The Battle Plan
9/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | General
A Fitting Celebration of Champions
We enjoyed a great weekend at The Capstone last week. Last Friday afternoon several of our teams joined many members of our staff and a good turnout of fans at our first "Championship Unveiling Ceremony" at the Sarah Patterson Champions Plaza. Championship plaques were unveiled commemorating the 2014 SEC championships for our men's golf, gymnastics, softball, and women's tennis teams.
Coach Jay Seawell's plaque was unveiled on our Coaches Wall of Honor to recognize his team's back-to-back national championships and seven student-athletes who earned individual national championships were introduced in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments: Kristian Gkolomeev (men's swimming - 50-yard freestyle champion), Kim Jacob (gymnastics - all-around champion), Maya Jansen (women's tennis - doubles champion), Erin Routliffe (women's tennis - doubles champion), Remona Burchell (women's track & field - indoor 60 meters and outdoor 100 meters champion), Diondre Batson (men's track & field - indoor 200 meters champion), Hayden Reed (men's track & field - discus champion).
During the ceremony we announced that - in addition to existing scholarships in honor of Sarah Patterson and the late Mal Moore - the A-Club is endowing scholarships in the names of national champion coaches Patrick Murphy, Mic Potter and Jay Seawell. A-Club President Jerry Duncan presented Coaches Seawell and Murphy with plaques commemorating the scholarships. Coach Potter was in Tennessee with the women's golf team, and he will receive his plaque at a later date.
The 2014 national title in men's golf marked the Crimson Tide's ninth team national championship since 2009, a stretch that includes three football, two gymnastics and two men's golf championships as well as one softball and one women's golf national championship. On the conference level, our four SEC team titles during the 2013-14 academic year matched the standard originally set during the 2009-10 season. Since 2009, Alabama teams have won a combined 16 SEC team championships in seven sports.
The 1964 Team Reunion
It was fun to spend time with the 1964 national championship football team last Friday night and Saturday before the game. They are a terrific group of men who were great players and have become great Americans. It is a shame we can't harness the energy in the stories when guys like this get together and reminisce about their past experiences on and off the playing fields. And the best thing about getting older is every year we get a little better ... at least in our own minds!
You may remember this team won Coach Bryant's second national championship after his return to coach the Crimson Tide. In that era, two rankings systems determined the national champions - the Associated Press (AP) media poll and the United Press International (UPI) coaches rankings. In those days both polls produced their final rankings to determine the national champions before the bowl games. Bowls were considered a reward for a good season and treated like exhibition games by many coaches.
That system worked in Alabama's favor as the Tide ended the regular season undefeated and were awarded the national championship by both AP and UPI before taking on a tough Texas team led by All-American linebacker Tommy Nobis in the Orange Bowl. Texas won a nip-and-tuck game, even though I watched on TV as Joe Namath crossed the goal line on a quarterback sneak at the end that should have won the game for Alabama. Unfortunately, the officials didn't see it the same way I did and the Longhorns took home the Orange Bowl trophy. But the 1964 national championship trophy still resides today in our trophy case! Arkansas finished the season undefeated, having won its bowl game, and also claims the 1964 championship.
The 1964 team stands out in our history for many reasons. I think one of the reasons that is often overlooked is the amazing collection of individuals on that team that went on to have outstanding careers in football after graduation. Gene Stallings, Howard Schnellenberger, Ken Meyer and Richard Williamson were on that coaching staff, all of whom went on to great things in their field. Ray Perkins was a star end on that team before an excellent NFL career and a coaching career that produced successful teams at every stop along the way. Jackie Sherrill became one of college football's finest coaches during his career, winning big at several schools at the highest level. The names of the players reads like a Who's Who of Alabama greats: Joe Namath, Paul Crane, Dan Kearley, Wayne Cook, Steve Sloan, David Ray, Steve Bowman ... I could go on and on.
Needless to say, the 1964 team is a hard one to top for star power. But next fall we plan to recognize a squad that was just as successful on the field and whose greatness has stood the test of time when we honor the 1965 national championship team on its 50th Anniversary. In an ironic twist of fate, the AP poll decided to name its national championship team after the bowl games in 1965, but the UPI ranking still named its champion prior to the bowl games. That year, Michigan State was the UPI national champion, but the AP title was still up for grabs as the bowls commenced. January 1, 1966, was one of those New Year's Days where things had to fall just right for Alabama to win the title - and that's exactly what happened.
Alabama returned to the Orange Bowl following the 1965 regular season with an 8-1-1 record. An 18-17 loss at Georgia in the season opener and a 7-7 tie with Tennessee at Legion Field in Birmingham marred an otherwise perfect season for the Tide, which entered the game with fourth-ranked Nebraska at No. 3 in the AP rankings behind No. 1 Michigan State and No. 2 Arkansas. Back then, the day began with the Cotton Bowl game followed by the Rose Bowl, then ended up with the Orange Bowl played in prime time under the lights.
By the time Alabama and Nebraska lined up for the opening kickoff, the stage was set for the Orange Bowl game to determine the AP's national champion. First, number two ranked Arkansas was knocked off by LSU in the Cotton Bowl, then number one ranked Michigan State was upset by UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Both Nebraska and Alabama were explosive teams with different approaches on offense. The Tide used Steve Sloan's accurate throwing arm with a balanced offense, while coach Bob Devaney's Cornhuskers were a high-powered running team. It was evident early on that Alabama's speed was too much for Nebraska to handle.
The Tide raced to a big lead at halftime, largely on the strength of a series of Sloan-to-Perkins passes, and Nebraska couldn't catch up. Steve had a big night, passing for almost 300 yards, Ray had a huge receiving game with more than 150 yards and a couple of scores, and I remember Les Kelley running for more than 100 yards and a touchdown. The Huskers simply didn't know what had hit them! We built that big lead and held on for a 39-28 win. That impressive win vaulted Alabama to the top of the final post-bowl AP rankings, clinching another national title.
An Offensive Showcase at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Our football team had a hard-fought SEC victory over the Florida Gators last Saturday afternoon. Florida is a talented and much improved team this year, but this Alabama team is also talented, deep, balanced and very well-coached. It was another hot, humid day and our team wore the Gators down in the fourth quarter.
In my opinion, college football under the BCS and now the College Football Playoff, has created the best, most competitive regular season of any sport, collegiate or professional. Every week carries a playoff atmosphere that ranks with the best of them. Our stadium was full until the end and was rocking all afternoon. The Million Dollar Band, the Crimsonettes, our cheerleaders, and Big Al all performed brilliantly to keep our crowd engaged. The crimson and white shakers were definitely shaking to "Sweet Home Alabama" and every good play made by Tide players all day, but especially in the fourth quarter. Our fans are great! They are loud and proud when they need to be, yet sportsmanlike at all times. "Class" is what we strive for on and off the field, and it shows.
Last weekend, the SEC West again proved to be the toughest division in the toughest league in college football. Mississippi State showed they are for real by going into Death Valley and coming out with a huge victory over LSU. But The Tigers also showed their true colors by coming from a 34-10 fourth quarter deficit to close the gap to 34-29 and they had a chance to win as time expired.
Our team has a much-welcomed week off this week, as we need it to heal several banged-up players before our next SEC matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels on October 4th in Oxford. The road is very difficult as we get into the SEC West portion of our schedule. While it is extremely exciting, it is a tough order to play the games we have ahead. We need to be fortunate with injuries, to play well on the road and in Bryant-Denny Stadium and, occasionally, may need to win one or two on days when we may not play our best game. Great teams do that, though, and I am excited about this team and this coaching staff. They have done an awesome job thus far in the season.
A Solid Weekend of Competition
A heartfelt congratulations is in order for sophomore Krystal Rivers of our VOLLEYBALL team, who was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week after leading Alabama in kills last week on the way to earning Most Valuable Player honors while leading Alabama to the team title of the Crimson-White Tournament at Foster Auditorium. Our ladies swept a solid group of competitors at the tournament, defeating Clemson in the final to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season. Krystal led the Tide to four wins last week. Last night, the Tide won at Georgia, extending our winning streak to eight straight matches and running our season record to 13-2. The current winning streak is the Tide's longest since 2005 and our overall record is the second-best of any SEC team at this point of the season.
Both the men's and women's CROSS COUNTRY teams took home team wins last Saturday at the Asheville Cross Country Carnival in Asheville, N.C. Both teams were dominant in their races. The Tide women swept the top four spots in the five-kilometer race with Tide junior Katelyn Greenleaf winning the women's individual title, while the men's squad finished five athletes in the top seven as sophomore Robbie-Farnham-Rose took home the win in the eight-kilometer race. Our men and women have won both of their races so far this season and I know they are looking forward to hosting the 2014 SEC Cross Country Championships over at the Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa on Halloween.
The WOMEN'S SOCCER team played very well in giving No. 7-ranked Florida a tough match in a 2-1 loss last Friday evening in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Alabama Soccer Complex. After a scoreless first half, the match remained tied through 70 minutes before all the scoring occurred in a four-minute span. Florida took a 2-0 lead before the Tide struck back on a goal by Laura Lee Smith scored for Alabama in the 78th minute. Our ladies had the momentum for the last 10 minutes, including a shot by Lacey Clarida in the 85th minute that seemed destined to score, but the ball struck the crossbar and was cleared away by the Gators. The Tide then came back strong on Sunday with an impressive 8-0 defeat of Alabama State.
Two of our former MEN'S GOLF standouts, Bud Cauley and Justin Thomas, recently earned their PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season. Both Bud and Justin finished in the top five in the priority points standings based on performance and earnings during the Web.com Tour. In all, 50 players from the Web.com Tour earned their PGA Tour Card. Bud played in 19 events on the PGA Tour in 2014 and secured his PGA card with a victory at the Hotel Fitness Championship. Cauley finished the PGA season with four top-25 finishes, including a career-best fourth-place result at the Greenbrier Classic in July. Justin is one of 24 first-time members of the PGA Tour after an excellent rookie season on the Web.com Tour in which he finished third on the money list. Justin had 13 top-25 finishes and placed in the top 10 seven times in the 18 tournaments in which he made the cut. He won the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship on Sept. 14. Bud and Justin join Jason Bohn, Michael Thompson and Dicky Pride as former Alabama Crimson Tide golfers who are playing on the PGA Tour, whose 2014-15 season begins in less than three weeks (Oct. 9-12) at the Frys.com Open in California.
Catch Alabama Athletics on The SEC Network
Here's a summary of our athletics events to be televised this weekend on The SEC Network. Our volleyball game with LSU and both of our soccer games will be available for viewing via SEC Network +, which is available online via ESPN3 here.
(All Times listed are Central Time)
Friday, Sept. 26
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Soccer at Tennessee | SEC Network + |
Sunday, Sept. 28
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Volleyball vs. LSU | SEC Network + |
| 6 p.m. | Soccer at Vanderbilt | SEC Network + |
Action This Week
Here's a summary of athletics events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event):
Friday, Sept. 26
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Soccer | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Furman Fall Classic | Greenville, S.C. |
Saturday, Sept. 27
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | Rowing | Alabama-Huntsville | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Furman Fall Classic | Greenville, S.C. |
Sunday, Sept. 28
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Volleyball | LSU | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| 7 p.m. | Soccer | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. |
| All Day | Women's Golf | ANNIKA Intercollegiate | Kissimmee, Fla. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Furman Fall Classic | Greenville, S.C. |
Monday, Sept. 29
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | Men's Golf | Shoal Creek Intercollegiate | Birmingham, Ala. |
| All Day | Women's Golf | ANNIKA Intercollegiate | Kissimmee, Fla. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Furman Fall Classic | Greenville, S.C. |
If you are in, or near, any of the places where our teams are competing, please get out and support our teams. Let them know you are there. You can make a difference in their performance. A rising tide lifts all boats and it's up to all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Players Mentioned
