THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS
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FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008 |
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GAME DAY
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S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 7, 2006 5 0¢
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UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 2006 RECORD: 6-7, 2-6 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS
VS.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
2006 RECORD: 2-9, 0-7 SOUTHERN RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: KENT BRIGGS
RECORD: 1-0, 0-0 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
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VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY COMMODORES
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
RECORD: 1-0, 0-0 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: BOBBY JOHNSON
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
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RECORD: 2-0, 1-0 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
RECORD: 1-0, 0-0 SEC RANKING: NO. 16 HEAD COACH: HOUSTON NUTT
RECORD: 3-0, 2-0 SEC RANKING: NO. 16 HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOGS
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RECORD: 2-1, 0-1 SEC RANKING: NO. 22 HEAD COACH: MARK RICHT
GAME DAY GAME DAY GAME DAY GAME DAY ★
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By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
W
Gene
Mike
Dennis
First game
First game
First game
First game
First game
Curry
Stallings
UA 38, Southern Miss 6
First season
First season
1983, 8-4
DuBose
Southern Miss 27, UA 24
First season
1987, 7-5
Franchione
UA 42, Houston 17
2001, 7-5
1997, 4-7
UA 40, USF 17
First season
First season
First season
1990, 7-5
Shula
UCLA 20, UA 17
2003, 4-9
Saban’s first game one of the most anticipated in Alabama history By Christopher Walsh TUSCALOOSA | The regular RV invasion of the University of Alabama campus has begun, fans have been swapping tailgating recipes online and no one has been talking about how the football team’s last victory was in October 2006 against winless Florida International. Yet no one could consider this just another game, despite the opponent. There’s a new video introduction that will be played prior to today’s kickoff against Western Carolina, demand for tickets is at an all-time high and Alabama was on the cover of Sports Illustrated before playing a single down of the 2007 season. All because of Nick Saban, who has brought the promise of a new day to Crimson Tide fans, and finally makes his dramatic regular-season entrance at Bryant-Denny Stadium. “I’ve been anxious to end all the hoopla for a long time,” Saban said earlier this week, exuding a business-like approach for the benefit of his players. “I think the focus should be on the team, not on me. “This is all about the University of Alabama, Alabama football tradition. We just happen to be the representatives now that we are there, but I represent the fans, the players, this institution and everyone else,
By Christopher Walsh
HEISMAN TROPHY COURTESY PAUL W. BRYANT MUSEUM MCFADDEN PHOTO | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STAFF PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
Sports Writer
For complete Alabama-Western Carolina game information, videos and photo galleries, visit www.tidesports.com.
Sports Writer
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TUSCALOOSA t was a moment that will cause University of Alabama football fans to ask for years to come, “Do you remember the first play of the Nick Saban era?” “How could I forget,” will be the typical answer, except for those who were still finding their seats at Bryant-Denny Stadium. A simple toss sweep right was the call, with the idea of getting the opposing defense on its heels as quickly as possible, while simultaneously showcasing the Crimson Tide’s newest threat out of the backfield. Little did anyone know how perfect a play it would be. When the ball reached Terry Grant, the only thing missing was skid marks in the turf as he went around the right side and took off toward the end zone. About halfway there, Grant ran into traffic and made a detour, cutting back to his left. It wasn’t by design, rather due to instinct, the intangible SEE SPEED | 15F
and anything that’s being said about me, or done with me, should represent us all. That’s how I would like for it to be, good, bad or indifferent. Hopefully, [the game] establishes an identity that will give other people something else to focus on and I think that would be a good thing for all of us.” OK, despite the downplaying coachspeak and rhetoric, he’s actually pretty emotionally pumped the opener is finally at hand, as is just about ever yone else who has seemingly endured the longest offseason in Crimson Tide history. “You know they’re excited,” senior wide receiver DJ Hall said about the coaches. “I’ve been excited. I was excited the first STAFF PHOTO day they got here. I’m ILLUSTRATION SEE DEBUT | 23F | ANTHONY
IN
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First SEC winner: Frank Sinkwich, Georgia, 1942
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STAFF PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | DAN LOPEZ AND ANTHONY BRATINA
BRATINA
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AT A GLANCE
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!The stars were shining brightly at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the Catamounts were no match for Nick Saban’s squad. The Tide scored early and often on both sides of the ball. DB Simeon Castille had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdowns, and WR DJ Hall hauled in six receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
KICKOFF: 6 p.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium TELEVISION: PPV RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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EA Sports NCAA Football 2008 simulation
alabama 42 wcu 7
Slight chance of a thunderstorm. Highs in mid 80s.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
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If Bobby Bowden had come to Alabama back in 1987 instead of Bill Curry, fortunes for both the Seminoles and the Crimson Tide would have changed forever STAFF GRAPHIC | ANTHONY BRATINA
To see online video of graphic artist Anthony Bratina painting Bowden, visit www.tuscaloosanews.com.
Sports Writer
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Imagine if Alabama had hired Bobby Bowden. It almost happened. Bowden, age 77 and owner of the most victories of any coach in college football history with 368, will coach against the Crimson Tide for the first time ever today in Jacksonville, Fla. If Alabama had so much as asked some two decades ago, Bowden might be walking the UA sideline today. Bowden inter viewed for the head football coaching vacancy at Alabama following the 1986 season, after Ray Perkins left abruptly to coach
AT A GLANCE
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. “All they had to do was offer,” Bowden said. “That’s how close I came. I really felt that was where I was supposed to be.”
Decision by committee Bowden said he fully expected to be offered the job. Instead, he was one of several candidates considered. With Perkins vacating both the head coaching position and the athletic director post at UA, the process was put in the hands of a committee that included trustees, deans, athletic department personnel and a few former players. The committee evaluated the candidates and SEE BOWDEN | 14F
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THE LINE: Seminoles by 21/2
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden passed legendary former Alabama coach Paul W. Bryant for career Division I-A victories by winning his 324th game Sept. 24, 2002, against Iowa State. Here is the Division I-A coaching wins pantheon: Coach, coaching years Wins Bobby Bowden, 42 years 368 Joe Paterno, 42 years 366 Paul W. Bryant, 38 years 323 Glenn “Pop” Warner, 44 years 319 Amos Alonzo Stagg, 57 years 314
EA Sports NCAA Football 2008 simulation
!Despite two John Parker Wilson touchdown passes in the fourth
quarter, Florida State built too big of a lead and cruised to a win. The Seminoles sprinted out to a quick 20-0 lead and never looked back. Glen Coffee rushed for 75 yards on seven carries to lead the Tide, which is now 4-1 on the virtual campaign.
Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla. TELEVISION: CBS
LADDER OF SUCCESS
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Jacksonville
fsu 35 alabama 21
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UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE RECORD: 5-2, 3-1 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
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RECORD: 4-2, 2-1 SEC RANKING: NO. 20 HEAD COACH: PHILLIP FULMER
GAME DAY
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For Tennessee-born players Darren Mustin, Baron Huber, Tremayne Coger, Brandon Fanney and Travis Sikes, coming to the University of Alabama is like a ...
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THE LINE: Tide by 31/2
Sports Writer
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TUSCALOOSA hen the day finally arrived in 2005, Baron Huber could only roll his eyes when the principal of Powell High School in Knoxville put a University of Tennessee cover over the desk where he would sign his letter of intent for the University of Alabama. He probably should have seen it coming. When thenCrimson Tide coach Mike Shula had visited the school, most of the teachers made sure to wear orange. Even Huber’s father, Kevin, kind of looked at him a little funny and asked, “Are you sure?” when his son first told him he wanted to play football for that rival, and dreaded, school from the South. Huber’s response was that his parents had to go with him to the Capstone, just one time, to understand why. “When we got back, they said, ‘If you don’t go there, you have a problem,’” Huber said with a laugh. So much for the Naval Academy, where he seemed destined to attend and play for coach Paul Johnson, especially after growing up in a family with Navy ties. “That was kind of big for my family,” Huber said. “But I couldn’t offer to pass up an offer from Alabama.” Huber isn’t alone. Alabama has four other players who hail from Tennessee: defensive back Tremayne Coger (Columbia), linebacker Brandon Fanney (Morristown), linebacker Darren Mustin (Brentwood), and linebacker Travis Sikes (Nashville). Defensive lineman Alex Watkins (Brownsville) is longer on the team, effective this week, or it would have been a fifth. SEE HOME | 15F
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!The third Saturday in October saw a strong fourth-quarter effort by Alabama fall just short. The Vols held a 14-3 lead heading into the final 15 minutes, but two John Parker Wilson TDs, the second a 52-yarder to Keith Brown with two minutes left, brought Alabama within a field goal. The virtual Tide stands 5-2 on the year (3-1 SEC).
KICKOFF: 11:30 a.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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THE LINE: Tide by 1
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!After leading by 28 after three quarters, the Tide fell apart in the final 15 minutes but was able to barely hang on. John Parker Wilson was steady through three quarters, going 15-for-20 with a rushing and passing TD. A fourth-quarter Alabama meltdown, which yielded two fumbles and an interception, resulted in 21 Arkansas points.
KICKOFF: 5:45 p.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium TELEVISION: ESPN RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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THE LINE: Tide by 3
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AT A GLANCE
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!The Tide drove 85 yards in the final minute to force OT, and eventually handed the Bulldogs a loss. Alabama got a Leigh Tiffin 48-yard FG to tie the score. Another Tiffin FG in OT would be the difference, and sophomore defensive lineman Lorenzo Washington sealed the deal with an interceptoin on Georgia’s overtime attempt.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE RECORD: 3-2, 2-1 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
2007 RECORD: 6-3, 4-2 SEC RANKING: NO. 21 HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS
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2007 RECORD: 5-4, 2-3 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: SYLVESTER CROOM
GAME DAY
S A T U R D A Y , N O V E M B E R 10, 2007 50¢
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By Big Al
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
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TUSCALOOSA ’m hungry. Anyone have some peanuts? Or perhaps an Auburn Tiger to gnaw on? Yes, it’s me. Big Al —Alabama’s beloved elephant mascot. You see me at football games, basketball games, heck … any game my Crimson Tide play. I also visit hospitals, children’s centers and nursing homes — pretty much anywhere and ever ywhere my school sends me as a goodwill ambassador. I dole out hugs by the bushel, blow kisses like no one’s business and strut the sidelines better than any other mascot on the planet. But who am I? Inside The answer to that question, for the first time, will be attempted here. It Alabama-Houston game preview. has been tricky all these years to try to explain who Big Al is — after all, PAGE 10F the young ladies on campus all agree that I am the strong, VERY silent type. Not to mention that I struggle to type with these large pads I have for hands and feet. But with a little help from my friends, my story can finally be revealed.
My roots Elephants — my forefathers, naturally — have been around pretty much since the beginning. My kin roams several continents and is divided between African and Asian elephants. As I am a college elephant, naturally I am a highly evolved form of beast — mostly resembling an African elephant. SEE BIG AL | 14F
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AT A GLANCE
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!Shut out for three-plus quarters, Alabama was able to scrounge together a late field goal and a touchdown with 47 seconds to play to hand Houston a 9-5 loss. John Parker Wilson was able to overcome two fourth-quarter interceptions to lead the Tide downfield for the dramatic win. A 2-yard Jimmy Johns run was the Tide's only TD.
Isolated T-storms. High 69, low 66.
alabama 9 uh 5
KICKOFF: 2 p.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium TELEVISION: PPV RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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THE LINE: Tide by 11
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UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE RECORD: 6-2, 4-1 SEC RANKING: NO. 17 HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
GAME DAY
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at the University of Alabama. Even though he works at a campus 350 miles away, Saban stands today as arguably the most controversial and divisive figure in the state of Louisiana. And while most of the LSU faithful would probably like to hang Saban from the nearest cypress tree, some would still rather have him coaching their team. LSU’s past and the Crimson Tide’s football future collide today at Bryant-Denny Stadium, when the third-ranked Tigers visit No. 17 Alabama. For many LSU supporters, there’s a lot more riding on this game than first place in the Southeastern Conference standings. “I know it’s the talk of the town,” LSU quarterback Matt
Flynn said. It has been for a long time.
The countdown begins Saban became public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of much of the LSU nation on Jan. 4, the day he was officially introduced as Alabama’s new coach after leaving the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. That’s the day Drew Murrell conceived the Web site geauxtohellsaban.com. “I registered it the day after the Sugar Bowl, known as the day Nick Saban went to Alabama,” Murrell said. LSU drubbed Notre Dame 41-14 in New Orleans on Jan. 3, SEE SABAN | 19
AT A GLANCE
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Tuscaloosa
!The Tide came out of the gates flying against LSU, but could not contain the No. 3 team in the country. Alabama jumped out to a 170 lead in the first quarter behind two John Parker Wilson TD passes. But the defense could not contain the Tigers, who scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, in the third and fourth quarters.
KICKOFF: 4 p.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium TELEVISION: CBS RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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RECORD: 6-5, 4-3 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
AUBURN UNIVERSITY TIGERS
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RECORD: 7-4, 4-3 SEC RANKING: NO. 25 HEAD COACH: TOMMY TUBERVILLE
GAME DAY
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THE LINE: Tigers by 7
Constant emphasis Saban talks constantly about the process. It’s his favorite topic SEE PROCESS | 11F
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!After falling behind by 17 heading into the fourth quarter, Alabama
Scott Field, Starkville, Miss.
Starkville
Partly cloudy. Highs of 73, low of 50.
roared back with 24 unanswered points to top Mississippi State. A John Parker Wilson 31-yard touchdown strike to DJ Hall was the backbreaker with 1:11 on the clock. With no textbook scandal in the virtual world, Glen Coffee was able to lead all rushers with 116 yards and two TDs.
alabama 45 msu 38
lsu 42 alabama 30
Sunny, with a high of 72 and a low of 39.
2007 INDEPENDENCE BOWL
INDEPENDENCE STADIUM (50,832) ❈ SHREVEPORT, LA. ❈ 7 P.M. ESPN, 94.1 FM, 1420 AM UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE RECORD: 6-6, 4-4 SEC RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: NICK SABAN
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BUFFALOES
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RECORD: 6-6, 4-4 BIG 12 RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: DAN HAWKINS
GAME DAY
S U N D A Y , D E C E M B E R 30, 2007 $1.50
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ANDRE GIANT How brute force plus kind soul equals rare talent for Tide’s Smith
Hall needs
N 1. 3,093 Terrence Edwards, Georgia (204 catches), 1999-02 289 N 2. 3,001 Josh Reed, LSU (167 catches), 1999-01 188 N 3. 2,964 Boo Mitchell, Vanderbilt (188 catches), 1985-88 160 N 4. 2,899 Craig Yeast, Kentucky (208 catches), 1995-98 85 N 5. 2,884 Fred Gibson, Georgia (161 catches), 2001-04 81 N 6. 2,880 Dan Stricker, Vanderbilt (182 catches), 1999-02 76 N 7. 2,879 Anthony Lucas, Arkansas (137 catches), 1995-99 75 N 8. 2,814 Joey Kent, Tennessee (183 catches), 1993-96 10 N 9. 2,804 DJ Hall, Alabama (184 catches), 2004-present — N 10. 2,761 Earl Bennett (228 catches-x), 2005-present —
PHOTO | JASON HARLESS STAFF PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
x- Bennett, a junior, already has the SEC record for all-time receptions
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By Cecil Hurt
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Sports Editor
We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.
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TUSCALOOSA hose lines from T. S. Eliot’s “Little Gidding” have become a pop-culture mantra of sorts. They are usually interpreted as an affirmation of the spiritual journeys one takes in life, and the lessons that can be learned from them. But do they apply to the University of Alabama football program? Eliot’s words seem to fit well. Certainly, the Crimson Tide has been exploring for the past year. The program abandoned one path and chose to head in an entirely different direction, at least in terms of the leader of the expedition.
SEE HALL | 11F
And yet, at the end of a year’s exploration, has Alabama arrived “where it started?” It certainly looks like familiar territory. A year ago, the Crimson Tide came staggering down the stretch in November, slouching towards Auburn for a finale. On the eve of this year’s Auburn game, things don’t look all that different. But before looking at whether Alabama “knows the place for the first time,” let’s first consider the year’s journey that it has taken for UA to get here. On the eve of the 2006 Auburn game, the Crimson Tide program was mired in uncertainty. Much of the popular support for head coach Mike Shula had eroded. That doesn’t mean that all the support was gone, but there was a crisis of confidence. Had the decision to fire Shula been made prior to the Auburn SEE RIDE | 11F
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KICKOFF: 1:30 p.m.
"The Tide has been frustrated of late in the virtual world as well,
Bryant-Denny Stadium TV: None RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM) TICKETS: Sold out
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THE LINE: Tide by 25
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EA Sports NCAA Football 2008 simulation
Tuscaloosa
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 60s.
and took its aggression out on Louisiana-Monroe. John Parker Wilson hooked up with Keith Brown on a 71-yard TD strike on the first play from scrimmage. Sophomore Glen Coffee is thriving in our virtual season, rumbling for a game-high 130 yards on 30 carries and three TDs.
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AT A GLANCE
KICKOFF FORECAST
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
!Alabama scored 21 points in the second quarter to put the game
Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn TV: ESPN RADIO: WACT (1420 AM), WZBQ (94.1 FM)
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THE LINE: Tigers by 6
Instant preplay!
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Auburn
Sunshine and clouds. High 56, low 44.
out of reach early, highlighted by a DJ Hall 72-yard punt return for a TD. Jimmy Johns capped off the season by scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the second a 68-yard jaunt, to erase any hopes of a Tiger miracle. Simeon Castille had two interceptions to lead the defensive unit.
alabama 35 au 20
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TUSCALOOSA t’s Thursday, which means University of Alabama senior wide receiver DJ Hall exits the football complex through the gate, where he knows the same handful of people will be waiting. Some of the regulars have special needs, like the one in the wheelchair, but around Hall those things just don’t seem to matter. Hall will pose for a picture or two, sign some autographs, and, most important of all, take time to talk and listen. “What’s the score going to be, Walt?” Hall will ask each week with a grin. But Hall generally doesn’t talk about this part of his routine, which has been ongoing for a considerable amount of time. It’s one of the sides to him that most people rarely see, like when he got up and spoke to the team before the LSU game. Coach Nick Saban had brought in a speaker that day, but Hall felt he had something to say as well. Normally he doesn’t speak up much, so when he walked to the front of the room everyone was certainly paying attention. “All I said was that if guys don’t understand the situation that we’re in, and the opportunities that we have, you don’t need to be here,” Hall said. “This opportunity is once in a lifetime, it’s hard to come across, the chance to be in the SEC Championship because the teams are so good in this league. I just wanted the guys to realize that and especially do it for the seniors, to send us out on a winning note. “I took it serious because I felt like we had a perfect opportunity here to win against a great team.” Alabama came up short that day, losing by seven points to now No. 1 LSU, 41-34, but it certainly wasn’t from lack effort. Hall could
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
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TUSCALOOSA ick Saban may have first developed his coaching philosophy growing up on the playgrounds of Fairmont, W. Va., or perhaps later when he was playing at Kent State. Or maybe Saban was inspired by a poem published in 1941 by the late, great sports writer Grantland Rice. If anyone has ever fully embraced Rice’s maxim that it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game, it’s the University of Alabama’s head football coach. Winning and losing are secondary concerns to Saban. He believes if his team plays football the right way, outcomes will take care of themselves. “Play for 60 minutes in the game,” Saban likes to say. “The scoreboard means nothing. Play the next play, dominate the man in front of you and don’t let the scoreboard affect you.” Alabama hired Saban with an eye to his accomplishments at LSU, where he took the Tigers to the 2003 national championship and won two Southeastern Conference titles in a five-year reign of terror that transformed LSU from a little-respected underachiever to a feared force on the college football landscape. But how did he do it? That’s the important question, because Saban isn’t focused on outcomes. To him, it’s all about the process. What exactly is Saban’s process? How did he succeed at Michigan State and LSU, and how has he already begun to mold Alabama football into a program on the rise? “It’s not the end result,” said former UA quarterback Freddie Kitchens, who served as a graduate assistant under Saban for one season at LSU. “Don’t think about winning the SEC championship. Don’t think about the national championship. Think about what you need to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment. “That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand.”
THE LINE: Tide by 5
RECORD: 7-1, 4-1 SEC RANKING: NO. 3 HEAD COACH: LES MILES
STAFF GRAPHIC
Sports Writer
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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS
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— Grantland Rice
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By Tommy Deas
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RECORD: 2-2, 1-1 CONFERENCE USA RANKING: N/A HEAD COACH: ART BRILES
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“For when the One Great Scorer comes To write against your name, He marks not that you won or lost But how you played the game”
TV: WTTO
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COUGARS
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Nick Saban has brought hope and a winning attitude to Alabama. But that all derives from one place, one mentality, one goal.
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GAME DAY
Sports Writer
RADIO: WACT (1420 AM),
alabama 34 uga 31
By Tommy Deas v Sports Writer
By Christopher Walsh
AT A GLANCE
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S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 6, 2007 50¢
BATON ROUGE, LA. he chorus began to rise from the student section at Tiger Stadium two weeks ago almost as soon as the last second ticked off the clock. The steady chant from the north end zone wasn’t a taunt at the Auburn team LSU had just vanquished with a last-second touchdown pass, nor was it a proclamation that LSU deserved to be No. 1. “We want Saban,” the battle cry went, punctuated by rhythmic clapping. “We want Saban!” The object of the LSU fans’ attention, Nick Saban, coached the Tigers to the 2003 BCS national championship and is now entering his ninth game as head coach
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You know, the ones that make you wonder what might be around the corner, or who might be standing behind them when the bathroom mirror swings to a close. At least, that’s the effect Nick Saban would like to have with his defense, playing this season out of a 3-4 base that doesn’t look like a 3-4, and can transform and adjust almost at will. Considering that in the blink of an eye the Crimson Tide can morph to match whatever an offense attempts, one may want to warn the sophomore SEE 3-4 | 17F
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By Christopher Walsh TUSCALOOSA t’s been a bit of a long week for Matthew Stafford, who has spent most of his evenings watching film trying to get a grasp on the University of Alabama defense, but like a fan of a really good horror/thriller probably can’t help but think about the unknown.
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AT A GLANCE
Highest Alabama finish: David Palmer, third, 1993
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■ Lowest margin of victory: Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1985, 1,509 points, 45 points ahead of Iowa’s Chuck Long
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■ Highest margin of victory: O.J. Simpson, Southern Cal, 1968, 2,853 points, 1,750 points ahead of Purdue’s Leroy Keyes
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!The Tide had a much tougher opponent this week, as a gritty Vanderbilt squad tested Alabama early and often. Sophomore Glen Coffee was the difference in this one, pacing a controlled offense with 110 yards on the ground and a TD. Senior defensive back Eric Gray and senior linebacker Matt Collins each had big interceptions.
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magine if Paul W. “Bear” Bryant wasn’t the only all-time winningest coach to ever walk the sidelines at the University of Alabama. Imagine if Bill Curry never wore crimson, if Gene Stallings wasn’t around to coach Alabama to the 1992 national championship, if the Crimson Tide had never endured the Mike DuBose and Mike Price scandals, if Dennis Franchione had never bolted for Texas A&M, if crippling NCAA sanctions had never been levied. Imagine no Mike Shula and, yes, even no Nick Saban.
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HEISMAN FACTS AND FIGURES ■ First winner: Jay Berwanger, Chicago, 1935
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TUSCALOOSA hen University of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden addressed reporters at SEC Media Days in late July, it was only about 20 feet away, resting on another table just outside the room. So close and so far away, even if it was only a replica of the prestigious Heisman Trophy for which McFadden finished second last year and began this season as the clear favorite. The Razorbacks have only played one game so far, yet McFadden is well aware that the buildup will only intensify, along with the nearly non-ending questions about this annual quest. “I know it’s going to be crazy,” he said. “If you have a good game one week, everybody says ‘He’s a good Heisman contender.’ If you come back and have a bad game, everybody’s going to say, ‘I’m not so sure if he’s a Heisman contender.’ That’s not something I’m going to let effect me.” But what does winning the Heisman mean nowadays? It almost certainly wouldn’t help McFadden’s draft status in the National Football League, where there are as many failures as success stories among Heisman winners. Only two turned around and won rookie of the year honors (Eddie George and Charles Woodson), and just eight have been enshrined in the Pro Football SEE HEISMAN | 18F
ALABAMA’S JACOBS AWARD WINNERS (Outstanding SEC Blocker) 1935: Riley Smith 1937: Leroy Monsky 1946: Hal Self 1949: Butch Avinger 1950: Butch Avinger 1961: Billy Neighbors 1962: Butch Wilson 1966: Cecil Dowdy 1972: John Hannah 1973: Buddy Brown 1974: Sylvester Croom 1977: Bob Cryder 1979: Dwight Stephenson 1986: Wes Neighbors 1988: Howard Cross 1993: Toby Sheils 1999: Chris Samuels 2004: Wesley Britt 2007: Andre Smith-x
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
his usual spot, pulled out and to his left, and caught a cobs, he’s the first to do it so young, and only one other won it before his final season with the Crimson lateral from quarterback John Parker Wilson. No one dared try to stop him en route to the end Tide, Butch Avinger in 1949. In addition to being the
Tide’s lone repeat winner, Avinger’s selection was SHREVEPORT, LA. | Even though it came in zone. Twelve months later, opponents are still trying to unusual by today’s standards because his primary a loss, it was the play of the year for the Unifigure out how to deal with Smith, whose momen- position was quarterback, as was Riley Smith (1935) versity of Alabama football team during the tum, at this point, appears to be all but irreversible. and Hal Self (1946), while Butch Wilson (1962) was 2006 season, and it happened right here at This past month alone, he’s been named first-team a halfback. Independence Stadium. That’s due in part to the evolution of the positions, All-SEC by both the coaches and writers, and was The Crimson Tide was trailing Oklahoma State 3117, when Javier Arenas’ 86-yard punt return scored a touchdown with 10:50 remaining, and Chris Rogers recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Five plays later, Alabama had the ball at the 2-yard line, when it pulled a whopper of a call out of the playbook. Left
co-winner of the Jacobs Award as the conference’s best blocker. To put that into perspective, consider that he tied Arkansas’ Jonathan Luigs for the award, who went on to win the Rimington Award as the nation’s best center, and Smith is only a sophomore.
as offensive backfield players used to have different responsibilities, and the way the award was viewed. Regardless, Smith’s list of peers is already down to some of the program’s all-time great linemen like Billy Neighbors, Dwight Stephenson, John Hannah and Chris Samuels.