PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Tua Tagovailoa has a national-best passing efficiency rating of 238.8 and his 25 touchdown passes rank No. 4 on the Alabama single-season list. He has completed 107 of 152 passes for 2,066 yards, also rushing 26 times for 123 yards and two scores. He has done all this while taking only 315 snaps, which accounts for only 57.9 percent of Alabama’s offensive plays. The Tide is averaging a touchdown every 7.68 plays with Tagovailoa in the game.
–WR Jerry Jeudy, a sophomore, had to be added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list in early October because he’s having an All-American kind of season. He has 31 catches for a team-high 777 yards, averaging a national-best 25.06 yards per reception.
–S Deionte Thompson has emerged as the new leader of the Alabama secondary, which had to replace all its starters after last season, including do-it-all Minkah Fitzpatrick. Thompson and Alabama DT Quinnen Williams were two of 20 semifinalists announced this week for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top defender (Fitzpatrick won the award last season). Thompson has 47 tackles, two interceptions and five pass break-ups.
–RB Damien Harris, a senior, has averaged 6.7 yards through 49 career games, a mark that is third in school history. Harris has rushed for 2,629 yards and 19 touchdowns on 395 career attempts. Wilbur Jackson (1971-73) is the Tide’s career leader at 7.2 yards per carry.
SERIES HISTORY: Alabama leads LSU 52-25-5 and has won seven in a row. The Crimson Tide won 24-10 last season in Tuscaloosa.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Our record or any other statistic that you guys want to sort of bring up about this game and all that, will not affect the outcome of this game at all. Both sides of the ball are going to be challenged, so how are you going to face those challenges? I think the best way to do that is with great preparation, great focus during the course of the week.” — Alabama coach Nick Saban.
