Golf: Tiger Woods injured in car accident. 8C
Sports
S A T U R D A Y , N O V E M B E R 28 , 2009
SECTION C
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
26 21
Off the Mark
Alabama notebook
Making a stand
Alabama’s run game held in check | 3C
Arenas sets SEC record for career punt return yards | 4C
Weak start
Quarter scores
Tide falls behind 14-0 before settling down | 3C
Breakdown of each quarter| 4C
After being tricked by the Auburn offense early, the Tide defense turns up the heat in the fourth quarter. | 5C
Comeback kids
Stats
Fourth-quarter drive keeps perfect season alive | 3C
Statistics from Friday’s game | 4C
Iron Bowl blues After dominating most of the game, Auburn comes up short, missing a chance to ruin Alabama’s national title hopes. | 5C
THE DRIVE
Resilient Alabama overcomes Auburn with 79-yard march By Cecil Hurt Sports Editor
AUBURN | Sometimes the offensive lineman says it about as simply as the writer can. “It was a hell of a football game,” Mike Johnson, the University of Alabama’s All-SEC guard said in perfect summation of the Crimson Tide’s 26-21 victory over Auburn in the most exciting game that the series has produced in at least a decade and perhaps more. Alabama trailed virtually the entire game but scored the winning touchdown at the end of a 15-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by a 4-yard pass from Greg McElroy to running back Roy Upchurch with just 1:24 to play. Auburn drove back to the UA 37 on its ensuing possession but with one second remaining, Chris Todd’s Hail Mary pass into the Alabama end zone was batted harmlessly to the Jordan-Hare Stadium turf, wrapping up a second straight 12-0 regular season as the Crimson Tide heads to Atlanta for next Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Championship Game against Florida. The Gators will attempt to conclude an unbeaten regular season today against Florida State. SEE ALABAMA | 5C
Alabama displays heart during winning drive AUBURN ow do you measure the true size of a heart? What geometry can you use to calculate its true capacity? A big heart can contain more than anyone suspects. You can’t simply calculate the height and breadth of a human and know that you’ve made a true measure of his heart. You can’t do it with laser beams and computers. It requires a different set of equations, a deeper understanding — just as Nick Saban understood, at the end of the game, that the true route into Auburn’s end zone for the decisive touchdown of a thrilling 26-21 win was not a straight line, but a gentle parabola from Greg McElroy’s right hand into Roy CECIL Upchurch’s arms waiting 4 yards away. HURT How do you measure the heart of a football team? You put that team 79 yards away from the end zone, you put 8 minutes and 27 seconds on the clock and you place every expectation that it is possible for a football team to have — a win against its fiercest rival, an undefeated season, a national championship dream that has been a year in the making — squarely STAFF PHOTO | ROBERT SUTTON on its shoulders. Alabama’s Roy Upchurch celebrates after scoring on a 4-yard catch from Greg McElroy Then you stand back and watch. SEE HURT | 5C with 1:24 left in the game against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Friday.
H
CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS | DEMOPOLIS 29, SPANISH FORT 28
Tigers rally in final minute for victory Demopolis’ Demarcus James avoids the tackle by Spanish Fort’s Garrett Horst during Friday night’s Class 5A semifinal playoff game at Demopolis. The Tigers won, 29-28, and advance to next week’s Super 6 title game in Tuscaloosa.
By Cedric Baker Special to The Tuscaloosa News
PHOTO | ANDREA MABRY
DEMOPOLIS | Tuscaloosa, make room for Demopolis High School. The Tigers are headed for the Super 6. The Tigers punched their ticket to the AHSAA season-ending showcase by holding off Spanish Fort, 29-28, on Friday night in the Class 5A semifinals. Demopolis’ DaMarcus James, a junior tailback, ran for 188 yards and scored three touchdown on 27 carries. His biggest touchdown came with 51 seconds left. The touchdown cut the Spanish Fort lead to one point. SEE TIGERS | 6C
For Nick Saban’s postgame press conference, visit www.tidesports.com
FLORIDA STATE 60, ALABAMA 51
Seminoles knock Tide out of Old Spice Classic By David C. Jeffrey Special to The Tuscaloosa News
ORLANDO, FLA. | The magic the University of Alabama’s men’s basketball team had didn’t last. Florida State defeated the Crimson Tide 60-51 on Friday in a second-round game in the Old Spice Classic. For the second game in a row, Alabama was at a significant size disadvantage. While Baylor was big, the Seminoles were just as big and twice as athletic.
Solomon Alabi, a 7-foot-1 center, was the centerpiece of the Seminoles’ defense. Alabi has been getting national attention for his improved post game and his 2.6 blocked shots per game. Alabi was able to match JaMychal Green’s athleticism down low. Green was only able to score nine points, but he scrambled to collect eight hardearned rebounds. The Tide started strong, forcing turnovers to make easy baskets. SEE CLASSIC | 7C