The Battle Plan
12/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
A Special Time for Alabama Football
Have we enjoyed a great two weeks, or what! Our football team beat Florida to win back-to-back SEC Championships, the first time any team has done that in 18 years. Team members won dozens of individual honors, capped off by Derrick Henry's Heisman Trophy. Thirty-one Alabama student-athletes earned their degrees, and our men's and women's basketball teams are off to a good start, in spite of losing key players for the season.
The Florida game was a great victory for Alabama. Florida's defense was probably the best we've faced to date and yards were tough to come by for both teams. It was an old fashioned field position game, in which defense and the kicking game dominated. In the end, though, our team's depth and tenacity led to a decisive win.
Winning the SEC Championship is a big deal! Being on the field with joyous players, coaches, and families, with confetti raining down from the Georgia Dome roof, is an unbelievable feeling. As I've said several times, this team is special and winning back-to-back SEC Championships is no easy feat. It was great seeing our players and coaches so happy with the SEC Championship milestone achieved, and the goal of reaching the second College Football Playoff firmly in hand. I guarantee you, the post-game singing in the locker room was robust!
Derrick Henry - Heisman Trophy Winner
The Heisman Trophy presentation in New York was spectacular. Three exceptional people, who also happen to be outstanding football players, were finalists for the award. Their families, coaches and administrators were present as ESPN showed highlights from the past season and interviewed each candidate. Each were deserving of the honor, but we were all pleased to hear Derrick Henry's name called as this year's winner.
Derrick's acceptance speech was remarkable, and clearly illustrated that he is every bit as good a person as he is a football player. He thanked God for his abilities, his family for their support through good and bad times, and all his teammates and coaches for the support and the opportunities each provided, and then looked to the future by challenging young people to follow their dreams and find positive role models to follow. I can't think of a better role model than Derrick Henry for any person, young or old, to follow. We are all fortunate he selected The University of Alabama as the place to play and get his education.
If you think he gave a great speech Saturday night, he gave an even better one Monday night at the Heisman dinner. With 25 Heisman winners on the dais, and an audience of 1,500 to 2,000 listening to every word, he spoke from his heart without the aid of notes. He mesmerized the audience. Coach Burton Burns claimed credit for teaching all the running backs speech lessons before practice, but I'm a little skeptical!
Early Basketball Success
I am very impressed with the teaching that has occurred so far this season from Coach Kristy Curry and Coach Avery Johnson with their respective basketball teams. Both teams are playing very well at this stage of the season - and both lost key players early in the year. Alabama basketball has become fast-paced and exciting in both Foster Auditorium and Coleman Coliseum. While I was a little concerned about defense early on in the move to a faster-paced offense, both teams work hard and take great pride in stopping their opponents. If you haven't come out yet to watch them play, I hope you will make the effort to come out soon and support these teams. It will be worth your while.
Looking Ahead to Michigan State
Under Coach Saban's leadership, Alabama has won three of the last six national football championships. Also, our teams have been in the hunt in the three we didn't win. This year provides this team the opportunity to make it four out of seven, which would be unprecedented. As you recall, the three victories came in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) model. Alabama is the only team to make it into the current College Football Playoff (CFP) in both years of its existence.
Michigan State provides great competition in the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31st. The Spartans are built a lot like our Crimson Tide. They are very physical on both offense and defense. They run the ball well and defend against the run very well. Their kicking game is sound and they know how to win, beating both Michigan and Ohio State on the last play of the game. They beat Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game by coming from behind on a 22-play drive to win their way into the CFP. The fact that Coach Dantonio coached for Coach Saban in the past makes this another teacher vs. pupil match up which will provide interesting story lines.
The Cotton Bowl is one of the great college bowl experiences and we are excited to play in their great stadium in Arlington. Our players and fans will enjoy warm Texas hospitality from the Cotton Bowl leadership and we expect a great game.
Kudos to Kirby Smart
We should all be thankful to Greg McGarity, University of Georgia Director of Athletics, for his willingness to allow Kirby Smart to coach our team through this year's playoff series. Kirby has done a magnificent job for Alabama and he, his wife Mary Beth, and his family have made a significant contribution to our success. Kirby is making a sacrifice in order to help us achieve continuity on the field and give us the best chance of winning another championship. I am personally very thankful for all the time he has spent at Alabama and especially for going above and beyond the call of duty in this situation.
Winning Championships and Building Champions
As I've stated many times before, our Mission at Alabama is to win championships on the fields and courts and build champions in life. When our team comes out on December 31st in the Cotton Bowl there will be 29 Crimson Tide players in uniform who already have earned their college degrees, including three who have earned Master's degrees. That breaks the previous national record of 28 graduates that played for Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. We are very proud of our record in competing for championships in all sports, but equally proud of our SEC-leading graduation rates and the record number of Academic All-Americans, Scholar Athletes, and other awards for character, community service, and academics. As we close out the calendar year, I want to thank our administrative staff for the outstanding job they do every day to help us participate successfully in some 400 events every year, and host about half of those events. They work hard all day every day to support our teams in every area possible. Without their dedicated and loyal service, we could never achieve the levels of success that we are enjoying at the University of Alabama.
Fulfilling the Mission: Graduating at a High Rate
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, several Crimson Tide student-athletes graduated last weekend, including 23 football players and 31 student-athletes overall. Among those earning their degrees during the fall semester were NCAA discus champion Hayden Reed (track and field) as well as Academic All-Americans Emily Zabor (women's tennis) and Merel van Dongen (soccer). In addition to being an Academic All-American, Emily also earned back-to-back NCAA Elite 89 Awards as the student-athlete at the final site of an NCAA Championship with the highest cumulative grade point average. Hayden, in his third competitive season, will begin work on a second degree during the spring semester. Others who graduated last Saturday were Leslie Jury (softball), Andrew Goodwin (men's tennis), Laura Steiner (volleyball) and Kyri Tabor (track and field). Former baseball player Paul Phillips also earned his degree this semester following a career in Major League Baseball. It's exciting to see these men and women accomplish the most important feat of their collegiate careers.
When the four teams who will compete in the second College Football Playoff were announced earlier this month, it became readily apparent that your Crimson Tide stood out in more ways than one. Alabama football, in addition to having one of the best seasons in the nation on the field, had the highest Graduation Success Rate among the four teams selected for this year's playoff. When the GSR was announced by the NCAA in October, the Tide football program produced an 86 while Clemson posted an 84, Michigan State a 66 and Oklahoma a 65. Beyond the playoff teams, Alabama was one of just three teams among the nation's top-10 to earn a score of 85 or better. This is just another example of your Alabama Crimson Tide excelling in all areas of the college experience.
University Earns Reaffirmation of its Accreditation
The University of Alabama has earned reaffirmation of its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC), it was announced on Dec. 8. The University's accreditation will run through 2025. What does this mean? Well, the accreditation process measures an institution's commitment to quality and integrity, along with how well its mission, resources, programs and services fulfill a commonly used set of standards. Reaffirmation is the culmination of a process designed to verify that the University is adhering to quality standards. According to our president, Dr. Stuart Bell, the process involved a rigorous self-study by the University, along with the development of a Quality Enhancement Plan to improve learning and enhance environments that support student learning. This is a significant milestone for the University, which was first accredited in 1897, and I heartily congratulate Dr. Bell and everyone in the University for making this happen.
Sports Updates
Men's Basketball
Alabama will be in action on Monday night as the Tide takes on the Oregon Ducks in a matchup called "The Vulcan Classic," will be played in Birmingham's Legacy Arena. It will be our first game played in Birmingham since the 2011 season. Monday's game will air on ESPNU and is also available via the Crimson Tide Sports Network, but we obviously would prefer that you come out to see the team in person. On Wednesday, Alabama won its fifth consecutive game, defeating Winthrop, 72-60, at Coleman Coliseum. With the win, the Tide is 7-2 and off to its best start since beginning the 2011-12 season with an 8-2 mark. The Winthrop game marked the first home game for Alabama in nearly a month, dating back to a Nov. 20 win over Louisiana. We played five consecutive road games during the three-week stretch between home games, the longest regular season road swing since the 2000-01 season. The Tide played impressively on the road, going 4-1 over the five-game stretch, and has played six of its first nine games on the road. Alabama comes into its game against Oregon with the No. 15 RPI in the nation according to ESPN.com (as of Dec. 17). The website lists the Tide with a non-conference strength of schedule at No. 49 in the nation and two top 50 wins (vs. Wichita State and vs. Notre Dame). Alabama's only two losses came vs. Xavier (No. 1 in the ESPN.com RPI) and at Dayton (No. 8 in the ESPN.com RPI). While the game against Oregon is considered a home game, it will be played away from Coleman Coliseum. It will be the seventh time in 10 games this season Alabama has played a game away from Tuscaloosa.
Women's Basketball
Coach Kristy Curry's team is off to a 9-1 start entering tonight's game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech (8-3), which is slated for a 6 p.m. CT tip at McCamish Pavilion on the Tech campus. The Tide defeated North Florida, 69-47, in Coleman Coliseum on Monday afternoon in the ninth annual 5th Grade Fastbreak game. UA finished with three players in double figures and forced 20 turnovers, including six in the first five minutes of the second half. Sophomore Hannah Cook led the Tide in scoring with 17 points, while senior Nikki Hegstetter's 13 rebounds were a game-high and personal season-high. Sophomore Meoshonti Knight recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Through 10 games, Alabama ranks in the Southeastern Conference's top five in several categories as a team, including scoring offense (4th - 79.9), scoring margin (3rd - +25.3), free throw percentage (3rd - .729), field goal percentage defense (1st - .308), three-point field goal percentage defense (1st - .224), rebounding offense (3rd - 45.1), blocked shots (1st - 6.9), turnover margin (3rd - +7.2) and defensive rebounds (1st - 31.1). The team's 9-1 start marks the first time since the 2000-01 season the Crimson Tide has won nine of its first 10 games.
Swimming
Head coach Dennis Pursley sent a small contingent to the USA Swimming Winter National Championships in Federal Way, Wash., Dec. 3-6 and our group came away with several top-25 finishes, including five top-10 finishes. Sophomores Christopher Reid and Luke Kaliszak took fifth and eighth respectively in the 100-meter backstroke. Christopher also finaled in the 200-meter backstroke, taking sixth place. He then took third in the "C" final of the 200-meter individual medley. In a hotly-contested 100-meter freestyle, junior Kristian Gkolomeev finished eighth in the championship final. In the 50-meter freestyle, Kristian took second in the "B" final and 10th overall. Senior Emma Saunders was fifth in the "C" final of the 200-meter backstroke and 21st overall. Senior Abbas Qali was 25th in the 100-meter butterfly. Our swimmers are done with competition for the semester and are into their winter training camp now, while the Tide divers are competing this week at the Auburn Diving Invitational.
Upcoming Action
Here's a summary of athletic events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event: CT is Central Time, ET is Eastern Time, MT is Mountain Time, PT is Pacific Time):
Sunday, December 20
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | vs. Grambling | Foster Auditorium | 2 p.m. CT |
Monday, December 21
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | vs. Oregon | Legacy Arena in Birmingham | 8 p.m. CT |
Monday, December 28
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | vs. Lipscomb | Foster Auditorium | 6 p.m. CT |
Tuesday, December 29
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | vs. Jacksonville State | Coleman Coliseum | 7 p.m. CT |
Thursday, December 31
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | vs. Michigan | College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas | 7:10 p.m. CT |
Saturday, January 2
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | vs. Norfolk State | Coleman Coliseum | 1 p.m. CT |
Sunday, January 3
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | vs. LSU | Foster Auditorium | 2 p.m. CT |
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Monday, January 4
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Tuesday, January 5
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Thursday, January 7
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | at Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | 8 p.m. CT |
Women's Basketball at Kentucky, 6 p.m. CT
Friday, January 8
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming & Diving | vs. Tennessee | UA Aquatic Center | 4 p.m. CT |
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams in action this week via TV, radio, rolltide.com and social media (access a complete listing of Alabama Athletics social media platforms):
Football
TV: ESPN
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 80; XM 80
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaFTBL
Women's Basketball
TV: Dec. 20 vs. Grambling (SEC Network +); Dec. 28 vs. Lipscomb (SEC Network +); Jan. 3 vs. LSU (SEC Network); Jan. 7 at Kentucky (SEC Network)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Online Streaming: SEC Network +
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaWBB
Men's Basketball
TV: Dec. 21 vs. Oregon (ESPNU); Dec. 29 vs. Jacksonville State (SEC Network +); Jan. 2 vs. Norfolk State (SEC Network); Jan. 7 at Ole Miss (ESPNU)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaMBB
Swimming & Diving
Twitter: @AlabamaSwimDive
Catch Alabama Athletics on the SEC Network
Here's a summary of our athletic events to be televised over the next week on The SEC Network and its platforms. Read this schedule closely as some events can be seen via SEC Network +, which is available online via ESPN3. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV. (All times listed are Central Time)
Sunday, December 20
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Women's Basketball vs. Grambling | SEC Network + |
Monday, December 21
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 4 p.m. | SEC Inside: Football vs. LSU | SEC Network |
| 5:30 p.m. | SEC Inside: Football at Auburn | SEC Network |
Tuesday, December 22
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball vs. Oregon | SEC Network |
| 2 a.m. | REPLAY: Football at Auburn | SEC Network |
| 4 a.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball vs. Oregon | SEC Network |
| 9 a.m. | REPLAY: 1989 Football at Auburn | SEC Network |
Wednesday, December 23
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 p.m. | REPLAY: Football vs. Ole Miss | SEC Network |
Thursday, December 24
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | REPLAY: Football vs. Tennessee | SEC Network |
| 5 p.m. | REPLAY: Football vs. LSU | SEC Network |
Friday, December 25
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. | SEC Storied: In Search of Derrick Thomas | SEC Network |
Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season. The University of Alabama is a great place and this is a great time to be here. Thanks to all Bama fans who support our programs with their presence at events, their prayers and well wishes, and their generosity in endowing scholarships and building facilities. It really does take all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Roll Tide!
