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Bama Defense Records 1st Shut Out
Blanks ULM 34-0
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
It may have been a slow start offensively, but the defensive came out strong allowing the Alabama Crimson Tide offense begin clicking as 12th-ranked Bama blanked the Louisiana-Warhawks 34-0 in front of 101,323 fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium yesterday afternoon. The Tide scoring started off with a three-yard touchdown run by junior running back Derrick Henry with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter as Bama never had to worry about being behind.
But the Tide defense is the story. While it takes points to win a football game, defense keeping points off the board by the opposing team keeps them from winning. And Bama kept the Warhawks off the board all night, recording their first shutout of the 2015 season.
The Tide defense completely dominated yesterday's contest, limiting the Warhawks to just 92 yards of total offense, the fewest yards given up by a Bama defense since the LSU game back in the 2012 BCS National Championship. Alabama held the Tigers to only 92 yards in that contest as well.
The Alabama defensive line continually smacked down or deflected pass after pass thrown by Warhawks' redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Smith. The Tide limited ULM to 9 rushing yards, 83 passing yards and 10 first downs. Bama sacked Smith six times, picked off two passes and recorded 12 tackles for a loss against backs and receivers.
ULM head coach Todd Berry said, "We couldn't move on offense, which didn't allow us to flip the field."
The Tide's first touchdown came with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter as a result of an 11-play, 55 yard drive that took 3:47 off the clock. Henry ran it in from 3 yards out to give Alabama the lead 7-0.
Whereas the second quarter began with the Warhawks in possession of the ball, that didn't last long. An errant snap from center sent the ball back to the endzone, but ULM was able to pick it up and advance to their own 15, giving the Tide offense excellent field position and setting up Bama's second score. A fifteen yard touchdown strike from quarterback Jake Coker gave receiver Calvin Ridley his first collegiate touchdown, and it all took only 9 seconds to do it. Bama was now up 14-0, where it remained until the end of the half.
First half stats had Bama leading in every catagory. The Tide had 175 total yards of offense compared to 37 for ULM. Alabama had 95 rushing yards while holding the Warhawks to -9. ULM could muster only 46 passing yards, with Coker and his receivers picking up 80. And Bama led in first downs also, 10 to 3.
Junior place kicker Adam Griffith opened the scoring for the Crimson Tide in the second half. After a penalty pushed Bama back, Griffith drilled a 40-yarder giving Bama a 17-0 lead. Griffith had been just 1 of 5 on field goal attempts prior to this kick.
Bama's next scoring drive began on the ULM 40 yard line. A pair of rushes netted freshman running back Damien Harris 18 yards before Coker rolled out and hit senior tight end Michael Nysewander on a short pass that he turned into a 19-yard touchdown. The drive took only 4 plays to cover the 40 yards in only 2:03 to give Bama a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter, where it remained to begin the final stanza.
The next scoring drive saw the Tide again marching down the field after taking over from the Warhawks on the 47. Once again it stalled in the red zone, calling for Griffith to attempt a 35-yard field goal, which he nailed as Tide fans began to believe the field goal draught just might be over.
Bama's lead now increased 27-0 after the seven-play drive that ate 2:19 off the clock.
The Tide defense led to the final Bama touchdown of the evening. True freshman Ronnie Harrison got his first collegiate interception and returned the ball to just inside the Warhawks 20. Two plays later Coker hit ArDarius Stewart with a 16-yard strike that took only 1:38, with just over 10 minutes left to play in the game.
Alabama's most consistent defensive lineman, Jonathan Allen, injured his left shoulder in the first half and was unable to return to the game. He returned to the sidelines in the second half in sweat pants and sporting a sling on his left arm. Head coach Nick Saban said he thought Allen would be okay and able to play against Georgia this coming week, but it would be assessed day-to-day.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Bama Women's Tennis Wins 4 Yesterday
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama women's tennis team added an additional four wins to their already-impressive showing at the Furman Fall Classic in Greenville, South Carolina. In addition to the wins on Friday, the ladies picked up the four yesterday as all four members of the talented Bama crew collected victories in the three-day event. The final event is today.
Posting wins yesterday were Erin Routliffe, Natalia Maynetto, Andie Daniell and Joanna Nena Savva. Congratulations, ladies.
