TUSCALOOSA — Call it another special night for the Tide.

Last week against Clemson, Alabama rolled to an easy win thanks to a dominating performance on both sides of the line.

Bruising line play doesn’t always make for exciting football, but it wins games, as the Tide’s 34-10 drubbing of Clemson proves.

Against Tulane on Saturday, the No. 13-ranked Tide walked away with a 20-6 win, thanks in large part to another often unheralded unit – the special teams. Ironically, it was the special teams that surrendered Clemson’s lone touchdown last week, a kickoff return to open the second half by C.J. Spiller.

This week was a different story, as the unit more than redeemed itself.

Return man Javier Arenas set the tone early, electrifying a jam-packed Bryant-Denny Stadium with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown just four minutes into the game. It was the Tide’s first since Arenas returned a punt 61 yards for a score against LSU last season.

Arenas appeared to be trapped at the 20 near the Alabama sideline, but a quick stutter-step and change of direction got Arenas room in the open field, and a key block by freshman Dont’a Hightower sealed a wall of blockers and sprang Arenas. The junior headed up the left sideline — the opposite side of the field from where he originally caught the ball. It was a foot race after that, and Green Wave defenders could only watch as Arenas headed for the endzone.

“When he started up the middle and then reversed field to the other sideline, I thought he might be going backward instead of forward,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “But he’s got a unique knack of making big plays, especially in space, and he has an ability to make people miss. I thought that was a fantastic run.”

Later in the first, the Bama special teams was at it again. This time, reserve running back Roy Upchurch broke through up the middle of the Green Wave line, stretched out and blocked the punt of Tulane’s Derren deRochemont just as it left his foot. The Tide’s Chris Rogers picked up the loose ball and raced 17 yards, putting Bama up 13-0.

“Roy Upchurch went up and under and blocked the kick, and then he almost blocked another one later on,” Saban said. “He was the only guy rushing.”

The big plays kept coming, as Tulane inexplicably kept kicking the ball to Arenas, who finished the night with 147 punt return yards, a new Alabama single-game record. Arenas consistently recorded solid returns, and a time or two looked like he might have another touchdown with another block.

The night was not all rosy for the special teams unit, as an injury to Arenas in the fourth quarter silenced the crowd and cast a shadow on a brilliant night. Arenas stayed down for several minutes before walking – if slowly — under his own power to the Alabama sidelines. Arenas sat on the trainers’ table for several minutes and was done for the day. Earlier in the game, kicker Leigh Tiffin had to be replaced for an extra point and field goal attempt after being leveled during a kickoff return. Tiffin returned to action after his understudy, Corey Smith, missed both attempts.

Saban said both players suffered head injuries, but no further details were available.

For its part, Tulane had a perfectly forgettable night on special teams. In addition to Alabama’s big plays, the Green Wave, missed two short field goals and lost a 40-yard return thanks to an offsides penalty, an inexcusable mistake on a kickoff that cost Tulane its best field position to that point.