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This week we bring you reviews of the Arkansas game, Who's Who in the Bama Family, and the Weekend Wrap-up. Look for our next issue on Thursday, September 30th, with previews of the Florida game and more!

Also, if you like what you read here in the Alabama Weekly be sure to look for articles online at TideFans.com that are not found in the Weekly.

ROLL TIDE!

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BAMA OPENS UP OFFENSE AND EYES
By Jess Nicholas
Staff Writer

Funny how things change week to week.

After last week’s Louisiana Tech game, the focus was squarely on the negative, with many wondering aloud if they had seen Alabama’s last win of the season the previous week against Houston. This week, buoyed by a win over a top-15 program that could and should have been bigger, there is talk of upsetting Florida in the Swamp and possibly even running the table to a 10-1 record.

Whooaaa, big fella.

Alabama did some very good things against Arkansas. For one, they turned Charlie Stubbs loose. Stubbs’ chaotic offense, while producing six turnovers, also did what Mike DuBose has wanted ever since he got to Alabama---it set up the run with the pass and forced Arkansas to defend the length and width of the field.

The result was another 150+ day or rushing for Shaun Alexander, which happens so often these days it’s not even newsworthy. Other bon mots included touchdowns by five people, nearly five hundred yards of total offense, and enough points to make Alabama the second most prolific scoring team in the SEC, behind only…

…Florida. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Alabama played better on defense. There has not been a team yet that was able to run on the Tide. There have, however, been teams that have passed on the Tide, and Arkansas was one of them. Quarterback Clint Stoerner had over 300 yards passing and Alabama was about six inches away from a tie game when a Hail Mary pass fell short as time ran out.

If the Tide is going to win, or even compete with Florida, they will have to fix this problem. Having said that, the defensive backs appeared to look back for the ball better against Arkansas, and even though he dropped both of them, reserve safety Jason Jones filled in well for the injured Marcus Spencer, breaking to the ball on two occasions and batting down potentially lengthy completions. Linebacker Chris Horne shook off a lot of the cobwebs, playing well. Special teams continued to improve exponentially. Even though Lane Bearden missed the end zone several times, his kicks had the hang time of punts, giving the coverage units ample time to make big plays. Credit Gerald Dixon, Phillip Weeks, Roberto McBride, and other speedy youngsters with making plays when they had the chance.

Can Alabama beat Florida? Yes, they very much can. The Gators would be foolish to overlook Alabama, and Steve Spurrier will do his best to see that doesn’t happen. Alabama, though, will have to step things up yet another notch. Doug Johnson is not as accurate as Tim Rattay, but he knows his offense and he will have more time to throw, as the Gator offensive line is far better than the one belonging to the Bulldogs from Ruston. In addition, though they may be young, Florida’s defense has more star-quality athletes than Alabama’s first three opponents combined. Alex Brown could prove to be the best pass rusher the SEC has seen since Derrick Thomas policed things for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama did some good things Saturday, and a win such as the one they got over Arkansas is always big. Still, the Tide allowed over 300 yards passing to a quarterback with an injured shoulder, and that does not bode well for long-term success. Coach DuBose surely got some breathing room after this one, though, even with the penalties and turnovers. Which brings up another point, directed to those who are concerned with Alabama’s turnover count Saturday---don’t worry so much. Shaun Alexander fumbled twice, which isn’t likely to happen again. Sometimes these things happen and the team still wins. Be happy for it.

Alabama has a huge challenge in front of them. The Tide will have to play nearly flawless football to beat Florida. But for the first time since probably 1994, Alabama has the athletes and the system to get it done. Even if they come up short, the Arkansas victory should give fans hope for a better season than 1998.

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WEEKEND WRAPUP -- WEEK 4
By Chris Van Steenberg
Staff Writer

Whoa, Nelly!! What a weekend. The Tide held off another last second comeback and showed what "dominating the line of scrimmage" really looks like. The rest of the country saw games that were as exciting as the Tide vs. Arkansas, often with the same result for the higher-ranked team. The college football world was a little topsy-turvy this past weekend. Let's sort through the wreckage.

Florida State 42, North Carolina 10.

In the ongoing saga of "As the Stomach Turns", FSU pummeled a hapless Tarheel team with 28 points in the first half of the first quarter, then proceeded to lose interest in the game. In a very un-FSU like display, the Noles were only able to put up 14 additional points over the remaining 50 minutes or so. Bobby Bowden commented that "as soon as we started substituting, the engine cut off." Maybe the Canes will get the Seminoles' full attention in two week's time. We might have to wait until November 20th, though, to see what these Noles are really made of.

Eastern Carolina 27, Miami (FL) 23.

Speaking of Hurricanes, the ECU Pirates have weathered two major storms in the last week. Floyd knocked the Pirates out of their hometown and all the way to Columbia, SC for their weekday practices. Twenty ECU players lost everything when Floyd's winds and water destroyed their apartments. I guess that you could call it a "revenge" game.

NC State was gracious enough to allow the Pirates-Canes game to be played in Carter-Finley Stadium. After going down 23-3 with three minutes gone in the third quarter, the Pirates decided they'd spotted the Canes enough points. ECU marched downfield seemingly at will and finally pulled ahead with 4:51 remaining in the game. Maybe the Wolfpack will want to keep some of the ECU players as compensation for the goalposts that came down after the 20-point comeback by the Pirates.

Ohio State 34, Cincinnati 20.

Uh-oh, OSU is looking shaky this year. Cincinnati's Bearcats made another bid to be the giant-killers of the year. While we were watching the Tide dominate everywhere but the scoreboard, we were hoping and praying that the Buckeyes wouldn't find the keys to their offense. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the Buckeyes hot-wired themselves into action.

The Bearcats jumped out to a 17-3 lead early, silencing the 90,000+ crowd in the Horseshoe, but surrendered 31 unanswered points. Falling back on the three reception, 164-yard performance of Ken-yon Rambo and the six catch, 90-yard day for Reggie Germany, the Buck's offense was able to pull their chestnuts out of the fire. The Bearcats may well be legit, but they still aren't ready to play sixty minutes with their in-state rivals.

Texas 62, Baylor 0.

Get along little doggie. The Longhorns needed to clear their heads after struggling against Rice last week. I'd say that they knocked the cobwebs out of every head Floyd Casey Stadium, and maybe some all the way back in Austin. Major Applewhite, the Texas QB, claimed that the lone grass stain on his white road uniform came from taking a knee to watch the game from the sidelines. The 'Horns notched six TDs in their first 9 possessions, stomping the life out of a Baylor squad that has lost all of its games this year, but had kept the first two close.

The Baylor Bears were never in this game, as the total yardage shows: Texas 586 yards, Baylor 159. Here's a "Did You Know" for those of you so inclined: Did you know that Baylor had more kick return yardage (167) than total offense? And people say I don't do research.

Stanford 42, UCLA 32.

I bet that y'all thought that I wasn't going to bash the PAC 10 this week. I almost didn't. They only had two teams in the Top 25 last week, so the pickings were pretty slim to begin with. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bash the "Slack 10". Stanford managed to run up 42 points, primarily with their backup QB, in another defensive struggle on the West Coast. The leading light of the Stanford receiving corps, Troy Walters, compiled 278 yards with only nine receptions against the porous UCLA defense, a school record and good for the third-best day in PAC 10 history. The play of the game was a 98-yard TD pass from backup QB Joe Borchard to Walters. Good thing for the Rose Bowl that it finally signed with the BCS. Otherwise, the Granddaddy of Bowl Games would have been relegated to yet another ho-hum, "isn't that interesting" matchup between the Big 10/11 and PAC 10.

Tennessee 17, Memphis 16.

I guess that I can't call them "Tiger High" any more. It just wouldn't be right. The Memphis Tigers, who's three losses (to SEC teams) have been by a total of seven points, held the vaunted Volunteers to just 17 points in Neyland Stadium. I guess that the handicappers were a little off with the 31-point underdog status that they gave the Tigers. Memphis' anemic offense outgained the defending national champion Vols 290-216. This was a moral victory that might just save Coach Rip Scherer's job Maybe the Vols had seen an advanced copy of the ESPN article on the alleged academic fraud at UT, primarily in their football program. Either way, GO TIGERS!!

Ole Miss 24, Auburn 17.

Talk about topsy-turvy. Auburn goes into the Tiger's den and wallops them 37-0. Ole Miss loses to Vandy in overtime, AT HOME. Zoom ahead seven days and you see the "other" revenge game of the week in the SEC. Whodathunkit? Everyone knew that Ole Miss was gunning for Tuberville's Tigers, but the results last weekend changed the outlook for a lot of people. Neither team particularly shined in this game, but the Tigers' inability to convert deep in Ole Miss territory in the 4th quarter gave the Rebels the momentum they needed going into overtime.

Romero Miller connected with Corey Peterson for the duo's second TD of the game on the Rebels' second play of overtime. After the conversion, the Rebels' defense, long the strong suit of the squad, stiffened against the Tigers' ground attack. The Tigers managed to lose yardage on three straight plays inside the Rebel ten-yard line and then let the Rebels get to their backup QB, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth and goal.

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WHO'S WHO IN THE BAMA FAMILY -- WEEK 3
By Kelly Brewer
Freelance Writer

The band was playing Rammer Jammer. The fans were still in the stands yelling. A team of victorious crimson warriors were relishing the adulation they were receiving from a very vocal crowd. The spirit team was running around with the big Alabama flag on the far side of the field. The scoreboard displayed Alabama 35 Arkansas 28. Oh, was it time for some Dreamland ribs lathered in their famous thick and tasty sauce? Maybe time to slip over to Wings and pick up a large order of their hot wings and fries? Maybe time to eat some of those hot dogs you grilled before the game? Not so fast, it is time to go talk to those crimson warriors and their families. Time to remind them that you are there supporting them all the way. But I get ahead of myself. I started meeting members of the Bama family BEFORE the game Saturday.

Former Crimson Tide safety George Teague was around from 12:30 - 1:30 before the game to sign autographs on caps, footballs, posters, shirts or whatever Bama fans were able to dig up. Teague was very nice and laughed a little when congratulated (for the 12,754th time) about the Lamar Thomas ball strip play in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. He said "thanks" and listened carefully as each Bama fan in line talked on to him about how glad they were to meet him. He even patiently posed for pictures with some eager crimson fans. I got in line a second time to get my 1992 players' cap signed. He laughed when he saw me again. I assured him I was not in the black market for Teague merchandise. Teague now starts in the Dallas Cowboys' secondary unit so be sure to check him out on Sundays.

I missed getting to meet former Tide quarterback and legend Ken Stabler. The Snake had taken some time from broadcasting the Crimson Tide pre-game radio show and signed autographs for a long line of Bama fans right next to the Teague tent. A fan in line that got his autograph told me that the Snake was great! I missed him by about 5 minutes. I guess I will have to follow him around before the next game! The legend autograph sessions are scheduled to happen before every home game on the Quad so be sure to check it out on Tennessee-Alabama gameday. Who knows who we might meet!

Sighted as the Rammer Jammer fired up were Darryl and Connie Harville, parents of former Tide offensive lineman standout Joey Harville. Joey's gorgeous sister Susan was also with them. You can tell by looking at Darryl that Joey is truly a chip off the block. They look very much alike. Darryl did mention that he and Connie were very proud of how well Joey had done with his super job at Mercedes. The family is living in Brookwood and they are all doing great. They are still big-time Bama fans! Darryl wished a big Roll Tide to the rest of the Bama family.

Now the sounds of fans still yelling in the stadium echo as the players begin to edge out to look for their parents. A fan had asked me to look up Kenny King's family so I did just that. I found Kenny King Sr., of Daphne, wearing a hat waiting for his son to emerge from the press room. Mr. King looks to be in great shape and I found myself wondering if he had any eligibility left so we could suit him up as a linebacker! He is very happy with how his son has been playing and is naturally thrilled about the amount of playing time Kenny has seen. It must be a swell of pride knowing that your son is blessed with such talent, intelligence, and drive to be able to accomplish all he has on the Tide's defensive line as a true freshman. Kenny's mother is named Lucy.

I got a big surprise when I caught up with the Myles family. Jimmy and Mae Myles had another couple with them this time--Reggie Myles' godparents. Reggie's godmother Dot Deloach was ready when Reggie emerged from the press room and slapped a big hug around him. Dot is very friendly. Mae Myles told me she and Dot have been close friends for many years.

Reggie Grimes was hanging out around an equipment truck smiling and signing autographs. The fantastic All-American lineman was crowded by adoring fans, so much so that his mother had to wait in line to get to see him! Mama Grimes took it pretty well and waited patiently as her good-natured son took care of the people first.

Alma Bryant defensive end Antwan Odom was sighted in the group of players and families Saturday. For those who did not know, Odom is former Bama player Andre Royal's cousin. Other than his towering height, Odom has a tight muscular build, and acts humble for someone who is the number one defensive lineman in the state. No bad attitude out of this guy. He shows a lot of class. When I saw him, a young girl was asking for his autograph and he had to tell her he wasn't a member of the team. But he did pat her on the shoulder and smile. It turns out her mother went to school with George Teague, thus the connection thrives again. Since I read in the Mobile Register that Odom did commit verbally to Alabama Monday, perhaps that young girl can get his autograph next year!

Mama Brown wanted to take some time to thank all of the Tide fans who have outpoured their love, letters, and cards to her recently. Marian "Mama" Brown is fullback Marvin Brown's smiling mother and has recently had a bout with some health problems. (She said her name is spelled Marian, not Marion as in some programs and bios). She is keeping her spirits up, however, and said that she would certainly appreciate any prayers that the Bama family could say for her health situation to improve. Marvin looked happy to be with his aunt Laura, Marian's sister, and Laura's husband Mike. Marvin's whole family is easy to smile and friendly to be around, just like Marvin. We now see where he gets his upbeat attitude. You gotta' love Marvin Brown.

Tide legend Leroy Jordan was seen coming out of Champ's sports grill in the Four Points Hotel at the Capstone about an hour and a half after the game. Jordan stopped and talked to a couple of lucky fans who were anxious to make his acquaintance. Jordan was recently named as a member of the Alabama Athletic Director Search Committee.

I have had several requests and am trying my best to meet those requests. If you have any suggestions, then please feel free to email me at brewer@hiwaay.net. I'd love to hear from you. Until the next time, Roll Tide Roll!

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CHARACTER
by Chris Van Steenberg
Staff Writer

Character, n. --The combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities distinguishing one person or group from another.

Character is a word that has been bandied about quite a bit over the last few years. It has usually been in reference to the peccadilloes of the President, or a certain head coach. I’d like to talk about the character of a football team.

What those of you who watched the game in person or on TV saw was a mixture of luck, hard work and a heck of a lot of character. The luck was in the form of a couple of poor decisions by Arkansas QB Clint Stoerner and two missed field goals. The hard work happened in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Let’s face it, the Alabama lines dominated the game.

The offensive line delivered good pass protection, holes that you could sail a ship through and good adjustments when Arkansas started bringing the full house. We witnessed great penetration from the defensive line, very few blown plays and only one big play given up. The game-breaker, though, was the character of the Alabama football players.

What separated this game from most of the ones we’ve seen over the last several years was the way in which the players handled it. We got a glimpse of the underlying character of the young men that make up the 1999 edition of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Character in the form of gutsy play, not letting the myriad mistakes made on both sides of the ball get them down. Character in that the players took the lessons from last week’s embarrassing loss, both good and bad, and built upon those lessons. Character displayed by the fact that the players were able to ignore the firestorm in the media and focus on what’s important: beating the guys in the other jerseys on Saturday.

While I think that no one would dispute that last week’s loss could be characterized as "character-building", it could very well have signaled the beginning of the end for this team. There were two directions that the Tide could have gone after losing to a relative nobody for the second time in three years. Between the hue and cry over the loss and the pretty unanimous clamoring for Coach Mike DuBose’s head, no one would have been surprised if the Tide had folded their tents and waited out the season to see who the next head man would be. While this weekend’s result was by no means perfect, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

The mental aspect of the game is the least predictable and the toughest to work on. Players can go into the weight room or spend the off-season working together for the physical side of the game. However, there is no "prescription" or workout regimen for mental preparation.

The Tide is blessed with talent, much of it young. No one knows how these guys will handle adversity. They may well blossom into a conference championship-caliber team. Conversely, these young men may wilt under the pressure of high expectations and close scrutiny. If the character that we’ve seen over the last week is anything to go by, though, I think that we’ll all be pleasantly surprised. Throw some leadership, both on and off the field, into the mix and you might just have something magical. Maybe we’ll witness some of that magic this weekend at the Swamp.

AND THE BAMANATION SAID: "ROLL TIDE!"

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

All Alabama Weekly issues are available on TideFans.com after publication in the email newsletter.

Newsletter published by: Brett Young and Jess Nicholas

Alabama Weekly / TideFans.com Staff:

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Jess Nicholas, Editor-at-Large

John Hinds, Bama in Boston

Grif Carden, Baseball / Basketball Editor

Chris Depew, Football Editor

Jim Morris, Feature Editor

Kelly Brewer, Freelance Writer

Soup Campbell, Joke Master

David Ozment, Staff Writer

Chris Van Steenberg, Staff Writer

William Webster, Staff Writer

Brett Young, Managing Editor

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