Alabama Football To Face
Best Defense In The Southeastern Conference
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| Alabama Crimson Tide Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Alabama football has always been known for its defense. However, this afternoon, it will face the best defense in the Southeastern Conference as well as the nation. Statistically speaking, the best defense.
The top-ranked University of Alabama football team will be looking to move the ball today against the No. 1 pass defense, the No. 1 total defense and the No. 1 scoring defense in their own house. The Crimson Tide will battle the Vanderbilt Commodores in Vanderbilt Stadium in the Music City in a sold out stadium and more excitement in town over the 'Dores than there has been in a long time. Both teams are undefeated. Both teams are 3-0. And, yes, both teams have something to prove.
Vanderbilt is a three touchdown underdog.
There. That puts things in perspective. Despite the defensive hype, the college football gurus have the Tide being able to move the ball on the Commodores and coming back home with a win this afternoon.
Game time is 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on CBS.
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Alabama Football Rolls The Commodores Overboard
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics/Kent Gidley |
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The University of Alabama football team rolled up 679 yards of total offense en route to swamping the Vanderbilt Commodores 59-0. A total of 184 of those yards was through the air, with a whopping 496 yards rushing that stood at 501 yards before Alabama head coach Nick Saban instructed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to take a knew the last two minutes of the contest.
The much-anticipated matchup of the undefeateds, at least by the Vandy faithful, turned into a humiliating loss for the Commodores as the Vanderbilt alumni and fans were leaving Vanderbilt Stadium in droves by the time the third quarter was barely underway. By the end of the game it was hard to spot Vandy supporters in the stands.
Alabama led in the number of offensive plays (93-28) by a huge margin as well in every other category that mattered. The Crimson Tide led in first downs (38-3), total yards (679-78), rushing yards (496-40), time of possession (42:55-17:05) as well as most of the others.
UA running back Damien Harris had a career day, leading all rushers with 151 yards on 12 carries. His previous career high was 144 yards against the Ole Miss Rebels last September. Bo Scarbrough picked up 79 yards on 11 carries.
Defensively the Tide made things extremely uncomfortable for Commodore quarterback Kyle Shurmur. Shurmur was picking himself up off the field, throwing his first interception of the season and having a bad day connecting on passes.
-More updates to come-
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics/Kent Gidley |
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Crimson Tide Women's Tennis
Opens Play At Rice Invitational
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
HOUSTON, Texas – It was a really good opening day for the University of Alabama women's tennis team on Friday, going undefeated in singles play while posting a 1-2 mark in doubles play at the Rice Invitational at the George R. Brown Tennis Center in Houston, Texas. A total of 12 different teams are participating in the three-day event.
Alabama women's tennis head coach Jenny Mainz said, "We had a solid day one at the Rice Invitational. We battled through some tough situations in singles and found a way to win. We struggled some but worked through it. I liked the way we finished matches today in singles."
The Crimson Tide was able to start its part of the invitational with a perfect record in singles play on Friday defeating its six opponents. It was Bama's No. 37 nationally-ranked singles player, junior Andie Daniell, besting Vanja Klaric of USF, 6-4, 6-0. Tide sophomores Luca Fabian and Jacqueline Pelletier both turned in victories with Fabian defeating Evelyn Tiron of USF, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6), and Pelletier downing Denisa Ibrahimovic of UTSA 6-3, 6-2. It was UA senior Smith Hinton defeating Ana Perez-Lopez of SMU, 6-4, 7-5, while sophomore Kimberley Gintrand knocked down a victory over Charline Anselmo of SMU, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Freshman Kylie Moulin picked up her first collegiate victory with a win over Alex Mjos of USF, 6-3, 7-5.
Turning to doubles action, Pelletier and Moulin defeated Oklahoma's Simran Sethi and Christie Brigante 6-3, for the Tide's only doubles win of the day. Daniell and Fabian fell to Janet Koch and Maria Toran Ribes of Kansas 6-3 and then Hinton and Grintrand were edged out by Carrie Casey and Mila Milanovic of South Houston State, 7-6 (5).
Action continues at the Rice Invitational today for the Tide with two rounds of doubles starting this morning at 9 a.m. CT, followed by one round of singles.
Alabama Results:
Singles:
Andie Daniell (Alabama) def. Vanja Klaric (USF) 6-4, 6-0
Luca Fabian (Alabama) def. Evelyn Tiron (USF) 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6)
Smith Hinton (Alabama) def. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) 6-4, 7-5
Jacqueline Pelletier (Alabama) def. Denisa Ibrahimovic (UTSA) 6-3, 6-2
Kim Gintrand (Alabama) def. Charline Anselmo (SMU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Kylie Moulin (Alabama) def. Alex Mjos (USF) 6-3, 7-5
Doubles:
Koch/Toran Ribes (Kansas) def. Daniell/Fabian (Alabama), 6-3
Pelletier/Moulin (Alabama) def. Sethi/Brigante (Oklahoma), 6-3
Casey/Milanovic (SHSU) def. Hinton/Gintrand (Alabama), 7-6
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Alabama Volleyball Suffers Loss To Georgia
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
ATHENS, Georgia – It was the Southeastern Conference opener for University of Alabama volleyball, and though it was oh so close, the Crimson Tide fell in straight sets Friday night as the Bulldogs defeated UA by set scores of 23-25, 23-25, and 20-25.
The Dogs stifled the Tide (11-3, 0-1 SEC) offensively, with Bama only hitting .157 as a team while Georgia (11-3, 1-0 SEC) hit was able to better it at .286. Alabama sophomore Ginger Perinar led the team with a season-high 12 kills on the evening. It was UA freshman Christine Jarman and senior Hayley McSparin coming in close behind with nine and eight, respectively. McSparin hit .375 in the match, giving her five-consecutive matches above .300 for the middle blocker, and senior Leah Lawrence contributed a team-leading five blocks.
Alabama will next head to Oxford, Mississippi to battle Ole Miss (8-4, 0-0 SEC) on Sunday, September 24th at 1:30 p.m. CT.
| Game Stats | UA | UG |
|---|---|---|
| Kills | 38 | 44 |
| Errors | 21 | 14 |
| Hitting % | .157 | .286 |
| Points | 48.0 | 52.0 |
| Aces | 4 | 1 |
| Blocks | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| TA | 108 | 105 |
| Assists | 37 | 40 |
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Day One Of Four-In-The-Fall In The Books
For Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Tennis
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The University of Alabama men's tennis team has wrapped up the first day of the Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall at the Alabama Tennis Stadium on Friday. It was Tide sophomores Edson Ortiz and Alexey Nesterov picking up Bama's first doubles victory of the 2017 fall season, defeating Rice's Jacob Eskeland and Oscar Janglin. Besides UA, other participating teams include Mississippi State, Illinois, Florida State, Memphis, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Tulane, and Rice.
Ortiz continued to shine for the Tide, exhibiting more great play in round one of the singles draw, completely dominating Turner Voges of Memphis in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Then in round two of the singles, Nesterov rolled back with a three-set win over Oscar Janglin of Rice 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 to pick up his first victory of the season. Ortiz went a perfect 3-0 on the day, after taking out Nathan Griffin of Notre Dame 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the second round of singles play.
The Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall continues this morning with two rounds of doubles and one round of singles. Doubles play is schedules to start at 9:00 a.m. CT at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.
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SEC Football Today
Here's a look at today's football schedule for Southeastern Conference football games:
1 Alabama vs Vanderbilt
11 Georgia vs 17 Mississippi State
15 Auburn vs Missouri
20 Florida vs Kentucky
25 LSU vs Syracuse
South Carolina vs La. Tech
Texas A&M vs Arkansas
Tennessee vs UMass
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Paul Finebaum: SEC No Longer A Powerhouse
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| The Mouth Of The South Paul Finebaum Photo Credit: ESPN |
The SEC is no longer a powerhouse. Wait! Before you get upset with me, that's what none other than Paul Finebaum is espousing. I'm not saying he's right, and I'm not saying he's wrong. I'm just sayin, as the kids say.
Finebaum, the mouth of the south and other terms used to describe him, has The Paul Finebaum Show on the SEC Network each weekday. However he recently appeared on ESPN's The Mike And Mike Show with his appraisal of the state of the Southeastern Conference.
Finebaum told Mike and Mike, "It's time to tell the truth down here. The SEC won six straight national championships and owned college football, but it doesn't anymore. I think the coaching hires have been very questionable. A lot of recycled coaches, a lot of Nick Saban disciples, some have worked out, some have not."
Of course Finebaum got his broadcasting start while working for a Birmingham newspaper and starting a local radio show in the Ham. He was especially know for his criticisms of Auburn and Alabama sports, especially the football programs. He did report on other state of Alabama colleges and area high schools as well, but for Tigers and Crimson Tide fans, Paul Finebaum was the man you loved to hate.
Today Finebaum has a seesaw relationship with those same fans, and has added the rest of the Southeastern Conference schools to that love-hate relationship.
