Tide Tidbits – October 11, 2009

This is the best defense I’ve seen
Houston Nutt has seen a lot in nearly three decades in the coaching business, including 16 years as a head coach. But the coach of the Ole Miss Rebels has never seen anything like the third-ranked University of Alabama’s defense. “This is the fastest defense, if you went from one through 11 (players),” Nutt said. “From corners to safeties to linebackers to defensive linemen, this is the best I’ve seen. The bottom line is, Alabama is really good. You can’t turn the ball over. You’ve got to come out with three points, seven points, you’ve got to get something. Very few people score points against Alabama.”

Linebacker Cory Reamer savors role on Bama’s stingy defense
Other Alabama players ran quickly to the locker room. Senior linebacker Cory Reamer did not. Reamer savored the moment, walking slowly off the field, pointing into the night air with a smile for his family in the stands. He had blocked a punt. All at once, he had then covered a kick, delivered a big hit, forced a fumble and recovered it from Ole Miss’ Dexter McCluster. “For a guy that was a safety that, to be honest, I didn’t know if he’d ever play here, he’s played a lot of good football for us over the last two years,” Saban said of Reamer. “Especially now that his role has increased, he’s elevated his game tremendously.”

Ingram carries big load on the ground
On a day when Greg McElroy may have been knocked down more than his running backs, the University of Alabama offense needed something it could count on for consistent yardage. In a 22-3 win at Ole Miss, Mark Ingram was it. The sophomore rushed 28 times for 172 yards, both career highs, carrying a UA attack that sputtered in the red zone but shined on the ground. “I did OK, but you always have to give credit where credit is due. The offensive line and receivers did a great job. I was just doing my job,” said Ingram. Offensive lineman Barrett Jones said the Crimson Tide tried to prevent Ole Miss from adjusting its defense by hustling to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball on a quick count. “Our goal was to run it real fast, to catch them off guard, and I think that’s what we did,” Jones said.

Looking into my crystal ball, I see a crystal football in Bama’s future
This team is headed toward its own crack at the crystal football. That’s not a wisecrack, or a delusion, inspired after inhaling the fumes on a pregame walk through the Grove. It’s a prediction. See you in Pasadena. Until then, in the SEC West, there will be no sharing, beyond the group commiseration of Alabama’s victims. On Separation Saturday, in front of the biggest home crowd in the stadium’s history, Alabama repeatedly separated Ole Miss from the ball and from the notion that it might challenge the Crimson Tide for any kind of supremacy. Do you want to bet against it? Are you sure? Have you seen this team in person?

Tide Special teams players contribute to victory
Special teams took center stage in Alabama’s 22-3 win over Ole Miss as the Crimson Tide blocked a punt, stripped two return specialists of the ball on returns, recovering one and getting a perfect 5-of-5 performance by kicker Leigh Tiffin. Tiffin’s five field goals were the second most in school history, trailing Philip Doyle’s six vs. Southwestern Louisiana in 1990. But the five kicks allowed the senior to move into second place on career field goals with 67 (trailing only Doyle’s 78) and into third place in career attempts and career scoring. Another special teams moment came on Alabama’s second possession of the game when punter P.J. Fitzgerald passed to teammate Mark Barron for seven yards and a first down. It was the first fake punt ever attempted by Alabama in three years under Saban.

Nico Johnson gets first start for Alabama
Alabama’s defense had a new starter in the lineup. Nico Johnson, a true freshman from Andalusia, played the Will linebacker spot. That was Dont’a Hightower’s position before he went down with a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. Last week, Alabama shuffled its linebacker corps, but Tide coach Nick Saban didn’t like the results. “We really thought after last week that with moving everybody around we ended up worse in three spots,” Saban said. “Not that everybody didn’t do a good job — everybody did a good job in what they were doing — but Cory (Reamer) was better at his position, (Erik) Anders was better at his position.” Saban said last week’s move bought the staff time to get young linebackers Johnson and Tana Patrick more reps in practice.

Roll Tide!

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