The Battle Plan presented by Mercedes-Benz
10/28/2016 2:29:00 PM | General
Win Over A&M Highlights a Great Weekend for the Alabama Brand
Our 8-0 Crimson Tide team defeated Texas A&M, 33-14, Saturday afternoon in a tough, typical SEC game. The weather was gorgeous, CBS televised the game nationally, and ESPN College GameDay was in town. It was quite a successful week for the Alabama brand!
Thursday night we inducted 10 new members into the prestigious Bryant Society, which includes those donors who have achieved the million dollar contribution level to the Crimson Tide Foundation. New members include: Hugh and Eliza Culverhouse, Duane and Suzanne Cunningham, Don and Jean Ghareeb, Macon and Susan Gravlee, Matthew and Ally Hogan, David and Lynn Gwin, Curt and Teresa Morgan, Farid Rafiee, Mike and Genie Thompson, and Jamie Tisch.
Each received a gold Bryant Society ring or pendant on the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday prior to the game. Previous inductees include: Paul Bryant, Jr., Bill Battle, James Fail, Ed Labry, Phil Shapiro, Tom and Carol Patterson, Steve and Frances Smith, Angus Cooper, Ann Rhoads, Larry and Beverly Morris, Warren and Sallie Williamson, John and Barbara Plott, Judy and Ethel Livingston, John D. Johns, and John McMahon.
On Friday night our men's and women's basketball teams enjoyed our Tide Tip-Off event that included shooting contests among both teams, as well as a slam-dunk contest. Celebrity judges included former men's basketball greats Jim Farmer, Gerald Wallace and Mo Williams, former women's basketball standout Nikki Hegstetter, CBS sideline reporter Allie LaForce, and ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis.
Music was presented by Metro Boomin. Coleman Coliseum was packed and fans had a great time dancing on the coliseum floor after the basketball show was over.
Texas A&M is a very good team and was well-rested after an open date prior to our game. This was Alabama's eighth straight game, and marked the third week in a row we have beaten a nationally-ranked team. Under these circumstances, to win by three touchdowns over the No. 6-ranked team is a tremendous accomplishment.
Alabama dominated the game from start to finish, except for a short period before and after the half. We dominated the game in the first half, but we have to give A&M credit for stopping us twice in the red zone, resulting in two Adam Griffith field goals in the first quarter. In the second quarter, we scored a touchdown and missed a short field goal. A&M scored a late touchdown and we went into halftime with an uncomfortable 13-7 lead. A&M's quarterback, Trevor Knight, single handedly took his team down the field for an 80-yard touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half to give the Aggies the lead, 14-13.
It was gut-check time for Alabama and, if we were a championship caliber team, we would respond accordingly. And respond we did! The offense scored on a long drive. Then the defense scored on a fumble caused by Ryan Anderson that Jonathan Allen scooped up, shrugged off a tackle attempt by Knight, and took it 30 yards into the end zone to seal the deal. After the A&M touchdown, Alabama scored 20 unanswered points and controlled the game the rest of the way.
Our team has driven to an 8-0 record and has occupied the number one spot in the polls since the season started. Much has been accomplished by our coaches and players during that eight-week span. There have been many heroes, as this team is very talented and deep at most positions. The team has enjoyed a well-deserved open date this week. The coaching staff has done a remarkable job. Unfortunately, the staff hasn't had much time off as preparation for upcoming opponents and recruiting is a never-ending process.
The biggest negative of the A&M game was losing Eddie Jackson to a broken leg, which happened on a fourth-quarter punt return. Eddie is one of our very best players. Not only is he an excellent pass defender, tackler and punt returner; he has provided much of the leadership on the team in general, and for the secondary in particular. He will be sorely missed in our upcoming stretch run, but I am confident that someone will step up and fill the void. It might take more than one person - Eddie is that special.
Thoughts on the Open Date, and the Wisdom of Cotton Clark
There is some debate about whether open dates are beneficial. At this late time in the season, I strongly believe they are very helpful. Since LSU has an open date, there will be no advantage to either team, but I believe it will be helpful to both. No matter how well a team is playing, after six to eight weeks of tough competition, practice often becomes drudgery to players and coaches alike. Teams need a mental break, maybe even more than they need physical time off.
It is important to stay focused, but also to stay loose. When a team is winning, players and coaches can usually get a little closer than at other times. I remember back in our day, Coach Gene Stallings was a young defensive coordinator at Alabama and an all-business kind of coach. We had a running back/free safety (we all played both ways back in those days due to limited substitution rules) named Cotton Clark.
Cotton was a great player, but also was a character like most teams have that keeps the team loose and entertained. As a running back, Cotton was very good, especially at making short yardage and goal-line plays. By mid-season Cotton was leading the league in scoring. We kidded him about having more total points than yards rushing, but he always brushed if off with a clever remark. One time before a very big game, Cotton said he was really worried about the upcoming game. Someone asked, "Why, do you really think they are that good?" Cotton said, "No, but the only way to beat Alabama is to stop me, and I'm afraid there will be an assassin in the stands!" Coming from some that might sound arrogant, but from Cotton, it made everyone die laughing.
His most classic statement came a few weeks later. We were undefeated and it was late in our season. We were tired and practice was getting a little old. As good a running back as Cotton was, he was an even better free safety. We played three-deep zone most of the time in those days, and the cardinal rule for the free safety was always to stay deeper than the deepest receiver on the field. As fate would have it, one day in practice a scout team receiver got behind Cotton and the quarterback hit him for a touchdown.
Coach Stallings was on Cotton like a chicken on a June bug, and was fussing at him all the way back to the huddle. We were watching in amusement. When Coach Stallings turned to walk away, Cotton turned to our defensive halfback and - loud enough for everyone to hear - said, "You know, when you're on top, everybody is out to get you!" Even Coach Stallings broke up on that one.
I do like open date weeks and I hope our players rest their minds and bodies so they come back fresh and ready to make a strong stretch run. We will need everything that we can muster to get through the second part of the regular season and reach our goal of getting to Atlanta. LSU is a rejuvenated team that has gone 3-0 under their interim coach, Ed Orgeron, and has won those games convincingly. Their great running back, Leonard Fournette, gained nearly 300 yards last week and appears to be back to 100 percent physically. We'll talk more about LSU next week.
Fulfilling the Mission: Excelling in the Classroom
In a blog post earlier this fall, I talked about the more than 60 Crimson Tide student-athletes on 2016-17 rosters who carry a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 – a point of great pride for our department and our University. Recently, we drilled down deeper into the numbers and found that more than 220 of our current student-athletes carry a career GPA of 3.5 or better, while more than 350 student-athletes (an amazing total) have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. These numbers mean that more than two-thirds of our student-athletes have better than a 3.0 grade point average for their career coming into the fall semester. Obviously, those figures do not include the 46 student-athletes on rosters right now who are in their first semester at Alabama and don't have a GPA yet. These numbers are indicative of the hard work that our student-athletes put into their academic pursuits and the emphasis our coaches and staff put on success in the classroom. I am extremely proud of where we are in our pursuit of academic excellence, and even more pleased to see the continued exceptional effort our students put into their studies.
Crimson Tide Foundation Update: Sustained Giving Makes the Biggest Impact
Last Thursday, we formally inducted the 2016 class of Bryant Society members. It was a wonderful evening where we had the opportunity to honor the generous support of 10 individuals whose commitment has helped move Alabama Athletics in a positive direction. During the evening, we heard from the new Bryant Society members in a video, in addition to learning about their contributions in introductory remarks and in their acceptance speeches. While their stories of success and paths to the Bryant Society have all been different, there were some common themes shared among the inductees. One of those themes was sustained giving. Time and time again these individuals, whose giving to the Crimson Tide Foundation has already surpassed $1 million, said that they weren't done. They recognized that the need is there and that only through continued giving would they be able to continue to transform this program through their generosity.
This concept is paramount to our fundraising efforts and does not apply only to those members of the Bryant Society. When a supporter makes the commitment to continue their gifts year after year – whether contributing $50 or $500,000 – that sustained giving over time allows philanthropy to make the biggest impact. So, I challenge everyone who has previously made a gift, but did not continue in that effort, to think about the significant impact your support can have when it is sustained over time. We need your support, in whatever amount you can give, to keep our programs moving forward. Take a look at the video that was created to share the philanthropic message of our 2016 Bryant Society inductees. I hope it is as inspirational to you as it was to me this past Thursday evening. To make a gift, visit www.crimsontidefoundation.org.
Sports Updates
Men's & Women's Basketball
Coaches Kristy Curry and Avery Johnson, along with their respective teams, rang in the 2016-17 season with the Supe Store Tide Tipoff last Friday night. It was a great event for the fans and students to get their first look at the teams. Earlier this week, on Tuesday evening, three car loads of our women's basketball players and support staff went out into the community to hand deliver season tickets to some of our season ticketholders. There is definitely plenty of excitement about the women's team moving back to Coleman Coliseum this season. This weekend, as the University is in Fall Break, our women's team is headed to Orange Beach for the weekend to practice and participate in a series of team building exercises. It's hard to realize, but we are less than a week away from our lone exhibition contests for both teams. The men host Faulkner University in its lone exhibition game of the season on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. CT. The next day, Friday, Nov. 4, the women host West Alabama at 7 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum. In two weeks, we tip off the regular season on Nov. 11 with a doubleheader. The women's game against New Orleans starts at 5 p.m., while the men's contest follows at 8 p.m. against Coastal Carolina. A combined single-game ticket for both games is available for $6 and can be purchased online at RollTide.com.
Cross Country
Our men's and women's cross country teams finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., earlier today. Our track and field program is not built towards heavy success in the distances, but it does include some excellent individual runners. Coach Dan Waters praised our men's team for what he described as "an incredibly gutsy run." With several runners battling injury and illness, Dan's team rose to the occasion with what he described as "our worst day physically but our best day mentally. That mental edge was why we were able to finish where we did so I'm very pleased." Our women's team is dominated by freshmen, with the exception being senior Hannah Waggoner. Finishing sixth was a strong showing for such a young team that had three freshmen finish among the scorers. The men's fifth-place finish is the team's best since finishing tied for fifth in 2011. Senior Antibahs Kosgei was the Tide's top runner, finishing eighth, while Fellow senior Robbie Farnham-Rose finished 20th. In the women's 6,000-meter race, Vanderbilt and Alabama tied for fifth with 170 points but the Commodores were officially awarded fifth place based on where each team's runners finished in the individual standings. The finish is the fourth consecutive top six finish for the Alabama women at the SEC championships. Freshman McKenzie Yanek finished 22nd while Hannah was Alabama's second runner, finishing 27th. The teams will not try to recover and heal in preparation for the NCAA South Regional Championships slated for Friday, Nov. 11, at Tallahassee, Fla.
Gymnastics
Each year, our gymnastics team splits into two squads towards the end of October and holds its "Ghosts 'n Goblins" intrasquad, giving the gymnasts and coaches alike a feel for where the team is as they head into the stretch run of preseason training. It also gives our amazing fans a sneak peek at this year's team, especially the freshmen. Thursday night, the Ghosts slipped past the Goblins for annual bragging rights. Coach Dana Duckworth tells me that this is the first time the Ghosts have won the battle since October 2011. It seems to me that with three freshmen on the Ghosts team, their victory is a good omen for our continued success. Dana was thrilled with the great fan support her team received on Thursday and says that she and her team can't wait to be out on the main floor of the Coliseum in front of the best fans in the country
Soccer
Sophomore Abbie Boswell and freshman Taylor Hubbard scored goals as Alabama took a 2-0 victory over Vanderbilt last night to conclude the regular season. The win improved the Tide's overall record to 9-7-2, including a 4-5-2 mark in SEC play. With the win, we finished in ninth place in the league's regular-season standings. The Tide will face Texas A&M on Monday at 6 p.m. CT at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala., in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The winner of that match will take on top-seeded South Carolina, the SEC regular season champion, on Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT. All of the matches in the tournament will broadcast on The SEC Network. Three of our players have had standout seasons: sophomore Abbie Boswell, junior Lacey Clarida and junior Chatham DeProspo. Abbie leads the team in points and assists, and is second in goals. She ranks in the top 50 nationally in two major offensive categories, total assists and assists per game. Abbie transferred here this season from Ball State where she was the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year, an All-MAC First Team selection, and was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team. Her goal in the 96th minute in sudden death overtime gave the Tide an upset win over then-No. 14 A&M, 2-1, on Sept. 25. Lacey is the team's most versatile offensive player, as she leads the team in goals despite playing in only 10 matches. She is second on the team in points with 15. Chatham anchors our team in the midfield, as she is second on the team in assists, third in goals and fourth in points. Chatham was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12, after scoring three goals in a decisive victory over Tennessee. So notable was her performance against Tennessee that she was named the ESPNW National Soccer Player of the Week, the first Alabama soccer player to earn ESPNW Soccer Player of the Week, and the first to earn conference weekly accolades since the 2014 season. Congratulations to Coach Hart and his entire team for a resurgent season that is still ongoing, providing great hope for the future!
Softball
The Tide announced its 2017 schedule Tuesday, including two home tournaments, an out-of-conference series against perennial national power Washington and SEC home series against Arkansas, South Carolina, LSU and Auburn. Seven teams that made last year's NCAA Tournament, including Women's College World Series participants Auburn and LSU, are on the slate along with five teams that finished last season ranked in the top 25. In addition to a pair of home tournaments on Feb. 24-26 and March 3-5 the Tide will also have a rematch of last season's NCAA Super Regional series, welcoming Washington to Tuscaloosa for a pair of games on April 21-22.
Last season, we set an NCAA record by becoming the first program to average more than 3,000 fans per game during the regular season. Season attendance has exceeded 90,000 fans four times in the last five years and Coach Patrick Murphy has set a goal of exceeding 100,000 in total attendance in 2017, something never before achieved. Season tickets can be purchased now by visiting the Alabama ticket office in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, calling 205-348-BAMA (2262) or purchasing online at rolltide.com. Renewal forms for current season ticket holders will be sent out within the next few weeks and the deadline to renew is December 2.
Freshman Elissa Brown has been selected as one of 20 initial invitees for the 2017 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp, announced this week by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball. The camp will be held on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in Clearwater, Fla. The 20 initial invitees, along with any additional athletes that may be extended an invitation prior to the camp, will be competing for 17 spots on the 2017 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team roster. Former Tide standouts Haylie McCleney and Andrea Hawkins played for the US Junior Women's National team in 2013 following their freshman campaigns, while Alabama has had five players represent the Crimson Tide on the US Women's National Team, including Olympic gold medalist Kelly Kretschman (2004), Ashley Holcombe (2009-12), Brittany Rogers (2009), Jaclyn Traina (2012, 2014-16) and McCleney (2014-16).
Swimming and Diving
While Coach Dennis Pursley and our men's and women's teams are off from competition this week, they were both featured in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Swimming & Diving Top 25 Poll. Rankings are compiled by CSCAA member coaches and released on a bi-weekly basis. Our men check in at No. 5 and are the top-ranked SEC team in the initial rankings with Indiana, Texas, North Carolina State and California making up the rest of the top five. Our women's team checks in at No. 25, with Michigan topping the inaugural poll. The season is long and there are a lot of laps to go, but we're off to a strong start, and the rankings bear that out.
Volleyball
The Tide returns home this weekend, hosting Tennessee on Friday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. and No. 22 Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 1:30 p.m. After this weekend, there are only three more home matches left in the regular season so fans are encouraged to head to rolltide.com and buy tickets to come see the Crimson Tide at Foster Auditorium. Senior Krystal Rivers was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season after a standout weekend against Arkansas and Ole Miss, leading the team in kills, hitting percentage and aces. She is approaching another impressive Tide record, closing in on Erin Heffner's (2001-04) career kills record of 2,090. Last Friday's win over Arkansas marked Coach Ed Allen's 50th conference victory at Alabama. Ed has reached the 50-win mark the quickest of any Tide head coach, currently in his sixth season at Alabama. The Tide has reached double-digit wins in conference play in each of the previous three seasons, the longest such streak in program history.
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, check out our upcoming calendar.
Saturday, October 29
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | Women's Golf | at The Landfall Tradition | Wilmington, N.C. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA 10k Futures | Weston, Fla. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | hosts the Roberta Alison Fall Classic | UA Tennis Center |
Sunday, October 30
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30 p.m. CT | Volleyball | vs. Kentucky | Foster Auditorium |
| All Day | Women's Golf | at The Landfall Tradition | Wilmington, N.C. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA 10k Futures | Weston, Fla. |
Monday, October 31
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Soccer | at SEC Soccer Tournament | Orange Beach, Ala. |
| All Day | Men's Golf | at Cypress Point Classic | Pebble Beach, Calif. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA 10k Futures | Weston, Fla. |
Tuesday, November 1
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Soccer | at SEC Soccer Tournament | Orange Beach, Ala. |
| All Day | Men's Golf | at Cypress Point Classic | Pebble Beach, Calif. |
Wednesday, November 2
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Soccer | at SEC Soccer Tournament | Orange Beach, Ala. |
Thursday, November 3
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. CT | Volleyball | at Texas A&M | College Station, Texas |
| 7 p.m. CT | Men's Basketball | Exhibition Game vs. Faulkner | Coleman Coliseum |
| TBD | Soccer | at SEC Soccer Tournament | Orange Beach, Ala. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships | Flushing, N.Y. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | at USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships | Flushing, N.Y. |
Friday, November 4
| Time | Sport | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 p.m. CT | Swimming & Diving | at Auburn | Auburn |
| 7 p.m. CT | Women's Basketball | Exhibition vs. West Alabama | Coleman Coliseum |
| TBD | Soccer | at SEC Soccer Tournament | Orange Beach, Ala. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | at USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships | Flushing, N.Y. |
| All Day | Men's Tennis | hosts SEC Coaches Classic | UA Tennis Center |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | at USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships | Flushing, N.Y. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | at Seminole All-Conference Showdown | Tallahassee, Fla. |
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams via TV, radio, rolltide.com, Twitter and Facebook:
Men's Basketball
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaMBB
Twitter: @AlabamaMBB
Women's Basketball
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaWBB
Twitter: @AlabamaWBB
Men's Golf
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaMGolf
Twitter: @AlabamaMGolf
Women's Golf
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaWGolf
Twitter: @AlabamaWGolf
Soccer
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaSoccer
Twitter: @AlabamaSoccer
Men's Tennis
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaMTN
Twitter: @AlabamaMTN
Women's Tennis
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaWTN
Twitter: @AlabamaWTN
Volleyball
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaVBall
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. 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 29
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | SEC Film Room: Alabama | SEC Network |
Sunday, October 30
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 p.m. | Volleyball vs. Kentucky | SEC Network + |
Monday, October 31
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | Alabama Football Weekly Press Conference | SEC Network |
Thursday, November 3
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Volleyball at Texas A&M | SEC Network |
| 7 p.m. | Men's Basketball Exhibition vs. Faulkner | SEC Network + |
Friday, November 4
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Women's Basketball Exhibition vs. West Alabama | 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!
