ALABAM A
ESPN : V T . : 6 p.m E M I T 9 0 . 4 11.1
Gameday ʻ09 (9-0, 6-0) vs.MISSISSIPP I STATE (
4-5, 2-3)
In control of destiny up the SEC West crown last Saturday, the Tide g n i p p a r w r e t f A he national title race the rest of the sea t n i e t a f n w o s t i s l son. contro
Also inside:
• Etched in stone: 1978
• Position Matchups
2009 Schedule Date
Opponent
Result
9/05/09
Virginia Tech
W 34-24
9/12/09
Florida International
W 40-14
9/19/09
North Texas
W 53-7
9/26/09
Arkansas
W 35-7
10/03/09
Kentucky
W 38-20
10/10/09
Ole Miss
W 22-3
10/17/09
South Carolina
W 20-6
10/24/09
Tennessee
W 12-10
11/07/09
LSU
W 24-15
Date
Opponent
Location
GameDay Publish Date
11/14/09 Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 11/12/09 11/21/09 UT Chattanooga
Tuscaloosa
11/20/09
11/27/09 Auburn
Auburn
11/24/09
12/05/09 Florida
Atlanta
12/03/09
ON THE INSIDE
4 | IN CONTROL OF DESTINY
By Spencer White
GameDay 2009 • November 12
After a 24-15 victory over LSU, the Tide is set for Atlanta. Can the SEC West champs stay focused on Pasadena?
1
Stat of the
week Mark Ingram is only 323 yards from the Alabama single-season rushing record. Bobby Humphrey currently holds the mark, rushing for 1,471 yards in 1986. Ingram has 1,148 on just 175 attempts.
GAME INFORMATION
CW | Katie Bennett
3 | PLAYSTATION SIMULATION
8 | BUY OR SELL
Led by a three-touchdown performance by Heisman candidate Mark Ingram, Alabama improved to 9-1 in the simulated season with a 44-14 slaughter of the Bulldogs.
Are two mid-majors going to make the BCS? Who, if anyone, is going to be able to pull Brian Kelly away from Cincinnati this season? We answer in this week’s Buy or Sell.
By Will Nevin
9 | ETCHED IN STONE
11 | Q&A: LEIGH TIFFIN
This week, we take a look at one of the most celebrated plays in Tide lore, the Sugar Bowl goal line stand that gave Bear Bryant his fifth title.
In fall camp, we asked senior kicker Leigh Tiffin about golf, female celebrities and other off the field interests.
By Spencer White
Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-5)
• Field: Davis Wade Stadium • Place: Starkville, Miss. • Time: 6 p.m. • TV: ESPN • Radio: 1420 AM (Eli Gold, play-by-play; Phil Savage, color analyst; Barry Krauss, sideline reporter)
GAMEDAY STAFF • Jason Galloway, GameDay editor • Spencer White, assistant GameDay editor • Amanda Peterson, editor-in-chief • Will Nevin, managing editor • Brandee Easter, design editor • Emily Johnson, assistant design editor • Aaron Gertler, graphics editor • Jerrod Seaton, photo editor • Katie Bennett, photographer • Bethany Martin, photographer Cover photos: Bethany Martin & Katie Bennett
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PICKS, POLLS AND PERSPECTIVE
November 12 • GameDay 2009
CW PICKS | WEEK 11 Jason Galloway
Spencer White
Cyrus Ntakirutinka
Aaron Gertler
Amanda Peterson
GameDay editor
Asst. GameDay editor
Senior sports reporter
Graphics editor
CW editor
39-24
41-22
38-25
37-26
41-22
Will Nevin
Drew Gunn
CW managing editor Advertising manager
#2 Bama at Mississippi State #16 Utah at #4 TCU #25 West Virginia at #5 Cincy Tennessee at Ole Miss #10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State Auburn at Georgia Notre Dame at #12 Pittsburgh Season record
the
student
SECTION
UA students talk about their expectations for the upcoming Crimson Tide game. CW | John Michael Simpson
Kelcey Armstrong Freshman International studies
Jontavius Knight Criminal justice & Political science
“Iʼm excited for it.”
“Donʼt sleep on Mississippi State.”
AP POLL
41-22
39-24
BCS STANDINGS
1. Florida (39)
1. Florida
2. Texas (10)
2. Alabama
3. Alabama (11)
3. Texas
4. TCU
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
7. Georgia Tech
8. Pittsburgh
8. LSU
9. LSU
9. USC
10. Ohio State
10. Iowa
11. USC
11. Ohio State
12. Miami
12. Pittsburgh
Claire Clemmons Freshamn History
Taylor Ensign Sophomore History
13. Houston
13. Oregon
14. Oregon
14. Miami
“We will win of course.”
“Itʼs going to be a close and fun game.”
15. Iowa
15. Houston
16. Utah
16. Utah
17. Oklahoma State
17. Arizona
18. Arizona
18. Penn State
19. Penn State
19. Oklahoma State
20. Virginia Tech
20. Wisconsin
21. Wisconsin
21. Virginia Tech
22. BYU
22. BYU
23. South Florida
23. Oregon State
24. Clemson
24. South Florida
25. Stanford
25. West Virginia
Zack Zones Junior Spanish and business major “If we follow through with our offense weʼll win.”
Cedrick Alexander Senior Journalism “I think the Tide will teach the Bulldogs to behave.”
PS3 SIMULATION
GameDay 2009 • November 12
PS3 SAYS | ALABAMA 47, MISSISSIPPI STATE 14
Alabama
BY WILL NEVIN Managing Editor The Tide scored early. The Tide scored late. The Tide could not be beat. Alabama crushed the Mississippi State Bulldogs 47-14 to extend a perfect Southeastern Conference record in a game dominated by the Tide’s defense and running back Mark Ingram’s continued quest for the Heisman Trophy as he ran for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Greg McElroy got Alabama on the board in the first quarter with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brad Smelley to put Alabama up 7-0. McElroy followed that with another touchdown pass on the Tide’s second possession, finding wide receiver Julio Jones for a 37-yard strike and a 13-0 lead after Leigh Tiffin missed the extra point attempt. Ingram added two touchdowns in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 27-0, but Mississippi State broke up the shutout as time expired in the half with a 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyson Lee to wide out Brandon McRae. Ingram scorched the Bulldog defense for his third touchdown of the game in the third quarter, racing 80 yards to the end zone for a 34-7 Alabama lead. Tiffin added a 31-yard field goal to put the Tide up by 30. In the fourth quarter, senior Alabama wide receiver Mike McCoy
SIMULATION STATISTICS • Passing: Greg McElroy, 13-of-19, 213 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
• Rushing: Mark Ingram, 21 rushes, 226 yds, 3 TD • Receiving: Julio Jones, 3 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD
NCAA 2010 screenshot Mark Ingram stiff arms a Mississippi State defender on his way to the endzone. Ingram had 21 rushes for 226 yards and three touchdowns in the 44-14 simulated victory over the Bulldogs. hauled in a 17-yard touchdown, but State answered as the Bulldogs found the endzone for the second time on McRae’s second touchdown catch of the game. Tiffin capped the scoring with a 49-yard field goal to put the Tide up 47-14. Mississippi State’s ground attack was nonexistent. The Tide defense held the Bulldogs to minus-22 rushing yards on the game. With the win, Alabama is 9-1 (7-0) on the simulated season.
• Top Defensive Performer: Brandon Deaderick, 5 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks
Mississippi State • Passing: Tyson Lee, 14-of-26, 166 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
• Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 6 rushes, 3 yards
• Receiving: Brandon McRae, 3 receptions, 71 yards, 2 TD
• Top Defensive Performer: Charles Mitchell, 8 tackles, 1 INT
3
Fighting to the finish line
CW | Jerrod Seaton Alabama players celebrate after a Mark Ingram touchdown in the Tide始s 20-6 victory over South Carolina.
BY SPENCER WHITE Assistant GameDay Editor
C
omplacency is a byproduct of success. That same complacency often rots the fruit of hard work, turning good fortune into failure. It is a simple but illuminating truth, seen in business, politics and just about every other facet of society. In college football, it’s just as obvious to find, if not more so. In 2003, with an undefeated regular season and a seemingly unstoppable team, Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma squad took the field
6
November 12 • GameDay 2009 tto play the Big XII championship game against seemingly overg matched Kansas State, a 10-3 m squad who had lost to two opponents, Texas and Oklahoma State, n that the Sooners had thoroughly t dominated earlier in the season. Oklahoma found themselves overwhelmed, falling 35-7 to the o Wildcats in one of the biggest W shockers in collegiate sh history. Though h the Sooners t still barely s made it into the national championship game, they were simply not the same n team, falling t 21-14 to the 2 LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. In 2006, all but assured a trip to the BCS national cchampionship, Southern California had a regular C season finale against the lowly 6-5 Bruins of t UCLA, an opponent the Trojans had defeated six consecutive years. USC came out flat and UCLA took advantage, tripping up the Trojans 13-9 and ruining USC’s chances of playing for a third national title in four years. In 2007, West Virginia, sitting at 10-1 and No. 2 in the BCS rankings, had only a final match up against the 4-7 Pittsburgh Panthers, at home, to seal a spot in the program’s first BCS national title g game. But the Mountaineers, g perhaps thinking about p
bright lights and glory, stumbled and like the Trojans fell 13-9 to an overlooked rival. The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide comes in with a similar challenge after securing the Western division crown of the Southeastern Conference for the second consecutive season with a 24-15 victory over the No. 8 LSU Tigers last Saturday. Alabama remains the only SEC team to repeat as Western division champions, last accomplished when the Tide won three consecutive crowns from 1992-1994, though NCAA penalties nullified the victories in the 1993 season. “I can’t wait to go back,” senior Cory Reamer said. “It’s an honor to go two times. Not everybody get to go even once, but for us to go twice is a big privilege for sure.” With what promises to be an epic repeat contest from the 2008 championship game with the No. 1 Florida Gators looming on the horizon, it will take all of the Tide’s focus and willpower to concentrate and remember that stumbling blocks, like SEC opponents Mississippi State and Auburn, still remain just waiting to trip up their hated rivals. Luckily for Tide fans, their favorite program is led by a coach notorious for taking opponents seriously. Few know better than Alabama head coach Nick Saban how a team’s lack of motivation can ruin a perfectly good season. He watched last year’s magnificent undefeated regular season disintegrate into a disappointing two-score bowl loss to Utah in last January’s Sugar Bowl after the Tide, with national title dreams crushed by Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators in the SEC championship, seemed to fold up and walk through the motions against the Utes, falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter
before eventually losing 31-17. Saban’s job is to insure that such an event does not occur again. And if the coach’s words are to be believed, it won’t. “We have three games left to play [in the regular season],” Saban said. “We want to play those games one game at a time…we need to focus and get ready to play our best football and continue to improve to be the best team that we can be. That never ends.” For star tailback Mark Ingram, there has never been any question about what the Tide really wants. “It’s not the ultimate goal at all,” Ingram said. “We’ve got to keep winning and try to make it to Pasadena [for the BCS Championship].” By defeating the Tigers, Alabama not only earned a repeat trip to the Georgia Dome, but kept the fate of the 2009 season solely in its own hands. “If we wouldn’t have won this game, we would not have controlled our destiny as whether we could get to Atlanta or win the West or not,” Saban said. “We now control our own destiny in terms of what else we can accomplish and what else we can do.” The Tide will have to not only remember the failures of Oklahoma, West Virginia and USC, but a few of its own as well. In 1972, undefeated and holding a 16-3 lead against the Auburn Tigers in the regular season finale, Alabama fans watched in horror as their team’s perfect season was dashed by two blocked punts in the final minutes of the game. The Tide had difficulty recovering from the blow and lost 17-13 to the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl that season. In 1999, an Alabama squad that went on to capture the SEC title was
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GameDay 2009 • November 12
7
Alabama students cheer during the Tideʼs 24-15 victory over the LSU Tigers last Saturday in Bryant-Denny. Alabama fans have seen the Tide win 21 consecutive regular season games and 22 of its last 24 contests overall, including two SEC West titles and a 5-0 record over Auburn, LSU and Tennessee since 2008. CW | Katie Bennett eliminated from national title considerations early after falling to the lowly Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the third game of the season. Painful lessons for the Alabama fan base and program, but instructional ones. “We’ve got to take it week by week, one game at a time,” Ingram said. “Don’t look too far ahead and don’t look back, we’ve just to
focus on the task at hand.” This week, the task is the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. In Dan Mullen’s first year in Starkville, the Bulldogs have nearly pulled off upsets of the two other SEC teams currently ranked in the top 10, falling 26-30 to LSU and 19-29 to the Gators. The Tide has to make sure that the third
opportunity never comes about. “We won the West today, and it’s really glorifying, but we’ve got a few more difficult opponents ahead,” junior quarterback Greg McElroy said Saturday after the game. “We’ve got Mississippi State next week. Let’s enjoy this one for 24 hours and start getting ready for the Bulldogs.”
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BUY OR SELL
November 12 • GameDay 2009 SPENCER WHITE Assistant GameDay Editor
TWO MID-MAJORS WILL MAKE A BCS BOWL
JASON GALLOWAY GameDay Editor
BUY
BUY
With TCU and Boise State both ranked in the top six of the BCS and no likely losses remaining on their schedules, I expect both teams to finish the season undefeated. Other than the loser of the SEC championship, there simply isn’t a strong enough case for any Big Six conference team to pass the Horned Frogs or Broncos for an atlarge bid in the BCS bowl games.
If TCU and Boise State both finish the season undefeated, which I think they will, it would practically be a lock. The only way it wouldn’t happen is if Texas loses the Big XII Championship Game and Cincinnati gets edged by out Pittsburgh later this season and remains ahead of Boise State with a loss. Even then though, the Broncos would probably be ahead of Cincinnati.
MCT Campus
BRIAN KELLY WILL COACH AT CINCINNATI NEXT YEAR SELL
SELL
Kelly is the hottest name in coaching right now, and with the possiblities of both the Notre Dame and Michigan jobs opening up at the conclusion of the season, the Bearcats’ coach will be the name on the lips of fans and administrators in both Ann Arbor and South Bend this offseason. If both jobs become open, the bidding war for Kelly’s services could be the story of the 2010 winter and spring.
Kelly is going to be the hottest name on the market come offseason time, and someone will throw out enough money to pull him away from Cincinnati. With Charlie Weis on the way out at Notre Dame, Kelly is their guy if Urban Meyer declines. If Meyer does happen to leave Florida or Weis gets another year, there could still be opportunities at places like Michigan or Illinois. It just wouldn’t make sense to stay.
MCT Campus
ETCHED IN STONE | 1978
GameDay 2009 • November 12
9
The legend of the stand BY SPENCER WHITE Assistant GameDay Editor It is an icon of Alabama football. Barry Krauss, the senior AllAmerican linebacker, rising over the pile of bodies to halt the progress of Penn State tailback Mike Guman. It was the first subject of a Daniel Moore painting, seen as a defining moment of the coaching tenure of Paul “Bear” Bryant. But the crucial fourth-and-goal tackle, made midway through the final quarter of the No. 2 Crimson Tide’s epic match up against the No. 1 Nittany Lions, also served as a rebirth of the great Tide bowl victory. The 1970s had seen a rebirth of the Alabama program. Bryant’s adoption of the wishbone offense in 1971 and rededication to stifling defense had led the Tide to a remarkable 73 victories in seven seasons. But in that time, Alabama had compiled an unremarkable 3-4 record in bowl games, with its biggest game, the 1973 Sugar Bowl, ending in a crushing defeat that cost the Tide the AP national title. The game ate away at Bryant, who viewed the 24-23 loss to Notre Dame as his only shot at a truly remark-
Bryant Museum The 1978 Alabama defense swarms to a Florida ball carrier during the Tideʼs 23-12 victory over the Gators. able game — a match up of superpowers that could come only once in a generation. Little did he know that the opportunity would come again just five years later. The 1978 Tide squad finished the season with a 10-1 record, its only blemish coming against the Trojans of Southern California in late September. The game was marred
for Alabama by six turnovers, but left such a lasting impression on the program that the Tide would win its next 28 games. It began with a 51-28 rout of Vanderbilt in the week following the USC loss. The Tide carried the momentum to an SEC championship, Alabama’s second straight and sixth in seven seasons. The Tide faced a Sugar Bowl challenge
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November 12 • GameDay 2009
against Joe Paterno’s Penn State squad, an undefeated group that had dominated opponents as an independent power of the Northeast. The game is known as one of the fiercest and bloodiest defensive battles in college football history. The Nittany Lions entered the contest with the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense, and much of the contest attested to their acclaim. The Tide offense was battered around the field, but took advantage of a late first half drive, with Tide quarterback Jeff Rutledge connecting on an endzone pass to diving receiver Bruce Bolton to give Alabama a 7-0 lead heading into intermission. As celebrated as the Penn State defense was, the Tide unit was equal to the task, holding the Nittany Lions to a meager 21 yards of offense, including negative rushing yardage. The Tide offense, meanwhile, had accumulated 214 yards but with only the late touchdown to show for its progress. Alabama again saw success moving the ball to start the second half, but failed to score against a stingy Penn State, missing a chip-shot field goal that would have given the Tide a two-possession lead. With the Nittany Lions’ offense continuing its futile efforts, Paterno’s defense was forced to utilize a defensive turnover to flip the field. Penn State free safety Pete Harris intercepted a Rutledge pass to give Nittany Lions quarterback Chuck Fusina a short field, and Fusina finally got the top-ranked Lions on the board, throwing a 17-yard TD pass to Scott Fitzkee to tie the game at 7-7. Late in the third quarter, with
Tide quarterback Jeff Rutledge takes a snap from the Tideʼs All-American center Dwight Stephenson, who Alabama head coach Bear Bryant called the best player he ever coached. The Tide offense would utilize the wishbone formation to their usual degree of success in the 1978 season, averaging over 400 yards of offense and 30 points per game. Bryant Museum the score still deadlocked, Bryant decided to gamble and use a new man at punt returner, Lou Ikner. He responded to his coach’s confidence with a 62-yard return that allowed Rutledge to execute a beautiful option play to halfback Major Ogilvie, who scampered untouched into the endzone. The play put Alabama back on top 14-7 heading into the final quarter. It was in this final fifteen minutes that the Tide’s epic game became legendary. With the defense continuing to hold the Nittany Lions seemingly at will, Alabama took over the ball with eight minutes left and 80 yards to a touchdown that would ice the game. However, Rutledge botched a pitch to Ogilvie, and Penn State recovered the fumble deep in Tide territory. After an 11-yard run that gave the Nittany Lions a first-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Penn State
advanced about two yards on first down. For all the acclaim that the final play of the stand has received in Tide lore, it was the second down play that was perhaps the finest of the game. On second-and-goal from the 6, Fusina immediately looked right and completed a swing pass to Fitzkee, who seemingly had only empty space for the touchdown. From out of nowhere, Alabama cornerback Don McNeal flew to the ball, shoving Fitzkee out of bounds at the 1. Fitzkee later said he “had no clue” where McNeal had come from. A third down play was stuffed for no gain. Fusina searched for the ball, asking Tide linebacker Marty Lyons where the ball had been spotted. Lyons responded, “’Bout a foot. You’d better pass.” Fusina scoffed. The play call
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came in from the sideline. Shove the ball down the middle. So on fourth-and-goal, with a national championship on the line in the fourth quarter of one of the greatest bowl games of all time, Fusina took the snap, spun around and handed the ball to Guman. The halfback leaped into the pile, only to find a determined Krauss ready to meet him. They collided in midair, with crimson jerseys swarming to the crash. After the pile was cleared, Krauss was initially motionless, having been knocked unconscious by the force of the collision. The sacrifice worked: the defense had held. Alabama took control of the ball, and went on to win. Moore, at the time a UA graduate student, saw the inspiration behind the moment and painted the first of his many images of Tide glory onto canvas. The rest, as they say, is history.
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Q & A | LEIGH TIFFIN
GameDay y 2009 • November 12
11
Leigh Tiffin talks golf, girls and music CW: If you could have any celebrity girl in the world, who would you take?
Tiffin: Gisele’s pretty hot, Heidi Klum, J-Lo would be up there. I could give you a bunch of ‘em.
CW: Maybe all three? Tiffin : Yeah, maybe all of ‘em. m. CW: What kind of music do you like? Tiffin : I like country. I listen to a little bit of everything. They play a lot of rap in the weight room here.
CW: Who’s your favorite country artist? Tiffin : I like George Strait.
CW: Who is the team clown? Tiffin : That would be Kareem Jackson.
CW: What’s your favorite movie? Tiffin : Fight Club
CW: What’s your golf handicap? Tiffin : I don’t even know what a golf handicap is. I don’t play golf.
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12
SEC ROUNDUP
November 12 • GameDay 2009
Around
the
conference
Compiled by Laura Owens Sports Reporter
#1 Florida at South Carolina
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Time: 2:30 p.m. on CBS Series: Florida leads 22-4-3 What to watch for: Florida has already clinched the SEC East, and South Carolina moved to third in the East after its loss to Arkansas last weekend. So far this year, South Carolina has a perfect record at home, so it may be able to pull an upset if Florida isn’t careful. But win or lose, Florida is playing in the SEC Championship game. At this point, Florida is playing to keep its No. 1 spot in the BCS.
Time: 11:21 a.m. on the SEC Network Series: Kentucky leads 39-38-4 What to watch for: This is Kentucky’s best shot at making a bowl. As of now, they’re at five wins. Vanderbilt is currently 0-6 in conference play and 2-8 on the season, coming off a tough loss against Florida. Kentucky is only doing slightly better at 1-4 in the conference and 5-4 overall. Both quarterbacks have been having a tough time this season, but Kentucky’s has a slight edge over Vandy’s.
Auburn at Georgia
Louisiana Tech at #8 LSU
Time: 6 p.m. on ESPN2 Series: Auburn leads 53-51-8 What to watch for: Though Georgia hasn’t looked particularly good this year, they’re still second in the SEC East. Auburn has managed to make it to third in the SEC West overall standings. Two years ago for this game, Georgia decided to blackout Auburn and ended up winning the game 45-20. This year, Auburn has a tendency to score high but also let their opponents score big numbers too. If Georgia can pull together an offense and hold Auburn’s own offense down, the Bulldogs may be able to beat Auburn for the fourth year in a row.
Time: 6 p.m. on ESPNU Series: LSU leads 17-1 What to look for: Somehow LSU managed to actually move up in the BCS after losing in Tuscaloosa. And after the Tide handed them such a great defeat, it will be good for them to have a break. The team shouldn’t take LA Tech lightly because every team out there is looking to pull an upset. However, for LSU, having a nonSEC game will still be good for the Tigers. And if LA Tech beats them at home, hopefully the BCS will not move them up for that.
Tennessee at Ole Miss
Troy at Arkansas
Time: 11 a.m. on CBS Series: Tennessee leads 43-18-1 What to watch for: To become bowl eligible, Tennessee needs to win this game. Ole Miss already has its six wins. The last time these two teams played was in 2005, so it’s been a while. Both teams have undergone recent coaching changes. Ole Miss is 4-1 at home, and Tennessee has only played two away games, one at Florida and one at Alabama, making them 0-2 on the road.
Time: 6:30 p.m. on CSS Series: Arkansas leads 2-0 What to watch for: Arkansas has struggled this season, but the Razorbacks came out last week with a big win over South Carolina. They have two more SEC games looming in the distance. This is another game where if the team isn’t careful, Troy can pull a big upset. So far, Ryan Mallet has had a good season, completing almost 60 percent of his passes, with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
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Position Matchups Though the Tide possesses a talent advantage in almost every facet of Saturday’s game, Mississippi State will provide some interesting challenges for the SEC West champions in Starkville. ALABAMA RECEIVERS VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE SECONDARY The Tide receivers looked stellar against the Bayou Bengals last Saturday, consistently finding open space against a tough LSU secondary to allow Greg McElroy a chance to make plays in the passing game. Alabama shouldn’t have the problems Florida did in the passing game against the Bulldogs, as Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen spent four years as the offensive coordinator in Gainesville, not Tuscaloosa.
EDGE CW |Bethany Martin
MSU Athletics
ALABAMA FRONT SEVEN VS. ANTHONY DIXON Dixon is a powerful and vicious halfback, notorious for pounding defensive lines into oblivion throughout the course of a game. The Tide front seven has shown they can handle running backs about as well as any team in the country. No opposing back has run for 100 yards against the Tide in more than two years, but Tide fans may worry after Charles Scott converted several third-andshort situations last Saturday before his injury.
EDGE CW | Bethany Martin
MCT Campus
MARK INGRAM VS. PERNELL MCPHEE Ingram has put on his best shows against the best defenders, and he’ll face a good one in McPhee, who leads the Bulldogs and ranks fifth in the SEC with nine tackles for loss. If Alabama challenges the junior defensive end around his side of the line and Ingram is unable to make headway, the Tide’s offensive strategy could become limited over the course of the game. Expect a good battle between the two on Saturday.
EDGE CW | Katie Bennett
Scout.com
KEY PLAYERS
ALABAMA
Terrence Cody, NT
Anthony Dixon, RB
Alabama uncharacteristically allowed multiple third down conversions on the ground to LSU last week, and the Crimson Tide is playing against a similar pound-the-middle type of running game this week. The importance of Cody’s ability to take extra blockers to free linebackers will be magnified Saturday when running back Anthony Dixon tries to find room up the middle. After last week, Cody could stay on the field more often on third-and-shorts against the Bulldogs.
Dixon is the SEC’s third-leading rusher and is only about two and a half yards per game away from Heisman candidate Mark Ingram’s average. With a poor passing game, Mississippi State looks to Dixon early and often, even if its opponent has the No. 2 rushing defense in the country. Dixon will need to gain positive yardage on first and second down to make third down more manageable for the Bulldogs’ passing game.
Julio Jones, WR
Tyson Lee, QB
Jones broke out last week with his first 100-yard performence of the season and found the endzone for the first time since week four. The receivers’ ability to find openings in the secondary was the key to resurrecting the passing game against LSU, and if Jones and company continue to do that, the Tide could possibly turn its one weakness into a strength. If Alabama is able to balance its offense between the run and pass efficiently against Mississippi State, the Bulldogs won’t have a chance Saturday.
Mississippi State has the 106thranked passing offense in the county and the 10th best in the SEC, but much of that has to do with the lack of passes the Bulldogs attempt. Lee has been fairly efficient, completing 59 percent of his passes and only throwing four interceptions to his 11 touchdowns. For Mississippi State to have a chance, he can’t make any mistakes Saturday. Lee’s ability to move around the pocket could also be key in avoiding the Tide pass rush.
Eryk Anders, LB
Johnthan Banks, DB
Mississippi State has done a good job protecting Tyson Lee this season, as he has only been sacked 12 times. Alabama is one of the best teams in the country in affecting the quarterback. It will already be difficult for the Bulldogs to move the ball against the Tide, but if Anders can get significant pressure on Lee from the “Jack” position, it will make it that much tougher. Lee can’t throw from the ground, and Mississippi State can’t win if it doesn’t protect its quarterback.
Banks is only a freshman, but he has already proven he can make plays in big games. He intercepted Tim Tebow twice in the Bulldogs’ game against Florida and returned both for touchdowns. Mark Ingram is going to get his yards Saturday; Mississippi State has to hope it can force Greg McElroy into mistakes. If the Bulldogs are successful, Banks is a guy who can capitalize on those mistakes.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS
LT LG C RG RT TE HB QB RB WR WR
77 78 73 75 79 84 85 12 22 8 4
James Carpenter (Jr.) Mike Johnson (Sr.) William Vlachos (So.) Barrett Jones (R-Fr.) Drew Davis (Sr.) Colin Peek (Sr.) Preston Dial (Jr.) Greg McElroy (Jr.) Mark Ingram (So.) Julio Jones (So.) Marquis Maze (So.)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS
DE DT DE JACK WILL MIKE SAM CB FS SS CB
95 62 97 32 35 25 13 3 27 4 28
Marcell Dareus (So.) Terrence Cody (Sr.) Lorenzo Washington (Sr.) Eryk Anders (Sr.) Nico Johnson (Fr.) Rolando McClain (Jr.) Cory Reamer (Sr.) Kareem Jackson (Jr.) Justin Woodall (Sr.) Mark Barron (So.) Javier Arenas (Sr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERS K P PR KR
99 7 28 28 8
MISS. STATE
Leigh Tiffin (Sr.) P.J. Fitzgerald (Sr.) Javier Arenas (Sr.) Javier Arenas (Sr.) Julio Jones (So.)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS
LT LG C RG RT QB RB X H Y Z
79 55 70 75 62 16 24 6 9 32 81
Derek Sherrod (Jr.) Quentin Saulsberry (So.) J.C. Brignone (Jr.) Craig Jenkins (Sr.) Addison Lawrence (So.) Tyson Lee (Sr.) Anthony Dixon (Sr.) Brandon McRae (Sr.) Leon Berry (Jr.) Marcus Green (So.) OʼNeal Wilder (R-Fr.)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS
DE DT DT DE WLB MLB SLB CB SS FS CB
90 95 92 99 50 22 34 15 4 13 18
Pernell McPhee (Jr.) Kyle Love (Sr.) Charles Burns (Sr.) Sean Ferguson (So.) Chris White (Jr.) Jamar Chaney (Sr.) K.J. Wright (Jr.) Maurice Langston (Jr.) Charles Mitchell (So.) Johnthan Banks (Fr.) Marcus Washington (Sr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERS K P PR KR
37 38 9 9 1
Sean Brauchle (Jr.) Heath Hutchins (Jr.) Leon Berry (Jr.) Leon Berry (Jr.) Chad Bumphis (Fr.)