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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ Although it was pretty much assumed that if junior wide receiver Amari Cooper stayed healthy he could challenge numerous University of Alabama records, no thought his assault would necessarily begin just two games into the season.
With 13 receptions for 189 yards against Florida Atlantic, Cooper set the record for catches in consecutive games, and tied the mark for most receptions in a game.
Both were career highs as well. Cooper’s previous best showing in yards was 178 at Auburn last season. With his 20 rushing yards from an end-around on the first play factored in he finished with 209 total yards.
“Amari Cooper had another outstanding game,” Coach Nick Saban said.
Last week Cooper had 12 catches for 130 yards in the 33-23 victory against West Virginia, giving him 25 receptions for 319 yards for the season, and forcing Alabama writers to figure out how to spell “Biletnikoff.”
A Crimson Tide player has never won the postseason award for the games best wide receiver.
Afterward, Cooper called his performance, “Ok.”
“It’s not about the receptions, it’s more about what you do after you catch the ball, that’s what I’m big on,” he said, although Cooper did scored his first touchdown of the season off a short swing pass and went 52 yards into the end zone.
“It was a great block by Christion (Jones). If it wasn’t for Christion I wouldn’t have scored. I thanked him twice after the touchdown.”
Specifically, Cooper tied the record of 13 receptions held by DJ Hall, who accomplished it against Tennessee on Oct. 20, 2007.
Catches, Name, Opponent, Date
13 Amari Cooper, vs. Florida Atlantic, 189 yards, Sept. 6, 2014
13 DJ Hall, vs. Tennessee, 185 yards, Oct. 20, 2007
12 David Bailey, vs. Tennessee, 153 yards, Oct 18, 1969
12 David Bailey, at Tennessee, 150 yards, Oct . 17, 1970
12 Julio Jones, at Tennessee, 221 yards, Oct . 23, 2010
12 Amari Cooper, vs. West Virginia, 130, Aug. 30, 2014
It was also the fourth-most receiving yards in a game by a Crimson Tide receiver:
Yards, Names, Opponent, Date
221 Julio Jones, at Tennessee, 12 catches, Oct. 23, 2010
217 David Palmer, at Vanderbilt, 8 catches, Sept. 11, 1993
199 Julio Jones, vs. Auburn, 10 catches, Nov. 26, 2010
189 Amari Cooper, vs. Florida Atlantic, 13 catches, Sept. 6, 2014
187 David Bailey, vs. Auburn, 9 catches, Nov. 29, 1969
Cooper went over 2,000 for his career with 2,025. He needs 908 to break the Alabama record held by DJ Hall (2,923).
“It’s good because with him out there you can’t just focus on the running game,” senior quarterback Blake Sims said. “You also can’t forget about the other players we have because they can make plays just as well as he can. Congratulations to him on tying the record.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
