The Huddle: Alabama Edition

October 15, 2009

By Whitney McHugh

Alabama sports writer Ken Rogers and Sports editor Jon Johnson preview the Alabama-South Carolina football game set for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.

With homecoming next, Saban, family love Tuscaloosa

October 14, 2009

By Ken Rogers

Alabama coach Nick Saban is preparing for his third homecoming game at the university.

With his team 18-0 in the regular season since 1997 and currently ranked No. 2 in the country, you could say things are going pretty well.

The coach, who earlier this year agreed to a contract extension that will have him leading the Crimson Tide through the 2017 season, said his family is happy in Tuscaloosa.

“We love it here. Terry loves it here,” Saban said after practice Wednesday. “We have a nice home, a beautiful place. We’ve developed a lot of relationships with a lot of people, which I think is the most important thing about feeling comfortable about a place.”

Saban said in his business, the love he gets from fans “is conditional, mostly whether you win or lose.”

“We understand that very well, but we also appreciate all the positive energy that everyone has given us,” Saban said. “Not only do we enjoy being the coach here, but we also enjoy very much being a part of the community, we enjoy very much giving back to the community, and that’s very important to us, so other people understand they are important to us.”

Told a couple in Hartselle recently named their son after him, Saban thought a moment and shook his head.

“Certainly it’s an honor to have anybody named after you, but I can think of a whole lot of … people they could have chosen that might have
been a little more positive image for their child growing up,” he said.

“I guess if they never see me at practice, and they never see me get angry, and they never see the not so good things, I guess it’s OK. And if we ever lose a game I hope they’re not disappointed.”

Tide’s Harris has only himself to blame for late start to the season

October 12, 2009

By Ken Rogers

What cost Alabama football players Julio Jones and Mark Ingram a few sleepless nights but no playing time cost sophomore linebacker Jerrell Harris much more.

Harris reportedly received an improper benefit (a laptop computer) from Curtis Anderson, the same person that took Jones and Ingram deep-sea fishing on spring break.

Each was deemed a minor NCAA violation. But while Jones and Ingram made restitution immediately and cooperated fully with an investigation into the fishing trip, Harris wasn’t as forthcoming with investigators. When it became evident that Harris wasn’t completely up front in the probe, his coverup was deemed much more serious than the original incident.

As a result, he was suspended six games — half the season. The sophomore from Gadsden has worked on the scout team and is expected to play, and perhaps start, this week against South Carolina.

Alabama coach Nick Saban didn’t want to comment on Harris’ suspension, but couldn’t resist, either.

“It is what it is. Players have to learn that when you do the right thing, usually good things happen and when you don’t do the right thing ...” Saban said, his voice trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

“I’ve said it before, you have freedom of choice but you don’t have freedom from consequences. We support our players and what they do, but we also want them to learn the lessons that are going to help them be more successful.

“I certainly think Jerrell learned a lot from this and it’s going to help him be a better person and probably help him be more successful in life.”

Texas QBs lead Alabama, Ole Miss into today’s showdown

October 10, 2009

By Ken Rogers

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is a fan of Jevan Snead. Just not today.

The Texas quarterbacks collide today when McElroy’s Crimson Tide plays Snead’s Ole Miss Rebels on national television.

“I knew Jevan in high school. We played seven-on-seven together,” McElroy said. “He was at the Manning camp, too, as well, so I spent some time with him there.”

Snead is from Stephenville, Texas; McElroy from Southlake.

Snead played at Texas in the 2006 season but transferred to Ole Miss. McElroy originally committed to Texas Tech, but changed his mind and signed with Alabama.

“I haven’t talked to him. It’s a busy time for both of us,” McElroy said this week. “But I do keep up with him. I keep up with his performances. And I’m always cheering for him.

“All the Texas guys, I want to see do well. Jevan’s obviously one of those guys. I’ve followed his career, starting at Texas and now obviously at Ole Miss. And I’m happy that he’s had a lot of success up to this point. After this game he’ll be a guy I pull for for the rest of the year.”

Both quarterbacks will be marked men in this game. In four games, Snead has completed 54 of 105 passes for 728 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

McElroy has completed 78 of 119 passes for 1,086 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception in five games.

“He’s a good guy and I forward to playing him,” Snead said about McElroy.

The seven-on-seven tournament in which they went head to head in high school was a while ago. The memory can play tricks. Southlake Carroll won, McElroy was sure of that.

“I believe I had to leave at halftime or else we would have beaten them I’m sure,” Snead said, laughing.

Of course, Snead said McElroy has his T-shirt from the Manning Passing Academy that the quarterbacks attended this summer.

“I need to get that back. It made its way into his bag somehow,” Snead said.

“I put my stuff down by his bag, and he wanted an Ole Miss shirt for some reason.”

Both quarterbacks would gladly trade a T-shirt for a victory today.

Tide could get even younger at linebacker, and soon

October 08, 2009

By Ken Rogers

Kentucky picked up more yards on the ground than any Alabama opponent last Saturday.

So was it the Wildcats’ offense or was it the Crimson Tide adjusting to life without Dont’a Hightower?

It may have been some of both, although the answer to that key question will take more shape Saturday at Ole Miss.

Alabama’s linebacker rotation was OK, but far from the shutdown unit it had been in the first four games.

“We did not stop the run as well as we would have liked to. We didn’t create the situations that we wanted to create,” coach Nick Saban said. “We have to get back to striking people up front and getting off blocks, playing gap-discipline and tackling people better.”

Saban said Cory Reamer, who moved from the sam linebacker spot inside to Hightower’s will position, Eryk Anders, who moved from the jack post to the sam, and Courtney Upshaw, who started for the first time at the jack, will likely be back in those roles against Ole Miss.

“I think they all did a good job in what they did. I think we need to improve in all those positions for us to continue to get better defensively,” Saban said. “I don’t think we pass rushed particularly well in this game. I think they got us off balance early in the game by running the ball on third down and I don’t think we got in the groove of things relative to pressure.”

The coach hinted he sees this alignment as a band-aid, not a cure. He stressed the need for young linebacker talent to develop.

“We need to get more players involved on defense,” Saban said. “I think we need to coach more players, we’ve got to get some young players ready to play because they may get the opportunity to play.”

Alabama could take the redshirt off Tana Patrick. Converted running back Chris Jordan has played in relief of middle linebacker Rolando McClain. Nico Johnson has worked at both inside linebacker spots.

“They’re all making progress. Tana (Patrick) is making progress; Nico
(Johnson) is making progress. We’re really working Nico at both mike and
will, so his learning curve is a little heavier than the rest of the guys.
But they are all doing fine and all are probably going to have to play at
some point.”

Suspended linebacker Jerrell Harris becomes eligible next week against South Carolina.