DEL.ICIO.USSaban worried about UGA offense, especially “24”
Alabama can’t wait to get crack at No. 3 Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Nick Saban has a 24-hour Rule. His teams are granted just 24 hours to mull over the last game before turning all attention to the next one.
Last Saturday after Alabama had mauled Arkansas, safety Rashad Johnson called for the repeal the rule in the Crimson Tide locker room. He was ready for the next game now.
Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide hammered Arkansas Saturday, before quickly shifting focus to Georgia.
“I said, let’s fly on out to Georgia,” Johnson said. “The guys have been looking forward to this game for some time now.”
This weekend’s meeting with No. 3 Georgia perhaps has not completely consumed Alabama but it sounded something close to that on Monday. What an overtime loss to the Bulldogs did to the Tide last season and what beating UGA on Saturday would signify have elevated this game beyond a chance meeting in September.
“This is the kind of game you come to the University of Alabama to play in,” Saban said.
“The first game of the season,” running back Glenn Coffee said.
“It’s against a great team,” Johnson said. “For us to go out and be able to dominate these guys the way we’ve dominated some of our other opponents, yeah, it would definitely send a message that Alabama is for real.”
At 4-0, the Tide has risen to No. 8 in the AP poll largely for whipping then-No. 9 Clemson in the season-opener and then demolishing Arkansas 49-14 last weekend. Bama has outscored its opponents 64-0 in the first half and hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters.
Nice numbers. But a fast start isn’t what compelled quarterback John Parker Wilson, during a visit to Athens last spring, take a peek into Sanford Stadium.
“I went to see my brother play baseball (for the Tide) over there,” Wilson said. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait.”
Enjoy the visit?
“Nice campus. Everything’s pretty.”
Remarkably, not since 1976 have Georgia and Alabama met when both schools were ranked in the Top 10. (Georgia 21, Tide 0 in Athens). Saban has already seen enough UGA game film to worry him.
“You plan eight-man front to stop the run, you take the risk of getting the ball thrown over you head,” Saban said. “You play a seven-man front to play split safeties against the receivers, then 24 (Knowshon Moreno) is running all over park on you.
“You got to mix up what you do, you have to disguise it and your players have to be very well prepared for what to expect.”
If Georgia’s 26-23 victory last season did not derail Alabama’s year, it did something close. Georgia blew a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead and even after Alabama tied it up, Georgia’s Brandon Coutou missed a 47-yard field goal attempt at the horn.
Alabama took the 23-20 lead in the first overtime possession and in one more snap it was over, Matthew Stafford hitting Mikey Henderson in the left corner of the end zone. Coverage by Alabama’s Lionel Mitchell was almost perfect.
“I remember feeling bad,” tackle Andre Smith said, shaking his head.
“It didn’t help us out, for sure,” linebacker Cory Reamer said. “It’s hard to bounce back from a game like that, especially after how well we played.”
The Tide fell to Florida State the following week but despite a 24-point win over Tennessee three weeks later, the season fell apart n November, with consecutive losses to LSU, Mississippi State, Louisiana-Monroe and, alas, Auburn. The loss to Georgia, it turned out, had been a harbinger.
“I can’t really say we should have won that game last year,” center Antoine Cardwell said. “They left a lot of plays out on the field, just like we did. We kind of put that behind us. We’ve looked forward making sure that when we get the opportunity this weekend, that we cash in.”
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