San Jose State Grades

He is a man of many parts.

No one has served  Tide athletics longer than his 42 years.  No one active in college football has been a part of more national championships than his 8, earned as a player, coach and chief executive.  Only one other University official, Dr. Denny, has hired as many head football coaches as his 4.  And few people have been the target of so much caustic criticism from pundits and fans as he has been.   But through it all, the good times and the bad, Mal Moore has persevered to become one of the legendary personalities of Alabama football.

And last night, shortly before the 2010 Crimson Tide charged onto the field, his image appeared on four enormous HD plasma screens welcoming the largest gathering of spectators ever to watch a game in the state of Alabama, to the newly renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium.  This monument to one of the greatest programs in college football bears the names of two of the most important figures in Alabama sports history.  But posterity will record that it was Mal Moore who shepherded the transformation of BDS into what is undeniably the sport’s greatest venue.

Coach Moore’s image was replaced by what has become the familiar line-up of jersey numbers corresponding to the Tide’s records of bowl appearances, bowl victories, SEC titles and national championships.  This gave way to a live feed from the home dressing room tunnel as Coach Nick Saban led the team onto the field. 

Where can the Alabama football program go from here?  What can its players and coaches accomplish that will match the grandeur of the house that Mal has built?  No program in the modern era has ever captured three consecutive national championships.  No coach in Div I-A has ever been able to achieve this trifecta.  If ever there was a man and a moment coming together, this is the time, and Nick Saban is the man.  Nothing could establish Mal Moore’s place in the pantheon of Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Paul Bryant, Gene Stallings, George Denny and, yes, Robert Witt, than for the last coach he hired to achieve what none before him has done, and to do it in a stadium as spectacular as the new Bryant-Denny.

A team can’t win three consecutive national crowns if it doesn’t first win two.  And last night, the 2010 season began as it must if Alabama is going to achieve what no other program has.  Alabama, favored by 39 points, beat San Jose State the way it had to.  Several question marks were replaced with exclamation points.  And spectators were treated to a display of what this team can do, as well as a preview of what is in store in 2011.              

 Here’s how I grade the game:

Offense:        B+       Quality of opposition requires a one grade reduction.  No defending SEC, BCS and NCAA Champion can earn an A playing the San Jose State’s of the world.  That said, the Tide offense is potent and explosive.  GMac threw the ball further and more accurately than in any game last year.  His first 6 passes were all complete and in the first quarter he completed 8 of 9 including a 48 yard TD to Marquis Maze. In the first quarter his only incompletion was a drop by a wide-open Julio Jones who started to run before he caught the ball.  Jones more than made up for this miscue with a spectacular one-handed TD catch in the second period, a reception that gave A.J. McCarron his first collegiate touchdown pass.  On the night, GMac completed 13 of 16 for 218 and a TD.  His longest pass was the 48 yarder to Maze.  He was sacked once.  A.J. added 9 completions on 14 attempts with the TD to Jones.  His longest was 34.  Trent Richardson had 146 all purpose yards [66 rushing 46 receiving and 34 in returns].  Eddie Lacey had 114 all purpose yards [111 rushing on 13 carries and 3 yards receiving].  Julio caught 6 passes for 93 yards and a TD to lead all receivers.  Maze had 3 receptions for 68 yards and Hanks added 66 yards on 3 catches.  

Alabama had 8 drives of 40 or more yards [71, 77, 54, 40, 49, 92, 67 and 55] each concluding with a score [6 TDs and 2 FGs].  Bama’s first 5 possessions resulted in 4 TDs and a fumble at the SJS goal line.  The fumble was forced by a fortuitous helmet his on the ball; however, on Friday, Nick told a luncheon gathering that while Eddie Lacey has all the size, speed, and quickness to be a great running back, Nick was interested in seeing whether Lacey would be able to hold onto the ball in game situations.  Published reports suggest that ball security was an item of emphasis at half-time.

Defense:         C+      In Friday’s Q&A session, Coach Saban was doing his best to dampen expectations about the defense.  It is no secret that the Tide has to find replacements for departed impact players and it was obvious on the SJS opening drive that there is room for the young stop-troops, especially in the secondary, to mature.  The Spartans had the greatest success, and only points, on their opening drive.  And although the D pitched a shutout for the rest of the game, there were plenty of times that SJS had receivers open in gaps in the coverage.  Rest assured, if you and I could see those gaps, Coach Saban and the staff can see them as well. 

True Freshman linebacker, C.J. Mosley [6-2, 225, Theodore] led all defenders with 7 tackles [3 solo] and broke up 3 passes in the bargain.  Junior LB, Chris Jordon [6-3, 234, Brentwood, TN] added 6 tackles [2 solo] and Juco Transfer DB, DeQuan Menzie, had 5 tackles [3 solo]. Soph. DB, Robert Lester [6-0, 206, Foley] had the Tide’s only takeaway, an interception returned 15 yards.  Lester also had a 9 yard sack of the Spartans QB and broke up a pass.  In total, the Tide broke up 6 passes, hurried the SJS QB once and twice tackled Spartans for lost yardage.

Special Teams:

Kicking:             A          Special Teams were a question on everyone’s mind going into the season opener, and with good reason.  Alabama lost its punter, place kicker, snapper and return specialist to graduation, and the performance of the newbies in the A Day Game provided no sense of comfort.  The kicking game has obviously been an area of coaching emphasis and the performance against SJS proved it.  In this category, there is no automatic grade reduction based on quality of opposition, because whether you are kicking against an SEC opponent or air, it’s still 70 yards from your 30 to the opponent’s goal line.   True Freshman Cade Foster kicked off 8 times for an average of 67 yards and found the end zone 5 times, a feat that caused Our Correspondents From The Real Thing and From The State Capital as much unbridled joy as Julio’s one-handed circus catch.  Kick coverage was also very good.  It’s amazing how much better a kick that his high and deep can be covered.

Punting:             A            Cody Mandell averaged 40.7 yards on three punts, and had 2 punts in excess of 50 yards.  His average was adversely affected by an attempt to kick into the corner that went out of bounds after only 18 yards in the air.  Snaps were a little high and to the right all night, but he managed to get the ball off without encountering any pressure.  Whether that will be the case against SEC defenses remains to be seen.  Punt returning is a job where we still have the “Help Wanted” sign out.  Darius Hanks probably hopes that he does not get the assignment, especially if the kind of blistering coaching he got in the second quarter come with it.

Place Kicking:    A            Foster was good on each PAT and on both attempted FGs [41, 24].  His kicks wouldn’t win any prizes for style but each one went between the uprights and over the cross bar.

Coaching:            B+          Alabama did what it needed to do.   It played lots of players [63] including the 4^th running back, and 5^th receiver.  It beat an inferior team by a wide margin in a game where the outcome was never in doubt.  If you don’t think that’s important, think how folks in Oxford, Mississippi are feeling right about now.  Coach Saban said that mistakes would be made in this game, and there were.  The challenge, he said, was to make sure that these mistakes were stepping stones and not stumbling blocks.

This coming Saturday, Alabama renews a rivalry with one of the most respected programs in the game.  Nearly every game that Alabama and Penn State play against each other is a classic.  This coming Saturday may be no different.  We will be without the services of Mark Ingram and Marcel Darius, but if the saying holds true, that a football team makes its greatest improvement between the first and second games of the season, then, based on what we saw yesterday, the Nitney Lions had better bring their A-game.  They will need it if they hope to stop the Alabama offense.  PSU may have some success moving the ball and scoring points.  But a true freshman playing only his second collegiate game is not going to be able consistently to take advantage of youthful defensive mistakes, especially after Saban has a week to work on those stepping stones.

The Commissioner

BCS CG Grades

It didn’t come easy.  None of it came easy.  Not the game, not the championships, not the undefeated season, not the individual awards, none of it. 

It didn’t happen by accident.  It wasn’t a gift.  It didn’t happen because it was just Alabama’s turn.

Alabama stands atop the college football world today because it worked for it, planned for it, fought for it, and refused to yield to everyone else who was also planning, and working and fighting.

And when I say that “Alabama” is the reigning champion of college football, I’m not limiting that name to just the players and coaches.  And neither is Nick Saban.  In every post-game comment Coach Saban has made, from the very first interview with the ABC sideline reporter, while his shirt was freshly stained pink with Gatoraid, to Friday’s formal press conference, Nick made the point that the achievement of this team was the work of thousands.  Yes, only players get to compete each game.  But what does it take to recruit the right players? To coach them up?  To teach them how to succeed in sports as well as in life?  Nick always started by thanking Dr. Witt,  whose successful efforts to improve the national exposure and reputation of the University makes it easier to recruit.  (For my money, Robert Witt is the most influential and successful president of the University of Alabama since George H. Denny.)   He always thanks Mal Moore, and he credits Moore for having the foresight and drive to improve the athletic facilities even at a time when the program was struggling.  (Mal has been the target of lots of criticism-some of it well deserved-but is there any campus in America with a better physical plant from practice field to stadium?)  Saban credits the players, the trainers, the coaches and the staff.  But he never missed the chance to say that a major component of the program’s success is attributable to its fan base.  He said in his 30 year career as a coach, he has never been any place where 92,000 people would see the spring game while 10,000 more couldn’t get in the stadium.  For Nick Saban, that is a tangible index of the passion and energy that fuels the efforts of players, coaches, administrators, and staff.

Winning this game did not come easy.  It was the culmination of a season’s effort, to be sure, but it was also the result of The Process.  In many ways, the dramatic arch of the game is an analogue for the path the program has taken from the day Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa 36 months ago.   Texas proved to be a worthy opponent.  The Longhorns performance against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game was no indicator of how good Texas is.   And with its initial possessions of the game, Alabama did not seem to be the same team that had dominated the defending national champions in the SEC title game.   But the offense found its footing-literally-as Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson shredded a Texas defense that was the nation’s best against the run.  The defense was relentless in the pressure it brought at the point of attack and at intermission, Alabama was up by three scores.  Excellent coaching by the Texas staff, great senior leadership by Jordan Shipley and amazing competitive resilience by a talented freshman quarterback, combined in the second half to pull the Horns within a field goal of erasing an 18 point half-time deficit. 

The arrival of the fourth quarter, however, brought Alabama’s superior conditioning and competitive effort into the mix.  Over the last 6:15 of the game, Texas possessed the ball for only 42 seconds while Alabama forced three turnovers and scored 13 unanswered points. 

Here’s how I grade the game:

Readers of this space know that I take into account the quality of opposition and the significance of achievement when assigning letter grades.  What other letter grade than an “A” is fitting for the most important game of the season, played in the most storied arena of the sport, against an opponent the Tide had not defeated in 7 previous tries?  Consequently, I will dispense with letter grades for this game, and simply use a system of plus and minus, except, for one particular category at the end.

Offense:              +             Alabama’s ability to run the football was the difference maker in this game.   Mark Ingram disproved the existence of any “Heisman Jinx” by rushing for 116 yards on 22 carries.  Mark added 12 yards on 2 receptions and was never tackled for a loss of yardage.  Trent Richardson gained a net of 109 yards on 19 rushing attempts including a stellar 49 yard streak down the middle of the field for a touchdown.  With 3:02 to play in the fourth quarter, leading by 3 points, Alabama had the ball, first and goal from the Texas 3 yard line.  We ran the same play three times in a row.  GMac described it in the locker room as “the most basic play in football, every team runs it, we call it ‘Gut’ “.   I call it “the road-grader”.  Terrence Cody lines up at full-back and leads the tail-back into the hole between the guard and tackle.  Mark Ingram gained a yard each time.  Before the third down play, Texas took a time out.  Were they wondering who was going to get the ball?  More likely, the defense was drawing straws to see who was going to have to meet Cody in the hole.

GMac had a tough day trying to throw the ball.   The official stats account for 11 passing attempts by GMac of which he completed 6 for 58 yards.   Julio Jones caught only one pass, good for 23 yards and a much-needed first down.  Marquis Maze was the only other wide receiver to catch a pass and his one catch was good for a mere 4 yards.  Richardson gained 19 yards on two receptions.  GMac was sacked 5 times.  On TV it was hard to tell exactly what GMac was seeing down field.   It seemed that he was holding onto the ball too long, but the coverage achieved by the Texas DBs on Alabama’s receivers may have simply been too good.  To his credit, GMac had no turnovers.

Alabama had three drives that gained more than 40 yards [57, 49, 60].  They resulted in two TDs and a missed field goal.  Bama possessed the ball for a combined 33:39 including 9:30 in the second quarter and 9:16 in the fourth.

The fake punt on Alabama’s first possession provoked a great deal of debate at my house.  Yes it was high-risk, and yes it was uncharacteristic.  But Dre Kirkpatrick was open behind the defense and if Fitz had gotten the ball to him there was nothing but grass between Kirkpatrick and the Texas goal line.  We didn’t execute the play.  Consequently, Texas started the game with great field position.  I suppose the Alabama coaching staff was confident that the defense would rise to every challenge.

Defense:             +++        Did they ever!  The stop-troops held Texas to consecutive field goals when the Horns started possessions deep in Bama territory.   Although Marcel Dareus was named Defensive MVP, and his TD-scoring interception return was awesome to behold, my pick for defensive honors goes to Eryk Anders.  Anders was credited with 7 tackles [6 solo, 2 for loss of 16 yards], a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. 

Roland McClain, playing perhaps his last game for Alabama, made 4 tackles [2 for loss] and broke up a pass.  Mark Barron and Robby Green each made 6 tackles.  Javier was credited with 5 tackles, 2 interceptions and a break up.

From the 8:04 mark in the first quarter, until the 1:28 in the third, Texas had 10 offensive possessions; 7 ended in punts, 2 ended in interceptions [one of which was returned for a score by Dareus], and the Horns ran 41 plays.  The last three Texas possessions each ended with a turnover [1 fumble, 2 int.] and Texas only ran 5 plays.                

Special Teams:

Punting:               ++           I’m not grading the faked punt as a special teams play.  Fitz averaged over 37 yards per punt and dropped 3 inside the 20.  Five punts were fair caught, and Texas had zero return yards on punts.  Texas did everything imaginable to limit Javier’s opportunities to return punts, but he nevertheless managed to gain 19 yards on 3 punt returns [long of 12].

Place Kicking:     -             Leigh Tiffin made 1 FG from 26, and  missed from 52.  He also missed his last PAT attempt as an Alabama player.

Kick offs:              - - -         Have we ever had a more absurd performance in the kick return game than we did last Thursday night?  The official drive chart shows that Texas ended one possession with a field goal, and began its next possession with a kick-off, with no score by Alabama in between. Julio Jones had a brain-cramp on the play and instead of fielding the pooch kick, he let the live ball bounce in front of him.  A Texas player blocked Jones to the ground while others covered the ball.  Later in the game, Texas recovered a fumble attributed to Brad Smelly who failed to handle the ball when a squib kick hit him.   Tiffin did a decent job kicking off, and the coverage team did a very good job containing an excellent Texas return specialist.

Coaching:            ++           Thirty two days is a long time to wait between HUGE championship games.  Nick Saban and his staff made excellent use of the time and brought Alabama into the game ready to play.  The Tide was penalized 5 times for 38 yards compared to Texas which was flagged 8 times  for 77 yards. 

The Process:      A+          Who can doubt that Alabama and Nick Saban are a perfect match?  In only 36 months Saban has brought the Tide back from disgrace, and dysfunction, to its rightful place as first-among-equals in the elite of college football.  When Mike Shula’s team beat Florida five seasons ago, Sports Illustrated had Alabama on the cover with the declaration “Bama Is Back”.  It turned out to be a false dawn.  This time, there is no doubt.

Saban was asked on Friday about the prospect of repeating as BCS Champions in 2010.  His reply was very interesting.  Naturally, he pointed out the obvious: the Tide will sustain significant attrition in its marvelously good defense.  But then he said something that struck me.  Of the 60 players who routinely see action, the “bottom 40” are more important to success on the field than the “top 20”.   Yes, we will have GMac and Ingram, Richardson and Jones on offense, with Dareus and Barron, Hightower and Chapman on defense.  But we will need to find replacements not just for the Terence Cody’s and Brandon Deaderick’s of the team.  We will have to find the next Cory Reamer, Eryk Anders, Javier Arenas, Leigh Tiffin, P. J. Fitzgerald, and Brian Selman.

It won’t come easy.  None of it will.  It won’t come by accident and it won’t be a gift.

Saban has already started to work on it. 

Mal Moore has said that Nick’s statute is going up along the Walk of Champions.   The year “2009” will be carved into the stone balustrade.  Mal better tell the stone carvers to leave room for more.

The Commissioner