gameday 10.01.09
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Gameday 10.01.09, The Crimson WhiteTRANSCRIPT
GAMEDAYGAMEDAY '09'09ALABAMA (4-0, 1-0)ALABAMA (4-0, 1-0) vs. KENTUCKY (2-1, 0-1) vs. KENTUCKY (2-1, 0-1) 10.03.09 10.03.09 TIME:TIME: 11:21 a.m. TV: CW2111:21 a.m. TV: CW21
With Dont’a Hightower out With Dont’a Hightower out for the remainder of the for the remainder of the season, the Crimson Tide season, the Crimson Tide must call on others to fill must call on others to fill
the void at linebacker.the void at linebacker.
Now Now what?what?
• Etched in stone: 1941 • Buy or Sell• Etched in stone: 1941 • Buy or SellAlso inside:Also inside:
2009 Schedule2009 Schedule
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
Date Opponent Location GameDay Date Opponent Location GameDay Publish DatePublish Date
Date Opponent Result Date Opponent Result
9/05/09 Virginia Tech W 34-24
9/12/09 Florida International W 40-14
9/19/09 North Texas W 53-7
9/26/09 Arkansas W 35-7
GameDay 2009 • October 1 1ON THE INSIDE
GAMEDAY STAFF• Jason Galloway, GameDay editor• Spencer White, GameDay assistant editor• Amanda Peterson, editor-in-chief• Will Nevin, managing editor• Brandee Easter, design editor• Emily Johnson, assistant design editor• Aaron Gertler, graphics editor• Jerrod Seaton, photo editor• Bethany Martin, photographer
Statof the
weekAlabama has averaged 138.42 more yards per game on the ground than Kentucky. The powerful Crimson Tide rushing attack will face the 105th-ranked run defense in the nation this week.
3 | PLAYSTATION SIMULATIONIn the PlayStation 3 simulation of Saturday’s matchup against the Wildcats, a late touchdown secured a Tide victory over Kentucky.By Will Nevin
8 | BUY OR SELLThis week, we take a look at the national title hopes of a non-BCS contender and the Heisman chanc-es of a certain Texas quarterback.
CW | Bethany MartinCW | Bethany Martin
Cover photo: Bethany Martin
By Jason Galloway
13 | POSITION MATCHUPSWith the Wildcats a heavy under-dog to the Crimson Tide, are there any matchup for Kentucky to exploit against No. 3 Alabama?
GAME INFORMATION• Field: Commonwealth Stadium• Place: Lexington, Ky.• Time: 11:21 p.m.• TV: SEC Network• Radio: 1420 AM (Eli Gold, play-by-play; Phil Savage, color analyst; Barry Krauss, sideline reporter)
Alabama Crimson
Tide (4-0)vs.
Kentucky Wildcats
(2-1)
9 | ETCHED IN STONEThe 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide is one of the more interesting of the Capstone’s championship squads, the champions who lost two games.By Spencer White
4 | NOW WHAT?4 | NOW WHAT?Alabama finds itself in a tough but manageable situation Alabama finds itself in a tough but manageable situation
with Dont’a Hightower’s season-ending injury.with Dont’a Hightower’s season-ending injury.
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Game Day Dresses & Fall Must-Haves!
2 October 1 • GameDay 2009
CW PICKS | WEEK 5
thestudentSECTION
Ben LogginsSophomoreSports and exercise science
““Hail Saban! Weʼre gonna lay the smack down on the Wildcats.”
Derek SingleySeniorMarketing
“Judging by Kentuckyʼs performance this past week-end, weʼre go-ing to spank them.”
Dorothy RobinsonSeniorSpanish
“We will do very well this weekend despite injuries from last game.“
Alison PewittJuniorPsychology
“Weʼre going to win. What more is there to say?”
UA students talk about their expectations for the upcoming Crimson Tide game.
AP POLL1. Florida (55)
2. Texas (1)
3. Alabama (4)
4. LSU
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. USC
8. Oklahoma
9. Ohio State
10. Cincinnati
11. TCU
12. Houston
13. Iowa
14. Oklahoma State
15. Penn State
16. Oregon
17. Miami
18t. Kansas
18t. Georgia
20. BYU
21. Mississippi
22. Michigan
23. Nebraska
24. California
25. Georgia Tech
COACHESʼ POLL1. Florida (58)
2. Texas (1)
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. USC
8. Oklahoma
9. Ohio State
10. TCU
11. Cincinnati
12. Oklahoma State
13. Penn State
14. Georgia
15. Houston
16. Kansas
17. Iowa
18. Mississippi
19. California
20. Michigan
21t. Miami
21t. BYU
23. Missouri
24. Nebraska
25. Oregon
#3 Bama at Kentucky
#8 Oklahoma at #17 Miami
#7 USC at #24 California
#4 LSU at #18 Georgia
Washington at Notre Dame
Auburn at Tennessee
#22 Michigan at Michigan St.
Season record
Jason GallowayGameDay editor
Spencer WhiteAsst. GameDay editor
Cyrus NtakirutinkaSenior sports reporter
Aaron GertlerGraphics editor
Amanda PetersonCW editor
Will NevinCW managing editor
Drew GunnAdvertising manager
16-12 17-11 17-11 14-14 17-11 18-10 18-10
CW | Jerrod Seaton
PICKS, POLLS AND PERSPECTIVE
Brandon CarrSeniorCommunication studies
“Coach Saban will have the team ready.”
Shenique Monique MiltonGraduate studentEducation
“The Tide over the ʻCats by 24.”
GameDay 2009 • October 1 3PS3 SIMULATION
• Passing: Mike Hartline, 13-of-17, 104 yds, 2 TD
• Rushing: Derrick Locke, 25 rushes, 113 yds, kickoff return TD
• Receiving: Randall Cobb, 3 recep-tions, 41 yds, 1TD
• Top Defensive Performer: Calvin Harrison, 7 tackles, 1 Int
Kentucky
PS3 SAYS | ALABAMA 34, KENTUCKY 25 SIMULATION STATISTICS
Alabama• Passing: Greg McElroy, 10-of-19, 205 yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int
• Rushing: Mark Ingram, 19 rushes, 172 yds, 2 TD
• Receiving: Marquis Maze, 4 catches, 94 yds, 1 TD
• Top Defensive Performer: Ter-rence Cody, 5 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack
BY WILL NEVINManaging Editor
For the Kentucky Wildcats, victory against the Crimson Tide at Commonwealth Stadium comes only once in a generation. The latest loss to Alabama is going to sting for years to come as the Tide overcame a slow start on offense, a cou-ple of costly turnovers and a disastrously-timed mistake on special teams to beat the Wildcats 34-25. Kentucky opened the scoring in the first quar-ter with a 47-yard field goal from Lones Seiber. The Tide answered with its own long-distance field goal in the second quarter as Leigh Tiffin connected from 52 yards. Kentucky then went up by a touchdown as junior quarterback Mike Hartline found wide receiver Gene McCaskill for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Tide, down 10-3, maneuvered into field goal range at the end of the half, but a false start penalty made an attempt unadvisable. The third quarter belonged to the Tide, as Alabama put up 17 unanswered points. Julio Jones took a short pass from Greg McElroy and bulldozed 42 yards into the endzone. Tiffin added a 21-yard field goal, and McElroy found a wide open Marquis Maze for a 67-yard touch-down pass to put the Tide up 20-10. In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats drew to within a field goal on a Randall Cobb touchdown
NCAA 2010 screenshotCory Reamer celebrates after the Crimson Tide stopped a game-tying two-point conversion attempt against Kentucky.
catch. The boys in blue would add two more points on a McElroy sack in the endzone for a safety. Down 20-19, the Wildcats were wide right by a few feet on a field goal attempt that would have given them the lead. Following a Mark Ingram touchdown, the ‘Cats threatened to tie the game on a two-point conversion, as Alabama gave up yet another touchdown on a kickoff. The attempt, however, came up short as Kentucky running back Derrick Locke was stopped a few inches short of the goal line. Ingram added another score to put the Tide up 34-25 and end the game. With the win, Alabama improves to 4-1 (2-0) on the simulated season.
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Picking upPicking upTHE SLACKTHE SLACK
After Dont’a Hightower’s injury Saturday, the Alabama front seven didn’t After Dont’a Hightower’s injury Saturday, the Alabama front seven didn’t miss a beat, shutting down a high-powered Arkansas offense. Now that miss a beat, shutting down a high-powered Arkansas offense. Now that Hightower is gone for the season, other Tide linebackers will be forced to Hightower is gone for the season, other Tide linebackers will be forced to step up in his place and preserve one of the nation’s most dominant units.step up in his place and preserve one of the nation’s most dominant units.
BY JASON GALLOWAYBY JASON GALLOWAYGameDay EditorGameDay Editor
CW |Jerrod SeatonCW |Jerrod SeatonLinebackers Rolando McClain, Eryk Anders and Cory Reamer prepare to defend Arkansasʼs Linebackers Rolando McClain, Eryk Anders and Cory Reamer prepare to defend Arkansasʼs offense. The three will need to step up with Dontʼa Hightower out for the season.offense. The three will need to step up with Dontʼa Hightower out for the season.
6 October 1 • GameDay 2009
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AAfew years ago, this would have been devastating. If a linebacker as big, as talented and as domi-nant as Dont’a
Hightower departed from the Alabama defense for the remain-der of the season, the drop off would have been too steep to recover from. Then again, a few years ago, the Crimson Tide wasn’t known for producing many linebackers like Hightower. If his absence from the last three quarters of Saturday’s game proved any-thing, it was that Alabama hard-ly even needs the sophomore superstar. “Dont’a’s a hard player to replace,” said senior linebacker Eryk Anders, “but at the same time, we have players who can play.” Arkansas had not gone a sin-gle game without pasting more than 40 points on the scoreboard entering Saturday, and a Tide defense without Hightower gave up just seven. Arkansas sopho-more quarterback Ryan Mallett, who bolted into the status of the nation’s most efficient quarter-back by erupting for 408 yards and five touchdowns the week before, spent the entire game
avoiding the Hightower-less, but still ruthless, Alabama pass rush in a 12-of-35 performance for just 160 yards with one touchdown and an interception. “A couple years ago, I don’t know if we would have been able to do that,” said senior lineback-er Cory Reamer. “It’s really hard to replace him because of all the different things that he does, but the depth that we have now makes it a little easier to adjust to something like that.” When Hightower took a hel-met to his left knee near the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s game, it was as if nothing changed, even when many things did. Reamer slid over to Hightower’s “Will” lineback-er position, Anders swapped sides to fill Reamer’s usual “Sam” position, and sophomore Courtney Upshaw came in at “Jack.” The shifting of person-nel yielded similar results, as Alabama stuffed a high-powered Arkansas offense to just 63 rush-ing yards and harassed Mallett all day. “[Hightower] doesn’t get talk-ed about enough,” said head coach Nick Saban. “He’s one of our best football players on our entire team, best pass rusher we have. The other guys did a good job of filling in and executing.”
CW | Jerrod SeatonAlabama sophomore linebacker Courtney Upshaw goes after a blocked punt in Saturdayʼs game. Upshaw will be the man most likely to take over a starting position after the loss of Dontʼa Hightower.
Saban made sure the preparation for this unfortunate situation began long before the ligaments in Hightower’s knee tore. It began back in fall camp, where most teams simply enjoy their short period of injury-free football. For Alabama, however, using hypothetical situations before possibilities turn into reality became a huge advantage against
Arkansas. “If somebody went down on our defense, we knew what we were going to do,” Reamer said. “We shuffled people around dur-ing camp and saw that we have guys that can back up different positions and play different posi-tions. “Different days, we would go, something happened to Dont’a, or something happened to Eryk,
“[Hightower] doesn’t get talked about enough. He’s one of our best football players on our entire team,
best pass rusher we have.”
— Head coach Nick Saban“
”
Upshaw has gained a cult following among Tide fans for his spectacular special teams play over the last two years, delivering bone-crushing hits to the unfor-tunate return men who get in his sights. In last Saturday’s game against Arkansas, Upshaw was pressed into service at the “Jack” linebacker spot as part of the Tide’s reshuf-fled linebacker unit fol-lowing Dont’a Hightower’s
first-quarter injury. It is likely that Upshaw will earn the start against Kentucky with the news that Hightower’s injury will end his season. It will be cru-cial that Upshaw continues the Tide’s trend of pro-viding a consistent pass rush on opposing offenses.
GameDay 2009 • October 1 7
Meet Courtney Upshawor Ro, or me. We’d have prac-tices where we’d all have to play different positions.” When Hightower was being helped off the field by two train-ers Saturday, with no pressure on his left foot and body lan-guage that hinted at a serious injury, the switch was automatic. “When that happened, it didn’t surprise anybody,” Reamer said. “We we’re ready to go right off the bat.” Upshaw, the new starter in the Tide’s linebacking corps, found himself in a tough situa-tion Saturday, finally getting a chance for more playing time but at the cost of an injury to a good friend. “He’s my roommate,” Upshaw said. “We hang and talk about a lot of things. I did want to get on the field, but my friend just went down, so I don’t want to get on the field like that.” Upshaw put that behind him, however, and made sure no drop-off occurred when he replaced Hightower. But Upshaw said he wasn’t completely satisfied with his performance.
“I felt like I could have done better,” he said. “I think I did OK, but I can do a whole lot better.” Although it appears Alabama has the reload power to maintain a dominant level of play, losing an asset like Hightower is never easy to cope with. With Hightower as an integral part of the Tide’s front seven, Alabama lays claim to the sec-ond-best rushing defense in the country. With Upshaw coming in at “Jack,” the linebacker position with the most blitzing potential, he will be asked to preserve a pass rush that ranks eighth in the nation in sacks with 13. “We had a lot of scheme things for Dont’a to do in the game from a pass rush standpoint,” Saban said. Although Upshaw is the new starter, three linebacker spots now have different Tide players occupying them. “Everybody’s got to be able to step up into a new role,” Upshaw said. “Whether it’s me at ‘Jack’, Eryk moving to ‘Sam’ or Reamer moving to ‘Will’, we got to be ready to replace Dont’a.”
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 249
Class: Sophomore
High School: Eufaula High School
8 October 1 • GameDay 2009
BOISE STATE IS A NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER
CASE KEENUM IS A HEISMAN CANDIDATE
JASON GALLOWAYGameDay Editor
SPENCER WHITEAssistant GameDay Editor
BUY
SELL
The Broncos are in uncharted ter-ritory. During their meteoric rise to the upper echelon of the college football world, Boise State has never reached the top 5 in the reg-ular season, much less four weeks into the year. With three of the four teams in front of them from the SEC, a 12-0 regular season, combined with a Texas loss, puts the Broncos in Pasadena.
Putting together consecutive big games at the quarterback position isn’t especially unusual. Doing it against two Big XII teams who combined for 20 wins in 2008 with the talent level of Houston’s pro-gram is. In torching Oklahoma State and Texas Tech for 801 yards and four touchdowns, Keenum has vaulted the Cougars into the top 15 and placed himself in serious con-tention for the Heisman trophy.
This isn’t your typical mid-major longshot. Most small schools, like Utah last year, are out of the race before the season starts. But with Boise State already at No. 5 through four weeks, it won’t take a miracle for the Broncos to get in. If they win out and Texas loses, it is possible the national champi-onship game could feature Boise State vs the SEC champion.
Keenum’s Heisman hopes will naturally fade. Houston’s tough-est opponent remaining could easily be Mississippi State, and major conference contenders will be rewarded for playing against tougher competition. If Graham Harrell can throw for 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns at a major con-ference school and not even be a finalist, there’s no way Keenum has a chance to win it.
BUY OR SELL
BUY
MCT Campus
BUY
GameDay 2009 • October 1 9ETCHED IN STONE
By SPENCER WHITEAssistant GameDay Editor
Imagine, for a moment, a foot-ball team with two defeats in one season. Both are conference losses. The team plays and defeats a big-name opponent from out-of-confer-ence in a January bowl game and is declared the national champions. If it wasn’t for LSU’s BCS crown in 2007, this would seem like an unbe-lievable story. But this is the story of the 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide, a squad that completed a 9-2 season with a 29-21 Cotton Bowl victory over No. 6 Texas A&M. The Tide fin-ished the regular season ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll, but the victory over the Aggies led to Football Thesaurus naming Alabama national champions for the 1941 season. The title is certainly a puzzling one to claim for Tide fans, as there were several teams with major reputations that put together finer seasons. Minnesota, who received the No. 1 spot from the AP, finished with a perfect 8-0 regular season, as did the Duke Blue Devils, who went on to lose the Rose Bowl to Oregon State, an 8-2 team. The Alabama team was still a
The two-loss championsfine assembly, as end Holt Rast earned consensus All-America status for his play during the sea-son. Frank Thomas’s squad earned major victories over powerhouses Tulane and Tennessee, with their two defeats at the hands of fel-low Southeastern Conference foes Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The bowl game against Texas A&M was as unusual as the Tide’s season. The weather was abnormal-ly cold for a Dallas winter, with blis-tering winds affecting the passing game for both squads. Despite com-pleting only one first down in the entire game, the Tide would score 29 points, capitalizing on six Aggie fumbles, five of which Alabama recovered, and seven interceptions. Charles Burton of the Dallas Morning News had this to say on Alabama’s win over A&M: “The victory was a typical Alabama bowl triumph. The Tide simply wasted few scoring opportu-nities. They seized practically every break and made them pay off. And you can’t beat that kind of football.” It is important to remember when looking back at records and num-bers from seasons past that many modern fans cannot understand the nature of the various teams of the time. It is possible that Alabama’s
record could look better than two losses indicate, much like the Bayou Bengals of 2007, who lost twice, once at the end of the regular season, but both defeats occurred in overtime. Similarly, Alabama’s two losses were by relatively small mar-gins, seven to Vanderbilt and 14 to Mississippi State. Combined with convincing victories against almost every other opponent on their schedule, it becomes easier to see why a publication like Football Thesaurus could conceivably place the Tide in the top spot.
UA AthleticsA Tide defender pursues a Texas A&M runner during the 1942 Cot-ton Bowl. The Tide defeated the Aggies despite only one fi rst down.
10 October 1 • GameDay 2009
Top left: Leigh Tiffi n prepares to kick the ball off to the Razor-backs.Top right: Julio Jones makes a move to avoid an Arkansas defender.Bottom left: Preston Dial struggles for more yardage after a catch.Bottom right: Cory Reamer leaps into the air to defl ect a Ryan Mallett pass.
CW | Bethany MartinCW | Bethany Martin
CW | Jerrod SeatonCW | Jerrod Seaton CW | Bethany MartinCW | Bethany Martin
CW | Jerrod SeatonCW | Jerrod Seaton
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GameDay 2009 • October 1 11
Ignore the polls. Ignore the pun-dits. Ignore those who defend pre-season expectations even when the reality is in front of them. The best college football team in the country doesn’t reside in Gainesville, Fla. They don’t don burnt orange and thrust their index and pinky fingers in the shape of bull horns. They play football in Bryant-Denny stadium. They are the Crimson Tide. In terms of playmakers on both offense and defense, coaching and results through four weeks, the argument becomes more and more difficult against Alabama being the top squad in the Football Bowl Subdivision. There were worries at the quarter-back position. Could Greg McElroy, untested and without a start in three years, replace departed captain John Parker Wilson, whose name is scattered throughout the all-time Alabama record books? You can scratch that myth.
Football’s elite wearing crimson
McElroy has proven himself a mag-nificent field general, spreading the ball around to multiple weapons all over the field on his way to rack-ing up 938 yards and seven touch-downs. After a first-half interception against Virginia Tech, the junior has remained pick-less ever since, com-pleting passes at a 67 percent clip. Could another receiver step up to complement Julio Jones? Never mind complementing the sophomore sensation. After a bruised knee kept Jones out of most of the Florida International and
North Texas games, Marquis Maze, Mike McCoy, Darius Hanks and others stepped up to replace Jones’ production. Through the first third of the 2009 season, the four receiv-ers have each totaled at least 100 receiving yards and have combined for four touchdowns. Incidentally, the Tide player with the most recep-tions thus far has been sophomore running back Mark Ingram. Word around town is he can run pretty well, too. But Ingram’s not the only one. With the emergence of true fresh-man Trent Richardson and the return of senior Roy Upchurch from an ankle sprain, the Tide has nearly the same dominant level of running back play from a year ago. Fourth-string Terry Grant would likely start at several Southeastern Conference schools, and each of the halfbacks poses a legitimate threat in the pass-ing game. That’s just on offense. The Tide’s defense is simply remarkable, filled with first-day NFL talent across the
board. The front seven has aver-aged a ridiculous 47.25 yards in rush defense, good for second in the nation, and the secondary has done an effective job of limiting big plays for the most part in the passing game. Perhaps the most telling sign of Alabama’s defensive dominance came in the aftermath of sophomore linebacker Dont’a Hightower’s knee injury in the first quarter of the Arkansas game. An injury to such a crucial defensive player would have been devastating in years past for the Tide. But with this 2009 squad, all it took was a simple personnel shuffle, and Alabama continued to dominate the No. 2 offense in the country. So let the Florida fans stay smug. Smile at the Longhorns who beat their chests. Alabama fans can rest secure in the knowledge that as long as this team continues to play to its potential, the Tide will be the only ones laughing at the end of the season.
SPENCER WHITEAssistant GameDay Editor
COLUMN
Bama Basics Hereclothing & accessories
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crazy yellow hammers
12 October 1 • GameDay 2008
#4 LSU at #18 Georgia
#25 Georgia Tech at Miss. StateTime: 6:30 p.m. on CSSSeries: Georgia Tech leads 3-0What to watch for: The Yellow Jackets head to Starkville to face a Mississippi State team that gave No. 4 LSU a scare in a 30-26 loss. Georgia Tech is led by quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who has 446 yards, along with run-ning back Jonathan Dwyer, who leads the team in rushing with 326 yards.
South Carolina vs. S.C. StateArkansas at Texas A&M
#21 Mississippi at Vanderbilt
Auburn at Tennessee
Time: 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2Series: Arkansas leads 38-24What to watch for: Arkansas looks to improve to 2-2 after a 35-7 loss to No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa last week. The Razorbacks are led by quarterback Ryan Mallett, who has 877 yards on the season, ranking third in the conference behind Auburn’s Chris Todd and Alabama’s Greg McElroy. Texas A&M is led by quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who has 991 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Time: 6:45 p.m. on ESPN Series: Auburn leads 25-20-3What to watch for: Auburn heads into Knoxville coming off a 54-30 win over Ball State. The Tigers are led by quarterback Chris Todd’s SEC-leading 1,012 yards and 11 touch-downs. The Volunteers are led by quarterback Jonathan Crompton’s 641 yards and seven touchdowns. Nine of the last 12 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
Time: 6 p.m. on ESPNUSeries: Ole Miss leads 46-16-2What to watch for: Ole Miss looks to bounce back after being upset from its No. 4 spot by South Carolina last week. Quarterback Jevan Snead leads the team with 491 yards passing and six touchdowns. The Commodores come into the game following a 36-17 win over Rice and are led by quarterback Larry Smith, who has 633 passing yards on the season.
Time: 6 p.m. on ESPN ClassicLast meeting: SC won 38-3 (2007)What to watch for: Vanderbilt’s true fresh-men tailbacks, Zac Stacy and Warren Norman, became the first Commordores to rush for more than 100 yards in the same game since 2002 in the season opener against Western Carolina. Rice running back Jeramy Goodson can also be danger-ous, rushing for three second-half touch-downs against Oklahoma State last week.
Time: 2:30 p.m. on CBSSeries: LSU leads 13-12-1What to watch for: The Tigers head into Athens after surviving a close game against Mississippi State. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson comes into the game with 708 yards and seven passing touchdowns on the season. LSU hasn’t won between the hedges since 1986 and will look to make Georgia pay for last year’s 52- 38 loss in Baton Rouge.
conferencethe Around
Compiled by Cyrus NtakirutinkaSenior sports reporter
SEC ROUNDUP
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KENTUCKY DEFENSIVE LINE VS. ALABAMA OFFENSIVE LINE
kentuckysports.com
CW | Katie Bennett
Kentucky’s run defense to date in the 2009 season has been absolutely putrid, with the Wildcats surrendering more than 185 yards per contest. On the other hand, the Tide offense has aver-aged around 234 yards per game on the ground. Following a sub-par effort against Arkansas, look for the Tide offensive line to regroup and pound Kentucky between the tackles this Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
EDGE
JULIO JONES VS. TREVARD LINDLEY
CW | Bethany MartinAP
Lindley, the All-SEC stud of the Kentucky sec-ondary, was the only defensive back who was able to successfully contain Jones during the freshman campaign of the star Tide receiver when the Wildcats nearly pulled off the upset in a 17-14 Alabama victory in 2008. With Jones’ competitive nature and height advantage (Jones measures at 6-foot-4 while Lindley stands at 6 feet even), expect for Jones to exact his revenge.
EDGE
ALABAMA FRONT SEVEN VS. DERRICK LOCKE
CW | Jerrod Seaton UK Athletics
The Tide’s rush defense so far has been noth-ing short of extraordinary, limiting opponents to less than 48 rushing yards per game. Locke has been Kentucky’s lone bright spot on the ground, gaining around 4.7 yards per carry. The Kentucky sophomore was held to 36 yards on 13 carries against the Florida Gators in a 41-7 loss Saturday, and the Gators front, while impres-sive, is equaled or bettered by the Tide’s.
EDGE
Position MatchupsWith Alabama taking its fi rst SEC road trip of this season, the Tide will look to take advantage of some key matchups against the Wildcats of Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium.
ALABAMAALABAMA KENTUCKYKENTUCKYKEY PLAYERS
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RGRTTEHBQBRBWRWR
77787375798417122284
James Carpenter (Jr.)Mike Johnson (Sr.)William Vlachos (So.)Barrett Jones (R-Fr.)Drew Davis (Sr.) Colin Peek (Sr.)Brad Smelley (So.)Greg McElroy (Jr.)Mark Ingram (So.)Julio Jones (So.)Marquis Maze (So.)
Zipp Duncan (Sr.)Justin Jeffries (Sr.)Jorge Gonzalez (Sr.)Chrisitan Johnson (Sr.)Stuart Hines (So.)Ross Bogue (Sr.)Mike Hartline (Jr.)Derrick Locke (Jr.)John Conner (Sr.)Chris Matthews (Jr.)Randall Cobb (So.)
Marcell Dareus (So.)Terrence Cody (Sr.)Lorenzo Washington (Sr.)Courtney Upshaw (So.)Cory Reamer (Sr.)Rolando McClain (Jr.)Eryk Anders (Sr.)Kareem Jackson (Jr.)Justin Woodall (Sr.)Mark Barron (So.)Javier Arenas (Sr.)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS DEFENSIVE STARTERSDEDTDE
JACKWILLMIKESAMCBFSSSCB
576297411325323274
28
OFFENSIVE STARTERSLTLGC
RGRTTEQBRBFBWRWR
7276617078865
2038818
DEFENSIVE STARTERSDEDTDTDEOLBILBOLBCBSS
CB
5553919622504
32332134
DeQuin Evans (Jr.)Ricky Lumpkin (Jr.)Corey Peters (Sr.)Collins Ukwu (R-Fr.)Danny Trevathan (So.)Sam Maxwell (Sr.)Micah Johnson (Sr.)Trevard Lindley (Sr.)Calvin Harrison (Sr.)Winston Guy (So.)Paul Warford (Jr.)
KP
PRKR
9997282880
Leigh Tiffin (Sr.)P.J. Fitzgerald (Sr.)Javier Arenas (Sr.)Javier Arenas (Sr.)Mike McCoy (Sr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERSKP
PRKR
369182021
Lones SeiberRyan TydlackaRandall CobbDerrick LockeWinston Guy
SPECIAL TEAMS STARTERS
Mike Johnson, OL
After a less-than-stellar rushing attack against the Arkansas Razorbacks in last week’s 35-7 victory, Mike Johnson and the rest of the Tide offensive line will look to bounce back against Kentucky. The Wildcats’ porous rush defense should be a boon in their efforts, as Kentucky is giving up an SEC-worst 185 rushing yards per con-test. If the Alabama line plays with a chip on its shoulder over last year’s close victory, it could be a footrace for the Tide running backs all day.
Kareem Jackson, CB
Jackson has consistently been placed on the top receiver for the opposing offenses in the Tide’s games in 2009, and this week against Kentucky should to be similar. With the lightning fast Randall Cobb, Jackson should have his hands full. This week’s matchup is another opportunity for Jackson to silence the critics and prove he can be a top corner in the SEC.
Courtney Upshaw, LB
With the season-ending injury of star sophomore Dont’a Hightower, it is up to his roommate Courtney Upshaw to enter the lineup and try to repli-cate Hightower’s production. Though Upshaw will likely play “Jack” lineback-er instead of Hightower’s “Will” spot, he will need to provide the same level of consistent pressure on Kentucky quar-terback Mike Hartline that the Tide linebackers brought on Ryan Mallett last week.
Trevard Lindley, CB
The senior cornerback is easily Kentucky’s best player, and it will be up to the All-SEC cornerback to earn every bit of his accolades against an explosive Crimson Tide passing game. Lindley more than held his own against Tide sophomore Julio Jones in last year’s contest, limit-ing the taller Jones to 52 yards on three catches with no touchdowns in Alabama’s narrow 17-14 victory.
Randall Cobb, WR
Though this Kentucky team appears to be a shell of its 2007 squad that upset No. 1 LSU, they can still move the ball down the field. Cobb, a soph-omore with dangerous speed, has already matched his stats from his freshman season. He has been quar-terback Mike Hartline’s top target through three games, and that trend could likely continue Saturday.
Derrick Locke, RB
Locke has been the star of the Wildcats’ rushing attack, leading Kentucky in both attempts (36) and yards (169). Locke will have his tough-est test of the 2009 season Saturday against the brick wall known as the Alabama front seven. With Kentucky having difficulty all season in control-ling the run on defense, Locke will have to put in the performance of his college career if he hopes to match the Tide’s running game in Lexington Saturday.