Alabama
Crimson Tide
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2008 Alabama Season
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2008 Alabama Preview
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2007 Alabama Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2008 Record: 12-2
Aug. 30
Clemson W 34-10
Sept. 6 Tulane W 20-6
Sept. 13 West Kentucky
W 41-7
Sept. 20 at Arkansas W
49-14
Sept. 27 at Georgia W 41-30
Oct. 4 Kentucky W 17-14
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 Ole Miss W 24-20
Oct. 25 at Tennessee W 29-9
Nov. 1 Arkansas State W
35-0
Nov. 8 at LSU W 27-21 OT
Nov. 15 Mississippi St W
32-7
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 29 Auburn W 36-0
Dec. 6 SEC Championship
Florida L 31-20
Sugar Bowl
Jan. 2 Utah L 31-17 |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2007 Record: 7-6
Sept. 1
West. Carolina
W 52-6
Sept. 8
at Vanderbilt
W 24-10
Sept. 15
Arkansas
W 41-38
Sept. 22
Georgia L 26-23 OT
Sept. 29
Florida St L 21-14
Oct.
6
Houston
W 30-24
Oct.
13 at
Ole Miss W 27-24
Oct.
20
Tennessee W 41-17
Nov.
3
LSU
L 41-34
Nov.
10
at Mississippi St
L 17-12
Nov.
17
UL Monroe
L 21-14
Nov.
24 at
Auburn L 17-10
Independence Bowl
Dec. 30 Colorado W 30-24 |
2009
Recruiting Class
Five Best Prospects
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1. Trent Richardson |
RB |
5-11 |
210 |
Pensacola, FL |
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2. Dre Kirkpatrick |
DB |
6-2 |
180 |
Gadsden, AL |
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3. Nico Johnson |
LB |
6-3 |
225 |
Andalusia, AL |
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4. D.J. Fluker |
OL |
6-7 |
350 |
Foley, AL |
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5. Tana Patrick |
LB |
6-3 |
215 |
Stevenson, AL |
Rest Of
The Class
|
Jonathan Atchison |
LB |
6-3 |
215 |
Atlanta, GA |
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Kenny Bell |
WR |
6-1 |
160 |
Rayville, LA |
|
Chris Bonds |
DT |
6-4 |
265 |
Columbia, SC |
|
Michael Bowman |
WR |
6-4 |
205 |
Rossville, GA |
|
James Carpenter |
OL |
6-5 |
305 |
Coffeyville, KS |
|
Quinton Dial |
DT |
6-5 |
305 |
Pinson, AL |
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Kendall Kelly |
WR |
6-4 |
210 |
Gadsden, AL |
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Eddie Lacy |
RB |
5-11 |
210 |
Geismar, LA |
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Mike Marrow |
RB |
6-2 |
240 |
Toledo, OH |
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AJ McCarron |
QB |
6-4 |
185 |
Mobile, AL |
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Darius McKeller |
OL |
6-6 |
280 |
Jonesboro, GA |
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William Ming |
DE |
6-4 |
265 |
Athens, AL |
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Brandon Moore |
OL |
6-4 |
315 |
Montgomery, AL |
|
Kevin Norwood |
WR |
6-3 |
180 |
D'Iberville, MS |
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Anthony Orr |
DE |
6-4 |
260 |
Harvest, AL |
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Darrington Sentimore |
DT |
6-3 |
265 |
Destrehan, LA |
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Petey Smith |
LB |
6-0 |
230 |
Seffner, FL |
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Anthony Steen |
OL |
6-4 |
295 |
Clarksdale, MS |
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Ed Stinson |
DE |
6-4 |
225 |
Homestead, FL |
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Chance Warmack |
OL |
6-2 |
325 |
Atlanta, GA |
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Kellen Williams |
OL |
6-3 |
295 |
Snellville, GA |
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Rod Woodson |
DB |
5-11 |
200 |
Olive Branch, MS |
Jan. 2
2009 Sugar Bowl
Utah 31 … Alabama 17
Utah came out roaring going 68 yards in five plays and 1:19 with Brian Johnson
connecting with Brent Casteel from seven yards out. Matt Asiata ran for a
two-yard score, and Bradon Godfrey caught a 18-yard touchdown pass on the way to
a 21-0 Ute lead. Alabama appeared ready to rally with a 52-yard Leigh Tiffin
field goal and a 73-yard punt return for a score from Javier Arenas to cut the
lead to 11 going into the locker room, and after recovering a Johnson fumble,
the Tide got a four-yard Glen Coffee touchdown catch to pull within four. But
Utah answered on the ensuing drive with David Reed catching a 28-yard touchdown
pass. Alabama wouldn’t threaten again, mostly because Utah’s defensive line
dominated with eight sacks, taking advantage of Bama being down to its third
string left tackle.
Player of the Game:
Utah QB Brian Johnson completed 27-of-41 passes for
336 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 18-30,
177 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 13-36. Receiving: Julio Jones, 7-77
Utah - Passing: Brian Johnson, 27-41, 336 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Matt Asiata, 13-29, 1 TD.
Receiving: Freddie Brown, 12-125
Inside The Box Score ... 5
Thoughts on the Sugar Bowl …
Quarter-by-Quarter, Play-by-Play Game Notes … Rushing yards: Alabama 31 –
Utah 13 … Fourth quarter time of possession: Utah 11:29 – Bama 3:31 … Sacks:
Utah 8-for-53 yards – Bama 2-for-10 yards … Penalties: Utah 10-for 91 – Bama
7-for-67 … Alabama’s Marquis Johnson led all players with nine sacks. …
Alabama’s Bobby Greenwood made five tackles, a sack, two tackles for los and
recovered a fumble.
Dec. 6
2008 SEC Championship
Florida 31 … Alabama 20
Florida came up with 14 fourth quarter points on a Jeffrey Demps run off the
option for a touchdown and a five-yard Riley Cooper catch to overcome a 20-17
lead. In a game of long drives and plenty of big plays, Tim Tebow threw three
short touchdown passes and led the Percy Harvin-less Gators in rushing, while
Alabama got 112 yards and an 18-yard touchdown run from Glen Coffee and a
two-yard Mark Ingram run along with Leigh Tiffin field goals from 30 and 27
yards out. The Ingram run capped a 15-play, 91-yard drive in the in the third
quarter to tie it at 17, and Tiffin’s second field goal gave the Tide its final
lead before the Gators owned the fourth.
Player of the game:
Florida QB Tim Tebow completed 14-of-22 passes for 216
yards and three touchdowns, and he ran 17 times for 57 yards
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 12-25,
187 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 21-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 5-124
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-22, 216 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 17-57. Receiving: Louis Murphy, 4-86
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Quarter-by-Quarter Game
Notes ... Alabama had everything going its way in the third quarter
against Florida, and then the defense couldn’t get off the field in the fourth.
The Tide offense did what it normally does with a nice, efficient mix of plays,
led by a nearly perfect third quarter, but the running game and the offensive
line weren’t used quite enough to take over late. It was almost as if the
offense tried to mix things up just to mix things up, even though the Florida
defensive front was starting to wear down in the second half. It was a good game
with nothing to hang heads over.
Nov. 28
Alabama 36 … Auburn 0
Glen Coffee ran for a 41 yards score and Mark Ingram ran for scores from one and
14 yards out as Alabama broke its six-game losing streak to Auburn in the easy
blowout. Auburn only gained eight first downs and 170 yards of total offense
without being close to getting into the end zone. Alabama held on to the ball
for 35:37 and came up with 412 yards.
Player of the game:
Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 20 times for 144 yards and
a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 9-23, 113 yds
Rushing: Mario Fannin, 8-28. Receiving: Mario Fannin, 3-44
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 8-16, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 20-144, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 3-36
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And on to Atlanta
to deal with Florida. It was as if Alabama needed to know after a few series
that Auburn wasn’t going to be any sort of a threat offensively, and after the
first quarter it was just a question of not screwing up. There wasn’t much of a
need to do anything fancy with the passing game with the ground attack cranking
out 234 yards and three scores, while the defensive line had no problems
whatsoever controlling things on the other side. No, this isn’t the sexiest team
around, and everyone will be picking Florida to win big, but as long as the
running game is working and as long as the defense is solid, the Tide will have
a shot.
Nov. 15
Alabama 32 …
Mississippi State 7
The Tide jumped out to an early 5-0 lead helped by a blocked punt for a safety,
but MSU threw a scare into the No. 1 team with a 31-yard touchdown catch from
Jamayel Smith early in the second quarter. The Tide scored 27 unanswered points,
but it took a while to put the Bulldogs away as Leigh Tiffin finished with three
field goals and John Parker Wilson and Mark Ingram each ran for one-yard scores.
Up 12-7, Bama all but put the game out of reach early in the second half on a
80-yard punt return for a score from Javier Arenas. MSU gained 167 yards of
total offense with nine first downs.
Player of the game:
Alabama S Rolando McClain made 11 tackles with two
sacks and a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Tyson Lee,
11-28, 132 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 11-26. Receiving: Anthony Dixon, 4-32
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 10-17, 148 yds
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 13-78, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 3-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tide seems to
just be holding serve. The 32-7 final score against Mississippi State was
impressive, but it was the defense and special teams that won the game as much
as anything the offense was able to do. Against Auburn, the Tide will need to
find even more of a consistent deep game to open up the Tiger run defense.
However, on the other side of the ball, the suffocating defense should be able
to shut down an Auburn attack that’s looking a bit like Mississippi State’s,
except with more running from Auburn QB Kodi Burns. On D alone the Tide should
beat Auburn, but John Parker Wilson will have to do more, much more, to get by
Florida.
Nov. 8
Alabama 27 … LSU 21
In overtime, Rashad Johnson intercepted his third pass of the game and Bama’s
offense took advantage with John Parker Wilson barreling in for a one-yard
score. The Tide had a shot to win at the end of regulation, but Leigh Tiffin’s
field goal was blocked. Wilson started off the scoring with a one-yard run, but
LSU answered with a 30-yard Demetrius Byrd catch and a 30-yard Charles Scott
dash. But LSU QB Jarrett Lee struggled all game long with Johnson taking one of
Lee’s four interceptions 54 yards for a touchdown. Glen Coffee ran for a
three-yard touchdown to give the Tide the lead in the second half, but LSU went
on its best march of the day going 74 yards in 14 plays finishing with a
one-yard Scott run to tie it up before Bama’s ill-fated late march before OT.
Player of the game:
Alabama S Rashad Johnson made four tackles and three
interceptions taking one for a score
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Jarrett Lee, 13-34, 181 yds, 1
TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Charles Scott, 24-92, 2 TD. Receiving: Brandon LaFell,
4-74
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 15-31, 215 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 26-126, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 7-128
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Alabama has won the SEC
West title and is off to the SEC title game, likely against Florida. Beating
LSU, especially with all the hoopla surrounding the Nick Saban return to Baton
Rouge, was a good focus-win considering the rest of the schedule is a walk in
the park, hosting Mississippi State and Auburn. LSU might not be the LSU from
last year, but it was a jacked up team looking to make a big statement. Alabama
kept its cool all game long, didn’t make many major mistakes, and came up tough
after the major momentum swing following the blocked kick at the end of
regulation. The LSU win showed the emergence of John Parker Wilson as even more
of a playmaker. He’s not going to win many games on his own, but he made the
throws and the plays needed to get the win. He was good, LSU’s Jarrett Lee
wasn’t and now the Tide is 10-0.
Nov. 1
Alabama 35 … Arkansas
State 0
Alabama had few problems
as Glen Coffee ran for a nine-yard score in the first quarter, Roy Upchurch ran
for a 22-yard touchdown in the third, and Mark Ingram scored the final two
touchdowns from 5 and 17 yards out. The defense got into the act as well with
Rashad Johnson, who led the way with 13 tackles and picked off a pass for a
32-yard touchdown. Arkansas State was held to 158 yards of total offense.
Player of the game:
Alabama S Rashad Johnson made 13 tackles with 2.5
tackles for loss and an interception for a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard,
8-17, 67 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 15-72. Receiving: Kevin Jones, 3-16
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 15-28, 152 yds, 1
INT
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 12-113, 2 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 5-62
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tide was
focused on the task at hand and put away Arkansas State without much of a
problem. The offensive line dominated, leading the way for 205 rushing yards and
four touchdowns, and the defensive line, and safety Rashad Johnson, who was all
over the field, never led the ASU offense get anything going on the ground. That
shows just how mentally solid this Tide team is to not worry about LSU, and it
shows how what Nick Saban is preaching is coming through. Being on an even keel
is vital in November.
Oct. 25
Alabama 29 …
Tennessee 9
After trading field goals with Tennessee, Alabama got three-yard touchdown run
from Glen Coffee on 4th-and-one, coupled with a Vol missed field goal
late in the first half to get all the momentum with a 13-3 lead. A 26-point run
with long drives leading to short rushing scores from John Parker Wilson and Roy
Upchurch helped put the game away, while the defense didn’t let Tennessee move
the ball until a late Josh Briscoe touchdown catch. Tennessee only finished with
173 yards of total offense.
Player of the game:
Alabama QB John Parker Wilson completed 17-of-24
passes for 188 yards and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Nick Stephens, 16-28,
137 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Arian Foster, 6-21. Receiving: Josh Briscoe, 4-46, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 17-24, 188 yds
Rushing: Roy Upchurch, 14-86, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 6-103
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Alabama knows it
didn’t have to be fancy against Tennessee, so it cranked out a good running
game, an efficient passing attack, and the defense did the rest. John Parker
Wilson was flawless. He didn’t make the big mistake to let the Vols back in the
game, and he spread the ball around to nine different receivers. The key now is
to maintain focus with Arkansas State up next before the showdown at LSU.
Oct. 18
Alabama 24 … Ole Miss
20
It was all Alabama in the first half as John Parker Wilson threw two touchdown
passes including a 26-yarder to Marquis Maze and a 30-yarder to Mike McCoy on
the way to a 24-3 lead. And then came the second half, and then came Ole Miss.
The Rebels dominated after halftime as Jason Cook caught a nine-yard touchdown
pass from Rob Park on a fake field goal, and Jevan Snead connected with Shay Hodge for a 17-yard
touchdown. Down four, Snead had one last shot but the drive stalled around
midfield. The two teams combined to convert just 5-of-25 third down chances.
Player of the game:
Alabama S Rashad Johnson made nine tackles with a
tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 16-31, 192
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Enrique Davis, 11-70. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 4-64, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 16-25, 219 yds, 2
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 17-73, 1 TD. Receiving: Nick Walker, 5-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Eventually, Alabama
will get tagged for not being able to put together a complete game. It’s almost
as if the program has gotten used to the pattern of dominating in the first half
only to take the foot off the gas in the second. Nick Saban tries to keep the
team up and motivated, and it works coming out of the locker room, but not after
the half. Even so, after holding on against Ole Miss, Bama keeps on surviving
and moving on, but with the really big boys up next, focus will be the key.
Oct. 4
Alabama 17 ... Kentucky 14
Alabama looked like it was going to cruise to an easy win as Glen Coffee ran
for a 78-yard touchdown less than five minutes into the game, and Rolando
McClain picked up a Mike Hartline fumble, the ball slipped out of his hands on a
pass, for an easy four-yard score. But the Tide offense struggled the rest of
the way and Kentucky mounted a late second half comeback with a 26-yard Dicky
Lyons touchdown catch and a 48-yard scoring grab from DeMoreo Ford with 40
seconds to play. But a 24-yard field goal from a struggling Leigh Tiffin with
2:12 to play proved to be the difference. Tiffin missed field goal attempts from
34 and 41 yards.
Player of the game:
Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 25 times for 219 yards and a touchdown, and caught a
pass for 15 yards
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 20-42, 241
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 6-28 Receiving: Derrick Locke, 8-81
Alabama -
Passing: John Parker Wilson, 7-17, 106 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 25-218, 1 TD Receiving: Julio Jones,
3-52
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ... Yeah, Alabama beat Kentucky, but it was as
shaky a performance as the coaching staff feared. The great offensive line had
way too many holding penalties, the running game was way too inconsistent, and
John Parker Wilson struggled to get the passing game going. The defense did a
decent job, it held UK to 276 yards, but it got ripped up late to let the
Wildcats make it interesting. And then there's Leigh Tiffin. After missing two
field goals and getting a reprieve on a missed extra point, he got a second
chance thanks to a UK penalty, he can't be counted on for a big kick of any
distance at the moment. He'll need as many confidence-boosting moments as
possible over the next few weeks.
Sept. 27
Alabama 41 ... Georgia 30
Alabama stunned Georgia with a 31-0 lead at halftime on three short
touchdown runs and a 22-yard touchdown catch from Julio Jones. Georgia came out
of the locker room roaring scoring 17 straight points helped by a two-yard
Knowshon Moreno touchdown run and highlighted by a 92-yard Prince Miller punt
return for a score. But Alabama had an answer with a solid eight play, 51-yard
drive finishing with a 32-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal. Glen Coffee added a
12-yard touchdown run just over five minutes later and it was over. Matthew
Stafford threw two late touchdown passes. Alabama outgained Georgia just 334
yards to 324.
Player of the game:
Alabama QB
John Parker Wilson completed 13-of-16 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 24-42,
274 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 9-34, 1 TD Receiving: A.J. Green,
6-88, 1 TD
Alabama -
Passing: John Parker Wilson, 13-16, 205 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 23-86, 2 TD Receiving: Julio Jones,
5-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ... Once again, the lines dominated. The Bama front
four was getting a constant push into the Georgia backfield, while the offensive
front paved the way to the big early lead. John Parker Wilson got time to throw,
the running backs were able to run downhill behind the blocks, and the defense
was able to take the Georgia running game out of the equation. Much will be made
out of the 31-0 halftime start, but the second half answer might have been just
as impressive. Georgia started to roll and the momentum was changing, and then
the offense marched on two good scoring drives and it was all over.
Sept. 20
Alabama 49 ... Arkansas 14
Alabama got up 21-0
in the first half beginning with a one-yard Mark Ingram run, and
then came the home runs. Glen Coffee ripped off an 87-yard touchdown
dash and Javier Arenas took a Casey Dick pass 63 yards for a pick
six to all but end the fun before the second quarter. The Hogs got a
12-yard touchdown catch from Andrew Davie early in the second, but
Julio Jones answered for Alabama with a 25-yard scoring grab. The
defense got back in the act with a 74-yard Justin Woodall
interception return for a score. The Bama big plays kept on coming
in the second half with a 31-yard Glen Coffee touchdown run in the
third and a 62-yard Roy Upchurch dash in the fourth. Bama outgained
the Hogs 328 yards to 92.
Player of the game: Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran ten times for 162 yards
and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 20-39, 190
yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 19-91 Receiving: Michael Smith, 6-67, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 6-14, 74
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 10-162, 2 TD. Receiving: Earl Alexander,
2-38
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ...
The lines are killing everyone. The
defensive line only came up with two sacks against Arkansas, but it
held tough against the run and generated pressure all game long. The
offensive line sprung the holes, and Glen Coffee and Roy Upchurch
blew through them. The passing game wasn't anything special
considering the running game was working so well, but John Parker
Wilson didn't make any big mistakes and he came up with a few key
passes. Overall, this was a great performance going into the
showdown at Georgia.
Sept. 13
Alabama 41 … Western Kentucky 7
Alabama cranked out 557 yards of total offense, and QB John Parker
Wilson became the school’s all-time leader in total offense, in the
easy wins. The Tide scored the first 24 points of the game on two
Mark Ingram touchdown runs and an eight-yard Terry Grant scoring
dash before WKU got its only score on a 30-yard Tristan Jones catch.
Wilson connected with Nick Walker for a two-yard touchdown and hit
Julio Jones for a 12-yard scoring pass in the second half. The Tide
held on to the ball for 37:21.
Player of the game: Alabama QB John Parker Wilson completed
17-of-27 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns with an
interception
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John Parker
Wilson, 17-27, 215 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 11-97. Receiving: Julio Jones, 5-66, 1 TD
Western Kentucky
-
Passing: David Wolke, 14-25, 116 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bobby Rainey, 4-11. Receiving: Derrius
Brooks, 6-40
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
After a sluggish
game against Tulane, Alabama needed to stretch its offensive legs a
bit. Western Kentucky didn’t pose much of a challenge on either side
of the ball, and the Tide took advantage with near-perfect balance
offensively while keeping the chains moving. The Hilltoppers
couldn’t get the Tide off the field as John Parker Wilson helped the
offense convert 9-of-14 third down chances with 30 first downs to
WKU’s nine. Now everyone can breathe a little easier, but now the
Tide has to be consistent and has to keep it all going against the
SEC big boys.
Sept. 6
Alabama 20 ... Tulane 6
Alabama's offense stunk, gaining just 172 yards, but Javier Arenas
returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown and Chris Rogers returned a
blocked punt 17 yards for a score. Mark Ingram added a 15-yard
scoring run in the third quarter on the one good Bama drive of the
game, and the defense did the rest. The Green Wave moved the ball,
gaining 318 yards, but only managed two Ross Thevenot field goals.
Player of the game:
Alabama LB Rolando McClain made 15 tackles and two tackles
for loss with a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: Tulane - Passing: Kevin Moore, 28-49, 225 yds
Rushing: Andre Anderson, 13-32. Receiving: Brian King, 6-51
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 11-23, 3 yds
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 11-63, 1 TD,. Receiving: Marquis Maze, 4-22
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Yuck. Bama came up
with the big special teams plays to get by Tulane, but the 172 yards
of total offense and no passing game has to be a glaring concern.
Sure there was a letdown after the Clemson win, but this team isn't
experienced enough to not bring the A game effort every week. That
inconsistency is what led to the nightmare over the second half of
last year, and with all the youth and all the new players being
entered into the mix, QB John Parker Wilson has to be far, far
better.
Aug. 30
Alabama 34 ... Clemson 10
Alabama stunned Clemson holding the high-powered Tigers to no net
yards rushing and tearing off 239 yards on the ground in the
surprisingly easy blowout. The Tide held on to the ball for 41:13 as
John Parker Wilson was in total command of the offense running for a
one yard score and connecting with Nick Walker and Julio Jones for
short touchdowns. Clemson managed a 33-yard field goal in the second
quarter and got a kickoff return for a touchdown from C.J. Spiller
to start the second half, but that was it. Leigh Tiffin nailed four
field goals for the Tide.
Player of the game:
Alabama QB John Parker Wilson completed 22
of 30 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a
score.
Stat Leaders: Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 20-34, 188
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Davis, 6-13. Receiving: Tyler Grisham, 6-42
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 22-30,
180 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 17-96,. Receiving: Nick Walker, 7-67, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... All of a sudden,
Alabama goes from being a year or two away to being a real, live
powerhouse now. The lines destroyed the Clemson lines, but most
importantly, the energy level and the crispness was there. The Tide
was sharp with John Parker Wilson playing like the quarterback the
program has been waiting for. It's still early, and consistency will
have to be a key from game to game, but this was a dominant
performance that should lead the way to a 4-0 start before facing
Georgia.