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 Rose Bowl, 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. Georgia Tech 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 field goal the next time it • Receiving: Marquis Maze, 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 Brad Smelley makes a • Top Defensive Performer: Lorenzo The third quarter started off well enough leaping touchdown 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 fumble 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 run- 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 Julio Jones 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 cornerback Anthony Gaitor returned verting third downs. • Top Defensive Performer: Anthony an interception 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 Glen Coffee off to the NFL, Mark Ingram is Nick Saban’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 Alabama Crimson Tide running back was continuing training for his rookie GNFL season with the San Francisco 49ers, 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 touchdowns in the Tide’s 34-24 triumph. • All that was left for fans sit- ting in the dome in Atlanta 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 Cory Reamer. “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 1010.. “He had a fantastic sspringpring and a fantastic fall not realreallyly too focused on “I was realreallyly 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 ggettingetting 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- wweekend.”eekend.” 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 rreceivereceiver Mark Ingram Sr., to the Spartans, succeesucceedd againstagainst ooddsdds as hhee tore tthroughhrough thethe anandd was confidentconfident thatthat thethe appleapple wouldwould Tech roadblock, fighting and slipping through not fall far from the tree.