Looking At 2015 Fan Day
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
An estimated 3,200 fans enjoyed the 2015 edition of Alabama's annual Fan Day. The team practiced inside Bryant-Denny Stadium as fans and the press looked on, hoping to see some kind of indication of "greatness" for the upcoming season. It was a two-hour open practice with a 45-minute autograph session with coaches and players.
The two hour practice found the team working in what is called shells, which is helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. Everyone worked on the basics dealing with every aspect of the game...offense, defense and special teams.
Practice four is over and today will be the fifth pracrtice of 28 prior to kicking off the 2015 season. Beginning today the team will practice in full gear.
Bama opens the season on September 5th in Arlington, Texas facing the Wisconsin Badgers inside AT&T Stadium for the AdvoCare Classic. Game time is 7 PM CDT and will be aired on ABC.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Fall Football Practice Injury Report
Though he went down with what was believed to be a significant knee injury, Alabama's Cam Robinson was back practicing yesterday at Fan Day in Bryant-Denny Stadium. There appeared to be no noticeable limitations due to that sprained knee.
Tight end Ty Flournoy-Smith was back practicing yesterday after suffering a twisted ankle.
Suffering from a pulled muscle, cornerback Marlon Humphrey was held out of practice. Head coach Nick Saban says that Humphrey will miss "a few days", according to AL.com.
Wide receiver Chris Black is listed day-to-day, according to Saban, with a twisted ankle.
Though suspended for the first four games of the season, freshman running back Bo Scarbrough did practice with the tailbacks yesterday. Due to a knew injury he was wearing a black, no-contact jersey as well as heavy wrapping around the right knee and wearing a brace.
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Kirby Smart On Defense
University of Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart took about 15 minutes yesterday to discuss the Crimson Tide defense for 2015. They key word for his comments was "excited." He did say, however, there are areas that needed to be cleaned up if this current defense was going to join the great defenses of the past.
This is the first time Smart has addressed the media in quite some time. And most likely the last time to hear from him officially until the bowl season arrives. Head coach Nick Saban usually deals with the media.
Smart said, "We’re excited about this unit. Trying to improve in a lot of areas. Did not have the kind of season we’re used to standard-wise at the University of Alabama. I think the last seven years, in our seven-year goals, last year’s group was the worst goal-wise of the last seven years. So we’re trying to improve in a lot of those areas."
Earlier Saban had commented on the turnover situation with the defense last year compared with other defenses of the past. He emphasized how during practices this year, spring and now in the fall camp, making turnovers was a priority. Kirby addressed that very area himself.
Kirby commented, “We always say to be a great defense you’ve got to get turnovers, and we didn’t do that last year. You cannot give up big plays, and we didn’t do that last year – we gave up a lot of big plays. The third thing for us is third down and that’s always saved us from being really good in third down area, and we weren’t very good at that last year. But we were good in the red area, which is the fourth spot to be really good. You want to be a great team in the red area, and we were good with that. And that helped us finish sixth in scoring average in the country and kind of saved us there.
“But obviously those aren’t the expectations we’ve got, we want to be good in turnovers, we want to be good in third down and we want to be good in not giving up big plays, so we’re really emphasizing that this camp, especially the turnovers and trying to change that, it’s a habit. This is a good group, we’re really deep in the D-line, we’ve got some guys back in the secondary. I’m back with linebackers, which is exciting for me. I’m back with Reggie (Ragland) and Reuben (Foster), some of those guys that I was with a couple of years ago.”
Smart took questions from the media, mostly dealing with specific players. Overall, he was very complimentary of their work ethic and what the future held for them at Alabama.
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Team USA Wins Japan Cup
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
A pair of Crimson Tide softballers have wrapped up a successful stint with Team USA this summer. Current Alabama outfielder Haylie McCleney as well as former Tide pitcher Jaclyn Traina concluded with a win. Team USA defeated the host Japanese team 2-1 in extra innings in Okagi, Fifu, Japan on Sunday to win the Japan Cup.
Four games were played during the course of the week, and McCleney went 4-8 (.500) with three runs scored and one RBI. Meanwhile, Traina pitched just over five innings with five strikeouts with a win in the opener against Australia.
So, all in all it was a great summer for the girls and Team USA. Winning a gold medal at the Japan Cup, a win at the World Cup of Softball, and a second place finish at the Pan American Games is quite an accomplishment.
