Tuscaloosa Magazine Special Edition 2014

SPECIAL ISSUE

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Publisher James W. Rainey

editor’s letter

Editor Robert Sutton Design Editor Janet Sudnik Director of Photography Robert Sutton Photographers Michelle Lepianka Carter Erin Nelson Laura Chramer Jacob Ford Copy Editors Amy Robinson Tommy Deas Edwin Stanton Reina Kempt Tony Tsoukalas Operations Director Paul Hass Marketing Director Sam Kirkwood Prepress Manager Chuck Jones Circulation Manager Tony Heaps Published by The Tuscaloosa News 315 28th Avenue Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Executive Editor Michael James Controller Steve Hopper Magazine 205-722-0234 To advertise 205-722-0173 To subscribe 205-722-0102

Halifa M E D I A

T

he expression on Blake Sims’ face the night Alabama won the Chick-filA Kickoff Game against West Virginia back in August was priceless. As Alabama coach Nick Saban spoke to the fans, the team passed around the trophy, a replica of an old-school leather helmet resting on a stand. Sims, reminiscent of a 5-year-old boy on Christmas Day getting a brand new ball cap, placed “The Old Leather Helmet” on his head and smiled the biggest smile.

He wasn’t alone. Thousands of Crimson Tide fans were smiling with him as a new season of Alabama football was successfully under way. Though the Tide stumbled a little in early October with a loss to Ole Miss, it regained its composure and beat Arkansas, Tennessee and No. 1-ranked Mississippi State. It also scored a Tiger trifecta with a win over LSU, a revenge victory against Auburn and an SEC Championship Game defeat of Missouri.

The headline on the front page of The Tuscaloosa News the day after the SEC championship read “It Never Gets Old,” and the paper was right. Since Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama has won three SEC championships and three BCS national championships, continuing Alabama’s long-standing tradition of winning. Vince Lombardi said, “Winning is habit,” and we hope it’s a habit the Tide never breaks.

Alabama’s win over Missouri in Atlanta marked its 24th overall SEC championship and set the stage for the Tide to be one of the four teams to participate in the first-ever College Football Playoff, along with the Oregon Ducks, Florida State Seminoles and Ohio State Buckeyes.

In this special edition of Tuscaloosa magazine, we take a game-by-game look back at the 2014 regular season and SEC title game with photos and game recaps from the sports and photography staffs of The Tuscaloosa News.

I hope you’ll join us in congratulating the Crimson Tide on another successful season, and remember, according to Paul W. “Bear” Bryant, “If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password — Roll, Tide, Roll!”

Reach Robert Sutton at Robert.Sutton@ tuscaloosanews. com.

Follow us online on Facebook and Twitter!

G R O U P

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THE TIDE IS IN

volume 12, no. 5

CONTENTS

foreword

09

game 1: university of west virginia

10

game 2: florida atlantic university

16

game 3: southern mississippi

20

Game 4: university of florida

24

game 5: university of Mississippi

30

game 6: university of arkansas

38

headlines + Deadlines

46

game 7: Texas A&M university

48

game 8: university of tennessee

56

game 9: louisiana state university

62

game 10: mississippi state university

68

game 11: western carolina university

74

game 12: Auburn UNIVERSITY

78

sec championship: UNIVERSITY OF missouri

84

rUNNING THE GAUNTLET

89

afterword

90

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foreword

W aaron suttles sports writer

hat a ride it’s been.

Not only for the University of Alabama football team, which overcame adversity and experienced enough highs and lows to last a lifetime, but for the fans, too.

Expectations were high, but there were many questions to be answered. Chief among them, though, was whether Blake Sims, a converted running back and longtime backup, could play quarterback in the SEC. How would Alabama deal with hurry-up, no-huddle offenses? Was the decision to hire Lane Kiffin smart?

As for Sims, well, a record-breaking season from the fifth-year senior from Gainesville, Ga., answered that question emphatically.

Turns out, Sims was way more of a strength than a liability, and he won the hearts of Crimson Tide faithful with a demeanor that revealed his character. Never bristling when most questioned whether he could win the starting quarterback position, Sims persevered and thrived.

A dominating defensive front seven quelled the concerns about hurry-up, no-huddle offenses, and Kiffin even injected a bit of it into Alabama’s offense, too.

Kiffin energized the offense with a brand of shifting and motioning that revealed to all that wide receiver Amari Cooper was a mismatch against every defense he faced.

Add it all up and the results yield the 24th SEC title in program history.

And the ride continues into the inaugural College Football Playoff, with Alabama earning the No. 1 seed and a first-round matchup against Ohio State on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl.

9

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game 1: west virginia

Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball during the third quarter of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

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12/9/2014 9:01:41 PM

OPPONENT:

w. virginia when: 08.30.14 where: Atlanta score: ua 33 | wvu 23

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and michelle lepianka carter

F

or a second straight season, the University of Alabama football team left Atlanta with an openinggame win — and some open questions.

The Crimson Tide downed West Virginia, 33-23, in its first game of 2014, gradually putting the Mountaineers away in the fourth quarter.

“I thought this game was going to go exactly like it went,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “You (in the media) create perceptions ... but not having a quarterback with any experience, not having a linebacker who had called (defenses) before, I wasn’t surprised at all.”

Blake Sims, making his first start at quarterback in his fifth season at UA, played the entire game (until Jake Coker’s cursory appearance in the final drive) and put up good numbers.

He did miss a handful of open receivers and threw one interception, but was 24 of 33 passing for 250 yards and added 42 yards rushing.

As expected, though, it was the running backs who carried much of the offensive load. T.J. Yeldon gained 126 yards and scored two touchdowns, and sophomore Derrick Henry added 113 yards and another touchdown, giving Alabama the finishing capability that the Mountaineers lacked at times.

West Virginia scored on its opening drive as the two teams traded field goals in the first quarter.

Yeldon had two second-quarter touchdowns, and Alabama seemed to be headed to a reasonable halftime lead until West Virginia’s Mari Alford stung the Crimson Tide with a 100-yard kickoff return to tie the game, 17-17.

Sims drove Alabama to an answering field goal in the two-minute offense,

>>

TOP: Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama players take the field at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

ABOVE: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) carries the ball during the second quarter.

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12/16/14 3:27 PM

game 1: west virginia

RIGHT: West Virginia safety Dravon Henry (6) tries to stop Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) during the fourth quarter.

BELOW: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball during the second quarter.

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12/9/2014 9:02:07 PM

game 1: west virginia

inside the game by cecil hurt

N

ick Saban has reached the pinnacle of his profession and, like other CEOs and titans of industry or entertainment, he can reasonably expect his requests to be fulfilled.

He commands — and earns — a huge salary. He is respected by his players, and by opponents.

But you can’t have everything. You can’t go into a restaurant and order unicorn pie and expect to get a slice.

Or, in Saban’s case, you can’t get what he asked for on his Thursday night radio show: patience.

That’s not an indictment of the entire Alabama fan base. Patience is vanishing from the world today in every walk of life. Gratification has to be instant and, if it isn’t, frustration is immediate. People want things and don’t want to wait on them. And a vocal minority, or maybe it is a majority, will say so. Loudly.

So asking every single person to wait on a football team, or a quarterback, to work through a slow development process really isn’t going to be universally effective.

Alabama football fans are impatient, in part because of the program’s long history, in part because Saban has in fact supplied so much instant gratification over the past five years and in part because they are human beings.

Blake Sims had a creditable performance in the season opener against West Virginia, particularly for a player making the first start of his career. Yes, he missed some throws. No, he did not display a great arm on deep patterns. There are some things he brings to an offense — like escapability — and some things he doesn’t.

His numbers weren’t something out of a Peyton Manning Fantasy League. Sims was 24 of 33 for 250 yards. A year ago, AJ McCarron, on the very same field, was 10 of 23 for 110 yards against Virginia Tech. Now, McCarron had a track record to judge by, and Sims, at the start of the 2014 season, didn’t. Virginia Tech had a better defense last year than West Virginia does this year. That’s still a glaring discrepancy.

But, in the week after the season opener, you could expect to hear from plenty of Alabama fans, on social media or talk radio, who were done. Through. Finished with the Sims Era. Ready to move on and give the job to Jake Coker, or some other candidate.

Some would grumble that Coker “didn’t get a chance” since his only appearance against West Virginia was in mop-up duty.

Saban didn’t promise that any position battle — not quarterback, not cornerback, not offensive guard — has been settled. Sims wasn’t the only player who lit some short fuses, and prompted calls for replacement. But people pay the most attention to the quarterbacks, and some continue to insist that the grass is greener on the other side of the depth chart.

Again, that’s not everyone. Furthermore, Sims seemed sensible enough to understand he isn’t unique. Lots of Alabama quarterbacks have been criticized. The backup quarterback has always been beloved. It isn’t new.

But when Saban made the request for patience, you just knew it wouldn’t happen.

People just don’t act that way these days.

Maybe they never did. And all you can do about it is go ahead and do things the way you were going to do them anyway. n

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims talks to Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin during the fourth quarter.

Alabama offensive lineman Cam Robinson (74) during the first half.

14

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game 1: west virginia

ABOVE: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) dives into the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

RIGHT: Yeldon (4) plunges into the end zone during the second quarter.

with Adam Griffith — who was 4 of 4 on field goals — hitting a 41-yarder as the half expired to give UA a 20-17 lead.

Alabama never relinquished the lead in the second half. Henry added a touchdown and Griffith kicked two more field goals as the Crimson Tide pulled away.

West Virginia did not score a touchdown in the second half.

“In the second half, the defense settled down,” safety Landon Collins said. “When we saw our linebackers were starting to make plays in the backfield, we knew we had them.”

In addition to Yeldon and Henry, Alabama also got a strong game from AllAmerican Amari Cooper. The junior caught a career-high 12 passes for 130 yards, a sign of things to come for the talented receiver.

15

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12/15/2014 5:40:47 PM

game 2: florida atlantic

Alabama tight end Ty Flournoy-Smith (83) is tackled by Florida Atlantic safety Damian Parms (17) in the fourth quarter.

16

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12/14/2014 5:59:41 PM

OPPONENT:

fla. atlantic when: 09.06.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 41 | f-atl 0

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton

F

or the first time in the history of cliches, it wasn’t about playing hard for 60 minutes.

The No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide did more than enough in the 52 minutes and 7 seconds before the lightning arrived at Bryant-Denny Stadium, rolling past visiting Florida Atlantic, 41-0. Quarterbacks Blake Sims and Jacob Coker combined for more than 400 yards passing — the first 400-yard passing effort by a Crimson Tide team since the 1988 Sun Bowl and the second-highest total in school history, surpassed only by the 484 passing yards against Auburn in 1969.

Sims and Coker also became the first Alabama quarterbacks ever to pass for 200 or more yards each in a single game.

“I would like to have finished the game, and I think our players wanted to,” Saban said. “We had more players who would have gotten into the game, and needed to. But given the circumstances, we would have had to wait a significant time to get back on the field and I think everyone (in the athletic administration) made a good decision.

“There were a couple of firsts for me,” Saban added. “First time I ever had a game called off and the first time I ever beat the media to the press conference.”

The game was officially called with 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Even though the game was cut short by lightning, Alabama still rolled up 620 yards of offense, including 416 through the air. Sims, the starter, competed 11 of 13 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Coker came off

TOP: Alabama’s Cyrus Jones carries the ball against Florida Atlantic.

ABOVE: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) looks for an open receiver.

>> 17

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12/15/2014 5:41:19 PM

game 2: florida atlantic

18

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12/9/2014 9:25:05 PM

game 2: florida atlantic

LEFT: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) carries the ball against Florida Atlantic.

BELOW: Alabama defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson (86) makes a second-quarter tackle against Florida Atlantic.

the bench to complete 15 of 24 passes for 202 yards and one score. Junior wide receiver Amari Cooper tied a school record with 13 catches.

“I thought Lane (Kiffin, the UA offensive coordinator) did a good job of calling the game and handling both quarterbacks,” Saban said.

Alabama jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never was threatened by the Owls.

Sims scored the game’s first touchdown on a 7-yard run, then had two short passes that turned into long touchdowns later in the quarter, with Cooper scoring on a 52-yarder and running back Kenyan Drake going in from 39 yards out.

Coker led the offense for the most of the second quarter, driving the Crimson Tide to an Adam Griffith field goal and then completing his first touchdown pass at UA, a 3-yarder to Jalston Fowler.

“It was just real fun being out there and to be able to sling it around a little bit,” said Coker, who transferred to UA from Florida State after last season. “It’s just been too long.”

Drake led Alabama in rushing with 45 yards, adding a 3-yard touchdown run in the second half. No Crimson Tide back carried the ball more than seven times.

Defensively, Alabama limited the beleaguered Owls to just 145 total yards and no points, pushing the Crimson Tide streak without allowing a touchdown to six straight quarters.

LEFT: Alabama running back Kenyan Drake (17) dives close to the goal line in the third quarter.

OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Alabama wide receiver Robert Foster (8) carries the ball against Florida Atlantic in the fourth quarter. Alabama won the game, 41-0.

19

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12/15/2014 5:41:36 PM

game 3: Southern Mississippi

Alabama running back Tyren Jones (20) carries the ball in the fourth quarter against Southern Mississippi.

20

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12/14/2014 6:06:10 PM

OPPONENT:

s. mississippi when: 09.13.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 52 | USM 12

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton, michelle lepianka carter and jacob ford

T

he Alabama Crimson Tide rolled on the powerful current of superior talent, but never quite seemed to blow Southern Mississippi out of the water.

The No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide was never really threatened in its 52-12 victory over USM, not even after starting the game with a 3-0 deficit. UA rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense and never let the Golden Eagles into the end zone, but it did allow USM enough trips into the red zone to kick four field goals.

“I thought we got off to a slow start,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I didn’t think we had good intensity to start and I don’t know why. I was proud of the way we responded in the second half.”

Amari Cooper, Alabama’s play-making junior wide receiver, continued his streak of 100-yard receiving games with eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. Kenyan Drake added three rushing touchdowns.

USM raced downfield with the opening possession, eventually settling for a 33-yard Corey Acosta field goal, the first of four kicked on the day. The Crimson Tide answered with a touchdown dive capped by Blake Sims’ 22-yard scoring pass to Cooper, then added scoring runs by Sims and Drake. Acosta kicked another field goal with 1:25 remaining and Alabama took a 21-6 lead at the half.

The second half saw Drake score on runs of 1 and 29 yards, a Sims-to-Brian Vogler touchdown pass and a 2-yard scoring run by Tyren Jones for his first career touchdown.

Derrick Henry led Alabama in rushing with 73 yards. T.J. Yeldon had 56 but did not play in the second half after tweaking a hamstring.

USM added two more field goals, but Alabama extended its intact streak of not allowing a touchdown to 10 consecutive quarters.

ABOVE: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball during the third quarter.

LEFT: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) hits Southern Mississippi quarterback Nick Mullens (9) in the third quarter.

>> 21

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12/14/2014 6:09:06 PM

game 3: Southern Mississippi

TOP: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) carries the ball in the second quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama linebacker Trey DePriest (33) tackles Southern Mississippi wide receiver Marquise Ricard (6) during the first quarter.

RIGHT: Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) runs the ball away from Southern Mississippi defensive back Jacorius Cotton (28) during the first quarter.

22

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12/15/2014 5:42:04 PM

game 3: southern mississippi

The Crimson Tide lost a key defender for the first half of the following week’s Florida game.

Safety Nick Perry was ejected for targeting in the second half, an infraction that carried with it a half-game suspension for the following week.

Sims was the starting quarterback for the third straight game, completing 12 of 17 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Backup Jake Coker did not enter the game until the third quarter.

“Right now Blake is a little more confident,” Saban said. “If he remains that way, he’s probably going to start against Florida.

“It just didn’t feel right to make a change.”

“We’ve got a lot to improve on,” Saban said. “It’s important that we do so. Every time we play for the next several weeks is really good.

If they aren’t in the Top 25, they probably think they should be.”

TOP: The Alabama defense tackles Southern Mississippi running back George Payne (24) in the third quarter.

ABOVE: The Alabama defense tackles Southern Mississippi wide receiver Markese Triplett (23) in the third quarter.

LEFT: Alabama tight end Brian Vogler (84) celebrates a reception in the third quarter.

23

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12/14/2014 6:10:47 PM

game 4: florida

24

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12/9/2014 10:13:25 PM

OPPONENT:

florida

when: 09.20.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 42 | fla 21

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and michelle lepianka carter

T

he first half? “Sharknado.”

The second half? “The Terminator.”

That was the double feature at Bryant-Denny Stadium as No. 3 Alabama combined the sublime with a bit of the ridiculous in a 42-21 win over Florida.

Sublimity came in the form of Blake Sims and Amari Cooper. Sims completed 23 of 33 passes for 445 yards — the second-best single-game total in school history — with Cooper catching 10 of those passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. One of the touchdown catches came from backup Jake Coker, who relieved Sims briefly when Sims went out with a bruised shoulder.

The ridiculous, in Alabama coach Nick Saban’s eyes: four turnovers that led directly to the 21 Gator points, and 11 Alabama penalties that kept the Crimson Tide from even more offensive production.

The first half was a combination of farce and football, familiar stars doing funny things. Mainly, that meant fumbling, which Saban didn’t find funny at all.

As a result, the flying sharks (or, in this case, Gators) somehow managed to seem like an actual threat. Well, sort of.

That’s because you realize, deep down, that a giant tornado isn’t really going to scoop up sharks and send them flying into metro Los Angeles (New York was “Sharknado 2”) and eating the citizenry.

In the same way, you could see that Florida quarterback Jeff Driskell wasn’t accurate enough to be really threatening and Florida’s secondary was befuddled even with the knowledge that Cooper was going to get the football. Even when the score went to 21-21 early in the third

TOP: Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin talks to players during the fourth quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama kicker Adam Griffith (99) kicks an extra point as quarterback Cooper Bateman (18) holds the ball during the first quarter.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) runs the ball during the third quarter.

>>

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12/16/14 3:28 PM

game 4: florida

inside the game by aaron suttles

T

TOP: Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (1) defends as Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) makes a third-quarter reception.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive lineman Jarran Reed (90) tackles Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) during the fourth quarter.

he Alabama game plan called for getting the ball to Amari Cooper early and often, regardless of whether Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves defended him or not.

The intrigue was natural: the best wide receiver in the conference against the best cornerback. Cooper vs. Hargreaves.

Each was was paired against the other for most of the day. Score one for Coop.

The Alabama sophomore wide receiver put up personal career bests and even set a school record, with most of it coming against Hargreaves.

Cooper’s 10 receptions for 201 yards and three touchdowns was by design. Despite Hargreaves’ proficiencies, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin planned to attack the Florida sophomore defensive back from the beginning.

“Well, you know, we kind of figured that Will (Muschamp, the Florida coach, who was dismissed at the end of the season) would match him up on Coop, but we’re going to try to get the ball to Coop,” UA coach Nick Saban said. “Coop did a great job in the game.

“We have a lot of respect for (Hargreaves). He’s a very, very good player. But when you have matchups like that with two good players, I think when you analyze the whole thing both guys will end up making some plays.”

On this day it was Cooper making the plays. By halftime he had 175 yards receiving on seven catches.

About the only thing Cooper did wrong was commit a pass interference penalty against Hargreaves, which wiped a touchdown off the board.

“Yeah,” Cooper admitted, “I pushed off of him.”

Cooper knew the challenge Hargreaves presented. To prepare, he studied as much film as he could.

What did he learn?

“I don’t want to share that,” Cooper joked after the game.

Hargreaves respected Cooper for much of the game, playing very little press coverage and often bailing as soon as the ball was snapped.

He respected him more by the end of the game.

As Cooper and his quarterback, Blake Sims, were being interviewed at midfield following the game, Hargreaves stood to the side patiently waiting to congratulate Cooper on his performance.

“He just said, ‘Good game. You played great,’” Cooper said. “He’s a very humble player. You can tell he comes from a good family.”

With the three touchdowns, Cooper owns Alabama’s career receiving touchdown mark with 20, passing Dennis Homan’s 18.

His first touchdown came on a blown coverage as he ran down the middle of the field wide open, grabbing an over-his-shoulder 79-yard touchdown. Later he snagged touchdowns of 4 and 6 yards, on fade routes — one from Jake Coker, one from Sims.

Cooper lined up wide right, wide left, in the slot right and in the slot left. Seven of his catches resulted in first downs and two others were on goal-to-go situations.

“They moved him around a bit more than they have before,” Muschamp said. “We just have to cover down and cover better. There were a lot of man situations and they did a good job of creating tempo.”

For the season, Cooper has 43 receptions for 655 yards and five touchdowns. Julio Jones holds the single-season school records for receptions (78) and yards (1,133).

“He put on a good show for everybody today,” Sims said. n 27

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12/14/2014 6:14:59 PM

game 4: florida

Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) intercepts a pass intended for Florida wide receiver Quinton Dunbar (1) during the fourth quarter.

28

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game 4: florida

quarter, it was hard to accept that the outcome was going to be that the airborne sharks were going to win.

“We didn’t have much rhythm, much tempo,” Saban said. “I thought Blake was sloppy and when that happens, you play slow.”

Then it ended. Alabama terminated Florida with brute force, and a deep arsenal of powerful weapons.

“We were much better in the second half,” Saban said. “We made much better blocks and took control of the line of scrimmage.”

Alabama finished with 645 yards of total offense, the most ever allowed by a Florida defense.

Kenyan Drake started things explosively for UA, catching an 87-yard touchdown pass from Sims on the Crimson Tide’s first play from scrimmage. Drake gave back some of that karma on the next possession, as his fumble was recovered by Florida at the UA 31. That set up a 28-yard tying touchdown pass from Driskell to Valdez Showers.

A second UA fumble, by DeAndrew White, was returned 49 yards for a Gator touchdown and a 14-7 lead. Sims answered with two more touchdown passes — a 79-yarder to Cooper and a 2-yard flip to Jalston Fowler — to give UA a 21-14 edge at the half.

The final Alabama turnover, a tipped Sims pass that was intercepted, set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Driskel two minutes into the third quarter. That was Florida’s final hurrah, as Alabama smashed its way to three more touchdowns, two by Cooper and one by Derrick Henry, to win its SEC opener for the 23rd year in a row.

TOP LEFT: Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) kneels in the end zone after making a touchdown in the first quarter.

TOP RIGHT: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball for a third-quarter touchdown.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive lineman Jarran Reed (90) blocks a pass from Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) in the fourth quarter.

LEFT: Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson (7) tackles Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) during the first quarter.

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game 5: ole miss

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OPPONENT:

ole miss

when: 10.04.14 where: oxford score: ua 17 | miss 23

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and michelle lepianka carter

I

t took Ole Miss fans nearly an hour of pulling to topple both goal posts after the game, but give them credit for finding the end zone two times, or one more than the Alabama offense.

The Rebels capped a great day for Mississippi football by upsetting No. 3 Alabama, 23-17, rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit to take a win that sparked an insane celebration.

Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace earned the status of all-time Ole Miss hero, throwing for three second-half touchdowns, including the gamewinner to Jaylen Walton with 2:54 to play.

Alabama blocked the Ole Miss extra point to give hope of a last-second win. The Crimson Tide drove to the Ole Miss 22-yard line, but was pushed back by a holding call and saw its final chance snuffed out when Blake Sims’ pass for O.J. Howard from the 32 into the end zone was intercepted by Rebel defensive back Senquez Golden with 37 seconds remaining.

That allowed Wallace to end the game in victory formation.

“The Good Bo/Bad Bo thing is the most annoying thing I’ve ever heard,” the Ole Miss quarterback said when asked if this was a “good” Bo Wallace effort. “I must be the only quarterback in the country to throw an interception.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban took responsibility for the loss.

“We did not play as we would have liked and that all starts with me,” Saban said.

“Dropped balls, turnovers, penalties and those sorts of things are not something you can do against a good football team, especially on the road. We were ahead 14-3 and gave up a play that was basically an error in coverage. That gave Ole Miss the momentum of the game and we never really got it back.”

The first half was a defensive struggle. Ole Miss struck first, thanks to a 54-yard return of

>>

TOP: The Crimson Tide prepares to take the field before the Ole Miss game.

ABOVE: Fans tailgate in The Grove and The Little Grove outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., before the game.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Ole Miss defensive back Senquez Golson (21) intercepts a pass intended for Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (88) in the fourth quarter.

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game 5: ole miss

Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace (14) is taken down by Alabama defensive backs Nick Perry (27) and Landon Collins (26) during the first quarter.

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game 5: ole miss

inside the game BY kelly ward

W

TOP: Alabama linebacker D.J. Pettway (57) tries to stop Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace (14) during the second quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (93) tackles Ole Miss running back Jaylen Walton (6) during the first quarter.

ith the game tied in the fourth quarter, the University of Alabama football team had a chance to get a lead. Wide receiver Christion Jones returned a kickoff and fumbled the ball. Ole Miss recovered and scored five plays later. The Rebels had the extra point blocked, but it didn’t matter for an Alabama team that couldn’t rally to overcome its mistakes.

“We didn’t finish the game the way we need to finish,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

The go-ahead touchdown was courtesy of Alabama’s only fumble on the day. The six points were the only ones Ole Miss scored on an Alabama turnover.

“We needed to play our best football here, and we really didn’t do it,” Saban said.

The final margin, six points, would have been moot had Alabama not missed two field goals. The first was on a 46-yard attempt in the first quarter, the second a 51-yard attempt in the third quarter.

“So many times today we drove the ball downfield to get it down inside the 30 — which reminds me of the LSU game a few years ago when we lost at home — and then we get negative plays, making more difficult field goal circumstances, which we didn’t take advantage of,” Saban said.

Adam Griffith made his next attempt, a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter.

“We didn’t actually play as well as we would like today,” Saban said.

UA’s wounds were largely self-inflicted. Alabama had eight penalties for 52 yards. Two of those penalties came on the Crimson Tide’s final possession.

“It’s hard to overcome penalties, turnovers, missed executions on defense, and they took advantage of that, and you have to give them a lot of credit,” Saban said.

In the Ole Miss and Florida games, Alabama racked up 19 penalties for 132 yards.

“I think it’s undisciplined,” tight end O.J. Howard said.

“We’re a lot better than that.”

After Ole Miss scored the go-ahead touchdown, cornerback Cyrus Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 20 yards. A block in the back sent Alabama back 10 yards.

Six plays later, on second-and-3 at the Ole Miss 22, quarterback Blake Sims made a first down, but a holding penalty on Howard erased the gain.

“I was in protection blocking and Blake pulled out to run, and I didn’t know he was going to run it,” Howard said. “And I think the guy tried to get away from me, and they said I held him a little too long, but Blake was, I think he was already past me when the call was made, so they called holding on me, so I guess I did it.”

The next play was the game-deciding interception by Ole Miss’ Senquez Golson.

“I think going into the last drive, we all knew we had a chance,” tight end Brian Vogler said. “We were all confident. It just didn’t shake out the way we expected it.”

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game 5: ole miss

TOP: Alabama defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson (86) blocks an extra point attempt in the fourth quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) carries the ball in the second quarter.

LEFT: Alabama running back Kenyan Drake (17) carries the ball in the second quarter.

Drake was carried off the field in a cart after being injured on the play.

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game 5: ole miss

ABOVE: Ole Miss fans rush the field and tear down the goal posts after beating Alabama at VaughtHemingway Stadium.

LEFT: Alabama defensive back Geno Smith (24) reacts to an Ole Miss touchdown in the final minutes of the game.

the opening kickoff

by Mark Dodson that put the Rebels close enough to push for a 46-yard Gary Wunderlich field goal.

That 3-0 lead lasted until late in the second quarter when Sims scored on a naked bootleg from the 1-yard line to put UA ahead with 3:44 left in the half. The Crimson Tide doubled the lead as Cyrus Jones forced a fumble by the Rebs’ I’Tavius Mathers, then scooped it and scored to give Alabama the 14-3 lead at the half.

That margin was not enough, though, as Alabama lost for the third consecutive time against a ranked opponent dating back to the 2013 season.

Alabama struggled on special teams, a grim litany that included two missed field goals and a crucial kickoff return fumble by Christion Jones that set up the final Rebel drive.

Sims threw for 228 yards but no touchdowns, compared with Wallace’s 250-yard, three-touchdown day.

“The key now is: How do you respond from a loss?” Saban said. “This is a really good division. People are going to lose.”

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game 6: arkansas

Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) carries the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter against Arkansas.

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OPPONENT:

arkansas

when: 10.11.14 where: fayetteville score: ua 14 | ark 13

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton

T

he University of Alabama ended its one-game losing streak with a win at Arkansas. Whether it ended a prolonged slide was — at the time — a question left unanswered.

The Crimson Tide squeaked past the Razorbacks 14-13, but had a recurrence of some of the same issues from the Ole Miss loss the week before, involving turnovers and penalties.

However, the Crimson Tide defense battled, UA blocked what proved to be a critical extra point, Alabama scored a fourth-quarter comeback touchdown and Landon Collins came up with a key interception to end the final Razorback possession.

“I’m proud of the way we competed in this game,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said afterward. “The heart of the players won this game.”

It certainly wasn’t the execution down the stretch, at least offensively.

After Arkansas scored on a 54-yard pass from Brandon Allen to A.J. Derby with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Razorbacks a 13-7 lead, Alabama — which had gone three-and-out on six out of eight possessions at one point — rallied. The teams swapped possessions, but Alabama took over on the final play of the third quarter and went 56 yards in eight plays for what proved to be the winning touchdown. Blake Sims threw a 6-yard touchdown to DeAndrew White for the go-ahead score on a play that saw Arkansas coach Bret Bielema race 20 yards onto the field trying to secure a time out.

“Next time I’ll do a cartwheel,” Bielema said.

The final 12 minutes saw Alabama battle on defense to keep Arkansas at bay despite the fact that the Crimson Tide

>>

TOP: Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (88) carries the ball in the second quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) carries the ball on a kickoff return in the third quarter.

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game 6: arkansas

TOP: Alabama celebrates a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive back Jabriel Washington (23) tackles Arkansas running back Korliss Marshall (33) in the second quarter.

LEFT: Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland (19) body slams Arkansas wide receiver Eric Hawkins (14) in the fourth quarter.

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game 6: arkansas

Arkansas’ attempt at an extra point is blocked by Jonathan Allen (93) in the second quarter.

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game 6: arkansas

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game 6: arkansas

offense did not record another first down for the rest of the game. That included three offensive penalties — a substitution violation, a delay of game and a false start — in the final five minutes.

Collins came up with the biggest defensive play, intercepting a slightly underthrown Allen pass that appeared headed for an open Jonathan Williams. That allowed Alabama to kill the final 1:59 and escape with its SEC and national championship playoff hopes intact.

Alabama scored first on a 22-yard pass from Sims to T.J. Yeldon in the second quarter. Arkansas, which had lost a fumble going into the end zone in the first quarter, came back on a 3-yard Williams run with 3:37 to go in the half, but John Henson’s PAT try was blocked

by Jonathan Allen, a play that proved to be critical.

“I know it sounds like a broken record,” said an emotional Bielema after the game. “As a coach, you sign up for this. It’s coming. I guarantee it’s coming.

But it’s not there yet. We just do a couple of things that are easily fixable and it might be different.”

Sims threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while Yeldon added 45 yards rushing and 35 more receiving. The statistical star was freshman JK Scott, who averaged 44.2 yards on eight punts and put seven of the eight inside the Razorbacks’ 20-yard line.

ABOVE: Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart celebrates with his defense after a fourth-quarter interception by defensive back Landon Collins (26).

LEFT: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) intercepts a pass in the fourth quarter.

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Headlines+deadlines Tuscaloosa News sports and news fronts from the 2014-15 season

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12/10/2014 7:51:56 PM

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12/10/2014 7:51:43 PM

game 7: texas a&M

Alabama quarterback Jake Coker (14) passes the ball during the third quarter against Texas A&M.

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12/14/2014 6:31:41 PM

OPPONENT:

texas a&m

when: 10.18.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 59 | A&M 0

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and michelle lepianka carter

N

othing but blue skies.

Not even Nick Saban’s Doppler radar for dissatisfaction was able to locate any dark clouds of unhappiness after the Crimson Tide’s 59-0 dismantling of No. 21 Texas A&M. A week after the Crimson Tide eked out a one-point win in wet, gloomy Fayetteville, Ark., an emotional UA team improved in every area, effectively ending the game by halftime with a record first-half offensive explosion.

“That was as close to Alabama football ... as we have had,” Saban said. “We had all kinds of anxiety. Sometimes, you get so tight that you don’t respond to it. So we had a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and I think we were having a lot of fun.”

“They came out and played a lot harder than we did,” said Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill. “When you don’t score any points, well ...”

Alabama’s 35 second-quarter points were the most recorded by a Crimson Tide team in any single quarter of the modern era.

The halftime margin was 45-0, with Saban sportingly playing reserves for all but the initial drive of the second half. The final 59-point margin was Alabama’s largest in 23 years, since a 62-0 win over Tulane in 1991. It was the Crimson Tide’s most one-sided SEC win since a 66-3 blowout of Vanderbilt in 1979.

Alabama actually had to settle for a field goal on its first drive, a chip-shot 21-yarder

by Adam Griffith. From that point, UA scored touchdowns on seven consecutive drives while allowing Texas A&M just two first downs in the same stretch.

Blake Sims threw for three touchdowns in that span and rushed for another on a career-long 43-yard run. T.J. Yeldon had 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just 13 carries, all in the first half. Amari Cooper

TOP: Alabama center Bradley Bozeman (75) surveys the defense during the second quarter.

ABOVE: Texas A&M defensive back Floyd Raven Sr. tackles Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27).

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game 7: texas a&m

TOP: Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans (32) tackles Texas A&M running back Trey Williams (3) during the third quarter.

LEFT: Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart during the third quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama linebacker D.J. Pettway (57) and defensive back Nick Perry (27) stop Texas A&M running back James White (20) during the third quarter.

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game 7: texas a&M

Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) catches a pass for a second-quarter touchdown.

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game 7: texas A&M

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game 7: texas a&M

Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin shake hands.

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game 7: texas a&m

TOP: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) runs the ball during the first quarter.

RIGHT: Alabama celebrates during the second quarter.

had eight catches for 140 yards and caught two of Sims’ touchdown passes.

The final Sims-to-Cooper connection came on the first series of the second half, with both exiting the game after that.

Sims finished with 322 yards of total offense (268 passing and 54 on the ground).

“What Blake has to understand is to play within the system,” Saban said.

“Sometimes in the past couple of weeks, he’s tried to do too much himself and when he does that, then the other guys aren’t making plays. He was much better at that today.

“For whatever reason, this team has been getting very nervous before games.

Today we just told them to cut it loose.

“All we want to do is play our best football and I was proud we played our best football today.”

The shutout was the first time Texas A&M had been held scoreless since a 77-0 loss to Oklahoma in 2003. Alabama outgained the Aggies by 602 yards to 172.

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game 8: tennessee

Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) streaks to a touchdown against Tennessee in the first quarter.

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OPPONENT:

tennessee

when: 10.25.14 where: knoxville score: ua 34 | tenn 20

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and michelle lepianka carter

L

ane Kiffin came back to Knoxville — but he didn’t come alone.

He brought Amari Cooper with him.

And it was a good thing for Alabama that he did.

Cooper, the Crimson Tide’s junior All-America receiver, sparked a lightning start for No. 4-ranked Alabama as the Crimson Tide roared in, then ebbed, then rose again to take a 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, UA’s eighth consecutive win in the series.

Along the way, Cooper set a new Alabama single-game receiving record with 224 yards on nine catches.

The game ended with the Alabama band and remaining fans chanting, “Kiffin, Kiffin.”

The start of the contest could not have been better for Alabama and Kiffin, the former UT head coach who returned to Knoxville as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. On the first play from scrimmage, Alabama quarterback Blake Sims hit Cooper on a short pass that Cooper turned into an 80-yard touchdown.

The dynamic Sims-to-Cooper connection teamed up again for a 41-yard score on Alabama’s second touchdown of the first quarter.

UA then tacked on touchdown runs by T. J. Yeldon and Sims to push the lead to 27-0, making a blowout seem imminent.

Instead, the Crimson Tide stalled and UT went on two long scoring marches, one capped with a touchdown pass by Joshua Dobbs, seeing his first playing time of the season, and the other resulting in a field goal as the half expired, cutting the Alabama lead to 27-10.

The Volunteers made it even closer as Dobbs directed another long touchdown drive that reduced the Alabama lead to 27-17 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

This time, Alabama answered with a 76-yard drive of its own, converting four third-down situations along the way. Derrick Henry capped the drive with a 28-yard touchdown

TOP: Alabama center Ryan Kelly (70) signals the play call.

ABOVE: Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White (2) carries the ball in the first quarter.

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game 8: TENNESSEE

Alabama defensive backs Cyrus Jones (5), Eddie Jackson (4) and Nick Perry (27) celebrate in the fourth quarter against Tennessee.

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game 8: tennessee

ABOVE: Tennessee defensive back Cameron Sutton (23) reacts after missing the ball during the first quarter.

TOP: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball into the end zone during the third quarter.

LEFT: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) leaps over Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd (1) while returning the ball during the second quarter.

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game 8: tennessee

ABOVE: An Alabama fan celebrates with a cigar after Alabama defeated Tennessee.

TOP LEFT: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) runs the ball ahead of Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett (9) during the fourth quarter.

LEFT: Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) lines up for a play in the third quarter.

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game 8: tennessee

ABOVE: Alabama linebacker Xzavier Dickson (47) tackles Tennessee quarterback Nathan Peterman (12) in the first quarter.

RIGHT: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) carries the ball for a secondquarter touchdown.

run and Alabama took a 34-17 lead into the third quarter.

A Sims fumble set up a short Tennessee field goal that brought the Vols back to within two touchdowns with 9:42 to play. Alabama consumed most of that time with a lengthy drive, but fumbled again as Jalston Fowler lost the ball going into the end zone with 2:29 remaining.

Tennessee managed to drive the ball off the goal line but lost possession on downs at the 30, allowing Alabama to run out the clock.

Dobbs, who had been slated for a redshirt year, brought a spark to the UT offense in the absence of injured starter Justin Worley, rushing for 88 yards before fading in the final minutes.

Alabama made it through the second half without offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who sprained an ankle, and running back Yeldon, nursing a sore foot.

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game 9: lsu

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OPPONENT:

louisiana St. when: 11.08.14 where: baton rouge score: ua 20 | lsu 13 (OT)

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and erin nelson

U

ntil the final minute of regulation, it appeared Alabama’s championship dreams had indeed come to Tiger Stadium to die.

Then Alabama switched off the life support, stood up, started to move — and won.

The Crimson Tide, down by a field goal with 50 seconds to play, marched 55 yards for its own tying kick, then scored a touchdown in overtime to stun LSU and most of a crowd of 103,000 in a 20-13 overtime victory.

“We made the plays when we had to,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said after the game. “That shows we know how to win.”

Alabama did so without a second to spare.

After failing to find any offensive spark in the second half, the fourthranked Crimson Tide executed the drive with a critical first-down run

by Blake Sims, a 22-yard completion to Christion Jones, and a 16-yarder to DeAndrew White. That drive gave Adam Griffith, who had missed his first field goal but bounced back with a key kick at the end of the first half, a chance to drill the tying 27-yarder.

In overtime, Alabama immediately came out with a surprise play, completing a pass that rarely-targeted tight end Brandon Greene took to the 1-yard line.

A personal foul pushed UA back to the 16, but the Crimson Tide still responded, capping the drive with a 6-yard Sims-to-White touchdown pass.

LSU then threw four incompletions on its possession, ending the

>>

TOP: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) carries the ball in the second quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White (2) carries the ball after a reception in the first quarter.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White (2) makes the game-winning touchdown reception in overtime as LSU safety Jalen Mills (28) defends.

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game 9: LSU

Alabama running back Jalston Fowler (45) comes up just short of the end zone in overtime against LSU.

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game 9: lsu

inside the game

By Tommy Deas

J

TOP: Alabama linebacker Trey DePriest (33) and defensive back Landon Collins (26) tackle LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings (10).

ABOVE: Alabama players Xzavier Dickson (47) and Reuben Foster (10) celebrate a fourth-quarter tackle against LSU.

ust as you might expect, another high-stakes game with two ranked teams and national and SEC West consequences on the line went down to the wire in Death Valley.

Which plays mattered the most? Here is a look at the gamechanging moments from the 20-13 Alabama victory over LSU: n Overtime, Alabama ball, first-and-10 from the LSU 25: Who could have guessed that fifth-string tight end Brandon Greene would be a hero for Alabama? Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin called his number on the first play of overtime, and Greene ran open down the middle of the field and hauled in a reception from Blake Sims. He bulled his way to the 1-yard line before going down, setting up Alabama’s game-winning touchdown.

UA had to overcome a 15-yard personal foul at the end of that play and another 5-yard procedure penalty after getting back to the 1, finally scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Sims to DeAndrew White. The UA defense did the rest to seal the victory. n Alabama ball, third-and-10 at the LSU 48 with 25 seconds to go in regulation: Sims rolled out with hope fading and passed downfield to Christion Jones, who made a diving reception for a 22-yard gain to get Alabama within field goal range.

Alabama rushed to line up and spiked the ball with 12 seconds to go. Sims connected with White for a 16-yard gain to set up Adam Griffith’s 27-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. n Alabama ball, second-and-5 from the UA 6 with less than 90 seconds in regulation: The game was tied at 10 and looked to be headed to overtime when T.J. Yeldon ran for no gain and fumbled the ball away.

LSU recovered and took over with 1:13 to go. A 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Tigers backed the ball up, but Colby Delahoussaye kicked a 39-yard field goal with 50 seconds to go to put LSU up. It seemed like the turnover and kick had sealed Alabama’s fate, but it only served to set the scene for a dramatic Crimson Tide comeback for the ages. n Alabama ball, fourth-and-3 at the LSU 22, late in the first half: Griffith, the Crimson Tide’s kicker, had been in a monumental slump coming into the game, and that was only compounded when he clanged a 27-yard field goal attempt off the left upright for another miss earlier in the first half.

UA coach Nick Saban stuck with his kicker, and he came through with a 39-yard boot for a 10-7 Alabama lead going into halftime. That kick served to bolster Griffith’s confidence for the field goal in the final seconds of regulation to send the contest into overtime. n Alabama ball, fourth-and-4 at the LSU 32, midway through the second quarter: Saban elected to go for it and Sims rolled right to hit Amari Cooper for a 9-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Sims and Cooper connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 7. n 65

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game 9: lsu

TOP: Alabama defensive back Eddie Jackson (4), defensive back Nick Perry (27) and linebacker Trey DePriest (33) tackle LSU running back Darrel Williams (34) in the third quarter.

LEFT: Alabama defensive lineman Darren Lake (95) tackles LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7).

ABOVE: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) celebrates after the game.

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game 9: lsu RIGHT: Alabama celebrates a fourth-quarter field goal to send the game into overtime.

CENTER: Alabama offensive lineman Ryan Kelly (70) celebrates the overtime victory.

BOTTOM: Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) carries the ball in the fourth quarter against LSU.

contest with a fourth straight loss to Alabama.

The game nearly got away from UA in the final moments.

Alabama took the ball at the 1:56 mark, pinned at the 1-yard line by an LSU punt. The Crimson Tide came off the goal line but, on the second play, T.J. Yeldon fumbled and LSU’s Kendell Beckwith recovered at the 6. Despite an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed LSU back, Cody Delahoussaye made the field goal and the Tigers took a 13-10 lead with 50 seconds to go.

That only set the stage for the late dramatics.

The Crimson Tide’s rousing finish was made more improbable by the offensive difficulty that preceded it. Sims finished with 45 pass attempts, a career high. Amari Cooper had eight catches and became Alabama’s all-time receiving leader during the contest. But much of the night was a struggle.

The Crimson Tide came out in the first quarter determined to pass the ball and met with limited success. LSU’s third possession started in good field position thanks to an 18-yard punt return by Tre’Davious White, and the Tigers scored in seven plays from the Alabama 41. Jennings found Malachi Dupree on a 14-yard fade pattern that gave LSU a 7-0 firstquarter lead.

UA began to vary its offense more effectively in the second quarter. A drive of nearly six minutes netted no points after Griffith missed a 27-yard field goal, but the Crimson Tide defense forced a three-and-out. The offense cashed in the ensuing possession as Sims hit Cooper for a 23-yard score to tie the game at 7 with 5:40 to go in the half.

Late in the half, LSU pinned Alabama deep and took over with 1:21 to go before intermission. When the Tigers tried to press the advantage, however, Eddie Jackson came up with an interception that gave Griffith a second opportunity and he hit a 39-yard field goal to give UA a 10-7 lead.

In the second half, LSU dominated nearly all the time of possession, but couldn’t convert it into points after a 40-yard Delahoussaye field goal on the opening drive of the half.

Alabama, meanwhile, was unable to move at all.

Until the time came when it absolutely had to.

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game 10: msu

Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) makes a catch near the goal line.

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department head xxxxx

game 1: west virginia

OPPONENT:

mississippi st. when: 11.15.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 25 | msu 20

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton, michelle lepianka carter and laura chramer

H

istory repeated itself on this Saturday afternoon — but it didn’t shout.

Alabama extended its long record of dominance against Mississippi State, knocking the Bulldogs off their perch as the No. 1 team in the nation with a 25-20 win that mixed early domination with a lategame course in wilderness survival.

The Crimson Tide jumped to a 19-0 lead, then held the Bulldogs at bay in the second half on the strength of two crucial interceptions and one just-inthe-nick-of-time touchdown drive powered by the running of Blake Sims and T.J. Yeldon.

“That was probably one of the great drives in Alabama history,” UA coach Nick Saban said.

It came after a Mississippi State touchdown early in the fourth quarter pulled the rally-minded Bulldogs within one score at 19-13.

Alabama had not moved the ball in the third quarter and its momentum was flickering. But, moving mainly on the ground, Alabama went 76 yards to score, with Sims scrambling twice to convert dire third-down situations.

First, he went for 9 yards to the MSU 40 on a third-and-7. Three plays later, Alabama was still at the 40. Sims saved the day, scrambling for 11 yards and another first down at the MSU 29. Yeldon covered the rest of the distance on four carries, including a 7-yard touchdown run with 8:09 to play.

Landon Collins stopped the ensuing MSU threat with an interception.

By the time the Bulldogs did score again, only 14 seconds remained

>>

TOP: ESPN’s Samantha Ponder interviews Nick Saban during ESPN College GameDay before the game.

ABOVE: U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, inspiration for the book and movie “Lone Survivor,” and Lee Corso, after Corso picked Alabama to win against Mississippi State during ESPN College GameDay.

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game 10: msu

ABOVE: Alabama coach Nick Saban reacts to an official’s call.

TOP: Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (88) carries the ball in the first quarter.

LEFT: Alabama running back Jalston Fowler (45) makes a second-quarter reception.

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game 10: msu

Alabama defensive back Cyrus Jones (5) intercepts the ball in the end zone in the third quarter.

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game 10: msu

ABOVE: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) intercepts a pass.

TOP: Creative Alabama fans at the game.

LEFT: Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and Alabama coach Nick Saban talk.

FAR LEFT: Alabama players celebrate on the sidelines.

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game 10: msu

and their last, desperate onside kick was covered by Alabama.

“Obviously that was a great win,” Saban said. “I thought the defense did a fantastic job. Obviously, the turnovers were huge and when we needed to put a drive together, we did.”

Saban said the Crimson Tide needed to be “more consistent” to prevent the State comeback.

“We just have to do a little bit better job of controlling the football on offense and creating balance,” he said. “They ran 88 plays, and that is too many, but the way we prevent that is stop a few more third downs on defense and control the ball on offense. With their offense, it’s a tough day’s work to get them off the field.”

The first half was almost all Crimson. Alabama dominated until the closing seconds before intermission. The UA scoring started in the first quarter when freshman punter JK Scott pinned the Bulldogs inside their 5-yard line. Two plays later, UA linebacker Trey De-

Priest tackled Josh Robinson in the end zone for a safety that gave the Crimson Tide a 2-0 lead. An Adam Griffith field goal pushed the advantage to 5-0.

Amari Cooper, Alabama’s All-America receiver, was the star of the second quarter, catching a 4-yard touchdown pass from Sims and setting up the next UA touchdown with a 50-yard reception down to the 1-yard line.

Derrick Henry scored from there, thanks to an official replay that overturned an onthe-field ruling of a fumble. His touchdown pushed Alabama’s lead to 19-0 and a blowout seemed possible. But Mississippi State drove for a field goal at the end of the half, added another at the start of the third quarter and the struggle was on.

Bulldog quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 290 yards and rushed for 82 more, but his performance was tempered by the three Alabama interceptions. Sims was 19 of 31 for 211 yards and added 18 more on the ground, including the two crucial third-down conversions.

ABOVE: Alabama players celebrate.

TOP: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) celebrates a fourth-quarter interception.

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game 11: western carolina

Alabama running back Altee Tenpenny (28) jumps out of a tackle as he runs downfield during the second half.

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OPPONENT:

w. carolina when: 11.22.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 48 | wc 14

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton, jacob ford and erin nelson

T

he final score indicated Western Carolina fulfilled its role on the SEC’s Cupcake Saturday. That doesn’t mean Alabama didn’t feel like it had bitten into a rock under all that icing.

The Crimson Tide overcame a sluggish start and rolled to a 48-14 win over the Catamounts, but did it with several star players suffering various bangs and bruises of undetermined extent.

Three starters — running back T.J. Yeldon, wide receiver DeAndrew White and kicker Adam Griffith — didn’t play at all. A half-dozen more, including wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, offensive tackle Cam Robinson, tight end Brian Vogler, fullback Jalston Fowler and wide receiver ArDarius Stewart, all had to leave the game at some point.

That overshadowed a three-touchdown performance by Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry and a total output of more than 600 yards and 36 first downs (a school record) by the Alabama offense.

Much of the first half looked more like a Rob Zombie-directed horror film than a pleasurable homecoming afternoon.

“We went out there flat as a pancake,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

Western Carolina got a break on its first possession when an apparent fumble was negated by a referee’s inadvertent whistle. The Catamounts took advantage, concluding a 75-yard touchdown drive with a 2-yard pass from Troy Mitchell to Spearman Robinson for a 7-0 lead that opened eyes around the nation.

It didn’t last long as Alabama answered with a 52-yard scoring drive. The touchdown came on a 4-yard pass from

>>

TOP: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball as the Western Carolina defense tries to tackle him in the first quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama’s kicker Gunnar Raborn (96) kicks an extra point during the first half.

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game 11: western carolina

ABOVE: Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) carries the ball in the first quarter.

LEFT: Alabama linebackers Trey DePriest (33) and Xzavier Dickson (47) tackle Western Carolina’s Detrez Newsome (21) in the first half.

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game 11: western carolina

Blake Sims to Cam Sims, but on the play that set up the score, Cooper was hit on the left knee. He did not return, but Saban said the All-America receiver had “a bruised knee” and could have returned to the game if needed.

Alabama added a 20-yard field goal by Gunnar Raborn, a freshman walk-on who replaced Griffith, and a 10-yard touchdown run by Henry, the first of his three scores.

But a Henry fumble gave Western Carolina excellent field position at the UA 12-yard line and Mitchell again connected with Robinson for a touchdown. It cut Alabama’s lead to 17-14, but that was the last gasp for WCU’s hopes of the most monumental college upset in decades.

The Crimson Tide ended the game with

31 unanswered points.

Henry added a 23-yard touchdown run and a 10-yard reception from Sims before halftime. Sims, who did not play in the second half, completed 17 of 25 passes for 222 yards and one interception. Backup Jake Coker, who played most of the second half, was 12 of 18 for 115 yards.

Sophomore Chris Black had his first 100-yard receiving game. Running backs Tyren Jones and Michael Nysewander each score touchdowns in the second half.

Saban said that Vogler and Stewart were the most serious injuries, saying both had “stretched knee ligaments” and would be “day-to-day” headed into the season finale against Auburn, but the walking wounded would manage to recover for Alabama’s biggest rival.

TOP: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) jumps between tight end Brian Vogler (84) and offensive lineman Leon Brown (72) to score a touchdown during the first half.

ABOVE: Alabama wide receiver Robert Foster (8) is tackled by Western Carolina defensive back Terrence Green (24) during the second half.

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game 12: auburn

Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) makes a 75yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

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OPPONENT:

auburn

when: 11.29.14 where: tuscaloosa score: ua 55 | AU 44

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton, erin nelson and laura chramer

L

ast year, Alabama’s national championship dreams shattered against Auburn.

This year, the Tigers tried to break them again — but came up against iron.

The Crimson Tide overcame a 12-point second-half deficit, scoring 28 unanswered points to rally for a 55-44 win in one of the wildest — and certainly most prolific — AlabamaAuburn games ever. UA had locked up a berth in next week’s SEC Championship Game against Missouri when Mississippi State lost earlier in the day, but with the victory, headed to Atlanta with an 11-1 record and plenty of offensive momentum.

As well as a very-much-alive shot to make the national championship playoff field of four teams.

Ninety-nine points. One thousand, one hundred and seventy-one yards.

And not a field goal return to be found.

It added up to an emotional, if not entirely overwhelming, victory.

Alabama scored 34 points in the second half, slicing with ease through an Auburn defense that had no answer for Amari Cooper’s pass-catching or T.J. Yeldon’s running. The Tigers did have offensive stars of their own — notably quarterback Nick Marshall and wide receiver Sammie Coates — but stopped UA from a touchdown drive only once in the second half, when Blake Sims threw an early interception.

The Crimson Tide trailed 33-21 with 11:02 remaining in the third quarter, and 36-27 with 3:30 remaining in the same period.

But UA responded with four unanswered touchdowns.

>>

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TOP: Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland (19) tackles Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) in the first quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones (22) carries the ball on a second-quarter kickoff return.

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game 12: auburn

Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne (44) is tackled by Alabama defensive backs Nick Perry (27) and Landon Collins (26).

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game 12: auburn

inside the game

By Kelly Ward

T

TOP: Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) outruns Auburn defensive back Jonathon Mincy (6) in the third quarter for a touchdown.

ABOVE: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) carries the ball during the second half.

here was one certainty in the University of Alabama’s 55-44 comeback win over Auburn: Throw the ball to Amari Cooper, and he will make a play.

“Coop’s been great for us all year,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “He certainly had a great game today.”

Cooper, a junior wide receiver, had 201 yards receiving and three touchdowns through three quarters.

The receiver finished with 224 total yards on 13 receptions. He tied his own school record for receiving yards in a game, set four games prior at Tennessee. The 224 yards were the most in an Iron Bowl. Alabama’s Julio Jones had the record previously with 10 catches for 199 yards.

The next closest receiver, senior Christian Jones, had 21 yards.

“We didn’t throw the ball down the field very much in the first half,” Saban said. “The one time we did was a touchdown, and I kept saying to (offensive coordinator) Lane (Kiffin), ‘We’ve made a lot of explosive plays throwing the ball down the field. Let’s take some shots on these guys and see if they can cover us deep.”

Cooper finished the regular season with 1,573 receiving yards. He had already set school records in career touchdowns and career yards. He set the record for career receptions with his first catch against Auburn.

He had three touchdowns on the day. The first came with just over six minutes left in the first quarter. Quarterback Blake Sims connected with Cooper on a 17-yard touchdown to give Alabama a 14-3 lead.

The second touchdown came after the half.

Auburn led 33-21. Sims connected with Cooper for a 39-yard touchdown to cut the Tigers’ lead to 33-27.

Cooper’s final touchdown came with 3:20 left in the third quarter. On the first play of the drive, Sims threw it to Cooper, who took in the 75-yard touchdown pass to pull the Crimson Tide to within two points of the Tigers.

Cooper left the Western Carolina game a week earlier with a knee injury after three receptions.

The junior accounted for nearly 72 percent of Sims’ passing in the shootout with the Tigers. The other receivers accounted for 88 yards receiving and one touchdown.

“The guy played through a lot of injuries today, was really kind of hurt and did a great job of competing out there, 13 catches for 200-some yards and made some extremely big plays in the game,” Saban said. n

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game 12: auburn

ABOVE: Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball against Auburn.

RIGHT: Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) holds onto the ball as Auburn defensive back Jonathan Jones (3) makes the tackle during the second half.

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game 12: auburn

Cooper did the damage in an historic third quarter, catching touchdown passes of 39 and 75 yards. Alabama then applied the hammer with fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns by Sims and Derrick Henry.

Down 55-36, Auburn finally answered with a late touchdown, but consumed nearly all of the game’s final three minutes in doing so.

In the highest-scoring first half in Alabama-Auburn history, the Crimson Tide seemed to have early control but never got a firm grasp on the AU offense and stung itself with a pair of costly turnovers.

The turnover bug bit Auburn first, as the Tigers fumbled a lateral on their first play from scrimmage. Alabama recovered at the AU 35 and scored five plays later on an 8-yard run by Yeldon.

Auburn answered with the first of Daniel Carlson’s four firsthalf field goals, but the Crimson Tide hit with another touchdown on a Sims-to-Cooper 17-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-3.

But with the exception of one Alabama drive, the Tigers dominated the rest of the half, including 10 points in the final minute.

Two more Carlson field goals cut the Alabama lead to 14-9, then the first Sims interception of the half set up a 34-yard touchdown from Marshall to Coates, giving AU a 16-14 lead.

After a rare punt exchange, Alabama regained the lead. Christion Jones’ 29-yard punt return gave Alabama good field position, and Yeldon capped a 58-yard drive by converting a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line into his second touchdown of the night with 1:23 remaining in the half.

Amazingly, the Alabama defense allowed 113 yards in that final 1:23, wrapped around the second Sims interception. First, Marshall hit Coates for a 68-yard touchdown. Then, after a Dee Ford interception, AU got to the Crimson Tide 1 before settling for a clock-forced field goal and a 26-21 halftime lead.

“We didn’t play very well in that half,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “We’re all fired up and come out here and (do) exactly what I talked about. we get all this emotion and don’t channel it in the right place. We don’t go out there and execute and do our job. That’s about as bad a half of football as we’ve played all year.”

The second half was a different matter, as Alabama rolled to its seventh straight win, and onto Atlanta to play for an SEC championship.

TOP: Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) celebrates in the third quarter.

CENTER: Auburn defensive back Joe Turner (35) and defensive back Derrick Moncrief (24) chase after Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) in the fourth quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama coach Nick Saban and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn meet at midfield at Bryant-Denny Stadium after Alabama’s victory.

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game 13: sec championship

Alabama running back Derrick Henry (27) carries the ball for a fourth-quarter touchdown against Missouri at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

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Sec championship | OPPONENT:

missouri

when: 12.06.14 where: atlanta score: ua 42 | um 13

By Cecil Hurt photos by robert sutton and erin nelson

I

f a nation was looking to Atlanta for some College Football Playoff drama, it was wasting its time.

The Alabama Crimson Tide decisively seized its spot in the inaugural playoff, seizing the No. 1 seed, by routing SEC East champion Missouri, 42-13, in the Georgia Dome and securing its record 24th SEC championship in the process.

As it had done a week before against Auburn, the Crimson Tide slammed the door in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points and raising its record to 12-1.

Gritty Missouri had cut the Crimson Tide lead to 21-13 with 4:37 to go in the third quarter — but in the fourth quarter, it was all Alabama.

“We had cut it to one score, and then they take it, go 65 yards and answer,” Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. “Then they hold us, we punt them down to the 10-yard line and they go 90 yards and score.

“Those were two statement drives by them. That’s what great teams do.”

The Crimson Tide executed a flawless opening drive, marching 68 yards in less than four minutes to take a quick 7-0 lead on T.J. Yeldon’s 2-yard touchdown run.

Missouri struggled offensively but held on defensively for the rest of the quarter, which included a missed Crimson Tide field goal.

Alabama then hit on its biggest offensive play of the half early in the second quarter, with Blake Sims finding DeAndrew White for a 58-yard touchdown. The play was doubly costly for Mizzou as the Tigers’

TOP: Alabama running back Jalston Fowler (45) carries the ball in the first quarter.

ABOVE: Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (88) is tackled by the Missouri defense in the second quarter.

>>

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game 13: sec championship

Alabama celebrates after being presented the SEC Championship trophy.

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game 13: sec championship

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game 13: sec championship

inside the game

By Tommy Deas

T

ABOVE: Big Al lies on the field in a flurry of confetti during the celebration after Alabama defeated Missouri.

RIGHT: Alabama quarterback Blake Sims (6) celebrates with fans after the game.

top defender, Shane Ray, was ejected for a targeting hit on Sims.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard with a 33-yard Andrew Baggett field goal, but UA answered with its third touchdown, again coming on a Yeldon 2-yard run that put UA ahead 21-3 at the half.

But Missouri, thanks to some scrambling-and-bombing magic by quarterback Maty Mauk and wide receiver Jimmie Hunt, scored 10 points in the third quarter and, according to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, “had taken the momentum.”

But Alabama — using receivers White and Christion Jones as Missouri concentrated on Amari Cooper — answered with a touchdown drive that culminated on a Sims-toJones pass of 6 yards.

Backed up on its next possession, Alabama went 90 yards, applying the Derrick Henry hammer as he scored on a 26-yard run to end that drive, and capped the game with another 1-yard touchdown run to make it 42-13.

For all the offensive stars, though, it was Sims’ crowning moment. The game’s Most Valuable Player, Sims completed 23 of 27 passes (an SEC Championship Game record for accuracy at 85.7 percent), netting 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Cooper also set an SEC Championship Game record with 12 receptions, although Missouri stopped him from making the big play with 83 total yards. White had 101 yards receiving and Henry added 141 yards rushing in what Sims characterized as “a total team effort.”

“I don’t know if I have ever been so anxious to win a game for a group of guys as I was tonight,” Saban said.

Less than 24 hours later, Alabama got official confirmation of its playoff spot as the No. 1 seed, drawing Big Ten champion Ohio State for the Sugar Bowl semifinal.

he Missouri Tigers had two weapons against the University of Alabama’s defense in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome: a wing and a prayer.

Quarterback Maty Mauk winged a few long prayers that were answered, but those up-for-grabs passes only got Missouri into the end zone one time in the Crimson Tide’s decisive 42-13 victory.

Missouri got little else against Alabama defenders: a mere 41 rushing yards on 23 carries, and only 132 passing yards on 31 attempts if you subtract the three long passes to Jimmie Hunt, who caught six balls for 169 yards — most of his production coming on receptions of 32, 63 and 47 yards.

“The game plan was, we knew (Mauk) is a scrambler and he likes to make plays with his legs, but he’s not necessarily looking to run — he’s looking to make a play downfield,” Alabama safety Nick Perry said. “We lost contain a few times and we lost our man back there in coverage a few times.

“We were able to come out with a ‘W’ so I think we did our job.”

Missouri got a total of one first down on its first four possessions, but Mauk scrambled toward the sideline and heaved a 32-yard pass that Hunt snagged downfield for a 32-yard gain in the second quarter to set up a Missouri field goal.

Mauk did it again in the third quarter for the 63-yard gain to set up a touchdown that cut Alabama’s lead to 21-10, and got chased out of the pocket before throwing the 47-yarder to Hunt later in the period, setting up another field goal to cut Alabama’s lead to 21-13.

After that, Missouri ran out of prayers, as Alabama shut the Tigers down and took over the game.

Not allowing Missouri to get any traction in the ground game was crucial.

“That’s something that we definitely pride ourselves on is having a solid run defense,” defensive lineman Jonathan Allen said. “We felt like we had to step it up this week.

“We felt like we had the right mentality to not let anyone run the ball on us. I believe we came out here and made a statement defensively. They were physical up front, but I felt we did a good job being aggressive, and we were definitely physical out there.”

The lingering worry for Alabama fans heading into the playoffs will be about the secondary, in particular the long completions. A week earlier, Auburn scored twice on pass plays of 30 yards or longer.

Perry said there’s no need to worry.

“At the end of the day, teams are going to make big plays,” Perry said. “A team like Missouri, this is the SEC Championship Game and they’re representing the East; Auburn, they’re a championship contender every year and they have great guys, athletic guys.

“We just have to contain them and limit the big plays and we’ll win the game. We won both those games, so there’s not really much people can complain about.” n

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Running the GAUntlet

By Aaron Suttles

D

aunting is one way to describe it.

The odds were long and, at the time, blinding, that Alabama could find its way back into SEC title race and national championship hunt after a loss to Ole Miss the fifth week of the season.

Not because the team wasn’t talented enough. But because the road was filled with land mines at every turn — at Arkansas, the hurry-up, no-huddle attack of Texas A&M, at Death Valley at night against LSU, the No. 1 team in the country Mississippi State and a revenge game against Auburn.

Running the table seemed near impossible given the strength of the SEC West in 2014, but that’s exactly what Nick Saban and this close-knit team did.

It began the week after the Ole Miss loss with a skin-of-your-teeth victory against an undervalued Arkansas team. Landon Collin’s fourth-quarter interception sealed the win and served as the emotional catalyst for the rest of the season.

From that game on, players wore their emotions on their sleeves and the fans fed from that energy.

There is no more prime example of that than in the 59-0 blanking of Texas A&M. Offense and defense synergized for an unparalleled performance.

Then came the drive that might define the 2014 team, on the road in Tiger Stadium against LSU, down by three points with less than a minute remaining with no timeouts.

Blake Sims led a drive to remember, and kicker Adam Griffith shrugged off a slump and kicked a game-tying field goal. Alabama won in overtime.

Alabama reclaimed No. 1 with a win over Mississippi State and two weeks later topped Auburn in the Iron Bowl, as Sims overcame three interceptions to lead five straight touchdown drives in the second half.

With the SEC title on the line, Alabama proved its championship caliber with a 4213 throttling of Missouri.

The gauntlet wasn’t easy, but it was conquered.

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afterword

I

tommy deas executive sports editor

t was a familiar scene: confetti raining down as University of Alabama football players hoisted yet another championship trophy.

At a school that has won 24 conference championships – and is in pursuit of a 16th national championship — it is hard to make history. Winning another Southeastern Conference title, as the Alabama Crimson Tide did when it beat Missouri in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, only puts a team alongside so many great teams that have come before it.

The 2014 edition of the Crimson Tide, however, has found its own special niche: This Alabama team is the first to qualify for the College Football Playoff. And if this team goes on to win two more games to garner yet another national title for the Capstone’s ample trophy case, it will make even more history.

This hasn’t been a team of overwhelming dominance, although there have been flashes of dominant play. It is a team that has been full of surprises: The surprising emergence of fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Sims, who broke school passing records and earned Most Valuable Player honors in the SEC Championship Game.

The surprising hire of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who had created controversy in previous stops as head coach at Tennessee and Southern Cal, only to land at Alabama and reaffirm his reputation as an offensive genius.

The surprising ability of Amari Cooper to continually top his own brilliant performances as a pass catcher.

And the surprising consistency of Alabama’s defense to rebuild and reinvent itself in an era of offensive explosiveness.

The biggest surprise of all isn’t that Alabama is yet again in the national championship hunt. It is that UA was able to reload in a year where it was expected to rebuild, that a team that started the season with so many questions has been able to provide answers, again and again.

It’s been a fun ride, and it’s not over yet.

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