Slick field - one of their trick plays?

bamaltc

Scout Team
Dec 8, 2010
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It appeared that grass was cut very short, we didn't have the appropriate cleats and they did. And yes, it was on purpose. That's also why they almost had a pick six, Mulanney slipped on his route. JMHO.
 
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Ole Man Dan

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Apr 21, 2008
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That stunt goes back to the days of John Madden coaching the Raiders. The night before some games tarps were removed and sprinklers were on part of the night.
Supposedly Pat Dye has employed this tactic at the Auburn stadium, and he's still one of the guys calling the shots at 'The Cow College'...
 
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B1GTide

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Apr 13, 2012
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Each team gets to walk the field before warm-ups, then they take the field during warm-ups. If Alabama was surprised by the field conditions when the game started, that is on them, IMO. Not saying that nothing was done - just saying that it should not have been a surprise at kick-off.
 

Hoot30

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Jan 12, 2005
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On The Gary Harris Show on Tide 99.1 in Tuscaloosa, his interviewee stated that he was on the field during warmups and that it was wet. The players were slipping during warmups and their jerseys were wet. TIFWIW.
 
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TIDE-HSV

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Not exactly true. The NZAA has mandated cleat size, so they are all the same. You can change to a different style, of shoe, but the cleats will be the same length.
I recall that, now that you mention it. It was put in to discourage shenanigans like Saturday. One thing I don't understand is that, given their style of play, they would seem to have more to lose than we. I guess it was just that important to slow down Henry. Also, they were inferior in the defensive backfield and also the receiver areas, so I guess it may have helped them there. To the people saying "no mud," go back and look at the replay. Jones hit his rear, and slid towards the sideline. His shoes dug muddy grooves 4' long towards the sideline (and camera)...
 

Chukker Veteran

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Feb 6, 2001
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I recall that, now that you mention it. It was put in to discourage shenanigans like Saturday. One thing I don't understand is that, given their style of play, they would seem to have more to lose than we. I guess it was just that important to slow down Henry. Also, they were inferior in the defensive backfield and also the receiver areas, so I guess it may have helped them there. To the people saying "no mud," go back and look at the replay. Jones hit his rear, and slid towards the sideline. His shoes dug muddy grooves 4' long towards the sideline (and camera)...
Watching chunks of turf come lose under Henry's cleats early on left no doubt in my mind the field was slick from water.
 

bamagirl71

New Member
Feb 9, 2011
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At least they didn't turn the sprinklers on us at the end of the game like they did to Georgia back in the mid 80s. (Apologies if already posted.)
 

B1GTide

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Guys - This is the back of Henry's uniform after he scored the TD on his 46th carry of the game. No mud and not wet. There are lots of other angles out there, and lots of pictures of Alabama players. None is wet or muddy.

Slick field? Absolutely. Wet? No

 

Alabama22

1st Team
Aug 3, 2010
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I made the comment to a friend of mine that for a school that has a major in turf management, that field was one of the worst that I'd ever seen. Definitely suspicious. It seems like something happens every time we go to Jordan-Hare. I believe it was 2009 when a "wreck" on the interstate held our team bus from reaching the stadium until close to gametime and left little time for walk-throughs and warm-ups.
Since something fishy seems to happen every time we go to AU for the Iron Bowl, it might be worth filing a complaint to prompt an investigation by the SEC.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Guys - This is the back of Henry's uniform after he scored the TD on his 46th carry of the game. No mud and not wet. There are lots of other angles out there, and lots of pictures of Alabama players. None is wet or muddy.

Slick field? Absolutely. Wet? No

Hate to quibble, but a play where he lands on his broad back is not going to throw up mud, although there are plenty of grass stains. Before you comment further, go back and look at the replay. There are plenty of hunks of mud being thrown up. The most graphic demonstration is when Cyrus landed on his backside and slid towards the sideline, leaving two muddy ruts at least 4' long. When I have the time, I'll go back and try to copy it here...
 

Hoot30

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Hate to quibble, but a play where he lands on his broad back is not going to throw up mud, although there are plenty of grass stains. Before you comment further, go back and look at the replay. There are plenty of hunks of mud being thrown up. The most graphic demonstration is when Cyrus landed on his backside and slid towards the sideline, leaving two muddy ruts at least 4' long. When I have the time, I'll go back and try to copy it here...
Cyrus Jones slipping was the most telling to me. What kind of drainage system do they have? I would imagine that the drainage of the field is what prevents it from being muddy. With today's technology, we just aren't going to see muddy fields. There doesn't have to be mud on a field in order for it to be wet, right?
 

B1GTide

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Hate to quibble, but a play where he lands on his broad back is not going to throw up mud, although there are plenty of grass stains. Before you comment further, go back and look at the replay. There are plenty of hunks of mud being thrown up. The most graphic demonstration is when Cyrus landed on his backside and slid towards the sideline, leaving two muddy ruts at least 4' long. When I have the time, I'll go back and try to copy it here...
I have watched the entire game twice (though that doesn't mean that I couldn't have missed something). I don't care enough to argue the point, but if you can't find a single picture of a muddy player when half of the players in the game are wearing all white, it wasn't muddy. In a game like this, if the field was as wet as some surmise, wet would equal muddy spots on the field eventually. That never happened.

Again - not saying that the field wasn't slick or that the turf didn't give at times. I'm just saying that there had to be a different explanation.
 

B1GTide

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Cyrus Jones slipping was the most telling to me. What kind of drainage system do they have? I would imagine that the drainage of the field is what prevents it from being muddy. With today's technology, we just aren't going to see muddy fields. There doesn't have to be mud on a field in order for it to be wet, right?
I guess that's possible
 

Chukker Veteran

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Guys - This is the back of Henry's uniform after he scored the TD on his 46th carry of the game. No mud and not wet. There are lots of other angles out there, and lots of pictures of Alabama players. None is wet or muddy.

Slick field? Absolutely. Wet? No

After Henry ran as often and as late into the game as he did, there is no way his jersey isn't wet. Both from sweat and moisture from a wet field.
 

gumptider

1st Team
Sep 24, 2008
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Have a friend who helps manage the turf at AU. Unless he's flat out lying, he said there wasn't any water involved. His best guess was something to do with the rye grass. He seemed genuinely perplexed and he's a pretty honest guy.
 

JustNeedMe81

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Sep 30, 2011
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Someone said the field was watered the night before the game... We all can come up with theory and etc, but there is no reason to why the field was wet especially when it hasn't rain for the last few days. Maybe the field didn't drain properly. IF you go back to Georgia game... and look at their uniforms and now you compare to Auburn game...
 

B1GTide

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IF you go back to Georgia game... and look at their uniforms and now you compare to Auburn game...
A great reference point. When you look at the images on the web, the GA players got a lot less "green" over the course of that game.
 

imauafan

All-American
Mar 3, 2004
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I have no idea if the field was wet or not but there is no disputing that it was abnormally SLIPPERY with chunks of turf torn up all over the field. It was in very bad condition and I can't imagine why that would be the case. Auburn has a major in turf management so they should have some of the leading experts in the country to manage their stadium turf. I know it is late November but there is no reason that I know of why the field should not have been in good shape for the iron bowl.
 

jeffs4thetide

1st Team
Sep 20, 2005
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The next time you watch the replay, there is a 30 ft overhead shot of the Auburn cheerleaders. Take a note at the ground they are cheering on. Very moist and almost muddy. Looked as if it had rained overnight.
 

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