2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represents the University of Alabama
in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. It marks the Crimson Tide's 119th overall season, 79th as a member of the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) and its 20th within the SEC Western Division. The team is led by head coach Nick Saban
, in his fifth year, and play their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium
in Tuscaloosa
, Alabama
.
in 2009
, Alabama fell short of preseason expectations and finished with a record of nine wins and three losses at the conclusion of the regular season. However, they finished with a 49–7 victory in the 2011 Capital One Bowl
against Michigan State
, and secured Alabama's third straight ten-win season and their third bowl win in four seasons.
In February 2011, Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 7 recruiting class according to Scout. Spring practice began on March 21 and concluded with the annual A-Day spring game on April 16. Televised live by ESPNU
, the Crimson team defeated the White team by a final score of 14–10 before 92,310 fans in Bryant–Denny Stadium. For their performances, Barrett Jones
earned the Dwight Stephenson
Lineman of the A-Day Game Award and Trent Richardson
earned the Dixie Howell
Memorial Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game Award.
In the weeks following the conclusion of spring practice, a pair of tragedies occurred that directly impacted the team. On April 27, 2011, an EF4 rated tornado devastated Tuscaloosa. As a result of the storm, long snapper
Carson Tinker suffered a broken wrist with his girlfriend being one of the 43 fatalities attributed to the storm in Tuscaloosa. On May 12, 2011, offensive lineman Aaron Douglas was found dead in Fernandina Beach, Florida
. The cause of death was subsequently ruled accidental as a result of multiple drug toxicity. After transferring to Alabama from Arizona Western College
, Douglas struggled with off-field issues including a DUI
charge following a December 2010 arrest. He started his career as a freshman All-America
at Tennessee
, before the Volunteers' new head coach Derek Dooley granted him a release from the program in Spring 2010.
By August, Alabama had a combined 31 players on 12 different preseason award watch lists. These included Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Dre Kirkpatrick, Robert Lester and Courtney Upshaw for the Chuck Bednarik Award
; Duron Carter, Darius Hanks and Marquis Maze for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
; Hightower, Nico Johnson and Upshaw for the Butkus Award; Lester and Trent Richardson for the Walter Camp Award
; Hightower, Barrett Jones, Upshaw and William Vlachos for the Lombardi Award
; Michael Williams for the John Mackey Award
; Richardson for the Maxwell Award
; Barron, Hightower, Kirkpatrick, Lester and Upshaw for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
; Jones and Vlachos for the Outland Trophy
; Vlachos for the Rimington Trophy; Barron, Kirkpatrick and Lester for the Jim Thorpe Award
; and Richardson for the Doak Walker Award
.
Between the conclusion of the 2010 season and the beginning of summer practice in August 2011, seven players transferred from the Crimson Tide. Those who transferred included Robby Green (California University of Pennsylvania
), B.J. Scott (South Alabama
), Demetrius Goode (North Alabama
), Petey Smith (Holmes Community College
), Brandon Moore (East Mississippi Community College
), Corey Grant (Auburn
) and Keiwone Malone (Memphis
).
victory, changes were made to the Alabama coaching staff. Defensive line coach Bo Davis resigned his position to serve as the defensive tackles coach for Texas
. The following day, Chris Rumph was hired by Coach Saban from Clemson
, to replace Davis as the defensive line coach. On January 12, assistant head coach and offensive line coach Joe Pendry
announced his retirement. The following day, former Miami
interim head coach Jeff Stoutland
was hired to replace Pendry as offensive line coach. On January 21, wide receivers coach
and recruiting coordinator Curt Cignetti
resigned his position to accept the head coaching job at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
. On February 7, Mike Groh
was hired a Cignetti's replacement as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
Marcell Dareus
; left tackle James Carpenter
; tight end
Preston Dial; quarterback
Greg McElroy
; wide receiver
Julio Jones
; and running back
Mark Ingram, Jr.
150": No. 3 Cyrus Kouandjio (OT); No. 19 Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix (S); No. 22 Xzavier Dickson (DE); No. 38 Trey DePriest (OLB); No. 41 Bradley Sylve (WR); No. 53 Jeoffrey Pagan (DE); No. 75 Marvin Shinn (WR); No. 79 Demetrius Hart (RB); No. 82 Malcolm Faciane (TE); No. 137 Danny Woodson, Jr. (WR); and No. 140 Brent Calloway (ATH). Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 7 recruiting class according to Scout. The football program received 14 letters of intent
on National Signing Day
, February 2, 2011.
, Auburn
, LSU
, Mississippi State
, and Ole Miss
. They will also face three Eastern Division opponents: official SEC rival
Tennessee
, Florida
, and Vanderbilt
. Alabama is not scheduled to play SEC opponents Georgia
, Kentucky
and South Carolina
. Alabama is also scheduled to play four non-conference games. The game against Penn State
was originally scheduled to be played as part of the 2004 season
, however the series was moved back to this season at the request of Alabama due to fallout from NCAA sanctions being levied on the program. The non-conference schedule also includes games against Kent State
of the Mid-American Conference
, North Texas
of the Sun Belt Conference
and Georgia Southern
of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Alabama is scheduled to have one bye week
following the Tennessee game and prior to playing LSU.
The Crimson Tide opened the 2011 season at home against Nick Saban's alma mater, the Kent State
Golden Flashes
of the Mid-American Conference
. In the meeting that was the first all-time against the Golden Flashes, the Crimson Tide won 48–7. After holding the Golden Flashes to a three-and-out on the opening possession, Trent Richardson
scored the Crimson Tide's first touchdown on a one-yard run to give Alabama a 7–0 lead. After holding Kent State again to a three-and-out, Alabama responded with a four play, 74 yard touchdown drive that featured a 48-yard Eddie Lacy
reception and a 24-yard Marquis Maze
touchdown reception from A. J. McCarron
to take a 14–0 lead. The Tide scored their final points of the first quarter on a one-yard Richardson run to take a 21–0 lead into the second quarter. After only scoring on a 36-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal in the second quarter, Alabama led 24–0 at the half.
On the second Crimson Tide possession of the third quarter, Phillip Sims threw an interception to Norman Wolfe that was returned to the Alabama three yard line. Two plays later, Kent State scored their only points of the game when Spencer Keith connected with Justin Thompson for a three-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 24–7. The Crimson Tide responded with touchdowns on the next two consecutive drives. Richardson and Lacy both scored on one-yard runs to extend Alabama's lead to 38–7 entering the fourth quarter. In the fourth, the Tide scored their final touchdown of the afternoon on a 49-yard Jalston Fowler run and their final points on a 32-yard Shelley field goal to make the final score 48–7. For the game, Alabama's defense was dominant in allowing −9 yards rushing and 90 yards of total offense against Kent State in the contest. On offense, the Crimson Tide had 482 total yards with three different running back
s scoring touchdowns and Maze totaling 118 yards receiving on eight catches with one touchdown.
In what was the second consecutive meeting between the Crimson Tide and the Penn State
Nittany Lions
, and first at Happy Valley since 1989, Alabama won 27–11. Penn State took the opening possession down the field and recorded a 43-yard field goal by Evan Lewis to take an early 3–0 lead by using all 3 of their timeouts. Alabama took a 7–3 lead later in the first quarter after A. J. McCarron connected with Michael Williams for a five-yard touchdown reception to cap a 11 play, 69 yard drive. A 22-yard Jeremy Shelley kick extended the Crimson Tide lead to 10–3 early in the second quarter. Then after trading punts, Dre Kirkpatrick
forced Andrew Szczerba to fumble
the ball that was recovered by Alabama's DeQuan Menzie. Ten plays later, the Crimson Tide led 17–3 after a three-yard Trent Richardson touchdown run.
In the third quarter Shelley connected on an 18-yard field goal and Richardson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game midway through the fourth on a 13-yard run to give Alabama a 27–3 lead. The final points of the game came late in the fourth when Silas Redd scored on a one-yard touchdown for the Nittany Lions, and Rob Bolden
converted the two-point conversion
to bring the final score to 27–11.
Trent Richardson ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns while Eddie Lacy ran for 85. A.J. McCarron threw for 163 yards and a touchdown. For his seven tackles, interception and fumble recovery, Mark Barron
was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. The 107,846 fans in attendance were the most to ever see an Alabama squad compete on the gridiron, and the victory improved their all-time record against the Nittany Lions to 10–5.
In their meeting against the North Texas
Mean Green
, Alabama outgained their opponent 586 to 169 yards of total offense in Alabama's 41–0 victory. After a 26-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal gave the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead, Trent Richardson scored their first touchdown of the evening on Alabama's second offensive possession to give them a 10–0 lead at the end of the first period. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 20–0 by halftime after a 43-yard Eddie Lacy touchdown run and a 37-yard Shelley field goal in the second quarter.
North Texas opened the second half with a nine play, 54-yard drive to set up a 42-yard Zach Olen field goal attempt. However, the kick was blocked by Robert Lester
to preserve the shutout. Alabama extended their lead to 27–0 by the fourth quarter after Richardson scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 58-yard run. After Shelley missed a 42-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, Richardson scored again with a 71-yard touchdown run on Alabama's next offensive possession to extend their lead to 34–0. Lacy scored the final points of the game midway through the fourth with his second touchdown of the evening on a 67-yard run to give Alabama the 41–0 victory.
Trent Richardson ran for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns and became the first pair of running backs to each run for 150 yards in a game. The shutout was the Crimson Tide's first since they defeated Chattanooga 45–0 in 2009
and improved Alabama's all-time record against the Mean Green to 4–0.
After three consecutive victories to start the season, the Crimson Tide opened conference play against the Arkansas
Razorbacks
, and defeated them 38–14 at Bryant–Denny Stadium. Alabama scored first with a trick play
on their opening possession. After driving to the Arkansas 37 yard line, Cade Foster
lined up for a 54-yard field goal attempt. Alabama quarterback A. J. McCarron received the snap as the holder
, and proceeded to throw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Michael Williams to give the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead. The Razorbacks tied the game at 7–7 late in the first quarter when Tyler Wilson
threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Johnson. After an Arkansas goal line stand, Jeremy Shelley connected on a 20-yard field goal to give Alabama a 10–7 lead. On the ensuing Arkansas possession, the Crimson Tide scored when DeQuan Menzie intercepted a Wilson pass and returned it 25-yards for a touchdown to give Alabama a 17–7 lead at the half.
After holding Arkansas scoreless on their first possession of the third quarter, Alabama's Marquis Maze
returned a Dylan Breeding punt 83-yards for a touchdown and a 24–7 Crimson Tide lead. On Alabama's next possession, Trent Richardson caught a screen pass
from McCarron and ran it 61-yards for a touchdown and extended the Alabama lead to 31–7. The Razorbacks scored on the following possession when Wilson threw his second touchdown pass of the afternoon after he connected on a 19-yard pass to Cobi Hamilton. Eddie Lacy then scored the final points of the game late in the third on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide the 38–14 victory. The Alabama defense only allowed 17 rushing and 226 of total offense to the Razorbacks in the victory. For his 235 all-purpose yards
and touchdown reception, Trent Richardson was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks to 12–8 (15–7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
In what was the first meeting as opposing head coaches between Nick Saban and his former assistant coach from both LSU
and the Miami Dolphins
, Will Muschamp
, the Crimson Tide defeated the Florida
Gators
, 38–10 at The Swamp
. After receiving the opening kickoff
, Florida scored their only touchdown of the game on their first offensive play from scrimmage. The Gators took an early 7–0 lead when John Brantley
threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Andre Debose. Alabama responded on the following drive with Jeremy Shelley connecting on a 32-yard field goal to cut the Florida lead to 7–3. The Gators responded with what turned out to be their final points of the game when Caleb Sturgis connected on a 21-yard field goal. Alabama's Marquis Maze then returned the ensuing kickoff 70-yards to the Florida 29 yard line and the Crimson Tide tied the game at 10–10 seven plays later on a five-yard Trent Richardson touchdown run.
Alabama extended their lead to 24–10 at halftime with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Courtney Upshaw
scored a defensive touchdown early in the quarter after he intercepted a Brantley pass and returned it 45-yards for the score. A. J. McCarron scored later in the quarter on a one-yard quarterback sneak
to cap a ten play, 61-yard drive. Late in the quarter, the Gators did have a scoring opportunity by driving to the Alabama 13 yard line. However, the Alabama defense sacked
Brantley on consecutive snaps for a loss of 22-yards and knocked Brantley out of the game with an injury. Sturgis then missed a 52-yard field goal attempt and Alabama led 24–10 at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Alabama the 38–10 victory. Richardson scored his second touchdown of the game with 12:25 remaining on a 36-yard run and Eddie Lacy scored the final points of the game on a 20-yard run. For the game, Alabama's defense was dominant in only allowing 222 total yards of offense, with the 15 rushing yards being the fewest ever allowed against Florida in their all-time series. Trent Richardson established a new career high for rushing yards in game with his 181 yards on 29 attempts. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Gators to 22–14 (23–14 without the NCAA vacation of the 2005 victory).
For the 91st homecoming
football game in Alabama history, the Crimson Tide defeated the Vanderbilt
Commodores
34–0 who made their first visit to Bryant–Denny Stadium since the 2006 season
. After a three-and-out on their opening drive, Alabama scored their first touchdown of the evening on a six-yard A. J. McCarron touchdown pass to Brad Smelley to complete a ten play, 77-yard drive. On the following drive Vanderbilt had an opportunity to cut into the lead, but Carey Spear missed a 47-yard field goal to keep the Alabama lead at 7–0. Spear missed a second field goal later in the second quarter from 38-yards, and the Crimson Tide responded with their second touchdown drive of the game. McCarron threw his second touchdown pass of the game to DeAndrew White on a five-yard reception to give Alabama a 14–0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Trent Richardson scored first on a one-yard touchdown run followed by a 39-yard McCarron touchdown pass to White on consecutive possessions. Following an unsuccessful extra point
by Jeremy Shelley, Alabama led 27–0 entering the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, Dee Milliner
intercept
ed a Jordan Rodgers pass and returned it 37-yards to the Commodores' 20 yard line. Three plays later, McCarron threw a 17-yard touchdown pass, his fourth of the day, to Darius Hanks to make the final score 34–0.
For the game, Trent Richardson ran for 107 yards to extend his streak of consecutive games rushing for at least 100 yards to five games. The defense was dominant in completing their second shutout of the season and only allowing Vanderbilt 190 yards of total offense. The victory improved Alabama's all-time homecoming record to 77–13–1 and their record against the Commodores to 59–19–4 (61–18–4 without the NCAA vacations and forfeits).
After Ole Miss
took an early 7–0 lead, the Crimson Tide scored 52 unanswered points in their 52–7 victory over the Rebels
at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels scored their only points of the game on their first possession. Jeff Scott scored on a one-yard touchdown run to cap a 5 play, 72-yard drive to give Ole Miss their only lead of the game at 7–0. Alabama responded on the following drive with the first of four Trent Richardson
touchdowns of the evening on an eight-yard run to tie the game at 7–7. The Crimson Tide added ten points in the second quarter to take a 17–7 halftime lead. Richardson scored on a seven-yard touchdown and after Cade Foster
missed a 53-yard field goal attempt, Jeremy Shelley connected for 24-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Alabama put the game away with four touchdowns. After five consecutive A. J. McCarron
passes gained 65-yards, Richardson gained the final eight en rout to his third touchdown of the evening. On the next Alabama possession, Richardson gained 16-yards and then scored a touchdown on a 76-yard run, the longest of his career, for a 31–7 lead. On the first play ensuing Rebels possession, Courtney Upshaw
forced a Randall Mackey fumble
that was recovered by Ed Stinson at the Ole Miss 15 yard line. Two plays later, the Crimson Tide led 38–7 after Jalston Fowler scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. The final points of the quarter came on a ten-yard McCarron touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson, and the final points of the game came in the fourth quarter on a 69-yard Fowler touchdown run to make the final score 52–7.
Alabama's defense again had a strong performance in only allowing the Rebels 141 total yards of offense (28 rushing, 113 passing). Richardson set a new career high with his 183 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. For his performance, Richardson was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The 52 total points were the most Alabama had scored in a SEC game since defeating Vanderbilt 59–28 in 1990. The victory was their eighth straight over Ole Miss and improved Alabama's all-time record against the Rebels 45–9–2 (49–8–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
In the 2011 edition of the Third Saturday in October
, Alabama entered the game as a 30-point favorite over the rival Tennessee
Volunteers
. At Bryant–Denny, the Volunteers were looking for the upset after tying the game 6–6 at halftime; however 31 unanswered points resulted in a 37–6 Crimson Tide victory to extend their overall record to 8–0. The first half was dominated by both defenses with each only allowing a pair of field goals. Mike Palardy connected from 40 and 52-yards for Tennessee and Jeremy Shelley connected from 26 and 29-yards for Alabama.
After holding the Volunteers to a three-and-out to open the second half, the Alabama offensive responded with their first of three third quarter touchdowns with a two-yard A. J. McCarron
touchdown run. On the following Tennessee drive, the Alabama defense stopped quarterback Matt Simms
on a fourth-and-one to give the Crimson Tide offense the ball on the Volunteers' 39 yard line. On the next play, McCarron threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell to extend the Alabama lead to 20–6. Trent Richardson
then scored his first touchdown of the game on the following Alabama possession on a 12-yard run to cap a six play, 63-yard drive. Cade Foster
scored early in the fourth quarter with his 45-yard field goal, and after a Dont'a Hightower
interception, Richardson scored his second touchdown of the day on a one-yard run to make the final score 37–6.
In the game, Marquis Maze
had 106 yards receiving on five catches and McCarron set a new career high with 284 yards passing. For his defensive performance, Hightower was named both the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. The victory was Alabama's fifth consecutive over Tennessee and improved their all-time record against the Volunteers to 48–38–7 (49–37–8 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Coming off their bye
and in what was hyped as the latest "Game of the Century
" in college football, the LSU
Tigers
defeated the Crimson Tide 9–6 in overtime
. After a scoreless first quarter that saw the Crimson Tide miss two field goals, and another blocked early in the second quarter, Alabama took a 3–0 lead midway through the second on a 34-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal. LSU responded on their following possession by driving to the Alabama two-yard line and kicking a 19-yard Drew Alleman field goal as time expired to tie the game at 3–3 at halftime.
Just as the first half was dominated by both defenses, the second was no different with both Alabama and LSU only managing a pair of field goals. Alabama's came in the third on a 46-yard Cade Foster
score and LSU's came in the fourth on a 30-yard Alleman score. In the overtime period, Foster missed a 52-yard field goal attempt and Alleman connected on a 25-yard attempt to give the Tigers the 9–6 victory. Both defenses held each offense to less than 300 yards of total offense with each having a pair of interceptions. With the loss, Alabama dropped to 4–8 all-time in overtime games and brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 45–25–5.
A week after their loss to LSU, Alabama traveled to Starkville
and defeated their long-time rival, the Mississippi State
Bulldogs
24–7. After a pair of missed field goals, one from 19-yard by Cade Foster
and the second from 31-yards by Jeremy Shelley, Alabama scored their first points in the second quarter. Eddie Lacy
capped a five play, 52 yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead. Later in the quarter Derek DePasquale missed a 41-yard field goal attempt for the Bulldogs, but on the ensuing Alabama possession Cameron Lawrence intercepted an A. J. McCarron
pass and returned it to the Alabama four-yard line. However, the Alabama defense held the Bulldogs to only a field goal attempt which was then missed from 29-yards by Brian Egan to preserve a 7–0 halftime lead for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama extended their lead to 10–0 after Shelley connected on a 24-yard field goal early in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Trent Richardson
scored on a two-yard run for a 17–0 Crimson Tide lead. However, on the ensuing kickoff was returned 68-yards to the Alabama 22 yard line by John Fulton, and four plays later the Bulldogs cut the score to 17–7 after Tyler Russell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Smith. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with an eleven play, 73-yard drive, all on the ground, with Lacy scoring his second touchdown of the night from 32 yards out to give Alabama the 24–7 victory. The 127 rushing yards gained by Richardson was his seventh 100 yard rushing game of the season. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 74–18–3 (76–17–3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Against the triple option
attack of the Georgia Southern
Eagles
, ranked No. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the Alabama defense gave up the most total yards, rushing yards and points of the season in their 45–21 victory at Bryant–Denny Stadium. After receiving the opening kickoff
, the Crimson Tide drove to the Eagles' 14-yard line where Jeremy Shelley connected on a 32-yard field goal for a 3–0 lead. On their opening possession, Georgia Southern had a nine-play, 49 yard drive to set up a 42-yard field goal attempt. However, the Adrian Mora attempt was blocked by Dont'a Hightower
and returned by Dre Kirkpatrick
55-yards for a touchdown and a 10–0 Crimson Tide lead. In the second quarter, A. J. McCarron
threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Trent Richardson
to complete a ten play, 71-yard drive for a 17–0 lead. However, the Eagles responded on their next offensive play when Dominique Swope scored on an 82-yard touchdown run to cut the Alabama lead to 17–7. Both teams then traded touchdowns when Richardson scored on a one-yard run for Alabama and Jaybo Shaw threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Bryant for Georgia Southern. After Cade Foster
missed a 47-yard field goal attempt late, Alabama led 24–14 at halftime.
After forcing a punt
to open the second half, Alabama scored a touchdown on its opening possession with a 34-yard touchdown reception by Brad Smelley from McCarron. However on the ensuing kickoff, Laron Scott returned it 95-yards for a touchdown to cut the lead again to 31–21. Alabama responded on the following drive with Richardson accounting for 46 yards of it on seven carries with a one-yard touchdown run for a 38–21 Alabama lead. In the fourth quarter, Alabama stopped the Eagles at the Crimson Tide eight-yard line after an incomplete Shaw pass on fourth down. From there the Alabama offense began a 15-play, 92-yard drive that took 8:36 to complete with McCarron throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Smelley for the final points in their 45–21 win. For the game, Richardson had 175 yards on the ground with a pair of rushing touchdowns and one receiving. His one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Richardson the Alabama single-season rushing touchdown record breaking the previous mark of 19 set by Shaun Alexander
in 1999
.
After the loss against the Auburn
Tigers
the previous year, in which the Crimson Tide surrendered a 24-point lead, for nearly a year reminders of the defeat and the phrase "never again" were utilized by the team as even greater motivation to win in an already heated rivalry. With a potential birth in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game
on the line, the Alabama defense did not allow an offensive touchdown in their 42–14 victory on The Plains. After trading a pair of three-and-outs to open the game, Alabama scored their first points of the game when A. J. McCarron
threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell for a 7–0 lead. Following a ten-yard Steven Clark punt
on the enduing Auburn possession, Alabama got the ball on the Tigers' 35-yard line. On the next play, McCarron threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Brad Smelley for a 14–0 lead. On the first play of Alabama's fourth offensive possession, Corey Lemonier forced a McCarron fumble
that was recovered for a touchdown by Kenneth Carter to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 14–7 at the end of the first quarter. A pair of long drives in the second quarter resulted in a five-yard Trent Richardson
touchdown reception and a 30-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal to give Alabama a 24–7 halftime lead.
On the opening kickoff
of the second half, Onterio McCalebb
scored a touchdown on an 83-yard return to cut the Alabama lead to 24–14. Alabama responded on their next possession with a 28-yard Shelley field goal for a 27–14 lead entering the fourth quarter. On the third play of the fourth quarter, Auburn's Clint Moseley threw an interception to DeMarcus Milliner
that was returned 35-yards for a touchdown and after a successful two-point conversion
, Alabama led 35–14. After getting the ball back on downs late in the quarter, Jalston Fowler scored on a 15-yard touchdown run, to cap a drive that included a 57-yard Richardson run, and made the final score 42–14.
In the game, Richardson set a new career high with his 203 rushing yards and tied Mark Ingram, Jr.
for the most 100-yard rushing games in a season with nine. The defense held Auburn to 140 total yards of offense, with only 78 yards on the ground, and zero offensive touchdowns in the victory. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 41–34–1.
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011...
. It marks the Crimson Tide's 119th overall season, 79th as a member of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) and its 20th within the SEC Western Division. The team is led by head coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
, in his fifth year, and play their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny...
in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Before the season
After winning the BCS National ChampionshipBCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
in 2009
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...
, Alabama fell short of preseason expectations and finished with a record of nine wins and three losses at the conclusion of the regular season. However, they finished with a 49–7 victory in the 2011 Capital One Bowl
2011 Capital One Bowl
The 2011 Capital One Bowl was the sixty-fifth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game was played on January 1, 2011 and matched the Alabama Crimson Tide from the Southeastern Conference with the Michigan State Spartans from the Big...
against Michigan State
2010 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Mark Dantonio was in his fourth season with the Spartans...
, and secured Alabama's third straight ten-win season and their third bowl win in four seasons.
In February 2011, Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 7 recruiting class according to Scout. Spring practice began on March 21 and concluded with the annual A-Day spring game on April 16. Televised live by ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
, the Crimson team defeated the White team by a final score of 14–10 before 92,310 fans in Bryant–Denny Stadium. For their performances, Barrett Jones
Barrett Jones
Barrett Jones is an American football offensive lineman. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his junior year. Jones is considered one of the best offensive lineman of his class....
earned the Dwight Stephenson
Dwight Stephenson
Dwight Eugene Stephenson is a former American football offensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 1998...
Lineman of the A-Day Game Award and Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
earned the Dixie Howell
Dixie Howell
-External links:...
Memorial Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game Award.
In the weeks following the conclusion of spring practice, a pair of tragedies occurred that directly impacted the team. On April 27, 2011, an EF4 rated tornado devastated Tuscaloosa. As a result of the storm, long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
Carson Tinker suffered a broken wrist with his girlfriend being one of the 43 fatalities attributed to the storm in Tuscaloosa. On May 12, 2011, offensive lineman Aaron Douglas was found dead in Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
. The cause of death was subsequently ruled accidental as a result of multiple drug toxicity. After transferring to Alabama from Arizona Western College
Arizona Western College
Arizona Western College is a public community college located in Yuma, Arizona, United States. AWC offers classes in San Luis, Somerton, Marine Corp Air Station , Wellton, Dateland, and La Paz....
, Douglas struggled with off-field issues including a DUI
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
charge following a December 2010 arrest. He started his career as a freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, before the Volunteers' new head coach Derek Dooley granted him a release from the program in Spring 2010.
By August, Alabama had a combined 31 players on 12 different preseason award watch lists. These included Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Dre Kirkpatrick, Robert Lester and Courtney Upshaw for the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
; Duron Carter, Darius Hanks and Marquis Maze for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
; Hightower, Nico Johnson and Upshaw for the Butkus Award; Lester and Trent Richardson for the Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
; Hightower, Barrett Jones, Upshaw and William Vlachos for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
; Michael Williams for the John Mackey Award
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
; Richardson for the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
; Barron, Hightower, Kirkpatrick, Lester and Upshaw for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
; Jones and Vlachos for the Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
; Vlachos for the Rimington Trophy; Barron, Kirkpatrick and Lester for the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
; and Richardson for the Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
.
Between the conclusion of the 2010 season and the beginning of summer practice in August 2011, seven players transferred from the Crimson Tide. Those who transferred included Robby Green (California University of Pennsylvania
California Vulcans
California University of Pennsylvania's intercollegiate sports teams and players are called the "Vulcans" , and participate in the NCAA's Division II in all sports and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in most sports. The school colors are Red, Black, and White...
), B.J. Scott (South Alabama
South Alabama Jaguars football
The South Alabama Jaguars football program, established in 2009, will be a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.-History:...
), Demetrius Goode (North Alabama
North Alabama Lions football
The North Alabama Lions football team represents the University of North Alabama in the NCAA Division II competing as a member of the East Division of the Gulf South Conference . UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama...
), Petey Smith (Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College is a community college located in the state of Mississippi, headquartered in the Goodman Campus in Goodman.The system has three campuses in the cities of Grenada, Ridgeland, and Goodman, which is the location of the main or original campus. Holmes has satellite campuses in...
), Brandon Moore (East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College , also known as East Mississippi Junior College, is a community college system in Mississippi with its headquarters in the Thomas L. Davis, Jr...
), Corey Grant (Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
) and Keiwone Malone (Memphis
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
).
Coaching staff
In the week following the Capitol One Bowl2011 Capital One Bowl
The 2011 Capital One Bowl was the sixty-fifth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game was played on January 1, 2011 and matched the Alabama Crimson Tide from the Southeastern Conference with the Michigan State Spartans from the Big...
victory, changes were made to the Alabama coaching staff. Defensive line coach Bo Davis resigned his position to serve as the defensive tackles coach for Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
. The following day, Chris Rumph was hired by Coach Saban from Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, to replace Davis as the defensive line coach. On January 12, assistant head coach and offensive line coach Joe Pendry
Joe Pendry
Joe Pendry is a former American football coach. From 1971 until 2010, he was an assistant coach or offensive coordinator for multiple teams in both the collegiate and professional ranks....
announced his retirement. The following day, former Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
interim head coach Jeff Stoutland
Jeff Stoutland
Jeff Stoutland is the offensive line coach for the University of Alabama. He served as the interim head football coach for the University of Miami in 2010.-Playing career:...
was hired to replace Pendry as offensive line coach. On January 21, wide receivers coach
Wide receivers coach
A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator....
and recruiting coordinator Curt Cignetti
Curt Cignetti
Curt Cignetti is an American football coach who is currently the head coach for the IUP Crimson Hawks of NCAA Division II, a position previously held by his father Frank Cignetti, Sr.-Playing career:...
resigned his position to accept the head coaching job at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
IUP Crimson Hawks football
The IUP Crimson Hawks football program represents Indiana University of Pennsylvania in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Crimson Hawks play their home games at George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana, Pennsylvania....
. On February 7, Mike Groh
Mike Groh
Mike Groh is an American college football coach and former player, currently the wide receiver's coach at the University of Alabama...
was hired a Cignetti's replacement as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
| Name | Position | Seasons at Alabama | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Saban Nick Saban Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo... |
Head coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
5 | Kent State Kent State Golden Flashes football The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision... (1973) |
| Burton Burns | Associate Head Coach, Running Backs Running backs coach A running backs coach is a coach in charge of the running backs in gridiron football. The running backs coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator.... |
5 | Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... (1976) |
| Mike Groh Mike Groh Mike Groh is an American college football coach and former player, currently the wide receiver's coach at the University of Alabama... |
Receivers Wide receivers coach A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator.... , Recruiting Coordinator |
1 | Virginia Virginia Cavaliers football Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... (1995) |
| Jim McElwain Jim McElwain Jim McElwain is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide. McElwain was hired on January 30, 2008, to succeed Major Applewhite.-Early life:... |
Offensive Coordinator Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... , Quarterbacks Quarterbacks coach A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff.... |
4 | Eastern Washington Eastern Washington Eagles football The Eastern Washington Eagles football team represents Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision... (1984) |
| Jeremy Pruitt | Secondary | 2 | West Alabama (1999) |
| Chris Rumph | Defensive Line Defensive Line Coach A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily... |
1 | South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks football The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice... (1994) |
| Kirby Smart Kirby Smart Kirby Smart is the defensive coordinator for the University of Alabama.-Playing career:The son of a coach himself, Smart started his football career playing High School ball with the Bainbridge High School Bearcats. He then moved on to play defensive back for the University of Georgia Bulldogs.... |
Defensive Coordinator Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... , Linebackers Linebackers coach A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker... |
5 | Georgia Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... (1999) |
| Jeff Stoutland Jeff Stoutland Jeff Stoutland is the offensive line coach for the University of Alabama. He served as the interim head football coach for the University of Miami in 2010.-Playing career:... |
Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Line Offensive line coach The offensive line coach is a coaching position in gridiron football that is in charge of the offensive line. This role is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The offensive line coach serves the offense, which is led by the offensive coordinator.... |
1 | Southern Connecticut (1984) |
| Sal Sunseri Sal Sunseri - External links :* at Rivals.com* at panthers.com... |
Assistant Head Coach, Linebackers Linebackers coach A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker... |
3 | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... (1982) |
| Bobby Williams Bobby Williams - External links :* at RollTide.com... |
Tight Ends Tight ends coach A tight ends coach is a coach in charge of the tight ends in American football. The tight ends coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator.... , Special Teams |
4 | Purdue Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of... (1982) |
| Scott Cochran | Strength and Conditioning | 5 | LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... (2001) |
| Reference: | |||
Returning starters
Alabama had 17 returning starters from the previous season, including ten on defense and seven on offense. The most notable departures from the previous year were defensive endDefensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Marcell Dareus
Marcell Dareus
-Buffalo Bills:Dareus was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills on April 28, 2011. On April 29, the day after the first round, the Bills announced that Dareus would wear jersey number 99. On July, 29, 2011, Dareus signed a 4 year deal with the Bills worth...
; left tackle James Carpenter
James Carpenter (American football)
James Carpenter is an American football offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Seahawks as the 25th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for Alabama.-High school career:...
; tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Preston Dial; quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Greg McElroy
Greg McElroy
Gregory McElroy, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama....
; wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Julio Jones
Julio Jones
Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide...
; and running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
Offense
| Player | Class | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Williams | Junior | Tight End |
| Marquis Maze Marquis Maze Tyran Marquis Maze is an American football wide receiver and return specialist currently playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has played for the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2011 and had over 1,000 receiving yards in the 2009 and 2010 seasons... |
Senior | Wide Receiver |
| Darius Hanks | Senior | Wide Receiver |
| Chance Warmack | Junior | Left Guard |
| William Vlachos | Senior | Center |
| Barrett Jones Barrett Jones Barrett Jones is an American football offensive lineman. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his junior year. Jones is considered one of the best offensive lineman of his class.... |
Junior | Right Guard |
| D.J. Fluker | Sophomore | Right Tackle |
| Reference: | ||
Defense
| Player | Class | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Barron Mark Barron Mark Barron , nicknamed “Superman,” is an American football safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Barron is 6'2" tall and weighs approximately 215 pounds. He has been clocked running 40 yards in 4.5 seconds.... |
Senior | Safety |
| Robert Lester Robert Lester (American football) Robert Lester is an American football safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide.-College career:As a freshman in 2009, Lester played in eight games, recording eight tackles. As a sophomore in 2010 Lester took over as a starter and had 52 tackles, eight interceptions and a sack.-External links:*... |
Junior | Safety |
| Dont'a Hightower Dont'a Hightower Dont'a Hightower is an American football linebacker. He is currently attending the University of Alabama in his junior year. He was granted a medical redshirt after his original sophomore campaign was cut short by a knee injury in the fourth game of the season... |
Junior | Linebacker |
| C.J. Mosley | Sophomore | Linebacker |
| Courtney Upshaw Courtney Upshaw Courtney Upshaw is an American football linebacker for the University of Alabama. Upshaw is considered one of the best pass-rushing outside linebackers of his class and a potential first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.... |
Senior | Linebacker |
| Nico Johnson Nico Johnson Nico Johnson is an American football linebacker. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his junior year. Johnson is considered one of the best outside linebackers in his class.-High school career:... |
Junior | Linebacker |
| Dre Kirkpatrick Dre Kirkpatrick D'Andre "Dre" Lawan Kirkpatrick is an American football player. He is a junior cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kirkpatrick was rated as one of the top high school defensive backs in the country... |
Junior | Cornerback |
| Dequan Menzie | Senior | Cornerback |
| DeMarcus Milliner DeMarcus Milliner DeMarcus Milliner is an American football cornerback. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his sophomore year. Milliner was a 2010 Freshman All-American by College Football News.... |
Sophomore | Cornerback |
| Josh Chapman Josh Chapman Josh Chapman is an American football defensive lineman. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his senior year. Chapman served as the backup to All-American Terrence Cody during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and is currently regarded as one of the better nose guard prospects in his... |
Senior | Nose Tackle |
| Reference: | ||
Special teams
| Player | Class | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Cade Foster Cade Foster Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:... |
Sophomore | Placekicker |
| Jeremy Shelley | Junior | Placekicker |
| Cody Mandell | Sophomore | Punter |
| Carson Tinker | Junior | Long Snapper |
| Reference: | ||
Depth chart
Starters and backups.Recruiting class
Alabama's recruiting class was highlighted by eleven players from the "ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
150": No. 3 Cyrus Kouandjio (OT); No. 19 Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix (S); No. 22 Xzavier Dickson (DE); No. 38 Trey DePriest (OLB); No. 41 Bradley Sylve (WR); No. 53 Jeoffrey Pagan (DE); No. 75 Marvin Shinn (WR); No. 79 Demetrius Hart (RB); No. 82 Malcolm Faciane (TE); No. 137 Danny Woodson, Jr. (WR); and No. 140 Brent Calloway (ATH). Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 7 recruiting class according to Scout. The football program received 14 letters of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
on National Signing Day
National Signing Day
National Signing Day most commonly refers to a day in February, usually on the first Wednesday of that month, which is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the NCAA, the main governing body for...
, February 2, 2011.
Schedule
The 2011 schedule was officially released on October 19, 2010. In accordance with conference rules, Alabama will face all five Western Division opponents: ArkansasArkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
, LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
, and Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
. They will also face three Eastern Division opponents: official SEC rival
Third Saturday in October
The Third Saturday in October, also known as the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee...
Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, and Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
. Alabama is not scheduled to play SEC opponents Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
and South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
. Alabama is also scheduled to play four non-conference games. The game against Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
was originally scheduled to be played as part of the 2004 season
2004 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2004 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's 72nd season in the SEC. The Crimson Tide were led by head coach Mike Shula who was entering his second season as head coach. They began their...
, however the series was moved back to this season at the request of Alabama due to fallout from NCAA sanctions being levied on the program. The non-conference schedule also includes games against Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
, North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
and Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern Eagles football
The Georgia Southern Eagles represent Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Southern Conference under head coach Jeff Monken. The Eagles have won an unprecedented six FCS national championships and eight Southern Conference championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award...
of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Alabama is scheduled to have one bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
following the Tennessee game and prior to playing LSU.
- Source: Rolltide.com: 2011 Alabama football schedule
Kent State
- Sources:
The Crimson Tide opened the 2011 season at home against Nick Saban's alma mater, the Kent State
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
Golden Flashes
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
. In the meeting that was the first all-time against the Golden Flashes, the Crimson Tide won 48–7. After holding the Golden Flashes to a three-and-out on the opening possession, Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
scored the Crimson Tide's first touchdown on a one-yard run to give Alabama a 7–0 lead. After holding Kent State again to a three-and-out, Alabama responded with a four play, 74 yard touchdown drive that featured a 48-yard Eddie Lacy
Eddie Lacy
Eddie Lacy is a college football player currently playing as the No. 2 running back for the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team. During the 2011 regular season, his average of 7.5 yards per carry ranked first in the Southeastern Conference and sixth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.-High...
reception and a 24-yard Marquis Maze
Marquis Maze
Tyran Marquis Maze is an American football wide receiver and return specialist currently playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has played for the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2011 and had over 1,000 receiving yards in the 2009 and 2010 seasons...
touchdown reception from A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
to take a 14–0 lead. The Tide scored their final points of the first quarter on a one-yard Richardson run to take a 21–0 lead into the second quarter. After only scoring on a 36-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal in the second quarter, Alabama led 24–0 at the half.
On the second Crimson Tide possession of the third quarter, Phillip Sims threw an interception to Norman Wolfe that was returned to the Alabama three yard line. Two plays later, Kent State scored their only points of the game when Spencer Keith connected with Justin Thompson for a three-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 24–7. The Crimson Tide responded with touchdowns on the next two consecutive drives. Richardson and Lacy both scored on one-yard runs to extend Alabama's lead to 38–7 entering the fourth quarter. In the fourth, the Tide scored their final touchdown of the afternoon on a 49-yard Jalston Fowler run and their final points on a 32-yard Shelley field goal to make the final score 48–7. For the game, Alabama's defense was dominant in allowing −9 yards rushing and 90 yards of total offense against Kent State in the contest. On offense, the Crimson Tide had 482 total yards with three different running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s scoring touchdowns and Maze totaling 118 yards receiving on eight catches with one touchdown.
Penn State
- Sources:
In what was the second consecutive meeting between the Crimson Tide and the Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, and first at Happy Valley since 1989, Alabama won 27–11. Penn State took the opening possession down the field and recorded a 43-yard field goal by Evan Lewis to take an early 3–0 lead by using all 3 of their timeouts. Alabama took a 7–3 lead later in the first quarter after A. J. McCarron connected with Michael Williams for a five-yard touchdown reception to cap a 11 play, 69 yard drive. A 22-yard Jeremy Shelley kick extended the Crimson Tide lead to 10–3 early in the second quarter. Then after trading punts, Dre Kirkpatrick
Dre Kirkpatrick
D'Andre "Dre" Lawan Kirkpatrick is an American football player. He is a junior cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kirkpatrick was rated as one of the top high school defensive backs in the country...
forced Andrew Szczerba to fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
the ball that was recovered by Alabama's DeQuan Menzie. Ten plays later, the Crimson Tide led 17–3 after a three-yard Trent Richardson touchdown run.
In the third quarter Shelley connected on an 18-yard field goal and Richardson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game midway through the fourth on a 13-yard run to give Alabama a 27–3 lead. The final points of the game came late in the fourth when Silas Redd scored on a one-yard touchdown for the Nittany Lions, and Rob Bolden
Rob Bolden
Robert "Rob" Bolden is an American football quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory School in Orchard Lake, Michigan.-Recruitment:Bolden committed to Penn State University on July 10, 2009...
converted the two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
to bring the final score to 27–11.
Trent Richardson ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns while Eddie Lacy ran for 85. A.J. McCarron threw for 163 yards and a touchdown. For his seven tackles, interception and fumble recovery, Mark Barron
Mark Barron
Mark Barron , nicknamed “Superman,” is an American football safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Barron is 6'2" tall and weighs approximately 215 pounds. He has been clocked running 40 yards in 4.5 seconds....
was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. The 107,846 fans in attendance were the most to ever see an Alabama squad compete on the gridiron, and the victory improved their all-time record against the Nittany Lions to 10–5.
North Texas
- Sources:
In their meeting against the North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
, Alabama outgained their opponent 586 to 169 yards of total offense in Alabama's 41–0 victory. After a 26-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal gave the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead, Trent Richardson scored their first touchdown of the evening on Alabama's second offensive possession to give them a 10–0 lead at the end of the first period. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 20–0 by halftime after a 43-yard Eddie Lacy touchdown run and a 37-yard Shelley field goal in the second quarter.
North Texas opened the second half with a nine play, 54-yard drive to set up a 42-yard Zach Olen field goal attempt. However, the kick was blocked by Robert Lester
Robert Lester (American football)
Robert Lester is an American football safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide.-College career:As a freshman in 2009, Lester played in eight games, recording eight tackles. As a sophomore in 2010 Lester took over as a starter and had 52 tackles, eight interceptions and a sack.-External links:*...
to preserve the shutout. Alabama extended their lead to 27–0 by the fourth quarter after Richardson scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 58-yard run. After Shelley missed a 42-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, Richardson scored again with a 71-yard touchdown run on Alabama's next offensive possession to extend their lead to 34–0. Lacy scored the final points of the game midway through the fourth with his second touchdown of the evening on a 67-yard run to give Alabama the 41–0 victory.
Trent Richardson ran for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns and became the first pair of running backs to each run for 150 yards in a game. The shutout was the Crimson Tide's first since they defeated Chattanooga 45–0 in 2009
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...
and improved Alabama's all-time record against the Mean Green to 4–0.
Arkansas
- Sources:
After three consecutive victories to start the season, the Crimson Tide opened conference play against the Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, and defeated them 38–14 at Bryant–Denny Stadium. Alabama scored first with a trick play
Trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play or a gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a...
on their opening possession. After driving to the Arkansas 37 yard line, Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
lined up for a 54-yard field goal attempt. Alabama quarterback A. J. McCarron received the snap as the holder
Holder (American football)
In American football the holder is the player who receives the snap during field goal and extra point attempts made by place kick. The holder is usually positioned between seven and eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. The holder kneels down and places the hand farthest from the line of...
, and proceeded to throw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Michael Williams to give the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead. The Razorbacks tied the game at 7–7 late in the first quarter when Tyler Wilson
Tyler Wilson (American Football)
-2008:Wilson played in two games as a true freshman, completing 11-of-22 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. He was 4-of-7 for 27 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Alabama. The following week he went 7-of-15 for 42 yards with an interception at Texas...
threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Johnson. After an Arkansas goal line stand, Jeremy Shelley connected on a 20-yard field goal to give Alabama a 10–7 lead. On the ensuing Arkansas possession, the Crimson Tide scored when DeQuan Menzie intercepted a Wilson pass and returned it 25-yards for a touchdown to give Alabama a 17–7 lead at the half.
After holding Arkansas scoreless on their first possession of the third quarter, Alabama's Marquis Maze
Marquis Maze
Tyran Marquis Maze is an American football wide receiver and return specialist currently playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has played for the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2011 and had over 1,000 receiving yards in the 2009 and 2010 seasons...
returned a Dylan Breeding punt 83-yards for a touchdown and a 24–7 Crimson Tide lead. On Alabama's next possession, Trent Richardson caught a screen pass
Screen pass
A screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
from McCarron and ran it 61-yards for a touchdown and extended the Alabama lead to 31–7. The Razorbacks scored on the following possession when Wilson threw his second touchdown pass of the afternoon after he connected on a 19-yard pass to Cobi Hamilton. Eddie Lacy then scored the final points of the game late in the third on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide the 38–14 victory. The Alabama defense only allowed 17 rushing and 226 of total offense to the Razorbacks in the victory. For his 235 all-purpose yards
All-purpose yardage
All-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the...
and touchdown reception, Trent Richardson was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks to 12–8 (15–7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Florida
- Sources:
In what was the first meeting as opposing head coaches between Nick Saban and his former assistant coach from both LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Will Muschamp
Will Muschamp
William Larry "Will" Muschamp is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida. He is a native of Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the Georgia Bulldogs...
, the Crimson Tide defeated the Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, 38–10 at The Swamp
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
. After receiving the opening kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
, Florida scored their only touchdown of the game on their first offensive play from scrimmage. The Gators took an early 7–0 lead when John Brantley
John Brantley
John Brantley, IV is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Andre Debose. Alabama responded on the following drive with Jeremy Shelley connecting on a 32-yard field goal to cut the Florida lead to 7–3. The Gators responded with what turned out to be their final points of the game when Caleb Sturgis connected on a 21-yard field goal. Alabama's Marquis Maze then returned the ensuing kickoff 70-yards to the Florida 29 yard line and the Crimson Tide tied the game at 10–10 seven plays later on a five-yard Trent Richardson touchdown run.
Alabama extended their lead to 24–10 at halftime with a pair of second quarter touchdowns. Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Upshaw is an American football linebacker for the University of Alabama. Upshaw is considered one of the best pass-rushing outside linebackers of his class and a potential first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft....
scored a defensive touchdown early in the quarter after he intercepted a Brantley pass and returned it 45-yards for the score. A. J. McCarron scored later in the quarter on a one-yard quarterback sneak
Quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in Canadian and American football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward...
to cap a ten play, 61-yard drive. Late in the quarter, the Gators did have a scoring opportunity by driving to the Alabama 13 yard line. However, the Alabama defense sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
Brantley on consecutive snaps for a loss of 22-yards and knocked Brantley out of the game with an injury. Sturgis then missed a 52-yard field goal attempt and Alabama led 24–10 at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Alabama the 38–10 victory. Richardson scored his second touchdown of the game with 12:25 remaining on a 36-yard run and Eddie Lacy scored the final points of the game on a 20-yard run. For the game, Alabama's defense was dominant in only allowing 222 total yards of offense, with the 15 rushing yards being the fewest ever allowed against Florida in their all-time series. Trent Richardson established a new career high for rushing yards in game with his 181 yards on 29 attempts. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Gators to 22–14 (23–14 without the NCAA vacation of the 2005 victory).
Vanderbilt
- Sources:
For the 91st homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
football game in Alabama history, the Crimson Tide defeated the Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
34–0 who made their first visit to Bryant–Denny Stadium since the 2006 season
2006 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2006 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season trying to improve from a 10–2 record in the 2005 season. The Tide was led by head coach Mike Shula entering his fourth year at Alabama. Despite a strong 5–2 start, they...
. After a three-and-out on their opening drive, Alabama scored their first touchdown of the evening on a six-yard A. J. McCarron touchdown pass to Brad Smelley to complete a ten play, 77-yard drive. On the following drive Vanderbilt had an opportunity to cut into the lead, but Carey Spear missed a 47-yard field goal to keep the Alabama lead at 7–0. Spear missed a second field goal later in the second quarter from 38-yards, and the Crimson Tide responded with their second touchdown drive of the game. McCarron threw his second touchdown pass of the game to DeAndrew White on a five-yard reception to give Alabama a 14–0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Trent Richardson scored first on a one-yard touchdown run followed by a 39-yard McCarron touchdown pass to White on consecutive possessions. Following an unsuccessful extra point
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
by Jeremy Shelley, Alabama led 27–0 entering the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, Dee Milliner
DeMarcus Milliner
DeMarcus Milliner is an American football cornerback. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his sophomore year. Milliner was a 2010 Freshman All-American by College Football News....
intercept
Intercept
Intercept may refer to:*X-intercept, the point where a line crosses the x-axis*Y-intercept, the point where a line crosses the y-axis*Interception *The Mona Intercept, a 1980 thriller novel by Donald Hamilton...
ed a Jordan Rodgers pass and returned it 37-yards to the Commodores' 20 yard line. Three plays later, McCarron threw a 17-yard touchdown pass, his fourth of the day, to Darius Hanks to make the final score 34–0.
For the game, Trent Richardson ran for 107 yards to extend his streak of consecutive games rushing for at least 100 yards to five games. The defense was dominant in completing their second shutout of the season and only allowing Vanderbilt 190 yards of total offense. The victory improved Alabama's all-time homecoming record to 77–13–1 and their record against the Commodores to 59–19–4 (61–18–4 without the NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Ole Miss
- Sources:
After Ole Miss
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
took an early 7–0 lead, the Crimson Tide scored 52 unanswered points in their 52–7 victory over the Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels scored their only points of the game on their first possession. Jeff Scott scored on a one-yard touchdown run to cap a 5 play, 72-yard drive to give Ole Miss their only lead of the game at 7–0. Alabama responded on the following drive with the first of four Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
touchdowns of the evening on an eight-yard run to tie the game at 7–7. The Crimson Tide added ten points in the second quarter to take a 17–7 halftime lead. Richardson scored on a seven-yard touchdown and after Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
missed a 53-yard field goal attempt, Jeremy Shelley connected for 24-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Alabama put the game away with four touchdowns. After five consecutive A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
passes gained 65-yards, Richardson gained the final eight en rout to his third touchdown of the evening. On the next Alabama possession, Richardson gained 16-yards and then scored a touchdown on a 76-yard run, the longest of his career, for a 31–7 lead. On the first play ensuing Rebels possession, Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Upshaw is an American football linebacker for the University of Alabama. Upshaw is considered one of the best pass-rushing outside linebackers of his class and a potential first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft....
forced a Randall Mackey fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
that was recovered by Ed Stinson at the Ole Miss 15 yard line. Two plays later, the Crimson Tide led 38–7 after Jalston Fowler scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. The final points of the quarter came on a ten-yard McCarron touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson, and the final points of the game came in the fourth quarter on a 69-yard Fowler touchdown run to make the final score 52–7.
Alabama's defense again had a strong performance in only allowing the Rebels 141 total yards of offense (28 rushing, 113 passing). Richardson set a new career high with his 183 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. For his performance, Richardson was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The 52 total points were the most Alabama had scored in a SEC game since defeating Vanderbilt 59–28 in 1990. The victory was their eighth straight over Ole Miss and improved Alabama's all-time record against the Rebels 45–9–2 (49–8–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Tennessee
- Sources:
In the 2011 edition of the Third Saturday in October
Third Saturday in October
The Third Saturday in October, also known as the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee...
, Alabama entered the game as a 30-point favorite over the rival Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. At Bryant–Denny, the Volunteers were looking for the upset after tying the game 6–6 at halftime; however 31 unanswered points resulted in a 37–6 Crimson Tide victory to extend their overall record to 8–0. The first half was dominated by both defenses with each only allowing a pair of field goals. Mike Palardy connected from 40 and 52-yards for Tennessee and Jeremy Shelley connected from 26 and 29-yards for Alabama.
After holding the Volunteers to a three-and-out to open the second half, the Alabama offensive responded with their first of three third quarter touchdowns with a two-yard A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
touchdown run. On the following Tennessee drive, the Alabama defense stopped quarterback Matt Simms
Matt Simms
Matt Simms is an American football quarterback who plays for the Tennessee Volunteers football team.-Early life and high school:...
on a fourth-and-one to give the Crimson Tide offense the ball on the Volunteers' 39 yard line. On the next play, McCarron threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell to extend the Alabama lead to 20–6. Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
then scored his first touchdown of the game on the following Alabama possession on a 12-yard run to cap a six play, 63-yard drive. Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
scored early in the fourth quarter with his 45-yard field goal, and after a Dont'a Hightower
Dont'a Hightower
Dont'a Hightower is an American football linebacker. He is currently attending the University of Alabama in his junior year. He was granted a medical redshirt after his original sophomore campaign was cut short by a knee injury in the fourth game of the season...
interception, Richardson scored his second touchdown of the day on a one-yard run to make the final score 37–6.
In the game, Marquis Maze
Marquis Maze
Tyran Marquis Maze is an American football wide receiver and return specialist currently playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has played for the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2011 and had over 1,000 receiving yards in the 2009 and 2010 seasons...
had 106 yards receiving on five catches and McCarron set a new career high with 284 yards passing. For his defensive performance, Hightower was named both the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. The victory was Alabama's fifth consecutive over Tennessee and improved their all-time record against the Volunteers to 48–38–7 (49–37–8 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
LSU
- Sources:
Coming off their bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
and in what was hyped as the latest "Game of the Century
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
" in college football, the LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
defeated the Crimson Tide 9–6 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. After a scoreless first quarter that saw the Crimson Tide miss two field goals, and another blocked early in the second quarter, Alabama took a 3–0 lead midway through the second on a 34-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal. LSU responded on their following possession by driving to the Alabama two-yard line and kicking a 19-yard Drew Alleman field goal as time expired to tie the game at 3–3 at halftime.
Just as the first half was dominated by both defenses, the second was no different with both Alabama and LSU only managing a pair of field goals. Alabama's came in the third on a 46-yard Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
score and LSU's came in the fourth on a 30-yard Alleman score. In the overtime period, Foster missed a 52-yard field goal attempt and Alleman connected on a 25-yard attempt to give the Tigers the 9–6 victory. Both defenses held each offense to less than 300 yards of total offense with each having a pair of interceptions. With the loss, Alabama dropped to 4–8 all-time in overtime games and brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 45–25–5.
Mississippi State
- Sources:
A week after their loss to LSU, Alabama traveled to Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
and defeated their long-time rival, the Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
24–7. After a pair of missed field goals, one from 19-yard by Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
and the second from 31-yards by Jeremy Shelley, Alabama scored their first points in the second quarter. Eddie Lacy
Eddie Lacy
Eddie Lacy is a college football player currently playing as the No. 2 running back for the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team. During the 2011 regular season, his average of 7.5 yards per carry ranked first in the Southeastern Conference and sixth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.-High...
capped a five play, 52 yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead. Later in the quarter Derek DePasquale missed a 41-yard field goal attempt for the Bulldogs, but on the ensuing Alabama possession Cameron Lawrence intercepted an A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
pass and returned it to the Alabama four-yard line. However, the Alabama defense held the Bulldogs to only a field goal attempt which was then missed from 29-yards by Brian Egan to preserve a 7–0 halftime lead for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama extended their lead to 10–0 after Shelley connected on a 24-yard field goal early in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
scored on a two-yard run for a 17–0 Crimson Tide lead. However, on the ensuing kickoff was returned 68-yards to the Alabama 22 yard line by John Fulton, and four plays later the Bulldogs cut the score to 17–7 after Tyler Russell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Smith. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with an eleven play, 73-yard drive, all on the ground, with Lacy scoring his second touchdown of the night from 32 yards out to give Alabama the 24–7 victory. The 127 rushing yards gained by Richardson was his seventh 100 yard rushing game of the season. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 74–18–3 (76–17–3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Georgia Southern
- Sources:
Against the triple option
Triple Option
The triple option is an American football scheme used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who may run with the ball instead of the two that are used in the standard option run.The triple...
attack of the Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
Eagles
Georgia Southern Eagles football
The Georgia Southern Eagles represent Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Southern Conference under head coach Jeff Monken. The Eagles have won an unprecedented six FCS national championships and eight Southern Conference championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award...
, ranked No. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the Alabama defense gave up the most total yards, rushing yards and points of the season in their 45–21 victory at Bryant–Denny Stadium. After receiving the opening kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
, the Crimson Tide drove to the Eagles' 14-yard line where Jeremy Shelley connected on a 32-yard field goal for a 3–0 lead. On their opening possession, Georgia Southern had a nine-play, 49 yard drive to set up a 42-yard field goal attempt. However, the Adrian Mora attempt was blocked by Dont'a Hightower
Dont'a Hightower
Dont'a Hightower is an American football linebacker. He is currently attending the University of Alabama in his junior year. He was granted a medical redshirt after his original sophomore campaign was cut short by a knee injury in the fourth game of the season...
and returned by Dre Kirkpatrick
Dre Kirkpatrick
D'Andre "Dre" Lawan Kirkpatrick is an American football player. He is a junior cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kirkpatrick was rated as one of the top high school defensive backs in the country...
55-yards for a touchdown and a 10–0 Crimson Tide lead. In the second quarter, A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
to complete a ten play, 71-yard drive for a 17–0 lead. However, the Eagles responded on their next offensive play when Dominique Swope scored on an 82-yard touchdown run to cut the Alabama lead to 17–7. Both teams then traded touchdowns when Richardson scored on a one-yard run for Alabama and Jaybo Shaw threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Bryant for Georgia Southern. After Cade Foster
Cade Foster
Cade Foster is an American football placekicker for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Foster was considered one of the best placekickers of his class.-High school career:...
missed a 47-yard field goal attempt late, Alabama led 24–14 at halftime.
After forcing a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
to open the second half, Alabama scored a touchdown on its opening possession with a 34-yard touchdown reception by Brad Smelley from McCarron. However on the ensuing kickoff, Laron Scott returned it 95-yards for a touchdown to cut the lead again to 31–21. Alabama responded on the following drive with Richardson accounting for 46 yards of it on seven carries with a one-yard touchdown run for a 38–21 Alabama lead. In the fourth quarter, Alabama stopped the Eagles at the Crimson Tide eight-yard line after an incomplete Shaw pass on fourth down. From there the Alabama offense began a 15-play, 92-yard drive that took 8:36 to complete with McCarron throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Smelley for the final points in their 45–21 win. For the game, Richardson had 175 yards on the ground with a pair of rushing touchdowns and one receiving. His one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Richardson the Alabama single-season rushing touchdown record breaking the previous mark of 19 set by Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
in 1999
1999 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1999 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1999 college football season. The team was led by head coach Mike DuBose, who was in his third season with the program...
.
Auburn
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After the loss against the Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
Tigers
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
the previous year, in which the Crimson Tide surrendered a 24-point lead, for nearly a year reminders of the defeat and the phrase "never again" were utilized by the team as even greater motivation to win in an already heated rivalry. With a potential birth in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game
2012 BCS National Championship Game
The 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game is scheduled to be the final college football game to determine the national champion of the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
on the line, the Alabama defense did not allow an offensive touchdown in their 42–14 victory on The Plains. After trading a pair of three-and-outs to open the game, Alabama scored their first points of the game when A. J. McCarron
A. J. McCarron
Raymond Anthony "AJ" McCarron, Jr. is an American football quarterback at the University of Alabama. He became the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the 2011 season, following the departure of former starter Greg McElroy....
threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell for a 7–0 lead. Following a ten-yard Steven Clark punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
on the enduing Auburn possession, Alabama got the ball on the Tigers' 35-yard line. On the next play, McCarron threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Brad Smelley for a 14–0 lead. On the first play of Alabama's fourth offensive possession, Corey Lemonier forced a McCarron fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
that was recovered for a touchdown by Kenneth Carter to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 14–7 at the end of the first quarter. A pair of long drives in the second quarter resulted in a five-yard Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is an American football running back. He is in his junior year at the University of Alabama. As a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.-High school...
touchdown reception and a 30-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal to give Alabama a 24–7 halftime lead.
On the opening kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
of the second half, Onterio McCalebb
Onterio McCalebb
Onterio McCalebb is a college football running back for the Auburn Tigers.-Early years:McCalebb grew up in Fort Meade, Florida, raised primarily by his grandmother and father....
scored a touchdown on an 83-yard return to cut the Alabama lead to 24–14. Alabama responded on their next possession with a 28-yard Shelley field goal for a 27–14 lead entering the fourth quarter. On the third play of the fourth quarter, Auburn's Clint Moseley threw an interception to DeMarcus Milliner
DeMarcus Milliner
DeMarcus Milliner is an American football cornerback. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his sophomore year. Milliner was a 2010 Freshman All-American by College Football News....
that was returned 35-yards for a touchdown and after a successful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
, Alabama led 35–14. After getting the ball back on downs late in the quarter, Jalston Fowler scored on a 15-yard touchdown run, to cap a drive that included a 57-yard Richardson run, and made the final score 42–14.
In the game, Richardson set a new career high with his 203 rushing yards and tied Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
for the most 100-yard rushing games in a season with nine. The defense held Auburn to 140 total yards of offense, with only 78 yards on the ground, and zero offensive touchdowns in the victory. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 41–34–1.