Alabama Football
White Squad Defeats Crimson In Annual A-Day Game
University Of Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics team finished third last night at the 2016 NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Bama's belles scored a team 197.4375. Oklahoma took first, with LSU earning second.
Bama head gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth said, "What an amazing experience. That's what a championship is supposed to look like."
It was close. Four teams were separated by just two-tenths of a point heading into the final rotation. It was the floor exercise that made the difference for Oklahoma allowing them to pull away on a 49.575 score. The other three teams completed the rotation within one-tenth of a point from each other.
Duckworth continued, "That was a very tough competition and we knew it was going to be a tough competition coming in. What we're most proud of is how our ladies just trusted themselves."
The Super Six standings were: Oklahoma, LSU, ALABAMA, Florida, UCLA and Georgia.
It was Alabama sophomore Nickie Guerrero closing out Bama's balance beam rotation and the championships with a marvelous 9.95. "To close out on beam and to finish as strong as we started, going 49.450 and having our last athlete go 9.95, the highest score of the meet -- that kind of fight, that kind of drive on the last event, on beam -- I could not be more proud of our ladies and the grit they showed tonight," Duckworth said.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is now the only team in the country to finish in the top four at the NCAA Championships the last eight consecutive years, a real credit to the program and the university as a whole.
Duckworth concluded, "We had fun, we were dancing, we made it exciting and we were here at the Super Six with a chance to win a national championship and that's our goal every year.
This was the 34th consecutive NCAA Championship appearance for the Tide and its NCAA-best 22nd Super Six berth.
Congratulations, ladies!
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
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Saban: Lose Weight And Get In Shape
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Bama Baseball Blanks Ole Miss 2-0
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
If you are a fan of defensive football, you had to enjoy yesterdays 2016 Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football game. A game that went over three quarters with no score turned into a field goal, touchdown and a touchdown-saving interception in the fourth quarter as the White team defeated the Crimson 7-3 in front of a crowd of 76, 212 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The first points on the board came early in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard field goal by Adam Griffith with 10:55 left in the game to give the Crimson team a 3-0 lead. Griffith had, incidentally, missed on three previous field goal attempts from 36, 47, and 42 yards. Griffith's 21-yarder capped a 54-yard drive in 10 plays that stalled at the White team's 7-yard line. Punctuating the drive was a pretty 33-yard pass from quarterback David Cornwell to wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
The second and only other score of the game came when true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts rolled to his right and fired a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Derek Kief who stretched out to make the catch dragging his feet in bounds for the go-ahead touchdown with just 2:48 remaining on the clock. The drive for this score came about after a 42-yard JK Scott punt put the ball on the White 48-yard line. Hurts connected with wideout Cam Sims on a 32-yard pass to the the 20 of the Crimson. It was just two plays later that the score came.
But the excitement wasn't over. Cooper Bateman began moving the Crimson down field for their best drive of the day in an effort to salvage the win, and a steak dinner. Bateman led his Crimson team 57 yards in nine plays to threaten to snatch victory from the hands of the White, but on a 13-yard pass to the endzone came up short when Ronnie Harrison dashed in front of Calvin Ridley to intercept the pass in the end zone with 1:02 remaining to seal the victory for the White team.
Harrison's performance in the game earned him the Dixie Howell Memorial Award, giving to the Most Valuable Player of the Alabama spring game. Linebacker Tim Williams, who hampered, sacked, hurried and chased the Crimson quarterbacks all day (recording 2 quarterback sacks) earned the Dwight Stephenson Award given to the most valuable lineman of the spring game.
Running back Damien Harris led all rushers with 114 yards on 20 carries. Bo Scarbrough, who had to go up against the Tide's first-team defense, was held to just 22 yards.
It was Jalen Hurts leading the quarterbacks statistically for a game-high 120 yards and a touchdown connecting on 11 of 15 passes. Blake Barnett completed 9 of 15 passes for 112 yards on the day. Bateman was 9 of 24 for 86 yards and 1 interception with David Cornwell completing 5 of 13 for 50 yards yesterday.
The second and only other score of the game came when true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts rolled to his right and fired a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Derek Kief who stretched out to make the catch dragging his feet in bounds for the go-ahead touchdown with just 2:48 remaining on the clock. The drive for this score came about after a 42-yard JK Scott punt put the ball on the White 48-yard line. Hurts connected with wideout Cam Sims on a 32-yard pass to the the 20 of the Crimson. It was just two plays later that the score came.
But the excitement wasn't over. Cooper Bateman began moving the Crimson down field for their best drive of the day in an effort to salvage the win, and a steak dinner. Bateman led his Crimson team 57 yards in nine plays to threaten to snatch victory from the hands of the White, but on a 13-yard pass to the endzone came up short when Ronnie Harrison dashed in front of Calvin Ridley to intercept the pass in the end zone with 1:02 remaining to seal the victory for the White team.
Harrison's performance in the game earned him the Dixie Howell Memorial Award, giving to the Most Valuable Player of the Alabama spring game. Linebacker Tim Williams, who hampered, sacked, hurried and chased the Crimson quarterbacks all day (recording 2 quarterback sacks) earned the Dwight Stephenson Award given to the most valuable lineman of the spring game.
Running back Damien Harris led all rushers with 114 yards on 20 carries. Bo Scarbrough, who had to go up against the Tide's first-team defense, was held to just 22 yards.
It was Jalen Hurts leading the quarterbacks statistically for a game-high 120 yards and a touchdown connecting on 11 of 15 passes. Blake Barnett completed 9 of 15 passes for 112 yards on the day. Bateman was 9 of 24 for 86 yards and 1 interception with David Cornwell completing 5 of 13 for 50 yards yesterday.
Leading all receivers was tight end Miller Forristall for the White team with eight catches for 53 yards. Also for the White, wide receiver Cam Sims had a game-high 66 yards on three catches. Another of the receivers for the White team, Derek Kief, had five catches for 58 yards as well as the only touchdown in the contest. For the Crimson team it was wideout Calvin Ridley with a team-high 54 yards on four receptions.
As mentioned earlier, Williams took the MVP honors with three quarterback hurries as well as two quarterback sacks. Crimson team linebacker Rashaan Evans led all tacklers picking up 17 on the day, including 10 solo stops and one quarterback sack. Team Crimson had 11 total sacks on the day, with three each from linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Christian Miller.
Unlike the two previous spring scrimmage games, the A-Day game was much like a normal football game. There were differences in how the clock was run during the contest, plus the fact that athletes wearing black jerseys (quarterbacks and injured/recovering players) were "tagged" instead of tackled. The kickoffs and returns were "tag-offs", with no tackling on the receiver.
Unlike the two previous spring scrimmage games, the A-Day game was much like a normal football game. There were differences in how the clock was run during the contest, plus the fact that athletes wearing black jerseys (quarterbacks and injured/recovering players) were "tagged" instead of tackled. The kickoffs and returns were "tag-offs", with no tackling on the receiver.
Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Mark Ingram, Kirk Herstreit, Derrick Henry & Joey Galloway
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Alabama Gymnastics Third In Super Six Final
Alabama Crimson Tide Gymnastics Team
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
Bama head gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth said, "What an amazing experience. That's what a championship is supposed to look like."
It was close. Four teams were separated by just two-tenths of a point heading into the final rotation. It was the floor exercise that made the difference for Oklahoma allowing them to pull away on a 49.575 score. The other three teams completed the rotation within one-tenth of a point from each other.
Duckworth continued, "That was a very tough competition and we knew it was going to be a tough competition coming in. What we're most proud of is how our ladies just trusted themselves."
The Super Six standings were: Oklahoma, LSU, ALABAMA, Florida, UCLA and Georgia.
It was Alabama sophomore Nickie Guerrero closing out Bama's balance beam rotation and the championships with a marvelous 9.95. "To close out on beam and to finish as strong as we started, going 49.450 and having our last athlete go 9.95, the highest score of the meet -- that kind of fight, that kind of drive on the last event, on beam -- I could not be more proud of our ladies and the grit they showed tonight," Duckworth said.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is now the only team in the country to finish in the top four at the NCAA Championships the last eight consecutive years, a real credit to the program and the university as a whole.
Duckworth concluded, "We had fun, we were dancing, we made it exciting and we were here at the Super Six with a chance to win a national championship and that's our goal every year.
This was the 34th consecutive NCAA Championship appearance for the Tide and its NCAA-best 22nd Super Six berth.
Congratulations, ladies!
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
Alabama gymnast Nickie Guerrero
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Saban: Lose Weight And Get In Shape
He has steadily seen a lot of minutes, both in practices, scrimmages and in Alabama's A-Day Game. On the second-offense.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, speaking of offensive right guard Alphonse Taylor, said, "He's going to continue to be on the second team if he doesn't get his weight down and get in shape." Saban was commenting following the White team's 7-3 win on Saturday at the Alabama A-Day Game. He asked, "But would he be a better first teamer with all the experience that he has?”
Remember, Taylor was the starting right guard for the Crimson Tide last season in all 15 games. But this spring he is second to Brandon Kennedy. He helped open up the holes for eventual Heisman trophy-winner Derrick Henry and kept the rush off quarterback Jake Coker.
Of course during the spring game he was a part of the crew opening holes for game rushing leader Damien Harris for 114 yards on 20 carries. However, that same front gave up 11 sacks.
Saban says there is no depth chart right now for the offensive line...or any position for that matter at this point in the process. But, oops, he did mention that Taylor was "second team." Taylor still has plenty of time to drop the weight and show up in shape in time to take the starting position. He has help if he just dedicates himself to the task.
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Bama Baseball Blanks Ole Miss 2-0
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team defeated the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels last night, shutting them out 2-0, raising the Tide's season's mark to 21-14 overall and 7-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Credit starting Bama pitcher Jake Walters and closer Thomas Burrows with the win and the save.
Bama baseball head coach Mitch Gaspard said, "Jake (Walters) was tremendous tonight. The league is really tough. You've got really good arms that you see
night in and night out. You've just got to find a way to win. Right now,
we've gotten to where it seems like most of our match ups are one or
two-run games, very low-scoring games; that's what it is. We've got to
find a way to win those, and win enough of them. Hopefully this offense
will start to kick in for us in the second half of the season."
Walters tossed 7.0 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just four hits, one walk, and striking out four batters to improve his season to 3-3. Burrows had 2.0 innings holding the Rebs scoreless, allowing just one hit, striking out two and recorded his ninth save of the season.
Cobie Vance led the Tide in hitting, finishing 1-for-4 with one RBI. Chandler Avant recorded a double and one run scored last night.
Today's game will decide the series between the Crimson Tide and Rebels. Alabama will start junior right-hander Nick Eicholtz,
while the Rebels will counter with redshirt righty junior Sean Johnson. The game will air live on SECN+ with Mick Gillispie and
Lance Cormier in the booth.
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Women's Golf Tied For Lead Entering Final Round
Today will be the final round of the Southeastern Conference Championship, and the Alabama women's golf team will take to the course in a tie for first place with the Florida Gators. The tournament is being played at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Both the Tide and Gators are at 2-over par 578 after two rounds. Texas A&M is third and will play in today's final round with Alabama and Florida.
Alabama head coach Mic Potter said, "We played fairly well today at the beginning and the end of the round. However, we made some mistakes in the middle of the day that
were costly. Obviously we'd like to be leading, but there are 12 other
teams that would like to be in our position. We just need to go
tomorrow, play our best, and see what happens."
Nicole Morales will tee off at 9:40 am today followed by Janie Jackson at 9:50, Lakareber Abe at 10:00, Cheyenne Knight at 10:10 and Emma Talley at 10:20.
