Browsing: / Home
Shortlink

What Alabama has to do to beat Florida

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

Brett Hudson – Bleacher Report

In Alabama’s first road conference of game of the season, Will Muschamp will be looking to derail the Crimson Tide’s national championship hopes while in search of a signature win in his first year as Florida’s head coach. The last few installments of the Florida-Alabama series have been hinged on Florida’s offense vs. Alabama’s defense. However, now that the battle is more balanced, every possession will matter in what will be the fourth straight year these two teams have played each other- two consecutive times in the SEC Championship game and in the regular season last year. The Tide is 2-1 in those three games. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Shaun Alexander on Alabama: ‘This team has got something special’

By Mark McCarter - The Huntsville Times on September 27, 2011 in

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – He had just seen Trent Richardson run for 126 yards, and pick up a touchdown on a 61-yard screen play. He saw Richardson's backup Eddie Lacy chip in another 61 yards and a touchdown. The next day, he could see Mark Ingram score the decisive touchdown for the New Orleans Saints. “You know, its hard to get a (great running back),” said the man in a corridor underneath the Bryant-Denny stands, fighting back a grin. “Gosh, I run by Johnny Musso and Bobby Humphrey and they're like, 'Do you think they'll ever be another good one here?' “Maybe,” the man said, tongue planted even more deeply in cheek, “if we pray hard enough, something will happen. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Florida Gators’ Reed, Debose to be ready for Alabama game

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

Matt Watts – Miami Herald

GAINESVILLE – After missing the game against Kentucky, tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver Andre Debose would be ready for Saturday’s game against Alabama, coach Will Muschamp said Monday. Reed has been out with what Muschamp called a “lower body” injury, and his return to the lineup should help the Gators offense. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Texas A&M to begin play in SEC in 2012-13

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

Associate Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – SEC Commissioner Mike Slive welcomed Texas A&M as the 13th member of the league Monday and said he doesn't expect to add another team before the Aggies begin play next season. The SEC announced Sunday that Texas A&M would leave the Big 12 to join the conference next July and will compete in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year. The Aggies are the first newcomers since South Carolina and Arkansas joined in 1992. In an event complete with Texas A&M's band, yell leaders, collie mascot Reveille and hundreds of fans, the Aggies ushered in a new era with a pep rally-type celebration. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Mosley’s injury a concern for Tide

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

Michael Casagrande – Prattville Progress

TUSCALOOSA – Seated on the training table, hood up on the sweatshirt, C.J. Mosley's head was down late Saturday afternoon. The Alabama linebacker had long since changed out of his jersey. The pain in his elbow was to blame. His status for Saturday's trip to Florida remains in doubt as the third-ranked Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC) recovers from a bruising Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. A handful of Alabama players sought treatment in the locker room during the 38-14 beating of then-No. 14 Arkansas. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Saban On Facing Former Assistant

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

O.P. Galt IV, Crimson White

Saban will see a familiar face wearing a headset across the field on Saturday when the Crimson Tide team faces Florida head coach Will Muschamp and his Gators in “The Swamp.” Coach Muschamp joined Coach Saban’s staff at LSU in 2001 as a linebacker coach and rose to defensive coordinator for the 2002 season, where he remained until the end of the 2004 season. He left LSU to be the defensive coordinator for Coach Saban’s Miami Dolphins for the 2005 season, his only season with the Dolphins, and returned to the college game in 2006 and has since coached at the college level. “Will is a good coach because he is a great teacher,” Saban said. “He is a really hard worker. He’s got about as much passion and enthusiasm as anybody that you are ever going to be around and he relates well with the players. I think the players sort of feed off of his passion and enthusiasm in terms of the way he coaches and what he does. He believes in the fundamentals – discipline, hard work, commitment – those types of things that I think are sort of fundamental to being successful.” [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Crimson Tide begins preparations for Gators in “The Swamp”

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 27, 2011 in

O.P. Galt IV – The Crimson White

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team began practice this week in preparation for Saturday’s game in “The Swamp” against the Florida Gators. With all of the speed Florida presents, head coach Nick Saban spoke about the importance of players making sure they focus on making themselves better and having consistency in the way they play. “I think the focus for the players should be, ‘what can I do to be a better player,” Saban said, “and what do I need to do to help myself be a more consistent player, play smarter, as well as make my unit more effective by more consistency’ and everybody doing their job together so that we don’t have any negative plays, bad plays, missed assignments, things that we control.” [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Demps, Rainey limited in practice; Reed, Debose will return

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Greg Luca – The Independent Florida Alligator

Coach Will Muschamp is doing everything he can to keep Florida’s two most important playmakers healthy. The senior running back duo of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps has combined for 1,015 yards from scrimmage this season and has, at times, carried an offense that struggled to generate a downfield passing attack. Rainey leads the team with 74 touches through four games, while Demps is second with 43. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Trent Richardson one of UF’s top concerns

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Jeff Barlis – GatorSports.com

If the statistics bear out, don't expect a long game with a lot of clock stoppages this Saturday. Florida and Alabama are first and second in the Southeastern Conference in rushing offense, averaging 259 yards and 230.8 yards, respectively. At the top of the Gators' list of concerns for Saturday night's game is Crimson Tide tailback Trent Richardson. “He's very talented,” Florida linebacker Jelani Jenkins said Monday. “He can beat you with speed. He can also beat you with power. He has really, really good field vision. So we're going to have to really gameplan against him.” [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

After taking a shot, John Brantley gets another shot against Alabama on Saturday

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Michael DiRocco – Florida Times Union

GAINESVILLE – Florida quarterback John Brantley said his ribs are a little tender but he's otherwise in perfect health for Saturday's showdown with third-ranked Alabama. That's encouraging news for the 12th-ranked Gators, because facing one of the nation's top defenses with Brantley at less than full strength would give them almost no chance of upsetting the Crimson Tide. “That happens. That's football,” Brantley said of the shot he took to the left side of his body late in the first half of UF's 48-10 victory over Kentucky last Saturday. “Just a little sore. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

One down, one to go: Who’s the lucky No. 14 in SEC expansion?

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Matt Hinton – Rivals

No, you weren't hallucinating*: At last, Texas A&M is officially joining the SEC, swelling its ranks to 13 members next year. The Aggies held a “Kick-off Celebration” tonight in College Station to ring in the occasion. They're all the way in. When they wake up tomorrow, they're going to start working with the SEC on the logistics of running a 13-team conference, and one thing is going to become abundantly clear: They're going to need to get to 14 teams, pronto, before the schedule-makers come down with vertigo. By my count, there are roughly a dozen plausible candidates whose applications wouldn't immediately find their way into the bottom of the birdcage in commissioner Mike Slive's office. They are, in no particular order: [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Tide Defense Is Backing Up The Hype

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

The Orlando Sentinel

The Crimson Tide defense has been relentless. The No. 1 criticism is lack of sacks, but they do exactly what Saban wants and that’s affecting the quarterback by disrupting rhythm. The Tide has five sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four games. The group is led by linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, and defensive back Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick. They are quick, smart and well-coached to be in the right place at the right time. Alabama held Arkansas to 17 yards rushing – a program low for the Razorbacks – and just 197 yard passing for an offense that was supposed to be a top-fuel racing machine. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Nick Saban press conference previewing Alabama at Florida (video)

By Izzy Gould - Tuscaloosa Bureau on September 26, 2011 in ,

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Nick Saban spoke with the media Monday to preview Alabama's game at Florida.The third-ranked Crimson Tide will visit the 12th-ranked Gators at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Florida Field.

[Source]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

With conservative attack, Tide still has home run power

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Michael Casagrande – Decatur Daily

TUSCALOOSA – Conservative and explosive don’t often share a sentence concerning college football. The exception to conventional wisdom, however, resides in Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s offense has dialed it back through four games – two against ranked opponents – while not sacrificing the home run. Now the contrasting principles have bled into other phases of the game. The Crimson Tide defense only truly blitzed once in a 38-14 pounding of then-No. 14 Arkansas, yet Razorback quarterback Tyler Wilson was limping like Brett Favre by the fourth quarter. [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter
Shortlink

Richardson Honored As Player Of The Week

By Ample Alfred Pachyderm on September 26, 2011 in

Ken Rogers – Dothan Eagle

TUSCALOOSA – Alabama running back Trent Richardson was recognized as the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the week after his performance against Arkansas. Richardson gained 126 yards on 17 carries – his third straight 100-yard game – and caught three passes for 85 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown on a screen pass. That was his ninth touchdown of the season. He ranks fifth in the nation in scoring. “I missed a couple of my reads last week, left a lot of yards on the field,” Richardson said before practice. “I know I could have done better. In my head, 126-yard game, that’s a good game, but I know I can do better.” Linebacker Dont’a Hightower was a bit more impressed. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Trent’s arguably one of the best running backs in the country right now,” Hightower said. “I feel like these last couple games, his numbers are improving dramatically. “He’s a real good running back. When times come up, he’s always making a play. He’s always there for his teammates and things like that. I’m in it with Trent.” [Read More]

Mixx Delicious Digg Facebook Twitter