bo davis
2007 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Returning starters
Offense
The Crimson Tide offense returned nine starters from 2006. Returning are all three quarterbacks at the top of the depth chart, including starter John Parker Wilson. The entire starting offensive line returned, anchored by freshman All-American Andre Smith, along with reinforcements by the top four tight ends from the 2006 depth chart. Alabama's receiving unit was led by its wide receivers D.J. Hall, who broke nearly every Alabama-receiving record in school history in 2006. Alabama must find a replacement for Kenneth Darby at tailback from its young running backs. With the offensive line, quarterbacks, and receivers being regarded as strengths for the Tide, Alabama found a strong running game with its young running backs compared to their inconsistent passing game. The Tide adapted to the new offense installed by new offensive coordinator Major Applewhite. Head coach Nick Saban had stated this was to be a unique offense that no other team in America will be running, and will simply be titled the "Alabama" because of its solitude. All told, the Tide returned nine starters on offense.
Defense
The Alabama defense returned six starters in 2007, based on the 3–3–5 scheme that was run in 2006. The Tide in 2007 had a new starting nose tackle, outside linebacker, strongside linebacker, cornerback, and a starting safety.
Schedule
The schedule was ranked as the #7 toughest home schedule.
Schedule notes
The Alabama vs. Florida State game on September 29 was played in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The match-up was a one-time only contest, and the tickets for the event were split 50 / 50 between the two fan bases.The Alabama vs. LSU game on November 3 marked the second time that Alabama head coach Nick Saban competed against LSU. The first time came in the 1995 Independence Bowl while Saban was the head coach of Michigan State. The game was the first time Saban competed against LSU after his tenure as head coach at that school. Saban is now 0–2 against LSU.
The Alabama vs. Auburn game on November 24 saw the Tide attempting to end a current losing streak to the Tigers, which is now at 6.
Of the twelve teams on the 2007 schedule, eight made bowl games in 2006. Seven opponents were ranked in the top 25 entering the matchups versus Alabama.
Game notes
Western Carolina
The Nick Saban era commenced before a sold-out, home crowd of 92,138 by defeating the Catamounts of Western Carolina 52–6. This marks both Nick Saban's first regular season game and victory as Alabama's head coach.Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson was 17–of–25 for 189 yards. Redshirt freshman running back Terry Grant had a coming-out party with 134 yards rushing on 18 attempts and three of Alabama's touchdowns. Freshman WR Jeff Nelson had 6 catches for 97 yards, including a 45 yard td reception to go along with 2 returns for 106 yards and a td before leaving the game in the 3rd quarter with a high ankle sprain.
Vanderbilt
For the 19th time in a row stretching back to 1984, Alabama defeated Vanderbilt before a sold-out crowd of 39,773 at Vanderbilt Stadium. This marks Nick Saban's first conference victory as Alabama's head coach.
Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson was 14–of–28 for 150 yards. Redshirt freshman running back Terry Grant, for a second week rushed for over 100 yards, with 173 yards rushing on 24 attempts and both of Alabama's touchdowns. Leigh Tiffin would account for the remainder of the scoring in hitting field goals of 20, 40 and 29 yards.
Arkansas
In what was considered its first true test of the season, Alabama built an early 21–point lead but had to mount a come-from-behind drive in the final two minutes of the game in order to capture a 41–38 victory. The upset win placed Alabama in the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches' polls.Georgia
In their second straight test at home, the Crimson Tide found themselves trailing early in the first quarter via a 10–yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Thomas Brown. Brandon Coutu and Leigh Tiffin each added a field goal in the 2nd quarter for their respective teams as the Bulldogs lead 10–3 at halftime. In the third quarter, Alabama QB John Parker Wilson scrambled for a 1–yard touchdown run, but the Bulldogs immediately answered on their next drive with a 6–yard rushing touchdown from Knowshon Moreno. Coutu connected on a 47–yard field goal, as the Bulldogs extended their lead in the fourth quarter. Alabama scored on a 22–yard field goal from Leigh Tiffin and another rushing touchdown from John Parker Wilson, forcing the game into overtime. On their first possession of overtime, Alabama failed to move the football and Leigh Tiffin connected on a 42–yard field goal. As for Georgia, QB Matthew Stafford connected on a 25–yard pass to Mikey Henderson and the Georgia Bulldogs left Tuscaloosa 26–23 overtime winners.Florida State
The Tide suffered another upset loss in Jacksonville, Florida to Florida State. It was the first time the teams had met since 1974, and it was the first meeting since Birmingham, Alabama native Bobby Bowden took over as head coach of the Seminoles. Bowden had dreamed of playing for the Tide as a child, and he almost left Florida State to coach Alabama in December 1986. However, this game marked his first time to ever be on the field with Alabama. State's backup quarterback Xavier Lee, who took the field in the second quarter, was the star of the show with a pair of touchdown passes to De'Cody Fagg. The game was scoreless through the first half. Then the Seminoles scored on their first play of the second half on the first of those Lee to Fagg passes. They scored again on a run by Antone Smith in the fourth quarter after a fumble by John Parker Wilson on Alabama's 5–yard line. The Tide showed some life late in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns, but a 70–yard touchdown pass wit 4:46 left on the clock clinched it for Florida State. After Alabama scored their second touchdown on a Keith Brown reception with 1:06 left in the game, they then recovered an onside kick in an attempt to force the game into overtime. However, Alabama was charged with illegal touching, and the play was ruled invalid, sealing the Tide's fate. The 85,412 fans at the game set the attendance record for Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, exceeding numbers of Super Bowl XXXIX or any of the annual Georgia–Florida rivalry games. The following day, Alabama dropped from the rankings in the AP and Coaches' polls.Houston
After the first quarter, Alabama led Houston 23–0, and it appeared that the 2007 homecoming game would be a blowout victory. However, the Tide's offense shut down for the other three quarters scoring only one more touchdown in the third quarter. Right before halftime, the Cougars managed to score their first touchdown on a 68 yard Blake Joseph pass to Donnie Avery. A Houston field goal in the third quarter made the score 23–10 before Alabama scored its final touchdown to make it 30–10. The game appeared over going into the fourth quarter, but Houston attempted a comeback by scoring two touchdowns to come within 6 points of the Tide. On the last play of the game, Houston almost scored another touchdown to win the game, but an interception in the endzone by Simeon Castille sealed the victory for Bama.Ole Miss
In an unexpected offensive showcase, the Tide managed to squeak by Ole Miss 27–24. They had to mount a fourth quarter comeback from a 24–17 deficit. Leigh Tiffin kicked the game winning field goal from 24 yards with 5:14 remaining in the game. Ole Miss attempted to score on their last drive and either force the game into overtime with a field goal or win with a touchdown. With a fourth-and-22 on Alabama's 45–yard line, Rebels quarterback Seth Adams completed a pass to Shay Hodge at the 3–yard line. However, the call was reviewed and then reversed after Nick Saban called a timeout to give the officials more time to look at the replay, sealing the victory for Alabama. John Parker Wilson was 26 for 40 and threw an interception and no touchdowns. The Tide only gave up one fumble, but it was inside the Ole Miss 5–yard line as Alabama was about to score. The defense was able to force 3 interceptions on the day.
Tennessee
- Pregame line: Even
Nick Saban set a different tone for this year's "The Third Saturday in October" right from the get go. Saban elected to kick an onside kick on the opening kickoff. Alabama recovered and scored 3 on Leigh Tiffen's 39 yard field goal. Bama extended their lead to 10 when QB John Parker Wilson connected with Terry Grant on a 3 yard touchdown pass.
Tennessee then scored 14 unanswered points to take the lead early in the 2nd quarter. Arian Foster had a 2 yard touchdown run and Erik Ainge found TE Luke Stocker for a 3 yard touchdown pass. At that point Alabama took over. WR D.J. Hall had 2 2nd quarter touchdown receptions. Leigh Tiffin added 3 more field goals to bring his total to four on the day. RB Terry Grant also had an 8 yard touchdown run. Tennessee was only able to add one field goal by Daniel Lincoln, shortly before halftime, as the Crimson Tide outscored Tennessee 17–0 in the second half.
WR D.J. Hall and QB John Parker Wilson had career days for Alabama. Hall had 13 receptions for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wilson was 32–of–46 for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns.
LSU
In the game dubbed "Saban Bowl I," in which Nick Saban's new Alabama team faced an LSU team that feature several players Saban himself had recruited during his tenure in Baton Rouge, the Tide found itself in an SEC shootout. Alabama struck first with an early Leigh Tiffin field goal. However, the Tigers then scored 17 unanswered points, and it appeared that the game could have been a blowout. Unfortunately for LSU though, Bama wasn't finished yet. They scored 17 points in the second quarter, and the Crimson Tide led 20–17 at halftime. The third quarter saw no scoring until the last two minutes. With 1:19 left, Keith Brown caught a 14–yard touchdown pass to make the score 27–17. The Tigers quickly responded on their next drive when Matt Flynn threw a 61–yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd to bring the Tiger back to within 3 points of Bama. Then, with 11:21 left in the game, Colt David kicked a 49–yard field goal to tie it up 27–27. The Tide took the lead again when Javier Arenas returned a punt for a 61–yard touchdown. With 2:49 left, LSU was able to tie the game again. It appeared the game might go into overtime until John Parker Wilson fumbled the ball and LSU recovered on the Tide's 4–yard line. They then ran it in for a touchdown and won when Alabama was unable to respond. The Tigers had 475 total yards compared to Alabama's 254. Alabama was able to stay in the game thanks to 3 interceptions the defense was able to force and 130 yards in penalties that LSU accumulated. John Parker Wilson was 14 for 40 with 234 yards, 3 touchdowns, sacked 7 times, and an interception.Mississippi State
Mississippi State defeats Alabama for the second consecutive season.Louisiana-Monroe
Louisiana-Monroe upsets Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.Auburn
Alabama is defeated, allowing Auburn to win their 6th straight Iron BowlColorado
After a four game slide to end a once promising season, Alabama played Colorado in the Independence Bowl on December 30, 2007. Alabama scored on their opening drive off of a Leigh Tiffin field goal to lead 3–0. Colorado's first offensive play of the game resulted in an interception by Rolando McClain. Once again, Alabama relied on another field goal from Tiffin to push their lead to 6–0. Later in the quarter, Alabama's John Parker Wilson would throw a touchdown to Keith Brown and Matt Caddell to push the Crimson Tide to a 20–0 lead after one quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wilson would connect to Nikita Stover on a 31–yard touchdown pass and the Crimson Tide lead 27–0 after just under 20 minutes played in the game. The Buffaloes would control the majority of the second quarter after Wilson threw an interception. Buffaloes freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins threw touchdown passes to Tyson DeVree and Dusty Sprague to close the gap, as the Crimson Tide lead 27–14 at halftime. The only score in the third quarter would come from Kevin Eberhart on a Colorado field goal. Leigh Tiffin kicked a field goal as the Crimson Tide lead 30–17, though Cody Hawkins and Tyson DeVree would connect on another passing touchdown. In a desperation attempt with 0:01 left in the fourth quarter, Colorado would attempt several laterals but would fall short of midfield. The victory sent Alabama to a 7–6 overall record as they avoided a second consecutive losing season.
Statistics
Rushing
| Name | GP–GS | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Grant | 11–9 | 180 | 891 | 4.9 | 8 | 47 | 81.0 |
| Glen Coffee | 9–3 | 129 | 545 | 4.2 | 4 | 20 | 60.6 |
| Roy Upchurch | 12–0 | 50 | 248 | 4.7 | 1 | 25 | 19.8 |
| John Parker Wilson | 13–13 | 81 | 292 | 1.3 | 5 | 24 | 8.0 |
| Jonathan Lowe | 10–0 | 24 | 99 | 4.1 | 0 | 12 | 9.9 |
| Jimmy Johns | 13–1 | 17 | 69 | 4.1 | 1 | 22 | 5.3 |
| Matt Caddell | 13–5 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0.9 |
| D. J. Hall | 13–11 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 7 | 0.5 |
| P. J. Fitzgerald | 13–0 | 1 | –5 | –5.0 | 0 | –5 | –2.2 |
| Total | 13 | 490 | 1,940 | 4.0 | 19 | 47 | 149.2 |
| Opponents | 13 | 470 | 1,614 | 3.4 | 14 | 57 | 124.2 |
Passing
| Name | GP–GS | Effic | Comp–Att | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Long | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Parker Wilson | 13–13 | 114.60 | 255–462 | 55.2 | 2,846 | 18 | 12 | 67 | 218.9 |
| Greg McElroy | 2–0 | 193.69 | 8–9 | 88.9 | 73 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 36.5 |
| Total | 13 | 115.87 | 263–472 | 55.7 | 2,919 | 19 | 12 | 67 | 224.5 |
| Opponents | 13 | 117.21 | 232–428 | 54.2 | 2,877 | 20 | 19 | 70 | 221.3 |
Receiving
| Name | GP–GS | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. J. Hall | 13–11 | 67 | 1,005 | 15.0 | 6 | 67 | 77.3 |
| Matt Caddell | 13–5 | 40 | 475 | 11.9 | 2 | 32 | 36.5 |
| Mike McCoy | 13–9 | 28 | 207 | 7.4 | 1 | 23 | 15.9 |
| Terry Grant | 11–9 | 26 | 176 | 6.8 | 1 | 27 | 16.0 |
| Nick Walker | 13–13 | 23 | 204 | 8.9 | 2 | 27 | 15.7 |
| Keith Brown | 12–1 | 22 | 336 | 15.3 | 5 | 43 | 28.0 |
| Glen Coffee | 9–3 | 18 | 142 | 7.9 | 0 | 32 | 15.8 |
| Nikita Stover | 11–3 | 10 | 131 | 13.1 | 2 | 31 | 11.9 |
| Roy Upchurch | 11–0 | 7 | 51 | 7.3 | 0 | 22 | 4.2 |
| Travis McCall | 13–8 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 0 | 16 | 3.5 |
| Jonathan Lowe | 10–0 | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 0 | 18 | 1.9 |
| Earl Alexander | 13–0 | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 0 | 13 | 3.1 |
| Jimmy Johns | 13–1 | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 0 | 20 | 3.2 |
| Preston Dial | 10–1 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 0 | 21 | 2.1 |
| Will Oakley | 10–0 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 | 1.6 |
| Darius Hanks | 1–0 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 |
| Baron Huber | 13–1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0.3 |
| Total | 13 | 263 | 2,919 | 11.1 | 19 | 67 | 224.5 |
| Opponents | 13 | 232 | 2,877 | 12.4 | 20 | 70 | 221.3 |
Returns
| Name | Punt Returns | Kickoff Returns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | No. | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | ||
| Javier Arenas | 21 | 323 | 15.4 | 1 | 69 | 27 | 657 | 24.3 | 0 | 62 | |
| Jonathan Lowe | 4 | 51 | 12.8 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 277 | 19.8 | 0 | 41 | |
| Simeon Castille | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |||||
| Matt Caddell | 1 | –4 | –4 | 0 | –4 | 4 | 57 | 14.2 | 0 | 18 | |
| Jimmy Johns | — | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | |||||
| D. J. Hall | — | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | |||||
| Travis McCall | — | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | |||||
| Total | 27 | 370 | 13.7 | 1 | 69 | 48 | 1,014 | 21.1 | 0 | 62 | |
| Opponents | 21 | 138 | 6.6 | 0 | 31 | 64 | 1,148 | 17.9 | 0 | 36 | |
Kicking
| Name | Field Goals | Kickoffs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | Pct | Long | Blkd | No. | Yards | Avg | TB | OB | ||
| Leigh Tiffin | 25–34 | 73.5 | 51 | 1 | 70 | 4,197 | 60.0 | 4 | 2 | |
| Jamie Christensen | — | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 25–34 | 73.5 | 51 | 1 | 72 | 4,270 | 59.3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Opponents | 13–21 | 61.9 | 47 | 0 | 61 | 3,632 | 59.5 | 8 | 0 | |
Punting
| Name | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TB | FC | In20 | Blkd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. J. Fitzgerald | 64 | 2,475 | 38.7 | 58 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 1 |
| Total | 64 | 2,475 | 38.7 | 58 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 1 |
| Opponents | 76 | 2,956 | 38.9 | 54 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 1 |
Personnel
Roster
Coaching staff
- Nick Saban – Head Coach
- Major Applewhite – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Burton Burns – Associate Head Coach/Running Backs
- Curt Cignetti – Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
- Bo Davis – Defensive Line
- Ron Middleton – Tight Ends/Special Teams
- Joe Pendry – Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line
- Kirby Smart – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Secondary
- Kevin Steele – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
- Lance Thompson – Outside Linebackers
Recruits
The following players have committed to Alabama for the 2008 season:| Name | Pos | Ht | Wt | School | ESPN Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Jones | WR | 6-4 | 215 | Foley HS (AL) | WR #1 | Signed |
| Burton Scott | ATH | 5-11 | 194 | Vigor HS (AL) | ATH #1 | Signed |
| Courtney Upshaw | DE | 6-2 | 225 | Eufaula HS (AL) | DE #4 | Signed |
| Tyler Love | OT | 6-7 | 280 | Mountain Brook HS (AL) | OT #1 | Signed |
| Jerrell Harris | OLB | 6-3 | 220 | Gadsden HS (AL) | OLB #8 | Signed |
| Mark Ingram | RB | 5-10 | 190 | Southwestern Academy (MI) | RB #12 | Signed |
| Terrance Cody | DT | 6-5 | 390 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Comm. College | TRANSFER | Signed |
| Kerry Murphy | DT | 6-5 | 320 | Hargrave Military Academy (VA) | -- | Signed |
| Chris Jackson | ATH | 6-0 | 187 | Henry County HS (GA) | ATH #14 | Signed |
| Destin Hood | WR | 6-2 | 185 | St. Paul's Episcopal School (AL) | WR #23 | Signed |
| Melvin Ray | WR | 6-2 | 185 | North Florida Christian HS (FL) | OLB #24 | Signed |
| Chris Jordan | OLB | 6-2 | 201 | Brentwood HS (TN) | OLB #20 | Signed |
| Mark Barron | ATH | 6-2 | 202 | St. Paul's Episcopal School (AL) | ATH #19 | Signed |
| Devonta Bolton | WR | 6-3 | 220 | Norcross HS (GA) | WR #33 | Signed |
| Robby Green | CB | 6-0 | 175 | John Curtis Christian HS (LA) | CB #15 | Signed |
| Alonzo Lawrence | CB | 6-1 | 187 | George County HS (MS) | CB #17 | Signed |
| Ivan Matchett | RB | 5-10 | 206 | St. Paul's Episcopal School (AL) | RB #31 | Signed |
| John Michael Boswell | OT | 6-6 | 290 | Tuscaloosa County HS (AL) | OT #19 | Signed |
| Brandon Lewis | DE | 6-3 | 260 | Pleasant Valley HS (AL) | DE #21 | Signed |
| Damion Square | DE | 6-3 | 265 | Jake Yates HS (TX) | DE #24 | Signed |
| Star Jackson | QB | 6-3 | 182 | Lake Worth HS (TX) | QB #22 | Signed |
| Don'ta Hightower | DE | 6-3 | 248 | Marshall County HS (TN) | DE #26 | Signed |
| Michael Williams | DE | 6-6 | 240 | Pickens County HS (AL) | DE #26 | Signed |
| Barrett Jones | OT | 6-5 | 271 | Evangelical Christian School (TN) | OT #28 | Signed |
| Wesley Neighbors | S | 6-2 | 195 | Huntsville HS (AL) | S #23 | Signed |
| Glenn Harbin | DE | 6-5 | 240 | McGill Toolen Catholic HS (AL) | DE #44 | Signed |
| Marcel Dareus | DT | 6-4 | 275 | Huffman HS (AL) | DT #39 | Signed |
| Brad Smelley | TE | 6-3 | 220 | American Christian Academy (AL) | TE #31 | Signed |
| Jermaine Preyear | FB | 5-11 | 205 | Davidson HS (AL) | FB #5 | Signed |
| Robert Lester | S | 6-2 | 200 | Foley HS (AL) | S #38 | Signed |
| Corey Smith | K | 6-1 | 208 | Musselman HS (AL) | K #14 | Signed |
| Undra Billingsley | DE | 6-3 | 265 | Woodlawn HS (AL) | DE #86 | Signed |
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday September 27, 2008 at 17:32:27 PDT (GMT -0700)
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