University of Tennessee Athletics
Four Downs: Bama Weekend by the Numbers
October 27, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice UTSports.com
Each week, UTSports.com takes a look at the numbers from the weekend past and the weekend ahead in Four Downs. This week: Yards on yards for Dobbs, running all over the place and points!
First Down: 267 - Total yards from Joshua Dobbs
Though he had six fewer total yards than in his start at Missouri last season, Joshua Dobbs had arguably the best night of his career against Alabama after coming on in relief of starter Nathan Peterman in the first quarter. Dobbs finished the night 19-of-32 for 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added 75 yards on the ground on 19 carries.
His 192 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in relief since Rick Clausen threw for 217 against UAB in the 2005 opener.
Dobbs' 267 total yards are the most by a Tennessee QB that did not start the game since at least 1990. The only other quarterback to account for more than 260 yards in relief in that span was Peyton Manning, who had a total of 265 (256 passing, nine rushing), after coming in for an injured Todd Helton at Mississippi State in 1994.
The sophomore's 75 rushing yards were the second-most by a player against Alabama this season, behind only Johnathan Williams' 83 yards. Dobbs himself outrushed all but two of the Crimson Tide's opponents this season (Arkansas 89, Florida 107).
Dobbs was just the second quarterback this season to throw two or more touchdown passes against Alabama this season. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace threw three TDs in the Tide's only loss this season.
It is not the first time Dobbs has impressed against Alabama. A season ago, Dobbs made his Volunteer debut against the Tide in relief of the injured Justin Worley after halftime and proceeded to have the best statistical debut from a true freshman quarterback at Tennessee in nearly a decade.
Dobbs finished the 2013 game 5-of-12 for 75 yards, the most passing yards in a debut by a true freshman since Brent Schaeffer threw for 123 and Erik Ainge 118 as both made their initial appearances against UNLV in 2004.
Second Down: 181 - Tennessee Rushing yards
Even after playing Tennessee, Alabama has the nation's second-ranked rushing defense at 78.1 yards per game. That figure didn't matter to the Volunteers, who rushed for a season-high 181 yards against the Crimson Tide.
The 181 yards were not only the most allowed by Alabama's defense in 2014, but just the second 100-yard game of the season after Florida ran for 107 yards on Sept. 20.
Since surrendering 302 rushing yards to Georgia Southern on Nov. 19, 2011, Alabama has allowed 170+ rushing yards only twice, 296 to Auburn last season and 181 to Tennessee on Saturday.
In SEC games, the streak goes back even further. It was just the second time, the Auburn game being the other, that UA had allowed 170+ rushing yards to an SEC opponent since allowing 225 to LSU in 2010.
Third Down: Quick Hits
20 - Points against Alabama, the most scored by UT against UA since scoring 51 in 2003. Tennessee scored 16 in a 2006 win and 17 in the 2004 victory. It tied the 2000 20-10 victory for the most points scored against Alabama in Knoxville since a 35-18 win in 1998.
383 - Tennessee total yards, the most against Alabama since gaining 493 in a 5OT win in Tuscaloosa in 2003. It marked the highest total yardage in regulation against the Crimson Tide since picking up 480 in a 35-24 victory in 2001.
44 - Yards covered on Marlin Lane's second-quarter run, the longest rush allowed by Alabama in 2014.
4 - Red zone scores in four attempts against Alabama. Tennessee is now 29-32 on the season in the red zone and has been perfect on converting red zone opportunities in four of eight games this season. UT was 6-for-6 against Utah State, 2-for-2 at Georgia, and 6-for-6 against Chattanooga.
2 - Aaron Medley field goals. The freshman is now tied for the SEC lead in made field goals with 12.
8 - A.J. Johnson tackles, for a career total of 410, which moved him past Earnest Fields (407) on the all-time Tennessee tackles list. Johnson is just three away from tying Jamie Rotella's 413 for second and 137 from Andy Spiva's Tennessee record of 547.
1.5 - Tackles for Loss by Derek Barnett against UA. The freshman ranks 2nd in the SEC in TFLs with 11 and leads all freshmen defensive linemen with 44 tackles
2 - Consecutive pregame coin flips lost. After winning its first pregame coin toss in over a year against UTC, breaking an 11-game streak, the Vols lost their second-straight coin toss.
19 - Out of 19 games in his Tennessee career that Marquez North has had at least one catch.
255 - Consecutive games with a point scored by UT, dating back to Sept. 17, 1994. It marks the fourth-longest active streak in FBS, the 10th-longest in history.
500,000 - Fans that have passed through the mighty gates of Neyland Stadium this far in 2014, good for an even, if statistically improbable, 100,000 per game this season.
Fourth Down: A Look Ahead
23 - Points scored against South Carolina in 2013, the final three coming thanks to Michael Palardy's leg as time expired for Butch Jones' first win over a ranked team at UT.
23 - All-time wins against the Gamecocks, eight of those coming in Columbia.
2006 - The last time Tennessee won at Williams-Brice Stadium, a 31-24 victory for UT.
9 - All-time wins on Nov. 1, including a 22-7 win over South Carolina in 1997, the date that will grace the calendar on Saturday when the Vols travel to Columbia and it's once again Football Time in Tennessee!
