The Battle Plan presented by Mercedes-Benz
10/14/2016 1:58:00 PM | General
The Third Saturday in October
Tomorrow is the third Saturday in October – what else needs to be said! Last week, our 6-0 Crimson Tide team enjoyed another hard-fought SEC road victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks. While the game was never in doubt after our team started off strong, I was very impressed with Arkansas' resilience. I was especially impressed with the play of their quarterback, Austin Allen. Our pass rush was relentless. We sacked him six times and knocked him down on almost every play. He kept bouncing back like the Energizer Bunny, but I'm certain he had a sore Sunday.
The 49-30 victory was a solid road win. It featured great plays on offense and defense. For the eighth straight game we scored a non-offensive touchdown. Our defense scored two last Saturday, including Minkah Fitzpatrick's 100-yard interception return (actually, 108!) behind an impressive wall of blockers that formed and blocked Razorbacks to insure the score. On the other hand, there were enough positive plays on Arkansas' part to provide our coaches a lot to work on this week in preparation for Tennessee.
The Vols have had an almost magical season. With most of last year's team returning, they are sound in all phases of the game. For some reason they have had a tendency to get behind in most every game, but have also had the wherewithal to come back and win almost every game. The most dramatic comeback was in falling behind Georgia on a long touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley's brother, Riley, with less than a minute to play, and then completing a 43-yard 'Hail Mary' as time expired to win the game in Athens. Against undefeated Texas A&M in College Station last week, they were 21 points down at one point and 14 down with about four minutes to play. They came back again and tied the game. It looked like their magic would work again, but they lost in the second overtime.
With a 5-1 record, their backs are against the wall. If they want to get to Atlanta to play in the SEC Championship Game, they need to win this game tomorrow. The crowd will be hostile and we will definitely get their best shot. But I really like our team. They are talented with depth at most every position. They are extremely well-coached and well-prepared for most anything they will see from opponents. Our coaches make great adjustments to anything they see that is different from what is expected.
This game is reminiscent of when almost every year the winner of the Alabama-Tennessee game went on to win the SEC championship. Fans and players on both sides look forward to the matchup, whatever the records. It should be an exciting game and, the way both teams have played this year, the outcome could very well be decided on the last possession.
Our fans out-shouted the Hogs on many occasions last week. There will be a lot more Vols in the stands this week as Neyland Stadium holds more than 102,000. I know our fans enjoy coming to Knoxville in October as the weather and the scenery are usually spectacular. We look forward to seeing and hearing a lot of noise in Neyland Stadium on Saturday as our team strives to get to a 7-0 record and continue positive momentum toward getting to Atlanta.
The Old Days
Back a hundred years ago when I was in school here, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Auburn were the big games for Alabama. Tennessee was especially important for Coach Bryant because his record against Tennessee when he was at Kentucky was 1-5-2. When he was at Texas A&M, he played Tennessee in the Gator Bowl in 1957, the year before he came to Alabama, and lost 3-0. At Alabama in 1958, his team lost and, in my freshman year of 1959, we tied.
My sophomore year (1960), we were down 14-0 in the first few minutes of the game and ended up losing, 20-7. The next week may have been the worst week of my life. Tennessee ran the single wing and they had a blocking back who won the Jacobs Trophy (as the SEC's best blocker). We all played both ways back then and playing defensive end against the single wing was a lot like playing end against the wishbone today. You only had a week to prepare. The blocking back and either the pulling guard or the fullback would double-team the end. I did not hurt either of their grades in the film room that week as they knocked me around pretty good and we lost, 20-7. I went from the first team to the scout team the following week.
Our players would go to wherever we could find a television on Sundays to watch the "Bear Bryant Television Show" sponsored by Coke and Golden Flake. Many times, sorority houses were the best places to watch those shows. The show started about 1 p.m., which allowed all Alabama fans to go to church and get back home to watch Coach Bryant's assessment of the game. He was a great communicator and, in an era that didn't have our team on TV every week or social media, he used this show to sell Alabama football and himself as a special leader. He was usually in a pretty good mood and, in most losses, he took the blame – even though when we got in the film room together behind closed doors, he passed it along where it belonged pretty quickly.
The show started with Charlie Thornton as the moderator saying something like, "Well, Coach, it was a rough day in Knoxville yesterday, but we do have a good supply of Coke and Golden Flake to enjoy." Coach Bryant usually would eat a chip or two, take a swallow or two of Coke, and begin his commentary. This day he shoved the chips and drink to the side and said in a very angry voice, "We've got some players looking at their watches in meetings and wearing that sweet smelling after shave lotion ready to go over to sorority row. I'll tell you one thing, we're going to run off the riff-raff this week!" I can tell you that sent shock waves through our team and that entire week was one that was definitely not fun.
Fortunately, I worked my way back to the first team pretty soon and we went on to an 8-1-2 overall record and 5-1-1 in the SEC, with a 3-3 tie against Texas in the second annual Bluebonnet Bowl held in Rice Stadium in Houston. My junior year we beat Tennessee, 34-3, in Birmingham and again in my senior year, 27-7, in Knoxville. Coach Bryant was never that mad on his TV show again during my time at Alabama as we went undefeated in 1961 while winning SEC and national championships. In 1962 we went 10-1-0 (6-1-0 in the SEC) losing to Georgia Tech, 7-6, in the ninth game of the season. We went on to beat Oklahoma, 17-0, in the Orange Bowl with Joe Namath as quarterback.
After we beat Tennessee in 1961, Coach Bryant never got as tight again as he did leading up to that game. General Neyland was a great football coach and, although Coach Bryant never beat him, I believe much of his philosophy of football was formed by the way the General coached his teams to play. The Tennessee-Alabama game matches two great programs every year and, having been in the locker rooms of both teams, I can tell you that former players on both sides still view this as one of the premier rivalries in college football.
Cross Country, Soccer and Volleyball Reach Important Phase of Their Seasons
We are at an important juncture of the fall competitive calendar with three of our teams – cross country, soccer and volleyball – entering the most crucial part of their respective seasons. Cross Country hosted its only home meet of the fall this morning, and is preparing for the upcoming SEC Championships to be held at Arkansas later this month. Our men's team is led by the defending SEC champion, senior Antibahs Kosgei, while our women's team is led by senior Hannah Waggoner. Today's meet was also our Power of Pink meet for the fall, raising awareness for the battle with breast cancer. Coach Dan Waters continues to build a strong overall program, and this year's cross country team is setting the table for a competitive track season.
Coach Wes Hart's soccer team has surpassed its victory total from last season while showing the ability to compete with the SEC's best. The Tide has four SEC games remaining, a pair of road games at Florida (Thursday, October 20) and LSU (Sunday, Oct. 23) and a home match against Vanderbilt on Thursday, Oct. 27. Wes and his team are developing a fine program, and I am very optimistic about the trajectory the team is on.
Our volleyball team, led by Coach Ed Allen, has developed into one of the SEC's upper echelon teams and is in a strong position to make a run at a postseason NCAA Tournament berth. Currently 14-5 overall, 3-3 in SEC play, the Tide has 12 matches left in the regular season. Six of those matches will be played at Foster Auditorium. The next home match is on Sunday against Missouri. Other home matches on the slate are on Friday, Oct. 28, vs. Tennessee; Sunday, Oct. 30, vs. Kentucky; Sunday, Nov. 6, vs. Arkansas; Wednesday, Nov. 9, vs. Auburn; and Wednesday, Nov. 23, vs. Ole Miss.
The student-athletes on these teams have an excellent record of living our Mission – excelling in the classroom, competing at a high level in their respective sports, and giving of themselves in the community. I am very proud of the example they set, and they are very worth of your support.
Fulfilling the Mission: 10 Tide Football Players are Already Graduates
On Saturday, you may notice that several of our football players have an addition to their uniform. Last season, all 29 of our players who had earned their degrees before suiting up for the national championship game against Clemson, wore a graduation sticker on their helmet. That concept of recognizing our student-athletes who were still competing for the Crimson Tide after earning their degree expanded to all sports. Over the summer, the Southeastern Conference decided to provide uniform patches for all its student-athletes who were competing after earning a degree. As we prepare to take on Tennessee, 10 members of our football team have earned the right to have that patch added to their uniform. Among those is our outstanding tight end, O.J. Howard. O.J. has also been named one of 30 finalists nationwide for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. One of the heroes of last year's national championship game, O.J. has already earned his undergraduate degree and is currently pursuing a master's degree in the Sport Business Management program at Alabama. We're very proud of O.J. and all who have earned the right to wear the graduate patch while competing for the Crimson Tide, including Adam Griffith, Ryan Anderson, Dakota Ball, Brandon Greene, Korren Kirven, Alphonse Taylor, Dalvin Tomlinson, Cooper Bateman and Gehrig Dieter.
Crimson Tide Foundation Update: Lifetime Giving Society
The Lifetime Giving Society is an exclusive group of loyal supporters whose individual lifetime contributions to the Crimson Tide Foundation (not including Tide Pride or ticket purchases) reach at least $50,000. There are four categories of the Lifetime Giving Society: The Bryant Society ($1 million+), Crimson Legacy ($500,000-$999,999), Crimson Alliance ($100,000-$499,999) and Crimson Circle ($50,000-$99,999). Donors who reach Lifetime Giving Society status are our most generous, loyal supporters and we are humbled to recognize them for their contributions and thank them for their tremendous support. Members of the Lifetime Giving Society are recognized on the Crimson Tide Foundation's website as well as on the display boards in the Donor Hall of Recognition at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Members are invited to exclusive events including tours and football scrimmages. If you are interested in learning more about the Lifetime Giving Society, please visit www.crimsontidefoundation.org or call the CTF at 205-348-9727.
Sports Updates
Baseball
Coach Greg Goff's team is wrapping up its next-to-last week of fall practice. Wednesday was the team's Scout Day, giving draft-eligible players the ability to showcase their skills in front of major league scouts. More than 65 scouts attended the event. The Tide scrimmaged on Wednesday (as part of Fan Day) and Friday. On Saturday, the team will visit the Miracle League of Tuscaloosa for a morning of baseball with the children who participate in the Miracle League's mission to allow every child a chance to play baseball, providing a safe and enjoyable baseball experience for players with mental or physical disabilities, regardless of his or her previous experience or level of ability. Next week starts the final week of fall camp, so check RollTide.com for practice times. Next Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be Parents Weekend for the players with the Tide's Fall World Series going on all three days. All Fall World Series games will be open to the public with free admission.
Cross Country
This morning, the Tide hosted the Crimson Classic at the Harry Pritchett Running Course in Tuscaloosa. Our women won the team race behind an impressive performance led by four freshmen runners while Antibahs Kosgei won the men's University Division title. The Tide women were led by freshman Mckenzie York's eighth-place finish. Our men's team was seventh overall, but faced some injury and illness problems today. They expect to be in better shape for the conference meet in two weeks. The performance by the women's team is a very encouraging indicator for the future. The SEC Championships are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28, in Fayetteville, Ark.
Rowing
Coach Larry Davis's team got the fall season off to a strong start at the Chattanooga Head Race last weekend, winning all five of its races and ultimately finishing with eight top-three finishes overall. It is the first time in program history the team has won all five races it entered at the annual event. The Tide has kicked off its fall season at the Chattanooga Head Race in each of the past 11 seasons. The Tide continues the fall slate on Oct. 22-23 at the Head of the Charles in Cambridge, Mass., before returning to Chattanooga on Nov. 5-6 for the Head of the Hooch. After that, the Tide will return to competition in February, hosting Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 25, on the Black Warrior River.
Soccer
Coach Wes Hart's team defeated Georgia last night in the Tide's annual Power of Pink match in which the program recognized its three seniors – defender Jordan Meier (St. Peters, Mo.), forward Auburn Mercer (Matthews, S.C.) and defender Carolina Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.) – for their contributions throughout their career. Three players scored for the Tide in the 3-1 victory, which gave Alabama an 8-6-1 overall record, including a 3-4-1 mark in SEC play. Junior Hailey Brohaugh scored first to give the Tide a 1-0 lead. After Georgia tied the game, junior Lacey Clarida scored on a penalty kick to give the Tide the lead at 2-1. Freshman Logue Shamburger scored in the second half to provide the final margin of victory. Next Thursday, Oct. 20, the Tide will battle the Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla., in a match that is set to start at 5 p.m. CT. Then on Sunday, Oct. 23, Alabama travels to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in a match slated to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
Softball
The Tide opened its fall slate last weekend, defeating Middle Tennessee State in both games of a doubleheader on Saturday before doing the same on Sunday against Spring Hill College. The Tide returns 14 student-athletes from last season's Women's College World Series team and adds four new freshmen to the mix: Elissa Brown (Eclectic, Ala.), Gabby Callaway (San Diego, Calif.), Bailey Hemphill (Lafayette, La.) and Claire Jenkins (Cullman, Ala.). The fall season continues this weekend with a doubleheader against Alabama State starting at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its Division I All-Academic Teams for the 2015-16 school year on Thursday and Alabama is ranked No. 11 nationally with a 3.547 team grade point average, the highest GPA from any of last year's NCAA Tournament teams, and the highest GPA of any SEC team. Individually, 11 Alabama student-athletes were selected as Easton/NFCA Division-I Scholar-Athletes. Associate Head Coach Alyson Habetz earned a prestigious honor from her home state of Louisiana, as she was selected to the 2016 Louisiana Softball Hall of Fame Class. A native of Crowley, La., Aly is in her 19th season with our softball program. She arrived in Tuscaloosa in the fall of 1998 as an assistant for then-first year head coach Patrick Murphy. Prior to her time at Alabama, Aly was a pioneer for the sport of softball and for women's athletics at large in the state of Louisiana. She was the first female in the state to play high school baseball, following a two-year court battle to earn the opportunity, and was an All-District first baseman and pitcher at Notre Dame High School. She was a two-sport athlete at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), playing basketball and softball. She was an All-American with the Ragin' Cajun softball team that made an appearance at the 1993 Women's College World Series and ended her basketball career ranked seventh on the Cajuns' all-time scoring list. Congratulations, Aly!
Swimming & Diving
After opening the season at home, our men's and women's swimming and diving teams take to the road this week, traveling to Columbia, Mo., facing the Missouri Tigers this afternoon. It is the men's SEC opener while the women began SEC competition at the end of the September with a win over Vanderbilt. In three meets this season, Coach Dennis Pursley's swimmers and divers have won 47 out of 48 events. Missouri is a tough team and our men and women will learn a lot about themselves as competitors in their first road contest this season. I'm excited to see how we fare.
Volleyball
The Tide started its week with a strong four-set win over Mississippi State Wednesday night at Foster Auditorium, putting head coach Ed Allen one away from his 50th SEC win at Alabama. Upon hitting the mark, Ed will become only the second coach in our history to earn 50 conference wins, joining former head coach Judy Green (1996-2010) who earned her 50th conference win in her eighth season as head coach (Ed is in his sixth year with us). The Tide returns to action this Sunday at Foster Auditorium against Missouri at 1:30 p.m. CT. The match is the team's annual Power of Pink event, a department-wide initiative to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
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 in Eastern Time). For a complete look at our upcoming calendar, go to http://www.rolltide.com/calendar.aspx:
Saturday, October 15
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 p.m. CT | Football | at Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| All Day | Women's Golf | at Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA/ITA Regional Championships | Auburn |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | hosts USTA/ITA Regional Championships | UA Tennis Center |
Sunday, October 16
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30 p.m. CT | Volleyball | vs. Missouri | Foster Auditorium |
| All Day | Women's Golf | at Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | hosts USTA/ITA Regional Championships | UA Tennis Center |
Thursday, October 20
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. ET | Soccer | at Florida | Gainesville, Fla. |
Friday, October 21
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. CT | Volleyball | at Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams via TV, radio, rolltide.com, Twitter and Facebook:
Football
Watch: CBS
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaFootball
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 83, XM 190
Women's Golf
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaWGolf
Soccer
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
Men's Tennis
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaMTN
Women's Tennis
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaWTN
Volleyball
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Watch: SEC Network +
Twitter: @AlabamaVBall
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 WatchESPN here. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV. (All times listed are Central Time)
Saturday, October 15
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 a.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Tennessee | SEC Network |
Sunday, October 16
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Volleyball vs. Missouri | SEC Network + |
Monday, October 17
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | Alabama Football Weekly Press Conference | SEC Network + |
Thursday, October 20
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 5 p.m. | Soccer at Florida | SEC Network + |
Friday, October 21
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Volleyball at Arkansas | SEC Network + |
Our teams need your support, so please plan to attend to do your part! A rising tide lifts all boats and it's up to all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Roll Tide!
