, including once after the Tide started inside the 5 after an interception.

Alabama: Won its 16th consecutive home opener. Coach Nick Saban stretched his personal streak in that category to 17. There was nothing especially dazzling about the performance except for Hurts' running. Top tailbacks Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris had only six carries apiece.

BAMA FRESHMEN

The game gave Alabama a chance to get significant playing for freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and fellow five-star signee tailback Najee Harris. Tagovailoa was 6 of 9 for 64 yards in his college debut with a 16-yard TD pass to another highly touted freshman, Henry Ruggs III. Najee Harris ran for 70 yards on 13 carries.

MISSING LINEBACKERS

Alabama had four of its top linebackers on the sidelines with injuries, with Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis out for the season. Former walk-on Jamey Mosley, younger brother of Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley, and Keith Holcombe made their first career starts.

"We obviously have a lot of work to do at that position," Saban said, adding that the game experience will help in that regard.

UP NEXT

Alabama faces another Mountain West Conference opponent when Colorado State visits.

Fresno State plays a second straight 2016 playoff team, visiting Washington for the first time since 2006.

---

More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25

Passing

Fres Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat
C. Virgil 34 21 61.8 1 180 30 1 73.2
M. McMaryion 7 5 71.4 0 36 12 0 83.0
Bama Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat
J. Hurts 18 14 77.8 1 128 23 0 114.8
T. Tagovailoa 9 6 66.7 1 64 24 0 124.3

Rushing

Fres Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
R. Rivers 9 29 3.2 9 0
M. McMaryion 1 15 15.0 15 0
Bama Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
J. Hurts 10 154 15.4 55 2
N. Harris 13 70 5.4 25 0

Receiving

Fres Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
D. Scott 7 67 9.6 30 0
K. Johnson 8 55 6.9 17 0
Bama Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
C. Ridley 5 45 9.0 16 0
C. Sims 3 28 9.3 18 0

Fumbles

Returning

Fres KR Avg KRTD LgKR PR Avg TD LgPR
D. Scott 3 31.3 0 63 0 0 0
D. O'Neal 2 16.5 0 21 0 0 0
Bama KR Avg KRTD LgKR PR Avg TD LgPR
T. Diggs 1 19.0 0 19 2 6.0 0 8

Punting

Fres Punt Yds Avg LgPu
B. Cusick 6 222 37.0 53
Bama Punt Yds Avg LgPu
J. Scott 3 125 41.7 49

Takeaways

Bama Int Yds InTD
A. Averett 1 30 0

Team Stats Comparison

Fres Bama
Points For 10 41
Total Yards 273 497
Rushing Yards 57 305
Passing Yards 216 192
Passing Completions / Attempts 26/41 20/27
Turnovers 1 0
Interceptions Thrown 1 0
Fumbles - Lost 1/0 0/0
First Downs 18 28
Penalties - Yards 1/6 4/30
Time Of Possession 18:18 42:42
Third Down Conversions/Attempts 3/11 4/10
Fourth Down Conversions/Attempts 0/0 1/1
Punts - Average Yards 6/37 3/42

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter Fres Bama
Bama 00:39 TD Jalen Hurts 55 yd run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 0 7
Bama 06:36 TD Hale Hentges 23 yd pass from Jalen Hurts (Andy Pappanastos kick) 0 14
Fres 10:57 FG Jimmy Camacho 27 yd FG 3 14
2nd Quarter Fres Bama
Bama 00:35 TD Jalen Hurts 3 yd run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 3 21
Bama 13:45 TD Damien Harris 5 yd run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 3 28
3rd Quarter Fres Bama
Bama 12:57 FG Andy Pappanastos 24 yd FG 3 31
4th Quarter Fres Bama
Bama 07:52 FG Andy Pappanastos 22 yd FG 3 34
Fres 08:54 TD Derrion Grim 26 yd pass from Chason Virgil (Jimmy Camacho kick) 10 34
Bama 12:19 TD Henry Ruggs III 16 yd pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Andy Pappanastos kick) 10 41

Game Information

Stadium: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Attendance: 101,127
Game Time:
Weather: