GameDay Edition of All Things CW: Alabama at Ole Miss
The first time I was on a field that was rushed by fans was almost 25 years ago, and shockingly it wasn't a college football game. It was an NFL game.
This was 1998. It was a pretty amazing year in sports, and I was in Phoenix working for the Tucson Citizen. It was the the first season of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and also the year of the Mark McGuire-Sammy Sosa home-run chase.
When the Arizona Cardinals, who were still playing home games at Sun Devil Stadium and had both Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman on the roster, clinched a playoff spot on a time-expiring field goal, fans stormed the field.
It was the franchise's first winning record since 1984, and first playoff appearance since 1982 (1975 in a non-strike season).
This was before cell phones, so instead of taking photos and videos to try and capture the chaotic scene, I soaked it all in and then followed the example of the players: I ran.
During postgame interviews, All-Pro cornerback Aeneas Williams and linebacker Ronald McKinnon both called it crazy and extremely dangerous. All it took was one fan doing something stupid for it to result in a career-ending injury for a player, or worse.
At least no one cared about the opposing team, the San Diego Chargers. They were perfectly safe.
Ten months later, in the same stadium, the fans rushed again albeit this time was more about youthful exuberance. It was after Arizona at Arizona State, when the Sun Devils pulled off the upset at home. For those who don't know, there's a strong rivalry between the schools that taps into the whole big city-smaller city dynamic. Tucson has a strong aversion to Phoenix, and Phoenix, like every other Western city, hates L.A.
I was standing near the tunnel to get to the locker room at Sun Devil Stadium where I had an excellent view of four guys getting on the goalpost, only to see two fall right off. The first landed on two other people, hurting them both, and the other landed straight in his head. For about five seconds I thought he was dead.
Because Alabama has enjoyed the most successful dynasty in college football history, rushing the field has become more than a thing whenever it loses on the road. It's happening every game.
I've seen people get trampled, squished and panicked.
Ole Miss fans are kind of scary to begin with because they throw stuff. Texas A&M fans were so eager to get out on the field some jumped blindly into the tunnel area. I got run over by a euphoric Auburn fan after the Kick-Six, which is tough to do because I'm 6-4, but the kid was looking the other way while in a full sprint.
Now we've had two more experiences in three games, both of which should cause everyone to seriously reconsider things.
The first, of course, was wide receiver Jermaine Burton smacking a woman at Tennessee. It never should have happened. She shouldn't have been there. He had just been on the losing end of a crushing loss. It wasn't the first time a frustrated athlete something dumb in that situation, just the first to get caught on video like that.
But then there's LSU.
My friend, and our media colleague Michael Casagrande at AL.com shot video of a clearly drunk, belligerent fan going after Assistant Director of Player Development Evan Van Nostrand after the game. There are other videos out there of Tigers fans confronting and harassing others on the Crimson Tide, and trying to steal equipment.
Norstrand is one of the most likable and interesting people that Alabama football employs. He also has an amazing story, having been a veteran who was awarded two purple hearts.
What do you think would have happened had that drunk moron, or one of the other drunk morons on the field, had taken a swing?
Right in front of the Alabama locker room.
What's different now is like with the NFL game, alcohol is now sold at college venues, and there's no reasonable way for security and police to handle and contain that kind of situation. There's also the added emotions of not just coaches switching schools and being on the other sideline (Nick Saban in this case), but players (Eli Ricks).
I'm all for keeping the atmosphere and for fans to enjoy what could be once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. Want to rip down the goalposts and parade them around? Have at it, but only after the opposing players and coaches have a chance to get somewhere safe.
Otherwise, this is a powder keg waiting to go off.
Last week, the SEC announced the creation of the Event Security Working Group to look into the issue of fans storming football fields and basketball courts and provide recommendations by the 2023 SEC Spring Meetings.
I'll make the first one for them: Do whatever it takes for this to stop, or at least figure out a way to delay the storming for at least 30 seconds. It can be through million-dollar fines (instead of the maximum $250,000 now) and some of the same penalties being used to try and curb NCAA infractions.
Better yet, threaten to take their booze away. That'll get their attention.
Tua Tagovailoa Hasn't Been Perfect, But He's Getting Close
You may have seen some claims by an analytic stat service that by their standards Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had recently thrown the NFL equivalent to a perfect game.
Not quite.
A perfect game in baseball, of course, is no one reaching base. It's 27 batters up, and 27 down. There have been 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball, and none since 2012 (Felix Hernandez). Meanwhile, there have been 318 no-hitters, the most recent being last week in the World Series.
Years ago, someone figured out the statistical equivalent in football based on passer rating. Note that the ratings are different between the college and the pro game, so one does not translate to the other.
To qualify for an NFL perfect game one must:
- Attempt at least 10 passes
- Have zero interceptions
- Have a minimum completion percentage of 77.5 percent
- Have a minimum of 11.875 percent of their passes score touchdowns
- Have a minimum of 12.5 yards per attempt.
It adds up to a 158.3, the "perfect passer rating."
It's a very high standard and the key is efficiency. The closest anyone has come over this and last season was Matthew Stafford's 156.1 against the Bears in 2021 as he only had 12.3 yards per attempt.
The last successful perfect game was by Tom Brady, Dec. 26, 2020, against the Detroit Lions.
Tagovailoa had a 135.7 rating against the Bears last week, following his 138.7 against the Lions the week before. They're the two best statistical games of his NFL career.
- 29-for-36, 80.56 percent, 382 yards, 10.61 percent of passes for TDs, 12.28 yards per attempt at Detroit.
- 21-for-30, 70.0 percent, 302 yards, 10.07 percent of passes for TDs, 12.07 yards per attempt at Chicago.
Thats' right, both games were on the road. He's also still just 24 years old.
Tagovailoa's 115.9 rating leads the NFL this season, with Jalen Hurts second at 107.8.
Tagovailoa also has the best passer rating on third downs, 147.0, having completed 42 of 57 attempts for 73.7 percent, 601 yards, with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
Overall, 64 players have notched at least one perfect game, which has been done a total of 78 times. Eight players have done it more than once: Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning top the list with four; Kurt Warner and Tom Brady with three; while Craig Morton, Dave Krieg, Ken O'Brien, and Lamar Jackson each have two.
The only perfect game by a former Crimson Tide quarterback was Joe Namath against the Miami Dolphins in 1967. He was 13-for-15 for 199 yards and two touchdowns.
He might soon have some company.
Has Everyone Forgotten Who Nick Saban Is?
You might have heard, the sky is falling in Tuscaloosa.
Yep, there was a crimson moon, and then that crazy election. But nothing suddenly says doom and gloom like Alabama football having a two-loss regular season.
I mean it hasn't done that that since, gasp, 2019!
Ok, seriously, the over-reaction to the Crimson Tide's struggles have been about as over-the-top as the fans rushing the field at Tennessee and LSU. Have we seen a hiccup in the dynasty or a cave-in as vast as the Grand Canyon? Those who feast on fan reactions are certainly promoting the latter.
They also seem to have forgotten about Bryce Young's shoulder injury.
Regardless, I ask you this, is there anyone on the planet you'd rather have trying to figure out what's up with this team and trying to fix it than Saban?
Here are five other things to keep in mind about the state of the Crimson Tide.
1) Give some credit to both the opponents and the venues. Tennessee and LSU were teams that had it together just a little bit more on those nights, were hosting the Crimson Tide in two of the toughest venues in sports (never mind college football), and only won by a combined four points.
2) This was the seventh time Alabama was the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 under Saban. Only once out of those seven times did the Crimson Tide win the national title, 2017, and it didn't run the table.
3) No one in the history of college football has been better at adapting and adjusting than Saban. At this point, you probably have to say Paul W. "Bear" Bryant is second, or at best tied with Saban for that distinction.
For those of you expecting massive changes to the coaching staff, consider the following.
Here are the assistant coaches in 2019 and then 2020. Not too much changed.
2019: Brian Baker (AHC/DL), Jeff Banks (ST/TE), Kyle Flood (OL), Pete Golding (DC/ILB), Charles Huff (AHC/RB), Charles Kelly (ADC/S), Steve Sarkisian (OC/QB), Karl Scott (CB), Sal Sunseri (OLB), Holmon Wiggins (WR), Burton Burns (Asst. AD, Football).
2020: Jeff Banks (STC/TE), Kyle Flood (OL), Pete Golding (DC/ILB), Charles Huff (AHC/RB), Charles Kelly (ADC/S), Freddie Roach (DL), Steve Sarkisian (OC/QB), Karl Scott (CB), Holmon Wiggins (WR); Butch Jones (Special Asst. to HC),
The biggest change between the two seasons was strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran heading to Georgia to try his hand at coaching. Alabama's answer was to get more into sports science with David Ballou (DSP/S&C); Dr. Matt Rhea (DSS).
Check out the assistant coaches in 2010 and 2011:
2010: Burton Burns (AHC/RB), Curt Cignetti (WR/RC), Bo Davis (DL), Jim McElwain (OC/QB), Joe Pendry (AHC/OL), Jeremy Pruitt (S), Kirby Smart (DC), Sal Sunseri (AHC/LB), Bobby Williams (TE/ST).
2011: Burton Burns (AHC/RB), Mike Groh (WR/RC), Jim McElwain (OC/QB), Jeremy Pruitt (S), Chris Rumph (DL), Kirby Smart (DC/LB), Jeff Stoutland (OL), Sal Sunseri (AHC/LB), Bobby Williams (TE/ST).
Again, there wasn't the overhaul like most fans would think.
Granted, there will be some turnover as there is every year under Saban. Maybe he'll clean house. Maybe he won't. Just don't expect it.
4) Where's Alabama listed in this year's recruiting rankings again? Oh yeah, No. 1. Plus, Saban has proven to be pretty darn good at landing key transfers.
5) The rebound. Again, go back to the 2010 and 2019 seasons. What did Alabama do?
It won back-to-back titles in 2011-12, and in 2020 ran the table with Saban's second undefeated season.
There are no guarantees, but next year's team will have an automatic chip on its shoulders, especially after a whole year of hearing about this season's problems.
Finally, this season isn't over yet.
In case you missed it the College Football Playoff selection committee has Alabama at No. 9, leaving the door for the Crimson Tide open just a little. LSU at No. 7 is telling because it means the committee is serious about having a two-loss team in the semifinals, plus the Tigers still have to get past Georgia.
Should you bet on Alabama to make it? No.
But if it can win at Ole Miss, it can get a little closer. And with two more wins after that maybe the Crimson Tide can be in place to have things fall the right way.
Beyond that, don't make any assumptions.
Attempt to Use Brian Robinson Jr. as Political Shield Beyond Pathetic
A couple of weeks ago we used the term "soap opera" to describe the quarterback situation regarding the New England Patriots.
The thing about a soap opera is that everyone knows that deep down it's fake, mostly just non-stop unnecessary drama.
What's going on with the Washington Commanders is very real, and simply a (insert favorite curse word here)-show.
Fans are mad. The players are lived. Even Congress has been involved.
At the heart of the issue is owner Dan Snyder being in trouble for all sorts of things including workplace harassment and financial misconduct. Snyder was even called on to testify before the Congressional House Oversight Committee.
Moreover, FedExField, which opened in 1997, is generally considered the worst stadium in the league. There's been talk of a new facility, but everyone seems to have had it with Snyder and he's reportedly considering selling the team (for a very healthy profit).
The allegations against Snyder and the organization have been building for some time and have become an embarrassment to the National Football League.
At about the time District of Columbia attorney general Karl Racine opened a criminal investigation into the team a letter was written to the Federal Trade Commission by the U.S. House Committee for Oversight and Reform alleging Washington was involved in financial improprieties.
What does this have to do with Alabama football?
Someone in the organization tried to use running back Brian Robinson Jr. as a political shield against the D.C. attorney general.
“Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight.” The spokesperson also used the phrase “out-of-control violent crime in DC.”
Robinson was shot twice during a botched robbery on Aug. 28. His recovery is considered the high point of the Commanders season as he's back on the field.
His agent, Ryan Williams, was not pleased with the team using his client in their statement.
“Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class,” Williams said in a tweet this week. “And I was so grateful for it. Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them.”
The team returned to practice on Thursday, with head coach Ron Rivera just back from California where his mother died last week. He addressed the team about the situation, but JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reported that the players were “pissed” over the organization using Robinson’s situation in its statement.
They should be.
Meanwhile, on Thursday the attorney general formally filed suit against the franchise and owner for perpetuating "a toxic culture of sexual harassment."
“For years the team and its owner have caused very real and very serious harm, and then lied about it to dodge accountability and continue to rake in profits. So far, they seem to have gotten away with it."
He later added, “In fact, the evidence shows Mr. Snyder was not only aware of the toxic culture within in his organization, he encouraged it and participated in it.”
As for the allegations of financial wrongdoings, Racine said, “There will be more news on that next week.”
These guys and Rivera deserve better, including the former Crimson Tide players: Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Robinson, Cam Sims and Phidarian Mathis.
Latest Mock Draft has Bryce Young Back Out Front
Kevin Hanson of Sports Illustrated published his 2023 NFL Mock Draft 2.0, and to the surprise of no one had three quarterbacks in the top five picks, with Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. also in the mix.
What stood out were two things, though:
1) He had Young listed first, and ...
2) Eight of his top nine players after Week 9 of the NFL season were from Alabama, Georgia or Ohio State.
It needs to be noted that Hanson's trying to guess which team will have the first-overall pick and who might be considered the best fit. So the current NFL standings come into play and are as big of a variable as anything else.
Here's what he wrote for the four Alabama players he has slated as on target to be first-round selections:
1. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB
"Following a better-than-expected rookie season in 2021 from Davis Mills, Houston’s front office wisely bypassed a relatively lackluster quarterback class to focus on other areas of concern in ’22. Even though the Texans remain in (the early parts of) rebuilding mode, they shouldn’t pass on Young if they end the season with the rights to the top pick, especially with Mills failing to show significant year-over-year improvement."
3. Las Vegas Raiders: Will Anderson Jr., edge
"Maxx Crosby is one of the league’s most disruptive edge rushers, but Chandler Jones will turn 33 years old in February and Clelin Ferrell, the fourth pick in 2019, will be a free agent next offseason. Anderson’s current production has dipped some (seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss) compared to last year’s dominant season (17.5 sacks and 34.5 TFLs), but he is a true difference-maker who is elite against both the pass and run. Not only is he likely to be the first non-quarterback drafted, but he’s the top overall prospect on my board."
30. Buffalo Bills: Brian Branch, S
"Jordan Poyer is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2022 season. Micah Hyde is out following season-ending neck surgery, but he’s scheduled to become a free agent after ’23. Both safeties are on the wrong side of 30. The Bills appreciate versatility in their safeties, and Branch has a versatile skill set that has allowed Nick Saban to use him in a variety of roles for the Crimson Tide."
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
"Despite his 200-pound frame, Gibbs is a talented runner due to his vision, burst and elusiveness, but he’s especially gifted as a receiver. The Georgia Tech transfer has 99 catches for 1,138 yards (11.5 per catch) and eight touchdowns over three collegiate seasons. Both Miles Sanders and Boston Scott are scheduled to become free agents after the season."
Note: All four would probably be good fits with those teams. The one who may be the best fit with his potential team is Gibbs.
Alabama has had a player selected first overall only once, Harry Gilmer in 1948, by the Washington Redskins (Joe Namath was the first overall pick of the 1965 AFL draft before the AFL-NFL merger). It's also the only time in Crimson Tide history that the Crimson Tide had multiple players picked in the top five with Lowell Tew going fourth to the Redskins, and Vaughn Macha fifth to the Boston Yanks.
Stacking D Not Stopping Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry's five straight 100-yard games is even more impressive considering that everyone know he's getting the ball, and defenses still can't shut him down.
Per NFL Research, Henry has 362 rushing yards this season against defenses loading the box (use eight or more players close enough to the line of scrimmage that they can directly impact a run).
That not only leads the league, but is nearly 100 yards more than any other team — never mind individual.
With Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill sidelined last week, Henry saw eight-plus defenders in the box 53 percent of the time against the Chiefs, and 56 percent of the time the previous week against the Texans.
Henry carried a combined 49 times for 334 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in those two games.
“We’ve been dealing with clogged boxes since I’ve been the tight ends coach (in 2019),” offensive coordinator Todd Downing said per All Titans,. “They know who Derrick is. We’re seeing the same defenses. It may be that they show it a little bit earlier or there’s a little bit more pressure (the last two weeks). But it’s been the same defenses we’ve been dealing with for four years.”
Nick Saban Quotes of the Week
All three quotes are from his radio show Thursday night:
• On being calmer on the sideline this week: “If you think me acting up on the sidelines and breaking headsets is gonna help us play better, I’ll sure as hell do it.”
• On the lay-calling being different: "Last year and this year, we’ve kind of gone more even to the drop-back passing, and that’s because of Bryce. But I think in the future, we’ll get back to more of the conventional spread, run the ball, have more balance, RPOs, that type of things. So what we’ve done now is to sort of fit what Bryce does best.”
• How to stop fans from storming the field: "Win. If we win, they don't do it. And they don't do it at other games, they only do it when they beat us. So if just win then we wouldn't have a problem, don't you think?"
Tide-Bits
• Alabama is favored by 12 points at Ole Miss per SI Sportsbook, and while Saban almost never loses two in a row, covering is another matter says SI's Pat Forde. Yet oddsmakers are still laying odds on the Crimson Tide's chances of winning the SEC championship. From BetOnline:
- Georgia -400 (1/4)
- LSU +350 (7/2)
- Alabama +1400 (14/1)
- Ole Miss +6600 (66/1)
• Ari Wasseran of the Athletic echoed some concerns we've made here about playoff expansion following Alabama at LSU: “Yes, that was a regular-season game. But it was essentially a playoff game, where the winner takes all. [...] Do we really want to tamper with the dramatic regular season this four-team field provides? To get all the benefits of expansion, you have to acknowledge that we’re taking away the magic from the big-time regular-season playoff games that already exist. … It is just odd that for all the cheering we get from everyone about how cool the expanded College Football Playoff is going to be, nobody is willing to stand up and talk about the cost of expansion: We’re handing out participation trophies to inferior teams and we’re watering down the regular season. And we aren’t even going to get new champions out of it. The same teams you’re bored of watching now are going to win the next version of the Playoff, too.”
• During his introductory press conference as the new athletic director at Auburn, John Cohen was asked about his mentors. His response got a bit derailed by a sudden reality: “[I] got to work with Jeremy Foley, one of the all-time greats. I got to work with Mitch Barnhart. Scott Stricklin is one of my closest friends. Greg Byrne is, gosh, am I allowed to say he is a really close friend?"
• Alabama could soon have another national championship venue within easy driving distance. It it's proposed $2.1 billion stadium is built by 2016, Nashville plans to bid on the national championship game when the next bid cycle opens.
• The Crimson Tide is one of seven schools (Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA the others) to have a player named on the Bob Cousy, Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awards watch lists this preseason. Of those teams, Alabama is ranked the lowest in the preseason poll at No. 20.
• SI's Preseason Bracketology has Alabama as the No. 6 seed in the South Region, facing UAB in the first round. The advancing team would face the winner of No. 3 Texas vs. No. 14 Colgate for a spot in the Sweet 16.
See Also:
Rushing the Field from a Media Perspective: Three-And-Out
How to Watch Alabama Football at Ole Miss
Nick Saban's Message to Fans: 'Think About Building, Not Tearing Down'
Want tickets to see the Crimson Tide or other teams? Check out SI Tickets.
