sign in sign up
<<
Home , Barrett Jones, Brad Smelley, Brandon Deaderick, Colin Peek, Cory Reamer, Eryk Anders

ALABAMA (1-0, 0-0) vs. FIU (0-0, 0-0) 09.12.09 TIME: 6 p.m. TV: PPV GAMEDAY '09

Running the Show After a coming-out party in the Georgia Dome, Mark Ingram proved that the progress of the Alabama offense rests on his shoulders.

Also inside: • Etched in stone: 1926 • PS3 Simulation 2009 Schedule

Date Opponent Result 9/05/09 Virginia Tech W 34-24

Date Opponent Location GameDay Publish Date 9/12/09 Florida International Tuscaloosa 9/11/09

9/19/09 North Texas Tuscaloosa 9/18/09

9/26/09 Arkansas Tuscaloosa 9/25/09

10/03/09 Kentucky Lexington, Ky. 10/01/09

10/10/09 Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. 10/07/09

10/17/09 South Carolina Tuscaloosa 10/16/09

10/24/09 Tennessee Tuscaloosa 10/23/09

11/07/09 LSU Tuscaloosa 11/06/09

11/14/09 Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 11/12/09

11/21/09 UT Chattanooga Tuscaloosa 11/20/09

11/27/09 Auburn Auburn 11/24/09 ON THE INSIDE GameDay 2009 • September 11 1 Stat of the week

Alabama racked up 498 total yards against Virginia Tech last week. The last time the Crimson Tide gained that many yards on a major school was in 4 | RUNNING THE SHOW 2007 against Tennessee. Alabama accu- mulated 510 in that 41-17 victory. After waiting a year in the wing, it’s Mark Ingram’s turn to shine on the big stage. By Spencer White CW | Katie Bennett GAMEDAY STAFF

• Jason Galloway, GameDay editor 3 | PLAYSTATION SIMULATION 8 | ETCHED IN STONE • Spencer White, GameDay assistant editor This week focuses on the 1926 team • Amanda Peterson, editor-in-chief Could the Crimson Tide fend of • Will Nevin, managing editor a furious second-half rally by the and its improbable return to the • Brandee Easter, design editor Panthers to capture its first victory , where the Tide proved • Emily Johnson, assistant design editor of the simulated season? its worth against Stanford. • Aaron Gertler, graphics editor By Will Nevin By Spencer White • Katie Bennett, assistant photo editor Cover photo: Katie Bennett 2 September 11 • GameDay 2009 PICKS, POLLS AND PERSPECTIVE CW PICKS | WEEK 2

Jason Galloway Spencer White Cyrus Ntakirutinka Aaron Gertler Amanda Peterson Will Nevin Drew Gunn GameDay editor Asst. GameDay editor Senior sports reporter Graphics editor CW editor CW managing editor Advertising manager FIU at #4 Bama #3 USC at #8 Ohio State #18 Notre Dame at Michigan UCLA at Tennessee Mississippi State at Auburn South Carolina at #21 Georgia Stanford at Wake Forest Season record 4-3 5-2 4-3 3-4 3-4 4-3 5-2

UA students AP POLL COACHESʼ POLL the talk about their student expectations for 1. Florida 1. Florida the upcoming 2. Texas 2. Texas Crimson Tide SECTION 3. USC 3. USC game. 4. Alabama 4. Alabama CW | Katie Bennett 5. Oklahoma State 5. Penn State Nicholas Brown Zac Wood Junior Freshman 6. Mississippi 6. Oklahoma State Biology Civil engineering 7. Penn State 7. Ohio State “I think “I think it 8. Ohio State 8. Mississippi Alabama will shouldnʼt be as win 42-10.” stressful as the 9. BYU 9. LSU Virginia Tech game.” 10. California 10. California 11. LSU 11. Boise State 12. Boise State 12. BYU Melanie Bernal Josh Meadows 13. Oklahoma 13. Junior Freshman Business management Nursing 14. Virginia Tech 14. Oklahoma

“Weʼre gonna “Domination. 15. Georgia Tech 15. Virginia Tech kill them. Itʼs They wonʼt get Bama foot- the ball past 16. TCU 16. TCU ball.” their own 10- 17. Utah 17. Utah yard line.” 18. Notre Dame 18. Nebraska 19. North Carolina 19. North Carolina

Ryan Mcsorley Hailey Grace- 20. Miami 20. Notre Dame Freshman Allen 21. Georgia 21. Georgia Engineering Freshman Journalism 22. Nebraska 22. Miami “The score will be 36-6 “I think itʼll be 23. Cincinnati 23. Cincinnati Alabama.” an easy win.” 24. Kansas 24. Oregon State 25. Missouri 25. Kansas PS3 SIMULATION GameDay 2009 • September 11 3 PS3 SAYS | ALABAMA 38, FIU 20 SIMULATION STATISTICS

BY WILL NEVIN Managing Editor Alabama With a defense that held for most of the game, • Passing: Greg McElroy, 14-of-23, the Tide survived a nightmarish third quarter 190 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT and beat back a sporting Florida International squad 38-20. • Rushing: Mark Ingram, 27 carries, The Tide’s offense got off to a slow start with 143 yds, 2 TD a three-and-out its first possession but got on the board with a the next time it • Receiving: , 4 recep- had the ball. Alabama added to its lead in the tions, 79 yds second quarter with two Mark Ingram touch- NCAA 2010 screenshot downs to build a 17-0 lead at halftime. Alabama tight end makes a • Top Defensive Performer: Lorenzo The third quarter started off well enough leaping grab against FIU. Washington, 4 tackles, 1 TFL for the Tide, as Greg McElroy and the offense drove the length of the field with McElroy hit- seeping out of Bryant-Denny Stadium until B.J. ting a leaping Brad Smelley in the end zone for Scott returned the ensuing kickoff for a touch- a 24-0 lead. down, giving Alabama breathing room. The Florida International And then things started to go south. Quick. Panthers scored again at the end of the third • Passing: Paul McCall, 19-of-34, 265 FIU wide out Larry McCoy scooped up a quarter to bring the margin back to 11, but yds, 1 TD teammate’s and darted for a touch- Alabama would score again in the fourth to go down that was upheld on replay review. The up by 18. • Rushing: Daunte Owens, 3 carries, 3 Panthers made the unusual choice to go for two Alabama’s defense shut down the FIU - yds and failed to convert, making the score 24-6. On ning game, holding the Panthers to minus- Alabama’s next offensive possession, a miscom- 10 yards on seven rushes. The Tide defense • Receiving: Elliot Dix, 5 receptions, 84 munication between McElroy and was particularly stingy on third down, as the quickly became six points for FIU as Golden Panthers were only 1-for-8 on the day on con- yds Panther Anthony Gaitor returned verting third downs. • Top Defensive Performer: Anthony an 47 yards for a touchdown. Alabama is now 1-1 on the simulated At that point, the score was 24-13 and life was PlayStation 3 season. Gaitor, 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD Ready4 September 11 • GameDay 2009 to TRANSCEND

With off to the NFL, Mark Ingram is ’s man for his backfi eld. After wearing out the Hokies in the Georgia Dome, Ingram has no plan of slowing down anytime soon.

BY SPENCER WHITE Assistant GameDay Editor

len Coffee probably saw it coming. • While the former was continuing training for his rookie GNFL season with the , his former understudy, sopho- more Mark Ingram, was turning the field of the Georgia Dome into his stage of ascension, as the Flint, Mich., native ran up, down and all around the No. 7 Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday night to the tune of 150 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards and two in the Tide’s 34-24 triumph. • All that was left for fans sit- ting in the dome in to wonder was, “Glen who?” • “It’s been a long time since a guy got that many yards against us,” Tech head coach Frank Beamer said after the game. Mark Ingram steps off the fi eld during a practice last week. CW| Tori Gordon 6 September 11 • GameDay 2009

“He’s built like an ox,” said senior lineback- Saturday night, Ingram did just that. ngram’s name and aggressive running er . “He had a great game on The second half was the hallmark of a true style have received much acclaim from Saturday, really rushed hard.” champion, as Ingram gained nearly 100 of his the Tide faithful over the past year, Head coach Nick Saban will tell anyone who rushing yards after intermission. But like the but most fans fail to realize how close will listen that he knew exactly what Ingram true greats, there was no self-promotion from I Alabama came to seeing Ingram’s high- was capable of, and the lack of surprise on his the recently coined SEC player of the week, who light reels on television as the 5-foot-9 face in post-game attested to the truth of his seemed surprise to even know of the honor. halfback scooted across the fields of the Big conviction. “ItIt makes me happy,happy, but ImI’m 10.10. “He had a fantastic sspringpring and a fantastic fall not reallyreally too focused on “I was reallyreally sursurprisedprised Alabama had come camcamp,”p,” Saban said. “So it was no sursurpriseprise to us that,” Ingram said. “I’m and offered me,” Ingram said. “It was after that he would have a ggreatreat ggameame [Saturda[Saturday].”y].” reallyreally focused on gettinggetting mmyy senior football season that thetheyy offered But in a stellar performance against a top-10 ready for the game this mme.”e.” team, Ingram showed more than just the excite- weekend.”weekend.” However, Saban had recruited Ingram’s ment of ripening potential. The sophomore father, legendary Michigan State wide showed patience, maturity and a strong will to receiverreceiver Mark Ingram Sr., to the Spartans, succeesucceedd againstagainst oddsodds as hehe tore throughthrough thethe andand was confidentconfident thatthat thethe appleapple wouldwould Tech roadblock, fighting and slipping through not fall far from the tree. holes and lanes. Every Having started late in Ingram’s ttimeime tthehe HHokiesokies wwouldould recruitmentrecruitment,, Saban traveled to the make a big pplay,lay, Ingram GrGreateat LakeLakess StatStatee foforr an iin-homen-home had an answer for themthem,, visit with the talented young whether it was catchincatchingg runninrunningg back, and faced bootbootlegs,legs, trucking safeties tthehe tougtoughh task of trying or takintakingg a snap or two at to convince InIngramgram to qquarterbackuarterback in tthehe unveiunveiledled ““WildWild travetravell hhundredsundreds ooff TiTide.”de.” mimilesles frfromom hhisis hhomeome GregGreg McElroy,McElroy, the Tide’s startingstarting quarter- to plaplayy football in backback,, wasn’t tthehe man bebehindhind center for tthehe TuscaTuscaloosa.loosa. Tide’s first pplaylay of the 2009 season. It was NNo.o. IIngramngram wasn’t 2222.. sure, but aafterfter some “We“We startedstarted [insta[installinglling tthehe WiWildcat]ldcat] in fafallll weeks of ddelib-elib- camp,” InIngramgram said. “It was a bibigg surprise ttoo eratioeration,n, made the me…I tthinkhink tthehe TThursdayhursday before tthehe game [w[wee cchoicehoice to decided to run that plaplayy first].” plaplayy for But thethe formation, alongalong withwith most of thethe the Tide offense, was ststagnantagnant for the majoritmajorityy ooff TideTide.. the first half. InIngramgram was contained, swallowed by Hokie ddefensiveefensive pplayers.layers. The first and most imimportantportant ststageage of becom- ing a star is to overcome adversity. AAndnd on

Mark Ingram glides into the endzone after catching a pass against Virginia Tech. CW | Katie Bennett GameDay 2009 • September 11 7

“I think [freshman] year helps you take tremendous LEAVING HIS MARK strides. This year, I’m more calm and more patient, I’m not going to try to force things.” Although Mark Ingram has spent 14 of his 15 career games — Mark Ingram as a backup, he is already on “ pace to break some of Shaun “Like a lot of recruits, I was confused,” Ingram But with tribulation comes growth, and Alexander’s records. said. “You’ve got all these coaches telling you Ingram would overcome his own expectations good stuff, things you want to hear…you have to set a Tide freshman record,” rushing for 12 to go with your heart, go with your instincts.” touchdowns in 2008, half of those coming in the Ingram joined a stellar class of incoming last six games of the season. freshmen, headlined by the likes of Julio Jones, With the experience of an exceptional fresh- Dont’a Hightower, and Mark man season under his belt, Ingram is now ready Barron, and made an immediate impact for the to take the next step and transcend to the role Tide in last season’s opening rout of Clemson, of superstar. tallying 17 rushes for 96 yards en route to a 34-10 “I think that year helps you take tremendous Tide victory. strides,” Ingram said. “This year, I’m more calm Shaun Mark Ingram would continue to see significant and more patient, I’m not going to try to force Alexander Ingram playing time, building up an impressive fresh- things.” man season, but it wasn’t enough for the highly So far, so good. Through the first game of motivated and goal-oriented young man, who his sophomore season, Ingram has totaled 878 Career Projected started to let frustration at his perceived lack of rushing yards on 169 carries for slightly less stats career stats production slow his play on the field. than 5.2 yards per carry. If Ingram averages “I think it’s human nature for all of us,” Saban 1,000 yards per season for the next three sea- Carries: 701 Carries: 631 said. “Mark was ready to play, he just had sons, he will easily surpass ’s some difficulties sustaining that performance all-time rushing yardage record at the Capstone Yards: 3,433 Yards: 3,278 throughout the year.” of 3,433. Average: 4.9 Average: 5.2 “I was just getting frustrated,” Ingram said. But with the talent Tide fans have seen from TDs: 40 TDs: 49 “Not having the success that I thought I should Ingram in the last 15 games, senior year could have had…I was just forcing stuff.” be a big assumption for the budding superstar.

ʣˎˎ˖ˊˇʨ˗ːʵ˖˃˔˖˕ʪˇ˔ˇʜ ʪˑ˗˔˕ʶˊˋ˕ ʵ˃˖˗˔ˆ˃˛ʜ

ʨˇ˔ˉ˗˕ˑːʥˇː˖ˇ˔ ʛʜʕʒ˃ˏʐʗʜʕʒ˒ˏ

ʶ˗˖˙ˋˎˇ˔ʪ˃ˎˎ ʓʓʜʒʒ˃ˏʐʗʜʒʒ˒ˏ

ʤ˔˛˃ː˖ʯ˗˕ˇ˗ˏ ʛʜʒʒ˃ˏʐʘʜʒʒ˒ˏ

ʶˇː˖ˑː˖ˊˇʳ˗˃ˆ ˃ːˆ ʶˇː˖˃˖ʵˑ˅˅ˇ˔ ʨˋˇˎˆʲ˃˔ˍˋːˉ ʓʒʜʒʒ˃ˏʐʗʜʒʒ˒ˏ

supestore.ua.edu The Tide’s victorious tie BY SPENCER WHITE Assistant GameDay Editor

t was supposed to be a fluke. The young men who rep- resented the were not sup- posed to be back in Los Angeles.I The magical gridiron campaign of a season before was just a distant memory, a shining moment in the history of an unre- markable state. The 1926 Alabama Crimson Tide didn’t believe it. Head coach ’s UA Media Relations repeat squad, while not loaded The Tide and Stanford battle at the Rose Bowl. It was Alabamaʼs sec- with the stars of the ’25 team, may ond consecutive trip to the big game. have gone down in Capstone lore as his toughest and most hard- perfect display of the tenacity of invitation to face a Pacific Coast nosed. the ’26 Tide than in a legendary Conference team in the only post- “Gone were , block delivered by Tide receiver season game held , Mack Brown, Bill Herschel Caldwell in a 26-7 vic- at the time, the Rose Bowl. Buckler, Bruce Jones and Pete tory over Mississippi A&M, where No longer were the men from Camp from the 1925 Champions,” a the 160-pound Caldwell leveled an Dixie to be seen as mere bump- UA recap of the season states. “This A&M player 40 pounds heavier kins; the Tide would be unable to 1926 team did not have many play- than himself during a returned sneak up on any team this time, ers whose names were bywards in interception by team captain especially not the 10-0 Stanford gridiron circles, but it did contain Emile Barnes. Years later, Barnes team coached by legendary Glenn a few stars supplemented by some called call the block the hardest he “Pop” Warner, who had stated new men who developed rapidly had ever seen delivered. before the ’25 game that Alabama to become one of the finest of all The defense, while not quite the would be no match for the Huskies Alabama teams…it was a cold, a level of the previous year, was still of Washington. Having misjudged calculating and a relentless out- superlative, as the Tide recorded the Tide once, Warner would not fit.” six shutouts en route to another make the same mistake twice. Lauded for an outstanding phys- undefeated 9-0 regular season. The Tide players had a bit of ical nature, there was no more Once again, the Tide received an motivation themselves. Despite LIVE CLOSE TO CLASS NOW LEASING FOR 2010 UPGRADES: Basketball & sand volleyball court NEW swimming pool furniture Computer lab

Individual leases Fully-furnished apartments Free roommate matching 24-hr emergency maintenance Standup tanning dome 1 Fitness center LLesst thanaann a /2 mile

301 HELEN KELLER BLVD 205.554.1556 CAMPUSWAYUA.COM being the undefeated defend- The 1926 ing Rose Bowl champions, the team goes Dickinson System, designed to through rank teams for the season and practice on award a regular-season national campus. The championship before the Rose squad lost Bowl, rated Alabama the No. 6 seven key team in the nation. Two one-loss members of teams, Michigan and Notre Dame, the 1925 and a two-loss USC team were all Rose Bowl ranked ahead of the Tide, with champs but Stanford holding the top spot. found new The 1927 Rose Bowl was the players to most anticipated in the game’s replace the history. Buildup, press and word- production. of-mouth swelled the Coliseum crowd to more than 68,000 fans, a UA Media Rose Bowl record. Relations Like the Huskies of the previ- ous game, the Stanford Indians, as they were referred to in those days, got off to a quick start, put- ting up a touchdown in the first quarter on a George Bogue touch- down pass to Ed Walker. The 7-0 mark stayed on the board until a mere two minutes remained in the the endzone, placing the Tide an the odds. Despite being outgained truth; these boys from the small fourth quarter, when Stanford’s extra point away from tying the 305 yards to 98, Alabama had stood southern hamlet of Tuscaloosa Frankie Wilson had a fourth-down Indians with less than a minute toe-to-toe with the best team in had escalated the game of football punt deep in his own territory remaining in the game. A quick the nation and proved itself more from a pastime to a passion, and blocked by the Tide, who faced kick for the Tide scored the extra than worthy of the accolades that passion had given life and first-and-10 from the Stanford point, and Alabama left the Rose given to the top gridiron squads hope to an antiquated South that 14-yard line. Bowl with the sweetest tie in pro- in the country. Western football so desperately needed an equal- Within four plays, the Tide’s gram history, 7-7. fans who had doubted before izing standard on a nationwide Jimmy Johnson had plowed into Once again, the Tide had defied could no longer deny one simple level. KEY PLAYERS ALABAMA FIU Greg McElroy, QB Paul McCall, QB

McElroy began the Virginia Tech game McCall gives FIU something that 2-of-12, and it appeared that the Tide’s a small school must have when offense may never pick up. It finally got attempting an upset of this mag- rolling in the second half, and McElroy nitude: experience at the quarter- went 13-of-18 after the poor start. back position. The senior held an Although much of his early struggles impressive 15:9 touchdown to inter- may have been a result of the offensive ception ratio as a junior last sea- line’s inability to protect him, McElroy son, and he will have to play well needs to prove that he can consistently on Saturday if FIU has any chance sustain the type of performance he had in to upend the Tide. the second half of the season opener.

Javier Arenas, CB T.Y. Hilton, H-Back

Arenas will more than likely be the Alabama head coach Nick Saban man who usually matches up with T.Y. said Monday that T.Y. Hilton was Hilton, FIU’s electrifying H-Back. If a better offensive player than any- Arenas got thrown at last week against body the Tide played last week Virginia Tech, it was only an unnotice- against Virginia Tech. The 5-foot-9, able time or two as the senior quietly 168-pound sophomore is explosive shutdown the Hokies. After the special at both the H-Back and returner teams struggled against Virginia Tech, positions, and if Saban’s bold state- Arenas is also likely eager to make a big ment is correct, Alabama will just play on a return in the home opener. hope to keep him contained.

Mark Ingram, RB Scott Bryant, LB

Ingram exploded for 185 total yards and Bryant returns for his senior sea- two touchdowns against a stifling Hokie son as the Panthers top tackler defense last week. If the sophomore can from 2008, and will be the main put together another game like that on man to try to slow down Alabama’s Saturday, his back-to-back spectacular running game. Playing the strong performances would be the next step side linebacker position, the Tide into emerging as a true superstar for the will be running the majority of its Crimson Tide. new Wild Tide formation plays directly at Bryant.

OFFENSIVE STARTERS DEFENSIVE STARTERS OFFENSIVE STARTERS DEFENSIVE STARTERS LT 77 James Carpenter (Jr.) DE 95 (Sr.) LT 51 Ula Matavao (Sr.) DE 91 Armond Willis (Sr.) LG 78 Mike Johnson (Sr.) DT 62 Terrence Cody (Sr.) LG 58 Andy Leavine (Sr.) DT 92 Jonas Murrell (Sr.) C 73 (So.) DE 97 (Sr.) C 76 Brad Serini (Jr.) DT 95 Justin West (Sr.) RG 75 (R-Fr.) JACK 32 (Sr.) RG 70 Mario Caraballo (Jr.) DE 59 Cody Pellicer (So.) RT 79 Drew Davis (Sr.) WILL 30 Dontʼa Hightower (So.) RT 50 Joe Alajajian (Sr.) OLB 44 Scott Bryant (Sr.) TE 84 (Sr.) MIKE 25 Rolando McClain (Jr.) HB 4 T.Y. Hilton (So.) ILB 13 Smith (Jr.) HB 17 Brad Smelley (So.) SAM 13 Cory Reamer (Sr.) QB 12 Paul McCall (Sr.) OLB 34 Winston Fraser (R-Fr.) QB 12 Greg McElroy (Jr.) CB 3 (Jr.) RB 28 Darriet Perry (So.) CB 7 Anthony Gaitor (Jr.) RB 22 Mark Ingram (So.) FS 27 (Sr.) FB 27 John Ellis (Sr.) FS 11 Ashlyn Parker (Jr.) WR 8 Julio Jones (So.) SS 4 (So.) WR 82 Greg Ellingson (Jr.) SS 6 Jeremiah Weatherspoon (Sr.) WR 4 Marquis Maze (So.) CB 28 Javier Arenas (Sr.) WR 2 Junior Mertile (So.) CB 29 Dezariah Johnson (Sr.) SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERS SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERS K 99 (Sr.) K 40 Dustin Rivest (Sr.) P 97 P.J. Fitzgerald (Sr.) P 34 Carlos Munera (R-Fr.) PR 28 Javier Arenas (Sr.) PR 4 T.Y. Hilton (So.) KR 28 Javier Arenas (Sr.) KR 4 T.Y. Hilton (So.) 80 Mike McCoy (Sr.) 7 Anthony Gaitor (Jr.)