High Tide: November 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

Tide Men's Basketball Upsets 17th-Ranked Notre Dame; Saban Calls Florida A Dangerous Team; Bama Big Favorite Over Florida; Associated Press College Football Poll; Coaches Poll

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Men's Basketball

Tide Upsets 17th-Ranked Notre Dame

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Avery Johnson is quickly catching the eyes of the nation as his young men in Crimson and White have knocked off their second top-25 team in three days. Last night the boys from Bama took down 17th-ranked Notre Dame 74-73 at the AdvoCare Invitational Tournament in Orlando, Florida. It was senior guard Retin Obasohan with a last-second layup to ice the game for the Tide. He was also tied as Alabama's high-scorer with 19 points.

Besides Obasohan, junior Shannon Hales had 19 points on the night. Graduate transfer Arthur Edwards scored his career-high in the contest pouring in 15 points. Leading the team in rebounds was junior forward Michael Kessens with nine, as well as scoring eight points. Key reserve man Riley Norris was injured in the first half of the game and was unable to return to action. Starters Dazon Ingram and Jimmie Taylor fouled out of the game near the end of the game.

The Crimson Tide travels to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a Friday, December 4th contest with Southern Miss. Game time is 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

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Alabama Football

Saban Calls Florida A Dangerous Team

Alabama head coach Nick Saban disagrees somewhat with many of the assessments of the Florida Gators' offense, and more accurately their ability to move the ball and score. In Sunday's media teleconference Saban said that Florida was "a dangerous team," according to AL.com. He warns about taking their offense lightly.

Saban said, "They still have a lot of good players. I think they've shown an ability to run the ball. They have a very good back. They've got a great receiver. This is a good football team and I don't see them struggling. They played against a very good Florida State team, had the ball in the red zone a couple of times and didn't score or that game would have gone right down to the wire. We have a lot of respect for Florida and their offense."

The Florida offense really isn't at the top of the heap nationally in the offensive department. Their passing game is 74th in country, while their running game is 104th. They will be going up against an Alabama defense that is ranked second in the nation, allowing 264.6 yards per game.

The players of whom Saban was referring is receiver Demarcus Robinson and running back Kelvin Taylor. Robinson leads the Gator receivers in receptions with 36 catches for 416 yards. Taylor has 627 yards on 167 carries. Saban had recruited Taylor out of high school and knows his capabilities.

Saban commented, "We thought Kelvin was a fantastic player in high school and one of the top backs in the country and certainly somebody that would fit nicely into our style of play. He certainly hasn't disappointed, in terms of the production he's had this year and the way he's competed and the way he's played. He's everything and more than I thought he'd be. I'd love to have him here."

Alabama and Florida play for the SEC Championship this Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia. Game time is 3 p.m. CT.

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Bama Big Favorite Over Florida

The second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide have opened as 17-point favorites over the Florida Gators in this Saturday's Southeastern Conference Championship game, according to OddsShark.com. Bama opened as a 12-point favorite with VegasInsider but jumped to 17.5 points. 5Dimes has the Tide at 17.5.

This will be the fifth trip for the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship game under head coach Nick Saban. Game time is 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, December 5th. CBS will broadcast the game live.

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Associated Press College Football Poll

The Alabama Crimson Tide are number two this week in the A.P. Poll. There are a total of four SEC teams in the poll, with Bama the highest. The SEC teams in this week's poll are ALABAMA (2), Ole Miss (16), Florida (18) and LSU (23).

Four other teams from the Southeastern Conference also received votes. They are Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

These are the teams receiving votes that Alabama has faced this season: Ole Miss (16), Florida (18-will face this week), LSU (23), Wisconsin (25), Arkansas (29), Tennessee (31) and Mississippi State (35).

Here are the Top 25 teams in the nation:

1 Clemson

2 ALABAMA

3 Oklahoma

4 Iowa

5 Michigan State

6 Ohio State

7 Stanford

8 North Carolina

9 Notre Dame

10 Florida State

11 TCU

12 Baylor

13 Northwestern

14 Oklahoma State

15 Oregon

16 Ole Miss

17 Houston

18 Florida

19 Michigan

20 Temple

21 Utah

22 Navy

23 LSU

24 USC

25 Wisconsin

Others: Georgia, Western Kentucky, BYU, Arkansas, South Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, Washington State, UCLA, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Arkansas State, Toledo, West Virginia

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Coaches Poll

The Alabama Crimson Tide is ranked 2nd in this week's Coaches Poll. Four SEC teams made the poll. They are ALABAMA (2), Florida (15), Ole Miss (17) and LSU (23).

Here are the Top 25 teams in the country:

1 Clemson

2 ALABAMA

3 Iowa

4 Oklahoma

5 Michigan State

6 Ohio State

7 Stanford
8 North Carolina
9 Notre Dame
10 TCU
12 Baylor
13 Northwestern
14 Oklahoma State
15 Florida
16 Oregon
17 Ole Miss
18 Houston
19 Michigan
20 Utah
21 Temple
22 Navy
23 LSU
24 USC
25 Wisconsin

Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Title March Continues, Bama Beats Auburn 29-13; Southeastern Conference Football Scores

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Title March Continues

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Bama Beats Auburn 29-13

Derrick Henry 4th Quarter Touchdown Run

Photo Credit: John Reed/USA TODAY Sports

Alabama running back Derrick Henry ran the ball a school-record 46 times out of 76 total offensive plays for the Crimson Tide to carry Bama to a 29-13 Iron Bowl win over the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Tide head coach Nick Saban was ready to pull Henry from the game, but the running back was having none of it. Saban said, "He was not asking to come out. He was asking to stay in. And I asked him every time he came to the sidelines, 'Are you okay? Because we'll put somebody else in there.'

"He says, 'Coach, I'm good. I'm gon' win this game.'"

On those 46 carries, the leading Heisman Trophy candidate in the country picked up 271 rushing yards and one touchdown. That one touchdown kept Henry's rushing touchdown streak alive. Derrick Henry also broke Trent Richardson's single season rushing record of 1,679 yards. Henry's 2015 offensive output now stands at 1,796 yards and has two remaining games to add to that total.

Saban offered more praise of the great Bama back, "He's done a great job for us all year long. What a workhorse!" With a chuckle the coach said, "We needed to get somebody else to get in there to play some for him, but he just seemed to get better and better and better. I love the guy as a competitor, and I think he lifts the spirit of the whole team."

Derrick Henry, immediately after the game, said, "We all worked hard throughout the week... and I'm just thankful to have this opportunity."

Saban also commented on the season and upcoming SEC Championship game, saying, "We've had our backs against the wall ever since the Ole Miss game and these guys have responded every time to every challenge, and I'm really proud of them. We've got a lot of great competitors here. So, it'll be a big challenge against Florida but it's great to have the opportunity."

Derrick Henry wasn't the only reason Alabama won this contest. Of course it was a team effort, but besides the legs of Henry, it was the leg of Tide kicker Adam Griffith that put five field goals through the uprights to put 15 of the 29 Bama points on the board. He scored on kicks of 26, 40, 26, 50 and 47 yards. (That 'Kick 6' of a season ago is dead n stinkin'.)

The Alabama head coach made it clear the job doesn't have to get done just by running, or just by playing sound defense. Saban said, "I like to play how our players can play. I liked the way we played last year when we had Amari Cooper catching 115 balls and running all over the place. I liked that. I like however we can play. This just happens to be the best way this team can play. Our best workhorse is a running back. I'm not a run-and-play-defense guy. I'm a score-however-you-can-score-and-play defense guy."

Overall the Tide rushed 50 times for 294 yards versus 37 attempts for 131 yards for the Tigers. Bama was 17 of 26 for 179 yards and one touchdown in passing, while Auburn was 10 of 23 for 169 yards, 77 of which came on the incredible tap, tap, catch and score play. Total yards offensively were 465 for Bama to 260 for Auburn.

ArDarius Stewart caught the most passes in the game. He pulled down eight for 81 yards. Close behind was Calvin Ridley with 6 receptions and nine additional yards for 90.

J.K. Scott punted three times on the evening for 145 yards, averaging an impressive 48.3 yards. His longest punt of the night was a 50-yarder.

Geno Matias-Smith led the Alabama defense with eight tackles, followed by Humphrey and Foster with six apiece, Ragland and Allen with five each, and a host of other great Bama defensive players getting tackles.

Concerning the significance of the Alabama win over Auburn, quarterback Jake Coker said, "This game means a lot to me. I wanted to make sure I put everything I had into it and did everything I could to help this team win. All these guys played hard. It was awesome."

Linebacker Reggie Ragland commented concerning taking the SEC West title, "We have good character. We had our backs against the wall the whole year, but we had to focus on our goal and that's what we did. We did a great job and had fun doing it. We executed the game plan and it went our way."

On winning the Iron Bowl, defensive back Cyrus Jones said, "It's expected from us. We know what type of defense we have. We know what type of talent we have on that side of the ball. We kind of look forward to the challenge of being able to kind of respond when our offense maybe is kind of not really getting it going right now, maybe they make a play. We just pride ourselves in coming out there and putting a stop to some things and just trying to be effective."

Concerning connecting on five field goals against Auburn, kicker Adam Griffith said, "I'm just doing my job and just trying to win games. I don't think about all the other stuff."

The Crimson Tide heads to Atlanta, Georgia this next Saturday, December 5th for the 2015 Southeastern Conference Championship Game where they will face the Florida Gators, winners of the SEC East. The game will be televised on CBS and is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. CT.

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

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Southeastern Conference Football Scores

The ALABAMA Crimson Tide defeats Auburn in the Iron Bowl 29-13

South Carolina eventually falls to Clemson 37-32

The Tennessee Vols blast the Vanderbilt Commodores 53-28

Kentucky Wildcats succumb to Louisville 38-24

LSU tries to give Les Miles a hand to beat Texas A&M 19-7

The Georgia Bulldogs survived Georgia Tech 13-7

The Ole Miss Rebels defeated Mississippi State 38-27

Florida fell to their in-state rivals Florida State 27-2

Arkansas held Missouri to a single field goal to win 28-3

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Alabama Wins Iron Bowl 29-13

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Alabama Football

Alabama Wins Iron Bowl 29-13

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama football team marched into Jordan-Hare Stadium today and took the keys to the Tiger's house from them. No amount of "Kick Six" jeers were going to tame the Tide on this day as the Bama took a 29-13 win in front of an 87,451 capacity crowd. Alabama is now the SEC Western Division Champion, and the victory propels the Tide into the SEC Championship Game against the Florida Gators this next Saturday, December 5th.

Running back Derrick Henry kept his consecutive games with a rushing touchdown alive with a late fourth-quarter burst. Henry had 271 rushing yards along with a school-record 46 carries in route to the victory. 19 of those 46 carries came in the fourth quarter, with 14 of those coming on consecutive plays.

Quarterback Jake Coker had a good night himself, completing 17 of 26 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver ArDarius Stewart led the receivers with a game-high eight receptions for 81 yards. Calvin Ridley added 90 yards on six receptions. Adam Griffith was five-of-five on field goals, the most in four years, and the most ever in an Iron Bowl game.

The Tide doubled the Tigers first down production 24-12. Time of possession was also in Bama's favor 35:23 to 24:37.

Defensively the Tide held the Auburn offense to 260 total yards, 169 of which came through the air and another 91 on the ground. It was safety Geno Matias-Smith leading Alabama with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Linebacker Reuben Foster had six tackles, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Crimson Tide cornerback Marlon Humphrey joined in with six tackles on the night. Linebacker Reggie Ragland once again directed traffic for the defense and had five stops.

Alabama now meets Florida to decide the championship of the SEC. The game will be aired by CBS, with a start time of 3 p.m. CT.

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

College GameDay Speaks With Nick Saban; 2015 Iron Bowl; Bama Men's Basketball Upsets Wichita State 64-60; Tide Women's Basketball Wins 64-46; Alabama Volleyball Sweeps LSU

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College GameDay Speaks With Nick Saban

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban appeared on ESPN's College GameDay via satellite hookup this morning. Being rivalry week, and so many teams across the nation playing their traditional rivals this Saturday, the GameDay crew spoke with Saban about today's Iron Bowl matchup with Auburn.

Reece Davis asked Saban first how the emotional wins and losses with Auburn in the past impacts how a coach perceives a rivalry game. Saban answered, "I think the number one thing is the players really need to understand the level of energy that goes into a game like this, and you have to anticipate that and don't let it take you by surprise. The second thing is you have got to be able to stay focused on what you need to do on the field, and at some point in time in this game you're going to have to be able to overcome adversity because everything's not going to go your way, and how you respond to those things and play the next play is really important to being consistent which is really important in a game like this."

Davis then asked Saban what the biggest problem was that Auburn would present Alabama today. Saban responded, "I think, number one, they're playing better on defense, so it's going to be important for us to be able to control the line of scrimmage when we have the ball. Secondly, they've always been able to run the ball effectively. They've run it effectively this year. When they've been able to make some explosive plays with play-action passes, that's made them a very dangerous, effective offensive team...and they've scored a lot of points in those circumstances. So, the three things that are important in the game is control the line on both sides of the ball, obviously explosive plays which were a big part of the game last year on both sides for both teams, and turnovers. So those three things I think are going to be a real key for us."

Next question to Saban, "Where do you see the greatest area of need for improvement?"

Saban replied, "Well I think consistency has always been the issue with our team...to be able to play at a high level on a consistent basis. You know, in this day and age it really doesn't matter what you did last week. You're only as good as your last play, you're only as good as your last game...so how you play this week is the most important thing. The challenge always is to finish...and I think that's the challenge for our team is how we finish the season. We've been in this position the last two years and have not been able to finish the way we want. So, this is the challenge for our team this year."

Reece asked Saban how being able to rotate so much in Bama's defensive front seven has impacted their energy at the end of the season. Saban replied, "Well I think it's critical that you can play a lot of players so that your team doesn't get worn down, but especially against all the fast-ball teams we play...spread teams, no-huddle teams. It's important that you play a lot of players, which has been a real key for us this year because of the depth that we have, so you can keep fresh guys in the game. But I think the wear and tear of the season doesn't have as great an impact on them as well, so in both cases I think it's a huge advantage for us that we have that kind of depth up front. Our defensive line has impacted a lot of games for us this year, which is critical for our success on defense."

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2015 Iron Bowl

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Iron Bowl. Everyone knows what this game means. A year of holding the win over the heads of best friends and/or spouses...or having to listen to their constant blathering for the next year. For the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers a win today determines their post-season dreams.

Alabama needs the win to continue on to the Southeastern Conference Championship game and the march toward National Championship XVI. The Tigers need the win to salvage a dismal and under-achieving season. Win number six would be especially sweet for Auburn to knock Bama out of both championship scenarios, as well as winning the "state crown."

Alabama leads the series 43-35-1, with the most recent win last season. That one was a come-from-behind victory in a shootout in Tuscaloosa 55-44.

Alabama is a 13-point favorite by most prognosticators going into today's contest.

I'll be happy with a win of any kind at Jordan-Hare.

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Alabama Men's Basketball

Bama Upsets Wichita State 64-60

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Records 1st Top-25 Win Under Johnson

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Alabama men's basketball team captured it's first win over a ranked-opponent in the Avery Johnson era last night with a 64-60 upset victory over 20th-ranked Wichita State in the opening round of the 2015 AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, Florida. In fact, it was the first win for the Tide over a ranked opponent in nearly five years, dating back to January of 2011 when Bama upset then-number 12 Kentucky at home. This win snaps a 21-game losing streak to ranked opponents.

Crimson Tide head coach Avery Johnson was beaming and full of pride for his young men, commenting, "You've got to give our team credit. That was a complete team victory. When we can get a minimum of three of our guys in double figures, we are a much better team. It was another outstanding defensive effort by our team just like yesterday, but the difference between the two games was our offense."

The contest was exciting, and wasn't decided until the final 10 seconds of the game. There were a total of eight ties and nine lead changes in the game.

Alabama's three men in double figures were team-leading Shannon Hale with 20 points, followed by Riley Norris with 12 and Dazon Ingram with 11. Ingram also led the night with rebounds, bringing down eight. Next on the boards with five rebounds was Arthur Edwards, followed by Jimmie Taylor and Justin Coleman with four each.

Alabama improved to 3-2 on the young season.

Next up for the Crimson Tide is the Fighting Irish on Sunday. Number 17 Notre Dame defeated Iowa last night 68-62. Game time is 6 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPNU.

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

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Women's Basketball

Tide Wins Opening Round At Nugget Classic

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Defeats Middle Tennessee 64-46

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team improved to 5-0 on the young season with a 64-46 win over Middle Tennessee last night in game one of the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nevada. Sophomore Hannah Cook celebrated the win in fine style with her career-first double-double. Cooks pumped in 15 points Friday night along with a career-high 15 rebounds on the night.

Alabama head coach Kristy Curry praised her team, saying, "I thought it was a great effort, and we got a lot of help from our bench. There were a lot of different points in the game where we had some folks come in and do some great things for us."

Finishing the game second in both scoring and rebounds was senior Nikki Hegstetter. She finished the night with 10 points and six rebounds. Leading the Tide in assists with five was sophomore Meoshonti Knight. Sh also had three steals, the team high.

Alabama shot 37.3 percent from the field while holding Middle Tennessee to 16.9 percent. Beyond the arc the Tide was 63.6 percent.

Curry further commented, "Both teams were really struggling (early), but I thought we were able to persevere and show a lot of toughness. We stayed really positive with them. It wasn't a lack of effort. We just had to get our juices flowing as I say, but it was a great job the second quarter. To come out the second half and set the tone the way we did made me really proud for our kids."

The Tide advances to play Utah Valley today at 4 p.m. CT in their second game of the Nugget Classic. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

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Senior Night

Alabama Volleyball Sweeps LSU

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

It was a great win. It was a great way to end the season. It was an Alabama volleyball three-set sweep over the LSU Tigers on Senior night in Tuscaloosa. Set scores for the night last night were 25-13, 25-20, and 25-14. Alabama improves to 17-15 overall, 11-7 SEC while LSU drops to 9-20 overall, 5-13 SEC.

Leading the team in kills and hitting .600 on the night was Krystal Rivers. Kat Hutson was right behind her with 15 kills and a .480 hitting percentage. Bama senior Sierra Wilson had 43 assists on the night. Wilson also had 10 digs, her seventh double-double of the season. Two other Tide players finished Friday night with double-digt digs. Kryssi Daniels and Natalie Murison with 11 each.

Alabama finishes the regular season at fifth-place in the Southeastern Conference.

The announcement of the NCAA Tournament field will be announced tomorrow night live on ESPNU at 8 p.m. CT.

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Friday, November 27, 2015

Women's Basketball In Nugget Classic; Kenyan Drake Could See Action In Iron Bowl; The Iron Bowl Through The Years; Men's Basketball Falls To Xavier 64-45

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Women's Basketball In Nugget Classic

The Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team has won four straight games since the young season began. They will take their 4-0 record on the road today when they travel to Reno, Nevado to take part in the Nugget Classic on the campus of the University of Nevada. The Tide will face off against Middle Tennessee (1-2) at 4 p.m. CT today in the Lawlor Events Center. Alabama will then take to the hardwood on Saturday to face Utah Valley (5-1). The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT tomorrow.

This will be the Tide's second trip to the Nugget Classic. The first outing was against then-No. 7 Louisville back in 2008. Bama lost that one 73-56. However Bama came back in the second game to take the win 76-56 over Northern Iowa.

The Lady Tide is currently ranked number one nationally in blocked shots, averaging 9.8 a game. Bama is also ranked first in field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to a 27.5 percent completion average. UA is also ranked in the top 15 of several other categories.

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Kenyan Drake Could See Action In Iron Bowl

Alabama's Kenyan Drake

Photo Credit: John David Drake/USA TODAY Sports

University of Alabama running back Kenyan Drake actually ready for action in tomorrow's IRON BOWL between the Tide and Tigers? Well, according to head coach Nick Saban, it's possible according to AL.com. At least Saban says Drake has not been ruled out, and right now the coaches are taking it "day-to-day" with the talented back.

Drake suffered a game-ending, and many thought regular season-ending, broken arm on November 14th when he made a tackle on a Mississippi State ball carrier. Drake had surgery on the arm the following day and missed practice the entire week last week. He has been practicing with the team this week and handling the ball.

Saban says they've been allowing Drake to do more each day in his workouts and practice. He did say, "I don't know if he's done enough in practice," so there is not just an element of the injury itself but will he be ready due to practice limitations? The coach said he always talks to the players themselves prior to a game before making a decision, to see if the player believes they are ready to go or not.

Drake was allowed to go through conditioning drills on Monday. Trainers watched and worked with him deciding what was safe to do. He did well enough to increase his activity level on Tuesday. By Wednesday, though keeping a watchful eye, the trainers allowed contact simulation.

Two other players that were also injured, corner back Minkah Fitzpatrick has recovered nicely from his knee injury and will be ready to go tomorrow, as will right tackle Dominick Jackson who has healed from his ankle injury.

Alabama and Auburn kick it off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. CBS will broadcast the game live.

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The Iron Bowl Through The Years

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Scores From 1892 - 2014

Here is a look at the scores of all 79 Iron Bowl games, beginning February 1892 when the first one was played right on up to last season, November 2014. Alabama's wins are in Crimson and Auburn's are in blue. The one tie is listed in black.

Here are the scores of all 79 Iron Bowl games. Alabama leads the series 43-35-1.

Iron Bowl Games
Year	Winner	Score
Feb.22, 1892	Auburn	32-22
Nov.30, 1893	Auburn	40-16
Nov.29, 1894	Alabama	18-0
Nov.23, 1895	Auburn	48-0
Nov.17, 1900	Auburn	53-5
Nov.15, 1901	Auburn	17-0
Oct.18, 1902	Auburn	23-0
Oct.23, 1903	Alabama	18-6
Nov.12, 1904	Auburn	29-5
Nov.18, 1905	Alabama	30-0
Nov.17, 1906	Alabama	10-0
Nov.16, 1907	Tie	6-6
Dec.4, 1948	Alabama	55-0
Dec.3, 1949	Auburn	14-13
Dec.2, 1950	Alabama	34-0
Dec.1, 1951	Alabama	25-7
Nov.29, 1952	Alabama	21-0
Nov.28, 1953	Alabama	10-7
Nov.27, 1954	Auburn	28-0
Nov.26, 1955	Auburn	26-0
Dec.1, 1956	Auburn	34-7
Nov.30, 1957	Auburn	40-0
Nov.29, 1958	Auburn	14-8
Nov.28, 1959	Alabama	10-0
Nov.26, 1960	Alabama	3-0
Dec.2, 1961	Alabama	34-0
Dec.1, 1962	Alabama	38-0
Nov.30, 1963	Auburn	10-8
Nov.26, 1964	Alabama	21-14
Nov.27, 1965	Alabama	30-3
Dec.3, 1966	Alabama	31-0
Dec.2, 1967	Alabama	7-3
Dec.3, 1968	Alabama	24-16
Nov.29, 1969	Auburn	49-26
Nov.28, 1970	Auburn	33-28
Nov.27, 1971	Alabama	31-7
Dec.2, 1972	Auburn	17-16
Dec.1, 1973	Alabama	35-0
Nov.29, 1974	Alabama	17-13
Nov.29, 1975	Alabama	28-0
Nov.27, 1976	Alabama	38-7
Nov.26, 1977	Alabama	48-21
Dec.2, 1978	Alabama	34-16
Dec.1, 1979	Alabama	25-18
Nov.29, 1980	Alabama	34-18
Nov.28, 1981	Alabama	28-17
Nov.27, 1982	Auburn	23-22
Dec.3, 1983	Auburn	23-20
Dec.1, 1984	Alabama	17-15
Nov.30, 1985	Alabama	25-23
Nov.29, 1986	Auburn	21-17
Nov.27, 1987	Auburn	10-0
Nov.25, 1988	Auburn	15-10
Dec.2, 1989	Auburn	30-20
Dec.1, 1990	Alabama	16-7
Nov.30, 1991	Alabama	13-6
Nov.26, 1992	Alabama	17-0
Nov.20, 1993	Auburn	22-14
Nov.19, 1994	Alabama	21-14
Nov.18, 1995	Auburn	31-27
Nov.23, 1996	Alabama	24-23
Nov.22, 1997	Auburn	18-17
Nov.21, 1998	Alabama	31-17
Nov.20, 1999	Alabama	28-17
Nov.18, 2000	Auburn	9-0
Nov.17, 2001	Alabama	31-7
Nov.23, 2002	Auburn	17-7
Nov.22, 2003	Auburn	28-23
Nov.20, 2004	Auburn	21-13
Nov.19, 2005	Auburn	28-18
Nov.18, 2006	Auburn	22-15
Nov.24, 2007	Auburn	17-10
Nov.29, 2008	Alabama	36-0
Nov.27, 2009	Alabama	26-21
Nov.26, 2010	Auburn	28-27
Nov.26, 2011	Alabama	42-14
Nov.24, 2012	Alabama	49-0
Nov.30, 2013	Auburn	34-28
Nov.29, 2014	Alabama	55-44

Chart from eitsfan.com .

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Bama Basketball Falls To Xavier 64-45

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama men's basketball team lost their second game of the young season on Thursday falling to No. 23 Xavier 64-45 in the opening round of the AdvoCare Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Tide is now 2-2 on the season.

Following the game, Alabama head basketball coach Avery Johnson said, "Today’s game (Thursday) was a tale of two halves for us. I thought we were very competitive in the first half, thought our defense was extremely good, we forced them into a low percentage shooting from the field and the three-point line. We got in some early foul trouble. They beat us up on the line in the first half. But with all of that said, we go into the halftime down by three and we’re feeling pretty good. They hurt us a little bit with their 1-3-1 half court trap, but we were still feeling pretty good, like we were in the game. But it kind of fell apart for us in the second half. We turned the ball over too much, didn’t shoot it as well. That’s what happens against an experienced team that knows what they’re doing; they took advantage of it."

Bama actually held the lead on the nationally-ranked Musketeers, as well as out rebounded them but Xavier quickly came back to take the lead. The score stood at 27-24 at the half, Alabama only down by three.

In just the opening 20 minutes or so of the contest the Crimson Tide and Musketeers combined for an unimpressive 17 turnovers. The shooting was terrible for both teams also, with only a 29 percent average between them.

Shannon Hale and Justin Coleman led Alabama with 10 points apiece. Leading the Tide in rebounds was Dazon Ingram with his game-high of nine boards, followed by Jimmie Taylor and Michael Kessens with five each. With his fourth consecutive game leading Bama in blocked shouts was Donta Hall with three.

Alabama will face the loser of the Southern California-Wichita State game. That one is scheduled for today at 11 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Bama Basketball Falls To Xavier 64-45; Saban's Radio Show; Bama Readies For Auburn; Tide Volleyball Loses 3-1; Rivers & Hutson Named All-SEC In Volleyball

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Bama Basketball Falls To Xavier 64-45

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama men's basketball team lost their second game of the young season today falling to No. 23 Xavier 64-45 in the opening round of the AdvoCare Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Tide is now 2-2 on the season.

Following the game, Alabama head basketball coach Avery Johnson said, "Today’s game was a tale of two halves for us. I thought we were very competitive in the first half, thought our defense was extremely good, we forced them into a low percentage shooting from the field and the three-point line. We got in some early foul trouble. They beat us up on the line in the first half. But with all of that said, we go into the halftime down by three and we’re feeling pretty good. They hurt us a little bit with their 1-3-1 half court trap, but we were still feeling pretty good, like we were in the game. But it kind of fell apart for us in the second half. We turned the ball over too much, didn’t shoot it as well. That’s what happens against an experienced team that knows what they’re doing; they took advantage of it."

Alabama will face the loser of the Southern California-Wichita State game. That one is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.

Nick Saban's Radio Show Comments

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University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban conducted his weekly radio show on Wednesday night instead of Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. He commented on last week's contest with Charleston Southern as well as this week's Iron Bowl.

Saban was complimentary of Cyrus Jones for his performance in last week's game. He said the Tide worked hard in practice to prepare for the rugby-style punts utilized by Southern. The returners fielded grounded balls during practices to get ready.

Concerning the team as a whole and their work ethic and their unity, Saban said, "I've been pleased with the chemistry on this team."

With Auburn employing more than one quarterback in its offense, Saban was asked about preparation for the Tiger's offense. He responded that he thought Auburn's offensive approach is pretty much the same regardless of the quarterback leading the offense. He did say, however, he feels quarterback Jeremy Johnson is "getting better and better and better."

Concerning Auburn's defensive front, Saban said they are "very aggressive". He said it will be important to play well up front. Saban said that Auburn's front will "really attack the line of scrimmage."

When it comes to the discrepancy in the records of the two teams, Saban says that Auburn is a very capable team and that they have played better in recent weeks. Concerning Alabama's number two ranking, he says it is "just taking up space," and doesn't even matter if the Tide doesn't win.

Saban also said it was important to limit the running game Auburn employs. He said that Auburn is a very good running team. Saban also spoke of the number of plays the Tigers have made off of play-action passes.

The coach complimented center Ryan Kelly, saying that he has done a fantastic job in his position and as a leader of the offensive line.

Saban also warned that Auburn has absolutely nothing to lose in this game and everything to gain.

Tide Hard At Working Preparing For Tigers

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The Crimson Tide football team was hard at it Thanksgiving-eve preparing for their trip to the Plains on Saturday to face the Tigers in the 2015 edition of The Iron Bowl. Alabama put in approximately two hours of practice Wednesday afternoon on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.

An early practice is scheduled for today in order to allow the players a little Thanksgiving holiday time with their families and friends before heading to Auburn on Friday for their Saturday matchup. This will be the 80th meeting between the two teams, with Alabama owning the series 43-35-1. Alabama defeated Auburn last year in Tuscaloosa, coming back from a 12-point first half deficit to win in a shootout 55-44. With that win Alabama captured the SEC West and went on to play for the Southeastern Conference Championship which they won. The same reward awaits should the Tide prove victorious this weekend.

The game will be nationally televised this Saturday by CBS. Verne Lundquist will be making the play-by-play calls, Gary Danielson will provide the color analysis and Allie LaForce will be working the sidelines.

Alabama Volleyball Falls 3-1

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It was a match filled with Alabama errors (39) as a struggling Crimson Tide volleyball team fell in four sets at Foster Auditorium to an Ole Miss Rebel team capitalizing on those mistakes. Bama's lone set victory came in the second set 26-24.

Krystal Rivers led Alabama (16-15 overall, 10-7 SEC) with 25 kills. It was Natalie Murison leading the Tide defense with 23 digs.

Alabama will close out its regular season tomorrow in Tuscaloosa against the LSU Tigers (9-18 overall, 5-11 SEC).

Rivers & Hutson Named All-SEC In Volleyball

Graphic/Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Crimson Tide volleyball team has two of its members named to the All-Southeastern Conference team. Redshirt junior Krystal Rivers and sophomore Kat Hutson were both awarded the honor announced Wednesday by the SEC office.

This is the second-consecutive award for Hutson, and the third for Rivers. The Crimson Tide is one of five Southeastern Conference schools to place multiple members on the team this season.

Rivers leads the Tide with 410 kills, ranking third in the SEC. She has a career 1,402 kills, ranking sixth all-time at Alabama. Her .325 career hitting percentage places her fourth in the record book.

Hutson has 364 kills, ranking fourth in the SEC. She was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

Nick Saban's Radio Show Comments; Tide Hard At Work Preparing For Tigers; Bama Volleyball Falls 3-1; Bama Men's Basketball Faces Xavier Today; Rivers & Hutson Named All-SEC In Volleyball

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Happy Thanksgiving

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Nick Saban's Radio Show Comments

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Concerning the team as a whole and their work ethic and their unity, Saban said, "I've been pleased with the chemistry on this team."

Tide Hard At Working Preparing For Tigers

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Alabama Volleyball Falls 3-1

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Krystal Rivers led Alabama (16-15 overall, 10-7 SEC) with 25 kills. It was Natalie Murison leading the Tide defense with 23 digs.

Alabama will close out its regular season tomorrow in Tuscaloosa against the LSU Tigers (9-18 overall, 5-11 SEC).

Bama Men's Basketball Faces Xavier Today

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama men's basketball team will face the 23rd-ranked Xavier Musketeers today at the 2015 AdvoCare Invitational. The Tide's tipoff is scheduled for noon CT, and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

This will be the third meeting in as many years for the Tide and Musketeers. Bama fell in both of the previous meetings, the first in Tuscaloosa 77-74 with the second loss coming in Cincinnati 97-84. The pair have met a total of seven times, with Xavier holding a 4-3 edge.

The Crimson Tide faces a total of seven Associated Press Top-25 teams this season. 2009 was the last time Bama defeated a top-25 team.

Rivers & Hutson Named All-SEC In Volleyball

Graphic/Photo Credit: RollTide.com