Tide find ways to score from all points

FAYETTEVILLE -- There have been many happy returns for Alabama this season.

Interception returns. Fumble returns. Punt returns.

Touchdowns on defense and special teams are a big reason the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) bring the No. 1 national ranking and a 17-game winning streak into Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday night against No. 16 Arkansas.

Alabama has combined to score seven nonoffensive touchdowns -- five on defense and two on special teams -- to lead the nation. That's more touchdowns than the five the Tide have allowed on defense.

"When you run to the ball and you have good energy defensively, that's when things happen," Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen said after the Tide rolled over Kentucky 34-6 last week. "We pride ourselves on running to the ball, not having any loafs or mental errors or missed tackles, and it's starting to come to fruition."

Alabama has scored 53 touchdowns on defense or special teams since Nick Saban became its coach in 2007, including a high of 10 last season when the Tide won their fourth national championship in a seven-year span.

"It's always great when anybody scores a touchdown on our team, regardless of offense, defense or special teams," Tide center Bradley Bozeman said. "That's why we're a team."

The Razorbacks will attempt to be the first opponent this season to keep the Tide's defense or special teams out of the end zone.

Alabama's first defensive score came on cornerback Marlon Humphrey's 18-yard interception return against USC.

The scoring on defense continued through the Kentucky game when free safety Ronnie Harrison scored on a 55-yard fumble return that pushed Alabama's lead to 17-3 in the second quarter.

"We try to get a score every game on defense," Harrison said. "We're just waiting for someone to make a play. It's kind of a thing right now, we've got to get one on defense every game."

Linebacker Rashaan Evans ripped the ball away from Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson to force the fumble Harrison returned.

"We wanted to attack the ball, especially on the quarterback," Saban said. "I thought he was a little loose with the ball. I thought the players did a good job of noticing that, and that was certainly a big play in the game because we were struggling a little bit on offense.

"The score was 10-3 and they were hanging in the game, so that was a big momentum swing for us."

Saban said Alabama works on stripping the ball every practice.

"When you do it correctly, you certainly have a chance to get the kind of consequences that you like and get the ball out," he said.

Kentucky was the third team Alabama has outscored just with its defense or special teams, along with victories over USC 52-6 and Kent State 48-0.

"I think every defensive player probably visualizes about it day in and day out," said Tide defensive end Shaun Dion Hamilton, who hasn't scored yet. "But if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

It's been happening with regularity for the Tide.

Alabama has scored at least one touchdown on defense or special teams in seven consecutive games going back to last season's 38-0 victory Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl when cornerback Cyrus Jones had a 57-yard punt return.

Jones is now a rookie running back with the New England Patriots, but senior strong safety Eddie Jackson has taken over a big-play guy on special teams as well as defense.

Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown against Ole Miss to help rally the Tide to a 48-43 victory after the Rebels jumped out to a 24-3 lead.

The first punt return of Jackson's college career pulled Alabama within 24-17 in the second quarter.

"We needed a big play, and I'm glad I was able to make it," Jackson said. "I saw a lane, and I just hit it."

Jackson has three interception returns for touchdowns: against Western Kentucky this season, and against Georgia and Texas A&M in 2015.

"Eddie's a very instinctive player," Saban said Monday. "He's a very instinctive guy in just about all aspects of how he plays and what he does.

"I think when he's back there returning the ball or he gets an interception, he shows some of those same instinctive abilities to make the right cut, the right choice, the right decision. How to set up and use his blockers."

In addition to Jackson's punt return, Alabama scored touchdowns at Ole Miss on nose guard Da'Ron Payne's 3-yard fumble return and Allen's 75-yard fumble return.

Hamilton joked with reporters Monday about Payne's score.

"I'm tired of hearing Da'Ron Payne," Hamilton said. "He scored a 2-inch touchdown. He's thinking that he ran 100 yards or something. He thinks he's some kind of world-class athlete when I'm sure that Coach Saban probably could have picked up the fumble and took one step and scored a touchdown."

Three Tide defensive backs have scored touchdowns along with two defensive linemen.

Hamilton said a linebacker has to score next.

"DBs have scored," he said. "A D-lineman has scored. So, hopefully the linebackers can steal one from somebody."

The scores on defense and special teams have been especially welcome with the offense breaking in a new quarterback in true freshman Jalen Hurts. The Tide also are playing inexperienced tailbacks -- including freshman Joshua Jacobs and sophomores Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough -- with the losses of Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake to the NFL.

"I think it gives them more confidence because they know the defense has their back," Harrison said after the Kentucky game. "It just gives them more confidence to play more open on offense."

Sports on 10/05/2016