Alabama's Championship Run

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A look back at the season of Alabama’s 2011 BCS National Championship 2011 Escalade

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ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s

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FAITH Every Saturday

Postseason Season retrospective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 BCS title game: Alabama vs. LSU.. . . . . . . . . . . 6 Heisman Trophy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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Game 1: Alabama vs. Kent State .. . . . . . . . . . 14 Game 2: Alabama vs. Penn State .. . . . . . . . . . 14 Game 3: Alabama vs. North Texas.. . . . . . . . . 15 Game 4: Alabama vs. Arkansas.. . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Game 5: Alabama vs. Florida.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Game 6: Alabama vs. Vanderbilt .. . . . . . . . . . 16 Game 7: Alabama vs. Ole Miss .. . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Game 8: Alabama vs. Tennessee .. . . . . . . . . . 17 Game 9: Alabama vs. LSU.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Game 10: Alabama vs. Mississippi St... . . . . 20 Game 11: Alabama vs. Ga. Southern.. . . . . . 21 Game 12: Alabama vs. Auburn . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Page 4 Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Anniston Star

season retrospective

Back in T’town again

Bill WIlson/The Anniston Star

Alabama coach Nick Saban speaks to the media the day after winning the BCS national championship, the 14th for the school.

Tide f ixes only blemish in near-perfect season

By Michael Casagrande mcasagrande@annistonstar.com

NEW ORLEANS — It wasn’t perfect.

Pretty? Not a chance.

But the final act of the Crimson Tide’s round-about national title run aggregated the themes of the four months leading up to that crowning moment.

Alabama 21, LSU nothing.

The Tide slugged its way to the doorstep of a dynasty with a historic defensive effort, fluctuating special teams play, with a Trent Richardson cherry on top. LSU never really had a shot in Monday night’s BCS National

Championship game.

Not with Alabama playing with memories of its only blemish on what could have been a flawless run to the crystal football. Tide linebacker Dont’a Hightower knows exactly when LSU’s sprit broke.

“Around halftime, those guys came out with not as much fire as they had when they came in,” he said. “From there, everything went downhill for them.”

And the Tide didn’t let off the gas until the end just as it had all season.

Without running up scores, Alabama’s average final score was 35-8. Georgia Southern was the only team to score three touchdowns on the Crimson

Tide in a single game this fall. They did it running the ball.

Alabama got it done Monday by tossing it all over the field.

This time Richardson was the decoy and AJ McCarron’s right arm was the weapon. The offense threw downfield effectively after struggling with just that all season.

“If you’re afraid to do things because you don’t trust the players, then you’re probably never going to be able to allow them to grow and be all they can be,” Saban said. “It’s just like your children. There’s just some things you have to let them do. You Please see season ❙ Page 8

“I was looking in their eyes and I could see them looking down at the ground.

It was amazing.”

— Alabama running back Trent Richardson on LSU in the title game

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 5

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Big, Easy

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 7

Game 13 • Jan. 9 Alabama 21, LSU 0

Tide pummels LSU in title rematch NEW ORLEANS — A year of tragedy and renewal in Alabama officially ended with redemption.

And a 14th national title.

The Crimson Tide left no questions in Round 2 with LSU when the stakes were raised, avenging its only loss with a 21-0 pounding in the BCS title game.

The key was doing what it didn’t the first time around: make field goals.

Kicker Jeremy Shelley nailed five field goals while the Tide defense flattened the LSU offense. The topranked Tigers managed just 92 yards to Alabama’s 384 and didn’t cross the 50 until late in the fourth quarter when it didn’t matter anymore.

Senior linebacker Courtney Upshaw was named most outstanding defensive player with seven tackles and one of four Alabama sacks.

“I don’t see how it can get any better than that,” said senior safety Mark Barron, who had two tackles and a sack. “We had a goose-egg on the board, and we finished the whole way. I just feel like we came out and dominated.”

The historic defensive effort capped a surreal year for those in Tuscaloosa and around the state.

“With everything that happened in April, it was sad, but I think the fact we brought this trophy back to Tuscaloosa, it means a lot,” senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson said. “I can’t ask for anything better than this.”

Trent Richardson supplied the icing with 4:36 left with a 34-yard touchdown, Alabama’s first against LSU in seven quarters.

— Michael Casagrande

W hat th e y sai d

No. 2 Alabama 21, No. 1 LSU 0 Alabama LSU

“Once I hit that first one, it was a huge weight off my chest.”

— Jeremy Shelley, Alabama kicker

Photos by Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

LEFT: Alabama defensive lineman Josh Chapman hoists the championship trophy.

ABOVE: The Alabama defense swarms LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu as the Tide dominated LSU 21-0 in New Orleans to win the school’s 14th national title.

NEW ORLEANS — Alabama and LSU almost got through two games and an overtime period without giving up a touchdown this season, but Alabama got through the second game without giving up a point.

The second game was the one with a crystal ball and Bowl Championship Series national championship attached to it.

Alabama’s 2011 defense put its stamp on Crimson Tide football history with the first shutout ever in the BCS Championship. Quarterback AJ McCarron did his part with prolific first-down passing, and Jeremy Shelley did most of the scoring with a BCSrecord five field goals in a 21-0 rout over LSU. Trent Richardson’s 34-yard touchdown run with 4:36 to play capped it,

3 0

6 0

6 0

6—21 0— 0

First Quarter UA—FG Shelley 23, 5:00.

Second Quarter UA—FG Shelley 34, 4:18.

UA—FG Shelley 41, :00.

Third Quarter UA—FG Shelley 35, 12:49.

UA—FG Shelley 44, :22.

Fourth Quarter UA—Richardson 34 run (kick failed), 4:36.

A—78,237.

and Alabama (12-1) bagged its 14th national championship, second in three years and second of the BCS era, which started in 1998.

It also marked Alabama coach Nick Saban’s record third BCS national championship. He won his first, for the 2003 season, at LSU. The only mystery was whether the Associated Press poll panel, which exists independently of the BCS, would follow suit. It did, voting Alabama No. 1, LSU No. 2 and Oklahoma State No. 3.

Alabama got 54 of 59 first-place votes.

How could any voting panel not acknowledge the dominating show Alabama mounted against an unbeaten LSU team that owned by far the nation’s best resume?

— Joe Medley

The Anniston Star

Page 8 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

The Alabama bench reacts to one of its field goals in the BCS national championship game against LSU.

season Continued from Page 4 can’t protect them all the time.”

The same was true for the field-goal unit.

They missed six kicks in a two-game span including the LSU loss.

This time the field goals found the space between the uprights — five of them.

Jeremy Shelley accounted for all of Monday’s makes on seven attempts. One was blocked, another pushed to the right. His night ended with an extra point drilling the upright, just as Leigh Tiffin’s final pointafter try did in the 2010 BCS championship win over Texas.

The ultimately trivial misfire came after the offensive breakthrough. Richardson, the Heisman Trophy finalist, capped things off with the only Alabama touchdown against LSU in eight quarters.

It was the final run of Richardson’s Alabama career. He’s projected among the top draft picks and is leaving school early for the NFL. His late-fourth quarter score broke any will left in LSU. “I was looking in their eyes and I could see them looking down at the ground,” Richardson said. “It was amazing.”

The brutal beating left Tiger fans booing Les Miles, the national coach of the year, on a night their perfection died a gruesome death.

That’s exactly how Alabama envisioned it.

This was a rugged team that won by physically embarrassing opponents all year. The title game was the fourth defensive shutout for a unit that narrowly

missed two others. No Alabama defense in history led the country in every major statistical category before the 2011 team did.

North Texas and Vanderbilt never scored on the Tide, neither did Auburn’s offense. Kent State’s only touchdown came with a 3-yard pass following an interception. Mississippi State had just 22 yards to travel for its lone score.

Back in November, LSU didn’t reach the end zone. But it still ran for 148 yards and made the plays when needed. There was nowhere to run, throw or hide Monday night.

Quarterback Jordan Jefferson, also subject of hometown hecklers in the Superdome, was off all night. Twice he fumbled.

Four times he was sacked and the thirdquarter intercepted shovel pass epitomized the difference two months make.

Saban couldn’t resist the joke of denying the word “dominant” to describe the Monday night defense.

“No,” he said. “No, I’m sure when we watch the film these guys know we always have a good, bad and ugly reel. I can always find something ugly to talk about.”

No, Alabama wasn’t perfect in its travels to the title. It watched LSU win the SEC championship after falling to the Tigers in early November.

The Tide also watched Oklahoma State play within a whisker of snatching the other seat at the BCS table.

Then Alabama hushed the critics, exercised its LSU demons and finished the season on its own terms — ugly and effective.

And for the 14th time, the national title will reside in Tuscaloosa.

Michael Casagrande covers University of Alabama sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @UARollTide_Star.

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 9

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Streak ends

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Heisman Trophy

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 11

Photos by Kelly Kline/Heisman Trophy Trust

LEFT: Baylor’s Robert Griffin III accepts the 2011 Heisman Trophy. ABOVE: From left, Alabama’s Trent Richardson, LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu, Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and Stanford’s Andrew Luck attend the Heisman Trophy award presentation. Richardson finished third.

State’s bid for three straight Heismans ends

By Michael Casagrande mcasagrande@annistonstar.com

NEW YORK — It couldn’t last forever.

For the first time in three seasons, the Heisman Trophy will reside someplace outside the state of Alabama. But Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson didn’t cede the crown without a fight.

He finished third behind quarterbacks Robert Griffin III of Baylor and Andrew Luck of Stanford.

“I don’t feel like I lost,” Richardson said.

“There’s nothing to lose. But I’m happy for Robert, he’s a great player. I’m just happy to be here. No, I don’t feel like I lost or I’m mad.”

Two years earlier, Richardson’s former teammate Mark Ingram became the first Alabama player to claim the prized bronze statue. A year later it was Auburn’s Cam Newton who cruised to the easy win, but both previous winners had the benefit of playing the final weekend of the regular

season with dominant SEC Championship Game performances.

Griffin’s four-touchdown game against Texas on the last Saturday of the season helped push the dynamic quarterback past Richardson, who led a few projections after his career-best 203 yards against Auburn.

And since 80 percent of the votes were received after Griffin’s final act, his big night left a lasting impression in what was a close race.

“Yeah, it seemed like the script was written perfectly for us to go out and win this award,” Griffin said. “To have (Richardson and Luck) not have a game and to have us play a big-time opponent on the last week, it was huge. It just seemed like God wrote it that way. … I didn’t play a perfect game, but we won the game in convincing fashion and it helped us win this award.”

Griffin, who was expected to win by a comfortable margin, claimed 1,687 votes to Luck’s 1,407 and Richardson’s 978. Of the six voting regions, Richardson was third in

all but the South where he was second (256 points) behind Griffin (303).

Richardson said he thought Griffin might have an edge after watching the Bears whip Texas 48-24 last Saturday.

“Yeah, that’s always been in my head because he did win that last game and he had an awesome game,” Richardson said.

“He put up 400 yards in losses. That dude is awesome.”

From here, it’s back to Tuscaloosa and a return to BCS Championship Game preparation. Less than a month separates Alabama and LSU from the Jan. 9 title rematch in New Orleans and Richardson’s been gone since Wednesday while hitting the award circuit.

He smiled again when describing how eager he was to see his teammates again.

“Win or lose, I’m always going to be a winner to everyone in Alabama,” Richardson said. “We are all winners.”

Michael Casagrande covers University of Alabama sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @UARollTIde_Star

“Win or lose, I’m always going to be a winner to everyone in Alabama. We are all winners.”

— Trent Richardson, Alabama running back

Page 12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 13

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The Anniston Star

Page 14 Sunday, January 15, 2012 G a m e 1 • S e p t. 3

G a m e 2 • S e p t. 1 0

Alabama 48, Kent State 7

Alabama 27, Penn State 11

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron calls the play at the line. He split time in the opener with Phillip Sims.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson reaches for the pylon as he leaps for the end zone past Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges.

McCarron starts to take reigns of quarterback role

Tide puts somber feeling in Lions’ Happy Valley

No. 2 Alabama 48, Kent State 7 Kent St. Alabama

0 21

0 3

7 14

0— 7 10—48

First Quarter UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 10:22.

UA—Maze 24 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 8:03.

UA—Richardson 9 run (Shelley kick), :26.

Second Quarter UA—FG Shelley 36, 1:35.

Third Quarter KSU—Thompson 3 pass from Keith (Cortez kick), 9:13.

UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 5:16.

UA—Lacy 1 run (Shelley kick), 4:04.

Fourth Quarter UA—Fowler 49 run (Shelley kick), 13:27.

UA—FG Shelley 32, 5:27.

A—101,821.

TUSCALOOSA — The last player off the field, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron trotted to the locker room under a chorus of personalized cheers.

As the focus of more attention than the final score Saturday, McCarron and co-starter Phillip Sims presented their opening arguments in the competition to lead the Crimson Tide offense.

One game in, there’s still no winner. The numbers, though, weren’t exactly even.

The 48-7 pounding of Kent State saw the sophomore McCarron complete twice as many passes as Sims for three times the yardage, but the number they shared was most telling. The two first-time starters each threw two interceptions in an otherwise overwhelming seasonopening win.

Alabama scored on three of its first four possessions and suffocated the opposing offense.

Kent State (0-1) managed just 90 total yards.

— Michael Casagrande

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Crimson Tide defense settled from a few early curveballs to smother Penn State’s two-quarterback system in cruising to a 27-11 win over a worn-down group of Nittany Lions.

“I think it speaks volumes about our character and discipline and moral toughness to stay within yourself to do the things we do to stay stable and make adjustments and get things right,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

On the other side, No. 3 Alabama scrapped the co-starting quarterback system at least for a day. AJ McCarron took all the meaningful snaps in what Saban said was a vital step in his maturity. Completing 19 of 31 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, McCarron’s day was punctuated by his lack of an interception after throwing two a week earlier.

Running back Trent Richardson rounded back into form with a 111-yard day full of bruising runs between the tackles.

— Michael Casagrande

No. 3 Alabama 27, No. 23 Penn State 11 Penn State Alabama

3 7

0 3

8— 11 7—27

First Quarter PSU—FG Lewis 43, 7:34.

UA—M.Williams 5 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), :25.

Second Quarter UA—FG Shelley 22, 10:08.

UA—Richardson 3 run (Shelley kick), :35.

Third Quarter UA—FG Shelley 18, 4:50.

Fourth Quarter UA—Richardson 13 run (Shelley kick), 6:14.

PSU—Redd 1 run (Bolden run), 1:53.

A—107,846.

W hat th e y sai d

W hat th e y sai d

“It’s always good to get a win under your belt. ... We have a lot to learn and a lot of things we can improve on.”

“T hat’s the way we have to play.

If we keep playing like that, it’s going to be a special team.”

— Nick Saban, Alabama coach

0 10

— A.J. McCarron, Alabama quarterback

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 15

G a m e 3 • S e p t. 1 7

G a m e 4 • S e p t. 2 4

Alabama 41, North Texas 0

Alabama 38, Arkansas 14

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy (42) is escorted to the endzone on his 67yard touchdown run against North Texas.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson escapes the grasp of Arkansas linebacker Jerry Franklin.

Big plays lead to shutout victory over North Texas

Razorbacks’ offense no match for Alabama ‘D’

No. 2 Alabama 41, North Texas 0 North Texas Alabama

0 10

0 10

0 7

0— 0 14—41

First Quarter UA—FG Shelley 26, 9:54.

UA—Richardson 4 run (Shelley kick), 3:39.

Second Quarter UA—Lacy 43 run (Shelley kick), 14:14.

UA—FG Shelley 37, 8:11.

Third Quarter UA—Richardson 58 run (Shelley kick), 9:39.

Fourth Quarter UA—Richardson 71 run (Shelley kick), 13:01.

UA—Lacy 67 run (Shelley kick), 11:49.

A—101,821.

TUSCALOOSA — All or nothing. Big play or field goal. Sure, Alabama took care of North Texas 41-0 Saturday night in Bryant-Denny Stadium, but it didn’t earn style points in the final tune-up before SEC play.

The No. 2 Crimson Tide scored just one touchdown after crossing the Mean Green 40, but still hit a few home runs a week before Arkansas comes to town.

Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy both ran up career rushing records thanks to two long touchdown runs apiece on a night AJ McCarron took most of the snaps at quarterback again.

Trent Richardson scored on runs of 71 and 58 yards while Eddie Lacy added touchdown runs of 43 and 67 yards to skew the stats and the final score.

Richardson’s final line included 167 yards on 11 carries (15.2 average) followed by Lacy’s 161 yards on nine runs (17.9 average).

— Michael Casagrande

TUSCALOOSA — Wow. What an impressive showing by No. 3 Alabama against No. 14 Arkansas on Saturday.

That first big test in SEC play this season?

Aced it.

The Tide’s 38-14 romp over the Razorbacks in Bryant-Denny Stadium looked as impressive stylistically as it did statistically, but a caution from Alabama’s recent past.

It was the same tale in this same building against Florida last year, and we all know what happened after that. Florida turned out to be a mediocre team, and then-top-ranked Alabama didn’t win so much as a divisional title.

Oh, and Arkansas? The Razorbacks looked the part of this year’s Florida on Saturday — a disappointing team.

All one needs to know for proof is how Alabama’s defense played the Razorbacks’ offense in a much-anticipated, strength-on-strength showdown.

— Joe Medley

No. 3 Alabama 38, No. 14 Arkansas 14 Arkansas Alabama

7 7

0 10

7 21

0—14 0—38

First Quarter Ala—M.Williams 37 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 11:48.

Ark—Johnson 10 pass from Wilson (Hocker kick), 1:18.

Second Quarter Ala—FG Shelley 20, 5:35.

Ala—Menzie 25 interception return (Shelley kick), 4:38.

Third Quarter Ala—Maze 83 punt return (Shelley kick), 11:29.

Ala—Richardson 61 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 9:57.

Ark—Hamilton 19 pass from Wilson (Hocker kick), 8:54.

Ala—Lacy 4 run (Shelley kick), :48.

A—101,821.

W hat the y said

W hat the y said

“We lost composure for a minute there.

But stuck in and overcame it.”

“We wanted to go out and show people what we were capable of with all cylinders turning.”

— Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama cornerback

— Dont’a Hightower, Alabama linebacker

The Anniston Star

Page 16 Sunday, January 15, 2012 G a m e 5 • O c t. 1

G a m e 6 • O c t. 8

Alabama 38, Florida 10

Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0

John Raoux/Associated Press

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Florida wide receiver Deonte Thompson (6) can’t hang on to a pass after he is hit by Alabama defensive backs DeQuan Menzie, left, and Robert Lester.

Alabama defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick gets an ear-full from head coach Nick Saban during first-half action.

Gators strike first, Tide hits hardest in rout

Alabama rolls to sparkless shutout of Vanderbilt

No. 3 Alabama 38, No. 12 Florida 10 Alabama Florida

10 10

14 0

0 0

14—38 0—10

First Quarter UF—Debose 65 pass from Brantley (Sturgis kick), 14:41.

UA—FG Shelley 32, 9:47.

UF—FG Sturgis 21, 5:19.

UA—Richardson 5 run (Shelley kick), :52.

Second Quarter UA—Upshaw 45 interception return (Shelley kick), 12:57.

UA—McCarron 1 run (Shelley kick), 3:13.

Fourth Quarter UA—Richardson 36 run (Shelley kick), 12:25.

UA—Lacy 20 run (Shelley kick), 8:45.

A—90,888.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — So, what does a true test look and sound like for Nick Saban’s fifth Alabama team?

It looked like two big pass plays for No. 12 Florida and sounded like a piercingly loud Swamp early Saturday.

Then it looked like a dominating counterpunch by No. 3 Alabama, followed by a Swamp so quiet one could hear frogs chirp.

Now that Alabama has smothered two top 15 teams in a row — one on the road — the bodyof-work argument gets interesting in this week’s poll voting. The 5-0 team that has dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll twice this season made its argument for No. 1 with a 38-10 romp in The Swamp. ‘Any questions?

Anyone?’

“Any time you win in the SEC it’s big, but to win in a place like The Swamp and win like we did, it’s big,” said quarterback AJ McCarron, when asked if Alabama made a statement.

— Joe Medley

TUSCALOOSA — What started stale and sloppy ended in another shutout.

Alabama overcame a monotonous start in front of a flat Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd to reach a familiar conclusion.

The second-ranked Crimson Tide sent Vanderbilt home a 34-0 loser on a night that certainly lacked the emotion of the two previous Alabama wins over ranked opponents. The Commodores helped lull the homecoming crowd to sleep through most of the first half with a well-crafted offense that left Alabama’s defense unsteady at times.

“This was the first time this year when I felt we were flat,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

“We were that way in pregame. We practiced well this week and prepared well for this game, but we just didn’t have the sense of purpose we need.

“And this is the moral challenge we all have.”

No. 2 Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0 Vanderbilt Alabama

0 7

0 7

0— 0 7—34

First Quarter UA—Smelley 6 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 7:50.

Second Quarter UA—White 5 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), :21.

Third Quarter UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 6:03.

UA—White 39 pass from McCarron (kick failed), :52.

Fourth Quarter UA—Hanks 17 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 12:16.

A—101,821.

— Michael Casagrande

W hat th e y said

W hat th e y said

“He was as calm and cool in those situations as any I’ve ever seen him in.”

“We come out each and every week and let everybody know they aren’t going to run the ball on us.”

— Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones on quarterback AJ McCarron

0 13

— Dont’a Hightower, Alabama linebacker

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 17

G a m e 7 • O c t. 1 5

G a m e 8 • O c t. 2 2

Alabama 52, Ole Miss 7

Alabama 37, Tennessee 6

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Alabama running back Trent Richardson runs through a huge hole in the Ole Miss defense. Richardson finished with 183 yards and four touchdowns.

Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze hauls in a catch from quarterback AJ McCarron in front of Tennessee defensive back Marsalis Teague.

Richardson runs wild with 4 TDs vs. Ole Miss

Alabama cruises to win to set up national showdown

No. 2 Alabama 52, Ole Miss 7 Alabama Ole Miss

7 7

10 0

28 0

7—52 0— 7

First Quarter UM—J.Scott 1 run (Rose kick), 12:38.

UA—Richardson 8 run (Shelley kick), 8:24.

Second Quarter UA—Richardson 7 run (Shelley kick), 14:11.

UA—FG Shelley 24, 1:14.

Third Quarter UA—Richardson 8 run (Shelley kick), 12:30.

UA—Richardson 76 run (Shelley kick), 7:37.

UA—Fowler 8 run (Shelley kick), 6:44.

UA—Gibson 10 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 2:08.

Fourth Quarter UA—Fowler 69 run (Shelley kick), 10:08.

A—61,792.

OXFORD, Miss. — A live TV interview only delayed Trent Richardson’s grand exit Saturday night.

Smiling wide, helmet high and Heisman hype kicked into overdrive, only a few thousand in crimson gave him one final curtain call on a record evening.

Alabama’s 52-7 pounding of Ole Miss saw Richardson run for 183 rushing yards, four touchdowns — the last of which left one freshman cornerback frozen in time. His 76-yard final act shook injury-replacement freshman Senquez Golson 14 yards before the end zone to top his signature performance.

It came midway through a third quarter that removed any doubt from a suddenly empty Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The 28-point outburst sent the Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0 SEC) to its highest point total in an SEC game in 21 seasons.

— Michael Casagrande

TUSCALOOSA — It’s OK to talk about Nov. 5 now, and AJ McCarron played himself more prominently into the conversation Saturday.

The Alabama quarterback was called on to make plays by a Tennessee defense determined to stop the run. After a ragged first half when he missed open targets, he delivered with mobility and accuracy to key Alabama’s 37-6 victory.

More importantly, McCarron gave No. 1 LSU reason to respect him more as a playmaker headed into No. 2 Alabama’s showdown with the Tigers, a de facto national semifinal set to follow open dates for both teams and play out in two weeks in Bryant Denny Stadium.

Both teams made it through with 8-0 records. (LSU beat Auburn 45-10 on Saturday.)

That sets up one of the biggest regular-season games in years, one that even Alabama coach Nick Saban is ready to discuss because it’s the next game.

— Joe Medley

No. 2 Alabama 37, Tennessee 6 Tennessee Alabama

3 3

3 3

0 21

0— 6 10—37

First Quarter UT—FG Palardy 40, 3:58.

UA—FG Shelley 26, 2:26.

Second Quarter UA—FG Shelley 29, 10:55.

UT—FG Palardy 52, 5:52.

Third Quarter UA—McCarron 2 run (Shelley kick), 11:08.

UA—Bell 39 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 8:52.

UA—Richardson 12 run (Shelley kick), 3:17.

Fourth Quarter UA—FG Foster 45, 11:22.

UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 9:27.

A—101,821.

W h at t h e y said

W h at t h e y said

“We’ve yet to put together a full 60 minutes of football. And it’s a scary feeling.”

“The number one thing we need to do right now is rest, get healed up. … T his is a good time for us to be having a bye week.”

— Brandon Gibson, Alabama receiver

— Nick Saban, Alabama coach

Page 18 Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Anniston Star

KICKED in the gut

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Alabama holder AJ McCarron (10) walks off the field ahead of kicker Cade Foster after Foster missed his third field goal, a 52-yarder, in overtime.

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 19 G a m e 9 • N o v. 5 LSU 9, Alabama 6 (OT)

Missed FGs doom Tide in ‘Game of the Century’ TUSCALOOSA — A strange silence settled over once-frenzied Bryant-Denny Stadium late Saturday night. All but a few thousand shuffled out glassy-eyed and without words.

In a game worthy of the hype, No.1 LSU put the Crimson Tide national title hopes on ice with a 9-6 overtime win in a rare regular-season game between top-ranked teams.

A field goal won it on a night Alabama missed four on top of a few other ready-made opportunities. Drinks and other projectiles flew from the Alabama student section just as Drew Alleman’s 25-yarder split the posts.

With it went the inside track to the January BCS National Championship Game.

Though Alabama (8-1, 5-1 SEC) missed the four long field goals, Tide coach Nick Saban said the blame can’t fall squarely on the kickers.

“We had field position, we had the ball inside the 30 how many times and we didn’t get but six points?” Saban said.

“That’s the difference in the game. … One of their field goals they had to tie the game was after a turnover.”

Both teams traded punts after that before going to overtime.

Alabama’s offense went backward in three plays. Incomplete passes to Trent Richardson, followed by a sack of AJ McCarron forced Cade Foster to attempt a 53-yard field goal. It fell short and LSU needed just one first down before kicking the third-down field goal that won it.

— Michael Casagrande

TUSCALOOSA — The “Game of the Century” turned into a millennial bag of missed opportunities for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide likely needs help to play in the biggest game in January.

Offensive breakdowns in scoring position and a special teams meltdown, highlighted by three missed field goals and a blocked field goal, likely cost No. 2 Alabama more than its 9-6 loss to No. 1 LSU in overtime on Saturday. It likely cost Alabama a chance to play for the national championship.

Alabama (8-1) now has to finish its regular season without another loss, then hope LSU (9-0) finishes as the lone unbeaten team from a Bowl Championship Series conference.

Even then, history says poll voters who can impact the BCS standings are not likely to allow for a rematch in the national final. They had a chance in 2006, when Ohio State beat Michigan 42-39 in a 1-vs.-2 game in the regular-season finale, and didn’t send Michigan.

Coming into Saturday’s game, pundits pegged the likeliest scenario for a BCS final rematch between Alabama and LSU as an Alabama victory in a close game Saturday. The conventional wisdom was that voters would be more likely to forgive LSU for losing a close game in Tuscaloosa.

Conventional wisdom also left no doubt that Alabama and LSU had distinguished themselves as the nation’s top two teams this season, and each team still has at least three games to play.

— Joe Medley

No. 1 LSU 9, No. 2 Alabama 6 (OT) LSU Alabama

0 0

3 3

0 3

3 0

3—9 0—6

Second Quarter UA—FG Shelley 34, 3:53.

LSU—FG Alleman 19, :00.

Third Quarter UA—FG Foster 46, 7:56.

Fourth Quarter LSU—FG Alleman 30, 14:13.

Overtime LSU—FG Alleman 25.

A—101,821.

W h at t h e y said

“It’s one of those things that we’ll learn from and it hurts.”

— William Vlachos, Alabama offensive lineman

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The Anniston Star

Page 20 Sunday, January 15, 2012 G a m e 1 0 • N o v. 1 2

G a m e 1 1 • N o v. 1 9

Alabama 24, Mississippi State 7

Alabama 45, Georgia Southern 21

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

Alabama defensive back Will Lowery closes in on Mississippi State punter Baker Swedenburg (39) after he fumbled the snap.

Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze looks for running room against Georgia Southern.

Tide bounces back from loss, beats Bulldogs

Alabama survives scare, dispatches Golden Eagles

No. 4 Alabama 24, Mississippi State 7 Alabama Miss. State

0 0

7 0

3 0

14—24 7—7

Second Quarter UA —Lacy 2 run (Shelley kick), 9:59.

Third Quarter UA—FG Shelley 24, 7:32.

Fourth Quarter UA—Richardson 2 run (Shelley kick), 13:39.

MSU —C.Smith 12 pass from Russell (DePasquale kick), 12:03.

UA —Lacy 32 run (Shelley kick), 1:18.

A—57,871.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The defensive struggle continued Saturday night.

Snapping out of a late-season slumber, Alabama found just enough offense to escape Starkville with slim title hopes intact.

A 24-7 win over Mississippi State was hardly a masterpiece, but one wasn’t necessary with the Crimson Tide defense on the field.

The Bulldogs mustered just 131 yards — 12 on the ground thanks to five sacks — as the guests responded swiftly to the 9-6 overtime loss to LSU a week earlier.

But it was still a bit of an adventure for the No. 4 team in the nation.

Tide kickers missed their first two field goal attempts after a stagnant start for the offense that lacked rhythm in the first half. There was an interception and a long kickoff return, but Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy helped break out of the funk to some degree after halftime.

— Michael Casagrande

TUSCALOOSA — Victory celebrations filled Tuscaloosa twice this weekend — the first maybe louder than the last.

Just 14 hours after “mayhem” filled the Alabama team hotel following No. 2 Oklahoma State’s stunning loss, the third-ranked Crimson Tide received a scare from FCS power Georgia Southern.

A party still followed the 45-21 win over the run-first, run-second Eagles. It just lacked the chaos of the night before, though it officially marked the beginning of Iron Bowl week.

Alabama led just 31-21 midway through the third quarter, scoring twice after that to avoid the scare.

Georgia Southern created the tension by running for more yards in the first half than any Alabama opponent. The nation’s top rushing defense surrendered 302 yards, more than double the 148 tallied by No. 1 LSU two weeks ago.

— Michael Casagrande

No. 3 Alabama 45, Georgia Southern 21 Ga. Southern Alabama

0 10

14 14

7 14

First Quarter UA—FG Shelley 32, 11:48.

UA—Kirkpatrick 55 blocked field goal return (Shelley kick), 5:12.

Second Quarter UA—Richardson 4 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 12:56.

GSU—Swope 82 run (Mora kick), 12:36.

UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 6:16.

GSU—Bryant 39 pass from J.Shaw (Mora kick), :56.

Third Quarter UA—Smelley 34 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 7:17.

GSU—L.Scott 95 kickoff return (Mora kick), 7:03.

UA—Richardson 1 run (Shelley kick), 2:36.

Fourth Quarter UA—Smelley 4 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), :44.

A—101,821.

W h at t h e y sai d

W h at t h e y sai d

“I saw some stuff out there today — I’ve been coaching 40 years — that I’ve never seen before.”

“Who would have thought this team would score 21 points on us? ... Anything can happen any week.”

— Alabama coach Nick Saban on formations used by Mississippi State

0—21 7—45

— Brandon Gibson, Alabama senior

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 21

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Page 22 Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Anniston Star

SWEET REVENGE

The Anniston Star

Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 23 G a m e 1 2 • N o v. 2 6 Alabama 42, Auburn 14

Tide makes statement, routs Auburn AUBURN — And LSU should be Alabama’s next opponent, in the Bowl Championship Series final.

It’ll take determined agendas for voters in the Harris Interactive and USA Today polls, two thirds of the BCS formula, to prevent an in-season rematch in the BCS final. This after Alabama dominated Auburn 42-14 on Saturday, leaving no legitimate argument to keep one-loss Alabama out of the BCS game.

“I would be excited for our team if they had the opportunity to play for the national championship,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I think they deserve it.”

The Tide (11-1) entered the weekend No. 2 in every major poll and the

BCS standings, behind LSU. The top two teams in the BCS standings a week AUBURN — It was an odd chant, coming from Alabama fans. It involved three letters and did not start with “We want.”

But shortly after the Million Dollar Band played Alabama’s version of Rammer Jammer on Saturday in Jordan-hare Stadium, Alabama fans sounded like turncoats: “LSU! LSU! LSU!” They weren’t suddenly cheering their other SEC West Division rival, the one that became their national rival this season. Crimson Tide fans simply stated which team should be Alabama’s next opponent.

— Joe Medley

No. 2 Alabama 42, Auburn 14 Alabama Auburn

W hat the y said

“I can’t wait to possibly meet them there again.”

— Alabama running back Trent Richardson on LSU

Photos by Trent Penny/The Anniston Star

LEFT: Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron gestures to the crowd after an Alabama touchdown. ABOVE: Alabama running back Trent Richardson (3) drags Auburn linebacker Daren Bates and defensive back Neiko Thorpe.

AUBURN — The band sounded maybe a touch louder. The few thousand in crimson stayed just a little bit longer.

It was chaos in Jordan-hare Stadium early Saturday evening.

All because the revenge tasted just a little bit satisfying for Alabama with everything riding on the preceding 60 minutes.

The No. 2 Crimson Tide made its final BCS argument with a touch of dominance by settling its grudge with Auburn by running through, then past the Tigers 42-14. There’d be no second-half meltdown in the rematch a year after blowing a 24-point lead.

Not with a career-high 203-yard night from Trent Richardson. And

14 7

10 0

3 7

15—42 0—14

First Quarter UA—Bell 41 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 6:33.

UA—Smelley 35 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 4:25.

AU—Carter recovered fumble in end zone (Parkey kick), :04.

Second Quarter UA—Richardson 5 pass from McCarron (Shelley kick), 9:11.

UA—FG Shelley 30, 1:44.

Third Quarter AU—McCalebb 83 kickoff return (Parkey kick), 14:49.

UA—FG Shelley 28, 8:47.

Fourth Quarter UA—Milliner 35 interception return (M.Williams pass from McCarron), 14:38.

UA—Fowler 15 run (Shelley kick), 6:40.

A—87,451.

definitely not with the nation’s top defense playing one of its best games.

Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held its arch enemy to 140 total yards — just 44 through three quarters while sidestepping Tiger touchdowns scored on defense and special teams.

“With our defense,” defense end Damion Square said, “we suffocate them.”

And when they didn’t, Richardson was there.

Of Alabama’s 397 total yards, more than half came from the Tide’s Heisman Trophy candidate. Richardson, who ran for his ninth 100-plus yard game, had his only touchdown on a 5yard reception in the second quarter.

— Michael Casagrande

Page 24 Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Anniston Star

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