2001 - Week 1
Well, it was disappointing that we didn't manage to win our first game this year, but at least it was close, and there were some good things to build on. Here's a look at the stats:
- This is the first 20-17 defeat Bama has suffered. Bama has now lost fourteen games by three points; the most recent before last week was in 1990 against Southern Miss (27-24).
- Speaking of that loss to Southern Miss, that's the last time Bama lost its home opener. They are now 89-15-3 in home openers, 91-12-1 in Tuscaloosa openers, and 83-21-3 in season openers. It's the first time that Bama has lost its opening game in back-to-back years since 1975-76.
- Bama now has a 1-2 record against UCLA, making the Bruins the 17th team to hold a winning record against Alabama, and only the 9th to do so with more than one game played in the series.
- Coach Franchione is only the 5th Bama coach to lose his first game at the Capstone. It's hard to tell what that means. You see, the Bear and Gene Stallings lost their first game as well. But so did Ears Whitworth. (The other coach to do so was W. B. Blount, if you're wondering.)
- When Bama scores 17 points, they're usually pretty good: 34-6-1 (84.15%). However, when they allow 20, they're only 10-22 (31.25%).
- When both teams combine for 37 points, Bama is 15-4 (78.95%).
- Bama is now 14-2 (87.5%) in Tuscaloosa night games.
Up Next - Vanderbilt
Well, enough about UCLA. On to Vanderbilt, a team that we should have better luck against. At least we have in the past. Here's some figures.
- Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt is 56-18-4 (74.36%).
- In Nashville, Alabama has a 26-12-2 record against Vanderbilt (67.50%). Here are Bama's records against SEC opponents in away games (that is, games in their home city or cities). This doesn't count Auburn games in Birmingham.
| Opponent (Cities) |
Wins |
Losses |
Ties |
Winning % |
| South Carolina (Columbia) |
2 |
0 |
0 |
100.00% |
| Florida (Gainesville) |
7 |
1 |
0 |
87.5% |
| Kentucky (Lexington) |
12 |
2 |
0 |
85.71% |
| Mississippi State (Starkville) |
12 |
3 |
0 |
80.00% |
| LSU (Baton Rouge) |
21 |
6 |
2 |
75.86% |
| Ole Miss (Oxford, Jackson) |
10 |
4 |
1 |
70.00% |
| Vanderbilt (Nashville) |
26 |
12 |
2 |
67.50% |
| Georgia (Athens) |
11 |
6 |
0 |
64.71% |
| Arkansas (Fayetteville, Little Rock) |
3 |
2 |
0 |
60.00% |
| Tennessee (Knoxville) |
19 |
18 |
1 |
51.32% |
| Auburn (Auburn) |
1 |
4 |
0 |
20.00% |
- The last time that we lost to Vanderbilt in Nashville? A familiar answer to the "last road loss" question for Bama fans: 1969 (14-10).
- Interestingly, Bama and Vandy tied for three straight years in 1957-1959. It's the only time in Alabama football history that a Tide team has tied an opponent three straight meetings.
- Bama holds a 16-game winning streak versus the Commodores; our last loss to them was back in 1984. It's the longest current streak we've got. Overall, Alabama has won 39 of the past 41 meetings.
- Vanderbilt usually plays us tough, but the scores haven't really indicated that. In the last 16 years, the teams have been separated by less than ten points only three times (1987, 1989, 1995).
- This is, of course, the start of the SEC season. On the field, Bama holds a 324-127-21 (70.87%) record in SEC games.
2001 UA Football Facts
