Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Jumbo Package | 9.27.12

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Your daily fix for Crimson Tide and college football related news.

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TideSports.com - Notebook: Tebow speech resonates with Saban

Four years ago today, then-Florida quarterback Tim Tebow made a post-game speech after an upset loss to Ole Miss that set the stage for a national championship and was later immortalized on a plaque outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. On Wednesday, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban said that speech should serve notice to his players as well. Florida was ranked No. 1 in the nation and was playing Ole Miss at home then, just as UA is top-ranked and hosting the Rebels Saturday. The similarities, Saban hopes, will end there. "Guess what? Guess who? Guess when? Somebody beat them," Saban said, referring to Ole Miss' stunning upset. "At home, in their place and then there was the famous speech. 'It's never going to happen again.' Well, do you have to have an 'I told you so' game and does somebody have to give that speech for you to do what you need to do, to realize what's at stake?"

Tide focused on Ole Miss | The Crimson White

Saban said he is trying to make his team realize the potential threat of every team before Alabama plays them, rather than after. "Well, do you have to have an ‘I told you so’ game and does somebody have to give that speech for you to do what you need to do to realize what’s at stake?" he said. "To realize the opportunity you have to have a very successful, significant season if you can play one game at a time and respect the people you play, and play to your very best each and every time that you play?" Saban’s message seems to have stuck with his players. Senior tight end Michael Williams said he’d rather not be in the same boat as the 2008 Florida Gators. "We don’t want something bad to happen for something to wake us up," Williams said. "So we’re very aware of that speech and how everything happened there, and we’re going to come out and play for 60 minutes."

Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace is running hot and cold | al.com

Nobody quite seems to know what to make of this 6-foot-4, 204-pound enigma. Is he a passer who can run or a runner who can throw? Is he a touchdown or a turnover waiting to happen? Is he ready for the SEC? Is the SEC ready for him? Ready or not, the Rebels (3-1) will meet top-ranked Alabama (4-0) at 8:15 p.m. CDT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. "Anytime you go against a defense like that and you perform well, people are going to start looking at you," Wallace said Monday of his opportunity to shine in a big, loud stadium on national television (ESPN). Readiness was an issue last week before the Rebels routed Tulane 39-0. "He didn’t play his best," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "I didn’t think he prepared well all week. I’ve shared that with him. Hopefully he’ll learn from that and prepare better." Freeze said he could tell in Friday and Saturday walkthroughs that Wallace was lackadaisical. "We’re very open with each other in our dialogue," Freeze said. "He called me that night and told me that. I said, ‘Forget about it. It’s over. Let’s move on but learn from it.’"

Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace returns to practice, will likely start against Alabama | al.com

Though Wallace, who has also run for 179 yards and two scores, is now expected to play Saturday, Freeze has provided Wallace’s backup, Barry Brunetti, with a significant amount of first-team repetitions. Brunetti has appeared in all four games this season, completing 15-of-21 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He's also carried the ball 27 times for 153 yards. "Barry has had some good moments in games, and we have confidence that he can move our offense," Freeze said on today's SEC teleconference. "He’s a little inconsistent in practice, particularly in the passing game, but we’re getting him prepared."

Ole Miss' Freeze ready to see if scheme clicks against Alabama | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com

As Freeze has said at least twice this week, the undefeated and defending national champion Crimson Tide is "the gold standard in football right now," and that is focused on a defense that was No. 1 last season and back among the nation’s best this season. "The thing you don’t see is they just don’t get out of position," Freeze said. "It is very, very rare. They’re just not giving up big plays. They’re always in position and very fundamentally sound. When you add to that how talented they are, it is very difficult to say they have a weakness. Our challenge will be just to stay on schedule and not put ourselves behind the chains very much. That’s the truth every game, but against them it’s even more important."

SEC Notebook: Ole Miss cadds some 'O' : Stltoday

When he took over at Ole Miss this season, Hugh Freeze inherited a lethargic offense, one that would have ranked last in the country among BCS conference teams in 2011 if not for Kentucky. So, it seemed a bit strange to hear Alabama coach Nick Saban talking about his respect for that offense Wednesday ahead of Saturday's meeting in Tuscaloosa. It's a matchup that produced a 52-7 Alabama win last year. "Their hurry-up offense is something that gets defensive players out of their comfort zone," Saban said. "We're trying hard to get a picture of that and work on that. It's difficult to get a picture in practice you'd like to get, but they have some pretty good players doing some of this stuff."

Give me 5: QBs, Tide's offensive line and more from Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze on the SEC teleconference | al.com

How is injured quarterback Bo Wallace doing, and what about backup Barry Brunetti? "I should know more today. We held him out yesterday, even though he told us that he thought he could go. So we’ll see how the ball is coming out of his hand today, but I feel optimistic about it. ... Barry has had some good moments in games, and we have confidence that he can move our offense. He’s a little inconsistent in practice, particularly in the passing game, but we’re getting him prepared."

Alabama still wants to correct little things - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN

In all seriousness, No. 1 Alabama (4-0) has some weaknesses. Despite utterly dominating everyone in its path, the defending champs insist there are issues that have to be cleaned up. They might not be so easily visible to outside viewers, but they’re there. Senior center Barrett Jones admits they aren’t "glaring" issues, but there are little things involving execution that they aren’t doing well. Jones hasn’t been happy with Alabama’s slow starts to games and wants third-down execution to improve. Alabama is currently tied for sixth in the SEC with a third-down conversation percentage of 44.4. "It’s a tough league, and any day you show up average is the day you’re going to be beat," Jones said.

Mississippi's young defense faces big challenge in No. 1 Tide - times-journal.com: Sports

Mississippi's defense is undersized, inexperienced and doesn't have much depth. The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide has a punishing, effective offense that has steamrolled every team it has faced this season. The mismatch that presents is obvious. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said his team's job is to ignore it. "We are who we are," Freeze said. "We have to get our kids to play above and beyond what we've played before to be competitive in this game. They'll be excited about it. It can be a David versus Goliath deal. Why not go and have fun with it? "We have nothing to lose."

Alabama coach Nick Saban seeking total effort every down " The Commercial Appeal

Down on the field, Alabama coach Nick Saban, who won his first BCS national title coaching the team he was about to put out of its misery, was moments away from winning his second national championship for the Crimson Tide in his last three years. Saban had not taken off his headset. He had not given anybody a congratulatory handshake, or patted his players on the back for a job well done. "I look out there on the field," said Alabama senior center Barrett Jones, a former Evangelical Christian School standout who was on the sideline enjoying a job well done, "and Coach Saban is yelling at one of our defensive backs for messing up the coverage. "I thought, 'That's why we're great. It's not about the score. It's about doing it the right way.' That passes down to us, and it's changed the way we all think. It affects every area of your life."

djournal.com - PARRISH ALFORD Rebels get 2nd chance to show progress

Michigan put up 14 points in a 41-14 neutral-site loss. Western Kentucky and Arkansas did not score. Defensively, can the Rebels post better numbers than they did against Texas and give themselves a chance? It’s these things that will affect the Ole Miss mental state as its moves into a stretch of home games against Texas A&M and Auburn, more realistic targets for the Rebels to end an SEC losing streak that stands at 14 games. And these things that will give us a better read on where restoration stands.

Nothing fancy about Alabama | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com

During his three years at Ole Miss, cornerback Charles Sawyer has seen one stud Alabama player after another go through the program. There was Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, and Trent Richardson. Now it’s Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and A.J. McCarron. But the Crimson Tide (4-0), the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in both polls this week, never really change. In an era when everything is about misdirection, tempo and formations that seek to find the tiniest sliver of space and exploit it all night long, Alabama still lines up and seeks to pound you into submission. That’s concerning in its own right, but the familiarity is at least somewhat comforting as Ole Miss (3-1) prepares to play at Alabama on Saturday (8:15 p.m., ESPN). "No tricks, or anything like that," said Sawyer, a junior. "If it’s a run, it’s a run. If it’s a pass, it’s a pass. You just got to stop them."

Alabama football: Tide defenders gear up for Ole Miss' fast-paced offense | The Montgomery Advertiser

If you’re thinking, "This is Ole Miss, so it can’t be that fast or that good," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban would like a word with you. He promises he isn’t giving in to "coach-speak" when he says the Rebels’ offensive pace could cause a problem Saturday for Alabama. "More and more people are running the no-huddle, so the players are more accustomed to it than they were a few years ago," Saban said. "But they have good people and speed, especially at quarterback and wide receiver, and this is a difficult preparation not only from the no-huddle part, but also from their ability to execute with some pretty good players."

Top-ranked Crimson Tide get back to SEC work against Rebels - KansasCity.com

Hugh Freeze's first season in Oxford has gotten off rather well. The Rebels opened the campaign with a 49-27 win over Central Arkansas, followed by a 28-10 victory over UTEP. Ole Miss closed out a three-game homestand against nationally-ranked Texas, but in front of the largest non-conference crowd in school history, the Rebels were no match for the Longhorns, suffering a 66-31 loss. The team hit the road for the first time last weekend and gained back a little momentum with a 39-0 shutout of Tulane in New Orleans. At 3-1, the Rebels have already eclipsed last season's win total. This marks the 60th all-time meeting between these two programs, with Alabama holding a sizable 48-9-2 series advantage. Ole Miss have not posted a win in this series since 2003.

Most SEC coaches see no need for NFL-style injury reports in college football | al.com

Alabama coach Nick Saban, who coached in the NFL as an assistant under Bill Belichick in Cleveland and as a head coach in Miami, said whatever the system is, it should be equitable across the board. "I don't really have an opinion about injury reports. I just think if you're going to give injury reports, everybody should give them the same way," Saban said. "We kind of tell it like it is, if a guy's going to be out. But a lot of times in college, guys are day-to-day. ... Sometimes things come up that you can't be specific about. "I think anything that you do, there are still going to be circumstances and situations that aren't going to be something that can be clearly defined. Even in the NFL, I think people manipulate the system to put questions in people's minds about whether a guy's going to play or not."

Alabama nose guard Brandon Ivory doubtful for Saturday's game | al.com

Freshman Darren Lake has worked with the second-team defensive line during the open portions of practice this week, but Saban said there are other options as well. "If he handles the increased responsibility, he'll play. If he doesn't handle it, we'll play somebody else," Saban said. "We've played other players at nose before, and we're going to have to play a lot of players in this game and certainly keep the defensive line fresh, so there are going to be a lot of guys that get a lot of opportunities to play."

Nick Sabans talks Ole Miss offense, injury reports, freshmen LBs - ESPN

A number of freshmen have played at linebacker for Alabama in the first four weeks. From what Saban's seen, they're improving. "[Denzel Devall] is playing a position that he's starting to develop confidence in what he's supposed to do," Saban said. "He's done a really good job for us and been productive, and we think he's going to be a really good player. We have confidence in being able to play him. "Reggie Ragland was making really good progress and he was on a couple of special teams and got a high ankle sprain in the Michigan game, so he's just sort of getting back into it. We have high hopes for him. "Tyler Hayes has gotten some playing time on special teams. All those guys have developed nicely for us and we're happy that they're making a contribution."

Dick LeBeau and the evolution of coverage tactics in the zone blitz - Grantland

Nick Saban, currently the head coach at Alabama, was the defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick when the two were with the Cleveland Browns in the early 1990s. While speaking to high school coaches at a recent clinic, Saban summed up the early problems of traditional spot-dropping zone coverage: "Well, when Marino's throwing it, that old break on the ball shit don't work." The answer that Saban, Belichick, and many others developed was "pattern-match" coverage — essentially man coverage that uses zone principles to identify the matchups. As Saban explained at the 2010 Coach of the Year Clinics Football Manual clinic: You can play coverages in three ways. You can play zone, man, or pattern-match man. Pattern-match man is a coverage that plays the pattern after the pattern distribution. That means you pick up in man coverage after the receivers make their initial breaks and cuts. We number receivers from the outside going inside. If the number-one receiver crosses with the number-two receiver, we do not pick up the man coverage until they define where they are going. In other words, the zone blitz had come full circle. What began as a way to blitz without playing man coverage had started incorporating man coverage all over again, this time in an entirely new way.

'We coach all of our players all the time,' Nick Saban says of intensity that led to late penalty | al.com

Saban was asked if he sets an example for his team about finishing. "Look, we coach all of our players all the time," Saban said. "It’s not just about the game. It’s about developing the players. I don’t care if it’s their conduct and attitude in terms of how they go about what they’re trying to do, but we’re trying to help our players get better and use the experience that they get out there so that they can improve. We’re coaching them, and it’s important to me that they develop. Someday, these guys are going to have to play." Some coaches who have big leads take their headsets off late in games and enjoy the clock running out. Not Saban. "I’ve never done that," he said. "I enjoy doing it. I think it’s the way it should be done. I’m not trying to set an example."

TideSports.com - Elder Manning likes McCarron

The most legendary quarterback to ever put on an Ole Miss uniform has gotten a close look at a University of Alabama quarterback whose legacy has only begun to form. And Archie Manning likes what he's seen of AJ McCarron. McCarron has been to the Manning Passing Academy for the last two summers, a Thibodeaux, La., camp that draws many of the nation's top college quarterbacks each year. Manning, whose NFL quarterback sons Peyton and Eli are heavily involved with the camp as well, said he's noticed significant improvement in the Crimson Tide's junior signal-caller. "I don't think there is any question AJ came back a more confident quarterback this year," Manning said. "From year one to year two at the camp, you could see he was more sure of himself. And of course he throws the ball extremely well."

and etc.

Bold Predictions: Alabama - Red Cup Rebellion

TideSports.com - VIDEO: Saban & Players

TideSports.com - VIDEO: 9/26 Practice Highlights

SECond Look video: Ole Miss a 'dangerous offense' for Bama's defense? | al.com

Barrett Jones’ small connection to ‘The Blind Side’ | The Daily Bama Blog

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

5-star Derrick Henry picks Alabama over Georgia, Tennessee

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Elite running back recruit Derrick Henry announced he'll commit to Alabama on Friday.

Derrick Henry has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, as expected, over the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs. Henry made his commitment live on ESPN.

Out of Yulee (Fla.) High School, Henry is an enormous running back recruit at 6'4 and 240 pounds. He is a consensus five-star recruit on all major services, though some list him as an "athlete," because there are questions about his ability to play running back in college, as opposed to changing positions. It appears, however, that Alabama has convinced Henry that he can stay at running back.

At Yulee High School, Henry completely over-matches his competition. He is so much bigger, faster and stronger than everyone against whom he plays, that it almost seems like he is playing within a video game. Last week, Henry bested the state of Florida rushing record that had stood for 27 years by rushing for 502 yards in a single game.

While Henry does have great power, he'll have to prove that he has the lateral agility and vision to play running back in the SEC.

Recent success stories of big backs like Florida State's James Wilder, Jr. and Florida's Matt Jones, however, seem to suggest Henry can stick at running back. And Alabama certainly likes size at running back.

Henry is the 20th commitment of the 2013 class for the Crimson Tide.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.


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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Week Three Open Thread | #1 Alabama at Arkansas

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T_rex_hates_pushups_tiny by Todd on Sep 15, 2012 2:25 PM CDT in Football


Are we ourselves?

Read More: Alabama Crimson Tide


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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Jumbo Package | 9.16.12

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T_rex_hates_pushups_tiny by Todd on Sep 16, 2012 8:07 AM CDT

Sep 15, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Ed Stinson (49) and defensive back Ha'Sean Clinton-Dixon (6) tackle Arkansas Razorbacks running back Knile Davis (7) during the second quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

Alabama buries another victim, vows to kills again - Sunday Morning Quarterback

The gloomy weather made for an appropriately funereal environment. As usual, Alabama is so consistent in its dominance that it's difficult to find anything new to add to the standard "Alabama is Alabama" response, except that in today's massacre it was only more so. Pick a stat, any stat. Total yards: Alabama 438, Arkansas 137. Turnovers: Alabama zero, Arkansas five, plus the early punt gaffe. Third downs: Alabama converted 55 percent, Arkansas 21 percent. Yards per carry: Alabama averaged 5.0, Arkansas averaged 1.6. The 52-point margin of victory was the Crimson Tide's largest in an SEC game in Nick Saban's six-year tenure. It was Arkansas' widest margin of defeat since another top-ranked juggernaut, USC, incinerated the Razorbacks by a final of 70-13 in 2005. It was Alabama's second consecutive shutout against an SEC opponent (hi, LSU!), and its third straight SEC game in which it held the opposing team without an offensive touchdown. Since last year's win over Arkansas in Tuscaloosa, SEC offenses have scored three touchdowns against Alabama's defense in 36 quarters.

'I think we started making our identity,' says Alabama linebacker Adrian Hubbard (video) | al.com

"Whenever you affect the quarterback, it's always going to lead to mistakes on the offensive side," Hubbard said. "We just executed our plays and did our best." Hubbard and the rest of Alabama's defense made life miserable for Arkansas quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Brandon Mitchell. The Crimson Tide finished with four sacks, five turnovers and limited a unit many figured would be one of the best in the SEC to 137 yards of total offense. On the season, Alabama has forced 12 turnovers while surrendering just one. "I think we started making our identity today," Hubbard said. "We're a physical team and that's what we want to make everyone think we are."

Bobby, Er, Paul Petrino Doesn't Give A Flip What You Think About The Alabama Game - Arkansas Expats

It was apparent from the first play on Frank Broyles Field that the Arkansas game plan was to punt and hope that Alabama would muff enough of them that the Hogs might luck into enough points to make the score halfway respectable. Of course, the Crimson Tide made no such mistakes (or at least the mistakes weren't replay reviewable) while the Razorbacks quickly showed that they could not even punt the football without shooting themselves in the foot. Think about that. The plan was to punt, and the Hogs couldn't even pull that off. So, I left. I left Razorback Stadium with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. As a fan, somebody who saves throughout the calendar year to spend seven or eight Saturdays a season cheering for my team and relishing in the pageantry of the greatest sport on earth, I had to remove myself from the situation because I could not watch anymore. Not there, sitting in the rain, listening to The Million Dollar Band celebrate with fanfare each Alabama accomplishment, which always seemed to coincide with yet another Razorback miscue. It truly seemed that each successive Crimson Tide score drove yet another nail not just into the game, but into the coffin of the entire Razorback program.

'Bama routs Arkansas in SEC opener - chicagotribune.com

Eddie Lacy scored three rushing touchdowns, AJ McCarron added another score through the air and the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide opened SEC play with a 52-0 road win over the reeling Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was supposed to be one of college football's early marquee matchups this season, but the defending national champions faced a Razorbacks team coming off a stunning upset and without its starting quarterback. McCarron completed 11-of-16 passes and finished with 189 yards for Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC), while Lacy carried the ball 12 times for 55 yards. "I think they started the game a bit average today. But as we got into the game, I was really pleased with the way we played, especially offensively," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

Rock Bottom-er: Shut Out At Home - Arkansas Expats

By any statistical measure, Saturday's defeat was a mismatch, the worst performance by an Arkansas football team that I have ever evaluated over a 30-year span. The only thing that Arkansas did half-well was run the football. This excludes the bad punt snap (which counts in conventional stats as negative rushing yards) and four sacks (which are really attempted pass plays). Against the Tide, fewer than four in 10 pass plays had favorable outcomes. Without Tyler Wilson at quarterback, the Arkansas passing game has been a disaster for exactly 1.5 games. The combined numbers over that span: 17-45 (38%) completion, 1 TD/ 3 INT, 164 yards (3.6 yards per throw), plus five sacks. The offense looked exactly like what you'd expect from a team that spent a week planning for three different quarterbacks, one who couldn't even play. Nobody was ready. And the idea of putting in some brand-new plays for Brandon Mitchell...sheer desperation.

Star-divide

Alabama 52, Arkansas 0: Hiding In The Closet And Screaming - Arkansas Expats

One of the more curious aspects of the game was the weird use of quarterbacks. Instead of alternating Brandon Mitchell and Brandon Allen by drive or by quarters, they were frequently switched on varying plays. And almost every Mitchell play was a run. It almost felt like coaches were making up the offensive game plan on the spot, not allowing for any rhythm whatsoever. Like they were playing video games. It's the first time Arkansas has been shut out in Fayetteville since 1966. The question now is, do you have any confidence in the season? What are expectations now? How different can/will it be when Tyler Wilson returns? How does Jeff Long react to the L. experiment? Can Arkansas respond with a victory over Rutgers next week? Still a lot of questions to be answered.

TideSports.com - UA NOTEBOOK: Wilson has harsh words for teammates

With a 38-0 lead, the UA coaching staff opted to end starter AJ McCarron's day more than a quarter early, alternating Ely and Sims beginning with the Crimson Tide's last offensive series of the third quarter. Each also got a little playing time with the first-team offense around him, something Saban said he hoped for the chance to do. "All these guys want to play, they work hard, they deserve to play. We love to get them to play," Saban said. "We wanted to get an opportunity for the other quarterbacks to have a chance to play with the first line and the first receivers in case they ever have to do that, if something happened to AJ."

TideSports.com - Williams, Milliner return, help Tide to another shutout

Without Jesse Williams and Dee Milliner, the University of Alabama shut out a plucky Western Kentucky team. With both starters back in the lineup Saturday, the Crimson Tide shut down a previously explosive Arkansas offense and kept the Razorbacks from breaching the scoreboard in a 52-0 beatdown. Alabama, which allowed two touchdowns to Michigan in its season opener, hasn't allowed another score in nine straight quarters of play. Alabama also added to its collection of turnovers, intercepting two passes and recovering three fumbles. Milliner, UA's only returning starter at cornerback, had a breakout game against Michigan with four pass breakups and an interception. He didn't quite have the same dominating performance against Arkansas, but he did break up a trick-play pass that seemed destined for a long gain. The Crimson Tide held Arkansas to just 79 passing yards on 25 attempts and produced four sacks. "I feel that we're the greatest defense in the SEC, that if we come out and compete the game plan like we're supposed to we'll be fine," he said.

TideSports.com - HURT: The big opponent Tide has to worry about is itself

Tyler Wilson doesn't play defense. He doesn't snap on punts, or block for himself. So it is debatable, at best, as to whether Arkansas would have had any chance at all with Wilson playing quarterback against Alabama on Saturday. He would have helped, certainly, had he been able to hang in for four quarters. Big-time quarterbacks can make a huge difference for teams that otherwise would struggle to stand a chance in the Southeastern Conference. See Eli Manning at Ole Miss, for instance. But 52 points is a lot of difference to make. There was one thing, however, that stood no chance at all in this game - gamesmanship. All week long, Arkansas played coy about Wilson's status, but in the end it seemed to have only one effect. It sent a message to both of the available Arkansas quarterbacks, Brandon Allen and Brandon Mitchell, that neither one would scare Alabama nearly as much as a feeble hint that Wilson might play. On Alabama, it had no effect at all.

TideSports.com - Bama defense passes the test

Whatever youthful mistakes might be there for the exposing in the Alabama secondary, Wilson playing at home figured to be similar to the test a young 2010 Alabama secondary took against former Arkansas standout quarterback Ryan Mallett in the same stadium. That was a test Mallett passed for three quarters before two late interceptions got the Crimson Tide's new cover men out of Fayetteville with their skins intact. The Brandon Allen-Brandon Mitchell combination Alabama faced Saturday wasn't nearly a Mallett-like threat from a pure passing standpoint. But that doesn't mean there weren't some valuable new experiences and lessons learned Saturday in the Alabama defensive backfield.

Inside the Alabama Crimson Tide | The Montgomery Advertiser

THUMBS DOWN The penalty yards. That subject had head coach Nick Saban worked up afterward. He emphasized that 69 penalty yards can kill a team in a closer game. Three of those penalties resulted in first downs for Arkansas. Also, Saban said the pass protection needs work, although that’s difficult to see. Alabama didn’t allow a sack and its quarterbacks completed 14 of 20 passes for 213 yards.

Quick Hits: Alabama 52, Arkansas 0 - CBSSports.com

When Alabama Won: Like almost every other game the Crimson Tide will play this year, this one was more or less decided in February of 2009, 2010 and 2011, when Alabama signed the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation all three years. The talent gap shows, especially along the line of scrimmage, and it is demoralizing. Once the Tide took a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter, there were very few people in the stadium or watching or television who thought Arkansas had a chance to score twice without its starting quarterback, probably including most of Arkansas' sideline.

Arkansas falls at home to No. 1 Alabama | todaysthv.com

As for Alabama's defense, Vinnie Sunseri and Haha Clinton-Dix intercepted quarterback Brandon Allen. Allen filled in at quarterback for the Razorbacks as Tyler Wilson sat out the game due to a head injury in last week's loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Arkansas had just 44 yards of total offense at halftime and 137 for the game. Brandon Allen finished with 60 yards passing and Brandon Mitchell, who took a few snaps at QB, finished with 19 yards passing.

Alabama Crimson Tide report card | The Montgomery Advertiser

Cade Foster had five touchbacks, equaling the total by the Tide in 2011. On the one kick Arkansas returned, Tana Patrick hit Dennis Johnson to cause a fumble, and Foster recovered to set up a touchdown. Alabama wasn’t particularly impressive on punt returns or punting but converted in every other aspect of special teams and kept the Razorbacks from getting anything started in that category.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide crushes Arkansas Razorbacks 52-0 to open SEC play - NY Daily News

The Razorbacks, who led the SEC in scoring and total offense last season, tried a little bit of everything to hold their own against the Alabama defense. They used both redshirt freshman Brandon Allen and junior Brandon Mitchell at quarterback, mixed in some option and attempted an early lateral and throwback pass. Nothing worked against a Crimson Tide, which extended its shutout streak to nine quarters in the win. The loss was Arkansas' first in Razorback Stadium since a fourth-quarter lead slipped away against Alabama two years ago, and it was the first time the school had been shut out since a 28-0 loss to LSU in 1995. The 137 yards of total offense was its worst since a 139-yard effort in a 31-3 loss to Georgia in the 2002 SEC championship game. Arkansas, which has led the SEC in passing offense the last three seasons, was held to just 79 yards through the air by Alabama. Allen was 10 of 18 passing for 60 yards, while Mitchell was 1 of 7 passing for 19 yards.

No. 1 Crimson Tide rolls all over Arkansas - College football- NBC Sports

"We told our players that their quarterback situation was not our problem, it was theirs," Saban said. "And regardless of who played that we would have to play well if Tyler (Wilson) played, and we got ready for all the things that they did."

Tide rolls over Brandon Allen, Arkansas - SEC - ESPN

The win loses a little bit of luster because Arkansas was without its superstar quarterback, but this was still a Razorbacks team with preseason SEC title aspirations that Alabama systematically dismantled. The Crimson Tide probably have the most impressive résumé of any Top 25 team through three weeks, and have thoroughly earned the praise being thrown their way. Arkansas now sits at 1-2, and with South Carolina and LSU still on the schedule, the dream of an SEC title seems all but dead. The dream of a possible national championship is a laughable memory. The Hogs have a home date against Rutgers to recover before the conference grind begins again.

Alabama Blows Out Arkansas in SEC Matchup - NYTimes.com

"I really don’t know what to say; I didn’t know what to say to our team as well," Smith said. "It’s kind of hard to say anything at this point." Arkansas had trouble with even the simplest of chores. On their second possession, the Razorbacks were in a punt formation when the snap sailed over the head of punter Dylan Breeding. After Breeding kicked the ball through the end zone (an illegal kick), Alabama got the ball on the Arkansas 6 and scored immediately on a run by Eddie Lacy. Smith said he made the decision to switch long snappers before the game to improve Arkansas’s punt coverage, but the move backfired. The Razorbacks played without Petrino and the talented Wilson, but their linemen were overwhelmed by Alabama’s front seven. Over and over, the Razorbacks’ defense had to defend short fields because of turnovers, and it finally collapsed. Still, the Razorbacks were highly regarded before the season, and this result raises the question of just how good this Alabama team is.

Alabama humiliates Arkansas, Tyler Wilson calls out Razorbacks - Andy Staples - SI.com

Saban wasn't satisfied with his team's performance in a 35-0 win against Western Kentucky. He didn't have to nitpick, either. Alabama gave up six sacks to the Hilltoppers. Saturday, Alabama gave up zero sacks and ran a brutally efficient offense that gained 6.7 yards a play in its most lopsided SEC win since Bear Bryant beat Vanderbilt in 1979. Saban can devote some meeting time to seven penalties for 74 yards, but even college football's biggest perfectionist had to like the way his team played. "What we've really been fighting with this group about ever since the Michigan game is allowing ourselves to accept average and getting them to demand more of themselves," Saban said. "I think we started to gain a little bit today." While Alabama gained, Arkansas lost more than a game. A loss like this can shatter a team for good. It will be up to Wilson to hold this group together. Wilson's speech sounded eerily reminiscent of Tim Tebow's monologue after Florida's loss to Ole Miss in 2008. That speech was inscribed in stone at Florida Field after Tebow led the Gators to the national title that season. That won't happen with Wilson's speech, but if it inspires teammates and fans to stick together a little longer, count that as a small victory on a day of humbling defeat. "We've got a big game against Rutgers next week," Wilson said. "I'm going to do everything in my power to be a part of it and be the starting quarterback to run out on the field and get a win. You've got to start with one before you get the rest of them. I give you my word I'm going to do the best in my ability and the best in my power to make that happen. That's all I've got."

Arkansas hits new low in loss to Alabama - SEC Blog - ESPN

The wet, gloomy scene preceding Arkansas’ game with No. 1 Alabama was a classic case of foreshadowing for the Razorbacks. Rain washed away any really furious tailgating plans, while last week’s overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe expunged most of the excitement and enthusiasm revolving around a program once thought of as a national championship contender. Adding on to the grim setting in and around the stadium was the fact that starting quarterback Tyler Wilson wasn’t playing, even though he tossed out minute hope that he’d play by warming up in full pads. That was about the high point, as Alabama routed Arkansas 52-0, handing Arkansas its first shutout in Fayetteville since losing to Baylor 7-0 on Oct. 8, 1966. It left a fan base despondent and a coach speechless. "It’s kind of hard to say anything at this point," John L. Smith said. "That’s about as bad as I can every remember as a football team goes." Even with the Crimson Tide not playing close to its best game, Alabama dominated every phase. And I mean dominated.

Quick Hits: Alabama 52, Arkansas 0 - CBSSports.com

When Alabama Won: Like almost every other game the Crimson Tide will play this year, this one was more or less decided in February of 2009, 2010 and 2011, when Alabama signed the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation all three years. The talent gap shows, especially along the line of scrimmage, and it is demoralizing. Once the Tide took a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter, there were very few people in the stadium or watching or television who thought Arkansas had a chance to score twice without its starting quarterback, probably including most of Arkansas' sideline.

Arkansas' woeful performance against Alabama reveals only bigger problems - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

There is your snapshot of the next couple of months inside the worst disaster of the early season. Arkansas has gone from the bottom of a ravine to the top 10 and back down again, enduring the program's worst loss in seven years. The postgame was spent promising how the locker room was going to stay together in the future than how it fell apart out on the field on Saturday. A program with a glorified interim coach, minus its starting quarterback, looks like this. Now the question is whether a senior-heavy team does start splitting apart and a staff hired by Bobby Petrino starts using the office fax machine to send out resumes. "It sucks to see people not do their jobs and things go wrong," Wilson said. "As a leader at this point, you've got to look forward. There's been a lot of people jump off the bandwagon and it is my job to keep everyone in this organization and this team in the locker room together."

Watch defensive backs Robert Lester, Dee Milliner break down Alabama's rout of Arkansas (videos) | al.com

"It always feels great to keep your opponents off the board," senior safety Robert Lester said. "I don't want us to get complacent from doing this. We've got a lot of great teams ahead of us. There's also a lot of things we can learn from this game."

Alabama offensive line 'just wanted to come off explosive,' says guard Chance Warmack (video) | al.com

Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack stopped well short of saying the offensive line was back to living up to the lofty expectations that hovered above it heading into 2012. "We always carry ourselves as a physical team and that's what we want to show everybody," Warmack said. "We'll never get to where we want to be, but we're always willing to get better with each game, each practice."

Arkansas notes: Tyler Wilson not OK to play | al.com

"In our heart, we held out some hope," Smith said. "But realistically, as coaches, we said he’s not going to play this week, and you had to face that music early on." Smith said Wilson saw a specialist Thursday and it was determined he shouldn’t play. Smith issued a statement Friday saying whether Wilson played would be a game-time decision. "We didn’t want to tip our hand to anybody," Smith said. "It’s one of those things we had to do."

Alabama turns tide with turnovers | al.com

After Alabama took a 10-0 lead, Alabama defensive back Vinnie Sunseri intercepted Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen to give the Crimson Tide possession at Alabama’s 33. The Crimson Tide scored six plays later for a 17-0 lead. Later in the second quarter, Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix intercepted Allen and returned the ball to Arkansas’ 3. Three plays later, Alabama scored for a 24-0 lead. Two Arkansas fumbles in the third quarter — one by Dennis Johnson on a kickoff return and one by Knile Davis — led to two more touchdowns. The final turnover, another fumble by Davis, led to Alabama’s last touchdown with 5:33 left in the game. "It changed the game entirely when you create turnovers like that," Crimson Tide cornerback Dee Milliner said. "It puts the offense in good field position to score touchdowns." Saban said the Crimson Tide work on causing turnovers in practice, always trying to gouge, rip or poke the ball away from offensive players. The Razorbacks had eight fumbles in the game, five of which were caused by Alabama defensive players.

Going nowhere: Razorbacks struggle to flow against Tide | al.com

Arkansas had 3 yards in total offense by the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s game against No. 1 Alabama. Things got a little better for the Razorbacks after that, but not much. Alabama held Arkansas to 137 yards in total offense and beat the Razorbacks 52-0 — the first time Arkansas failed to score in a span of 238 games, going back to a 28-0 loss at LSU on Nov. 28, 1995. It was the first time Arkansas had been shut out at Reynolds Razorback Stadium since a 7-0 loss to Baylor in 1966. "We can only go up," Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen said. "That’s for sure."

Flood of futility: Erring, Wilson-less Hogs take worst campus loss in 93 years | al.com

Tyler Wilson, who sat out with a head injury, addressed the team in the locker room then stalked into the interview room and delivered a terse message after the Razorbacks’ fourth-worst shutout loss in the program’s history. "It wasn’t pretty to me to sit on the sideline and watch as a player," Wilson said. "Do I feel that we at times gave up out there? Yeah, absolutely. As a leader, it sucks to see people not do their jobs and things go wrong. There’s been a lot of things go that way." Other Arkansas leaders tried to soften Wilson’s words. "I don’t think it was quitting," junior quarterback and receiver Brandon Mitchell said. "Sometimes you can look up there at the scoreboard and some guys know the game is over."

Nick Saban update on injury to Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron | al.com

"He got stepped on the fumbled snap on the goal line, but he'’s fine,"” Saban said of a play that preceded a 1-yard touchdown run by Eddie Lacy that gave the Tide a 24-0 lead late in the second quarter. "He played with it. It didn’t bother him. He could have continued to play if we needed him to. It’s bruised.”" In fact, McCarron played the first two series of the second half before his day was done.

Game story: No. 1 Alabama rebounds from 2nd-game stumble in the most lopsided of ways | al.com

Adversity, by Alabama’s standards, came from a game in which it never trailed and eventually won by 35 points. When it learns from that relative bump in the road, lopsided runaways like the one that occurred Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium are its definition of a rebound performance. The No. 1 Crimson Tide showed no mercy on an Arkansas team that can add Saturday’s 52-0 defeat to its ever-growing list of problems. The Crimson Tide took an early lead, overcame a sluggish first quarter and stormed away with its first win of the SEC season before a rain-drenched crowd of 74,617, many of whom were gone by the time Alabama wrapped up its second straight shutout. "This group is still learning how to motivate themselves every week and demand to be the best they need to be," coach Nick Saban said. "They're working on it, I'm working on it, we'll continue to work on it. "Hopefully we'll be able to continue to improve."

and etc.

Photo Gallery: Crimson Tide rolls over Arkansas | al.com

No. 1 Alabama 52, Arkansas 0: Grading the Tide | al.com

Video: Alabama's Robert Lester - SEC Blog - ESPN

Read More: Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama Crimson Tide


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Monday, September 24, 2012

Week Three: Saturday Night Open Thread

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Miltonf-788904_tiny by outsidethesidelines on Sep 15, 2012 6:07 PM CDT

Sep 16, 2000; Knoxville, TN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Florida Gators defensive back Lito Shepard (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennesse Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: US PRESSWIRE

While you all bask in the big win over Arkansas, let's play along with the talking heads and pretend that Florida v. Tennessee is a relevant game again. Chime in here with all of your thoughts and comments on the Saturday night college football action.

Read More: Alabama Crimson Tide


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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Alabama v. Arkansas Postgame Thread

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Miltonf-788904_tiny by outsidethesidelines on Sep 15, 2012 5:56 PM CDT

Photo

Boy, that escalated quickly. First shutout of Arkansas in Fayetteville since 1966 as 'Bama rolls 52-0. Chime in here with your postgame thoughts.

Read More: Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks, Sep 15, 2012 2:30 PM CDT


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Friday, September 21, 2012

Animated Drive Chart | #1 Alabama 52 - Arkansas 0

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Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

BlogPoll Calling | Week Three Ballot

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T_rex_hates_pushups_tiny by Todd on Sep 16, 2012 7:11 PM CDT in Football

A few notes, thoughts, excuses, etc.

Alabama and LSU have once again shown they are at the top of college football, and after Southern Cal went down the flood of "get ready for Bama/LSU twice again" tweets on my timeline was ridiculous. There is no way the voters would ever let that happen again, but I understand the sentiment.

Oregon is still Oregon, and I'm glad I bumped them ahead of USC last week. I was nervous about the Trojans, wish I had been

Speaking of USC, they get dropped all the way to Mr. Irrelevant cause that seems crueler than just dropping them all together.

Florida State and West Virginia pass the look test against inferior competition, but are subject to huge drops as well if they even remotely struggle once they hit a real team. Not sure if Clemson counts for similar reasons, even though I have them in the top ten, too. :/

Texas gets a pretty big bump up for demolishing Ole Miss, but honestly they're just that high cause who else was I going to put in the top ten?

Georgia "struggled" with FAU like Alabama "struggled" with Western Kentucky. If they can avoid UGAing this season away with a couple of full derp games the SEC East is theres.

Ohio State looked vulnerable against one of the worst teams in the country. Are they overrated? Probably, but still the best team in the B1G right now.

TCU, Louisville, and Northwestern all make their first appearances on my ballot, while Ohio returns after grabbing a Mr. Irrelevant vote after week one. They're 3-0 right now, though, and Frank Solich is good coach, so they could end the season ranked (and maybe the best team in Ohio?) if they keep it together.

Finally, I dropped out everyone that lost besides USC. Teams I also considered: Mississippi State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Rutgers.

Read More: Alabama Crimson Tide


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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Alabama v. Arkansas Second Half Thread

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Miltonf-788904_tiny by outsidethesidelines on Sep 15, 2012 4:10 PM CDT

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Ugly football early in Fayetteville, but Arkansas absolutely imploded in the second quarter and 'Bama takes the big lead to the locker room at halftime. Good health and protecting the football will be the name of the game in the second half. Chime in here with all of your thoughts and comments.

Read More: Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks, Sep 15, 2012 2:30 PM CDT


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Monday, September 17, 2012

Initial Impressions from the Arkansas Game




A few initial impressions from the early aftermath of Alabama's 52-0 victory over Arkansas:
Given the lopsided final score, it's somewhat difficult to make many meaningful observations under the circumstances. At best, you can really just go back to when the game was actually in doubt, try to glean something of note from that relatively short period of time, and then try to make some sense of the reserves from their garbage time performances. Let's start from the beginning and try to figure out how things became so lopsided.
In hindsight, the first half was actually surprisingly close given the final score. The first quarter was a sloppy affair by both teams in nearly all phases of the game, featuring three-and-outs, botched snaps, dropped passes, missed throws, major penalties, and doinked field goals. Alabama had a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but that lead was only due to the misfire of Arkansas long snapper Alan D'Appollonio, and in general 'Bama looked lackluster in the opening quarter. The offense went three-and-out twice and managed only 47 yards of total offense on four possessions. Defensively, 'Bama allowed Arkansas to drive the length of the field, fueled in large part by costly penalties, and the drive only stalled when Brandon Allen missed a wide open Chris Gragg, who had ran free down the seam after a coverage bust in the defensive backfield. Brandon Mitchell was being used as a running threat, and Arkansas was having some success with the zone read and the option game.
Offensively, the second quarter didn't start much better, after Alabama failed to move the chains after having a 2nd a 3 inside the Arkansas 35-yard line. Eddie Lacy was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Alonzo Highsmith on second down, and Kevin Norwood dropped what should have been an easy conversion on third down. Cade Foster, however, hit a 51-yard field goal attempt perfectly in the rain, and despite the relatively poor play Alabama had a 10-0 lead on the road.
Defensive struggles continued on the following Arkansas drive, with the Hogs quickly picking up two first downs and moving the ball into Alabama territory, and at this point it still looked very much like a competitive contest. However, on the 2nd and 7 at the Alabama 42, Allen passed up an open Knile Davis in the right flat and instead tried to throw the deep crossing route. Vinny Sunseri executed the shifting zone perfectly, passing off the other crossing receiver and quickly retreating back toward the sideline, which put him in place for an easy interception. After Sunseri's interception, Arkansas simply imploded. The Alabama offense finally took off, another touchdown went up on the board, a sack and another interception of Allen followed, and Eddie Lacy carried it in from two yards out.
At this point Alabama had only mustered one particularly successful drive and the defense had allowed Arkansas to penetrate into Alabama territory twice, but 'Bama nevertheless sported a 24-0 lead due to the botched snap and the Allen interceptions. In general, the first half was played relatively close, but Alabama took advantage of Arkansas turnovers led to a lopsided scoreboard.
From there, there is no use in sugarcoating the obvious, Arkansas quit in the second half, just as Tyler Wilson accused his teammates of doing in the postgame interview. Exactly how badly did they quit in the second half? Consider it this way, the second and third-team Alabama units had far more on-field success than did the starters. Obviously Alabama is a very good football team, but no one is that that good.
Looking at the overall performance in the competitive stages of the game, the Alabama offensive line played much better than it did a week ago against Western Kentucky. The running game was never really dominant with Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, but it was sufficient and very effective in goal line situations. Lacy, in fact, looked better than he has since he first injured his foot against Arkansas a year ago.
Star-divide
Alonzo Highsmith and Tenarius Wright were largely rendered non-factors. Pass protection outside at tackle was still somewhat spotty, and D.J. Fluker in particular is still struggling with speedy edge rushers who crash down the line on inside moves. Interior line play, however, was strong across the board, and Cyrus Kouandjio held up well at left tackle in his first start in a hostile environment. Kelly Johnson did some good things as a blocker at both fullback and H-back.
The passing game with A.J. McCarron was largely successful, even if not overly explosive. McCarron got the ball out much quicker yesterday than against Western Kentucky, and generally had a strong day distributing the football to numerous receivers. Amari Cooper put any ill effects of his foot injury aside and had his best day to yet, and the same goes for Christion Jones. Kevin Norwood never really got involved after his early drop, but he commanded a good deal of attention from the Arkansas secondary, and it is now clear that opposing defenses view him as a legitimate threat in the passing game.
Defensively, the pass rush never really materialized while the game was still in doubt, though that was largely by design more than anything else. The game plan yesterday was generally to rush three and four defenders while forcing Brandon Allen to throw into heavy zones and he struggled mightily in attempting to do so. He missed a handful of open throws early, and then simply self-destructed after Vinny Sunseri intercepted him on the Alabama side of the field in the shifting zone. Alabama wanted to force him to make difficult throws into tight zones, and Allen simply could not get the job done.
The run defense was as stout as it was a year ago. Jesse Williams was absolutely dominant at nose guard, and he lived in the Arkansas backfield all afternoon. The defensive ends held strong at the point of attack, and from there the play from the interior linebackers controlled the running game, with Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley, and Trey DePriest combining for twelve tackles. Williams is clearly the one who holds it all together, but with him healthy and in the line-up the run defense looked outstanding.
The defensive backfield was somewhat of a mixed bag. DeMarcus Milliner was outstanding, further cementing notions that he will be a three-year player, Deion Belue continues to progress significantly, and Robert Lester was solid as always. Outside of those three, however, there were some issues, particularly in nickel and dime packages. Vinny Sunseri had the big interception, but also had a couple of coverage breakdowns and one missed tackle, and Nick Perry did nothing to stand out in pass coverage. Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix had the best day of the three, but even he was somewhat quiet outside of his interception. John Fulton picked up significant time at cornerback in the second half, but he alternated between solid and sporadic against an overwhelmed passing game. Obviously none of it was a concern yesterday, but a critical eye would say there were opportunities for a team with a bona fide passing game to take advantage of on the back end.
In other quick hitters, Jeoffrey Pagan played a lot of snaps with the first team yesterday. Cade Foster may be the most improved player on the team. Blake Sims played well in the back-up role yesterday; he has improved in the passing game, and clearly he can run the zone read. T.J. Yeldon has received all of the hype, but Kenyan Drake has been highly impressive in his own right, great speed to the corner and several impressive open-field moves. Landon Collins did some good things on special teams. How in the world do you fumble eight times in one game? Game roster was practically like an A-Day game yesterday afternoon, anyone and everyone who made the trip played. Marvin Shinn and Danny Woodson, Jr. both had catches yesterday afternoon, and walk-on tailback Ben Howell got some carries. True freshmen Geno Smith, Denzel Devall, Dillon Lee, and Darren Lake all saw time. Tyler Hayes and Cyrus Jones and also played yesterday, so there goes those redshirts. The game participation chart shows true freshman quarterback Alec Morris as playing, but if he actually saw the field then I missed it; in all likelihood it's just a typo.
All in all, a very strange day yesterday in Fayetteville, clearly with the degree of the end result being what no one could have expected. The final scoreboard is nothing to overly obsess over, and clearly at some point in the weeks ahead this 'Bama team will be legitimately tested by better opponents. Nevertheless, Alabama came into this season with two key games in the opening three weeks, and now stands 3-0 with blowout wins over both Michigan and Arkansas. Not a flawless team by any stretch, of course, but 'Bama has successfully navigated the early obstacles and can now focus on correcting the few issues it has before the stretch run takes over in full force in mid-October.
Read More: Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks, Sep 15, 2012 2:30 PM CDT
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