An oral history of the University of Alabama’s football season, as told by the people who lived it
Resurgence By Aaron Suttles Sports Writer
The University of Alabama enjoyed a bye week after the LSU game, a contest that took an emotional and physical toll, before welcoming the No. 1 team in the country into BryantDenny Stadium. That top-ranked team was Mississippi State, a surprise national championship contender that had amassed an impressive resume that included victories over LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn. After racing out to a 19-point lead, Alabama held on for a 25-20 victory that vaulted the Crimson Tide in the top spot in all the polls and in the middle of the national title picture. Leon Brown, senior offensive guard: Them being No. 1 in the country put a bigger sense of urgency on us. We felt like we’re not playing Mississippi State, we’re playing the No. 1 team in the country. We had to come out there and play ball. Trey DePriest, senior linebacker Before the game I get a little bit of nervousness. Once I get a play in that goes away. Whatever happens is going to happen. Reggie Ragland, junior linebacker: It was a very intense, high-intensity game. They were coming into our house. We had to buckle down. We don’t lose in our house. That was our mind set. We can’t lose in our house. staff photo | robert sutton
Continued
Crimson Tide players celebrate during their game against Mississippi State on Nov. 15, 2014. Alabama beat the then-No. 1 Bulldogs, 25-20.
staff photo | robert sutton
Alabama defensive back Landon Collins comes up with a critical interception late in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 15, 2014.
DePriest It was challenge. They had a good team, a solid quarterback and a real good player. They had a solid running back, and they’re built on running the ball, too, with the counter and the rocket sweeps. It was rough preparing for them. Cyrus Jones, junior cornerback: I wasn’t surprised at our defensive performance. Brown: Every time we play Mississippi State it’s a physical game. Those guys, they come to play every time. Ragland: We got some stops on defense. Our of-
fense got some scores that we needed.
Ragland: I really couldn’t see because I was taking on a block. A bunch of guys got to the Alabama set the tone midway through the ball and we got a safety. It got the team first quarter when DePriest tackled running going. back Josh Robinson in the end zone for a 5-yard Smith: loss that resulted in safety. It was exciting. It was a big moment in the game. It was the first big play of the game. It was definitely a big play. DePriest: The safety was definitely a key play in Brown: the game. It got us momentum. We started pretty fast in that game. Geno Smith, Alabama’s offense was paced by T.J. Yeldon, junior defensive back: Coach called a blitz. I knew they were who ran for 72 yards and a touchdown, and backed up and I knew if I took on the block Amari Cooper, who caught eight passes for 88 well they would bounce it outside. That’s yards and a score. Six other players caught what happened, and the defense swarmed. passes as Sims threw for 211 yards. We were able to make a play. Continued
staff photo | robert sutton
Alabama quarterback Blake Sims celebrates with fans after the Crimson Tide’s victory over the Bulldogs. Sims was 19 of 31 passing for 211 yards and one touchdown.
Ryan Kelly, junior center: Anytime you can have No. 4 (Yeldon) in the backfield it’s awesome for an offensive lineman, a guy who can hit the holes like that. You know as long as you can stay on your blocks you can make big plays. Blake Sims, senior quarterback: They tried to cloud (Cooper) the best they could, but after the way (the other receivers) played everybody should stop saying all we’ve got is Amari Cooper and if teams stop Amari Cooper we can’t win. We proved that if you try to stop Amari Cooper the other guys can step up. Kelly: In the SEC they’re going to bring a lot of guys, so to have a back like (Yeldon) that can butt up big linebackers in the SEC, it gives Blake a lot more time to find receiv-
ers down field.
some great things for us.
Alabama hit an offensive lull in the second half as Mississippi State pulled with six points near the beginning of the fourth quarter. Sims then led a drive that put the game out or reach.
Sims: Guys wanted to be the best and fought hard and played great. I just did what I had to do and those guys just wanted to be great today and they wanted the victory bad.
Brown: I’m not sure what it was in that moment. I just feel like we lost that sense of urgency during the game. We lost the sense of urgency that we’re playing the No. 1 team in the country. It kind of stalled us for a little bit.
Brown: That guy, when he comes in the huddle he’s just ready. The look in his eye, every time he comes in the huddle he’s ready to go. Especially in a big moment, he’s always ready to play. Whether it’s with his legs or with a throw he’s ready to go.
Ragland: I got all the confidence in the world in Blake. I’ve seen Blake do some special things, and I’ve seen Blake do some bad things. But at the end of the day Blake is a great competitor. He came out and did
In what was scheduled as a breather before the Iron Bowl, Alabama took a beating the following week against Western Carolina as a handful of players went down with injuries, including wide receiver Amari Cooper. Continued
staff photo | robert sutton
Alabama linebacker Trey DePriest knocks the helmet off of Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide defense held Prescott and the Bulldogs to 138 yards rushing and 290 yards passing in the 25-20 victory.
DeAndrew White, was going to be healthy. senior wide receiver: Injuries come with the game. You can’t Denzel Devall, junior linebacker: assume you’ll get hurt or anything like It was just like, what’s really going on? that. We just, you know, go onto the next But I knew we’d be all right, the guys person. would come back. It was just one of those games that you just have to get over and Eddie Jackson, get the guys back healthy so I knew what sophomore cornerback: we had ahead of ourselves. I mean, it was pretty tough, but we kept our heads held high. We just prayed evWhite: erything was going to be good, everyone I don’t want anybody to get hurt: our
team or the opposing team. So it wasn’t a good feeling, but I knew that we were going to pull it together and come off. Jones: We knew Auburn was coming up, so I think it was a matter of getting players rested and things like that. Sean Landry and Kelly Ward contributed to this report.