I really think that was it. You guys can score really fast and had already covered one on-sides kick. You brought the game to within 3 points pretty quickly earlier. So we could not afford to take any chances. As others have pointed out, if you watched any of our games since Saban has been the coach (and really for as long as I can remember) we've NEVER purposefully run the score up on ANYONE. This year we've put the back-up QB in early in the third quarter against lesser teams and not attempted a pass in the second half of many of those games. Ask yourself this, what would Alabama/Saban have to gain from running the score up on Texas? We get the title and trophy with a 1 point win just like with a 100 point win. No voters to impress as in years past (maybe the AP voters, but does anyone really care about the AP in the BCS era?). Will Muschamp is a former coach under and still a friend of Saban, why would Saban want to embarrass him and his program?
Congratulations
- Thread starter Longhorn93
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Again, McElroy was playing with cracked ribs and that is why he wasn't throwing very much.
I understood your earlier post. It wasnt' really 1:40 when we took over. It was 2:01 and UT had a TO remaining. I saw what we did as a sign of deep respect for UT's ability to come back. The runs were to make sure. As I posted elsewhere, we certainly weren't going to get fancy (no shovel passes), but, had we failed to score, you would have the ball on your one yard line. It was insurance, pure and simple. On the conservative streak, we really had no choice. Your chief offensive threat was out and we had a wounded QB who couldn't throw effectively. Had things gotten tight there was a good chance you would have seen the redshirt burned on our true freshman QB...
I'm sure that was a factor...but strictly speaking of the 3rd quarter...even the running plays called were conservative by nature. I know you want to run the ball when you have a 24-6 lead, but you want to hold on to the ball as much as possible too. Saban played too conservatively and continued to give the ball back to Texas, allowing Gilbert enough snaps to get comfortable in the pocket.
My point is...the game COULD have been over in the 3rd quarter with some different play calling on the Bama side.
I'm glad it wasn't that way though...we threw or true freshman QB into the fire against a stout Bama defense and he'll be a much better QB for the experience.
This is very true, and we have had a tendency all season to play ultra conservative, field position football when leading at the half. It almost cost us the Tennessee game earlier in the season. I think most all Alabama fans wish we would have kept the playbook open, gotten some 1st downs, and tacked on another TD in the third to keep Texas out of the game for good. I was impressed with ya'lls competitive spirit, congrats on the season.
And our point is that we think you're wrong. Greg could hardly throw at all and UT was packing the line. If there's a problem I have with the UT visitors it's the total failure to understand "agree to disagree." No matter how many times you repeat it, you're going to find no takers here. Why not shrug your shoulders, say "Oh well, rival board," and give it a rest?
09/05/09 vs. ULM Austin, Texas W, 59-20
09/12/09 at Wyoming Laramie, Wy. W, 41-10
09/26/09 vs. UTEP Austin, Texas W, 64-7
10/10/09 vs. Colorado Austin, Texas W, 38-14
10/24/09 at Missouri Columbia, Mo. W, 41-7
10/31/09 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. W, 41-14
11/07/09 vs. UCF Austin, Texas W, 35-3
11/14/09 at Baylor Waco, Texas W, 47-14
11/21/09 vs. Kansas Austin, Texas W, 51-20
Congrats on a great game and best of luck in the future. But to say you are upset that we scored late to ice the game...please. I don't buy that. I'm betting you didn't feel too bad for UTEP.
09/12/09 at Wyoming Laramie, Wy. W, 41-10
09/26/09 vs. UTEP Austin, Texas W, 64-7
10/10/09 vs. Colorado Austin, Texas W, 38-14
10/24/09 at Missouri Columbia, Mo. W, 41-7
10/31/09 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. W, 41-14
11/07/09 vs. UCF Austin, Texas W, 35-3
11/14/09 at Baylor Waco, Texas W, 47-14
11/21/09 vs. Kansas Austin, Texas W, 51-20
Congrats on a great game and best of luck in the future. But to say you are upset that we scored late to ice the game...please. I don't buy that. I'm betting you didn't feel too bad for UTEP.
Thanks Longhorn93 and i've got a feeling we see each other again soon. The future is bright with Muschamp waiting in the wings. He had a great game plan and even thou we broke some runs the pass rush and coverage was outstanding. McElroy may have had broke ribs but it doesn't matter when you have someone in your face and nowhere to throw the ball all night long.
Congrats from the Gamecock nation! You guys didn't play your best game, but you represented the conference well and showed domination on both sides of the ball! RTR!
Earle,
If that happened, the ER would've filled up with lots of Bama fans who suffered from a heart attack. You really think that we would've taken that route?
Hey, I'm not here to cause trouble. I said I was upset about that last touchdown, there's alot of pride involved in this game. If the roles were reversed I'm sure you'd feel the same way.Congrats on a great game and best of luck in the future. But to say you are upset that we scored late to ice the game...please. I don't buy that. [B said:
In terms of "running up the score" contrary to how Mack Brown is painted, he rarely (if ever) runs up the score on other teams. Case in point: Texas vs UTEP. Texas scored it's last touchdown at the 14:55 mark in the 4th quarter. On a run with a backup rb at that.
As I'm sure the case is with your team. Texas' bench is VERY deep. You pull the starters and put the backups in...and they want to score just as bad...and they're talented enough to get the job done.
For the entire 13 games prior to the game against Alabama, Texas had scored 113 4th quarter points....for an average of just under 8.7 points. That's HARDLY running up the score.
In comparison, Alabama had 115 4th quarter points for an average of about 8.8 4th quarter point a game.
I know people are going to read this and think I'm being argumentative, but I'm not. I just take offense when people say Texas runs up the score. Don't believe media hype, I'm sure you all know how the media can skew anything.
On a positive note, looking up the 4th quarter stats for both teams leads me to believe that Saban WASN'T trying to run up the score. So maybe I'm being a hypocrite by accusing Saban of running up the score before looking at the matter more closely.
There's certainly no history of it being done in the first 13 games Alabama had.
I can't speak for CNS or anyone else, but I was sitting on the edge of my seat until TR broke the plain of the goal line with 1:30 left. At that point I finally relaxed, not because we had "run the score up" but because I knew at that point, that no matter what, we had finally won the game and didn't have to worry about a quick strike and an onside kickoff. If you check, there were 2 onside kicks against us this season, we lost both of them.
People are too sensitive. Cry me a freakin' river. Throw the horns down. We sing Rammer Jammer for Christ's sake. It's a game. It's a competition. Have some fun with it. People who complain about things like this have long forgotten what it was like to compete.
I remember. While I was playing I hated my opponents. I wanted to make them cry. I wanted to embarrass them. I wanted them to be talking about this game, this race, this match to a therapist twenty years from now and saying ,"And that day ruined my life." I guess I wanted to make their "butt" quit.
After the game, we can go have ice cream. During the game, I had nothing but the utmost contempt and disdain for my opponents.
So yeah, I like it when players rub it in. I also like it when they meet after the game and shake hands and hug. Leave it on the field. That's where it belongs.
Everybody who get really offended when a player does something to insult/intimidate/humiliate the other team needs to find another sport. Maybe golf? Although that's gotten pretty cutthroat too these days, and I think they might even swear when they mi.... a shot.
Hah it edited mis-hit
I remember. While I was playing I hated my opponents. I wanted to make them cry. I wanted to embarrass them. I wanted them to be talking about this game, this race, this match to a therapist twenty years from now and saying ,"And that day ruined my life." I guess I wanted to make their "butt" quit.
After the game, we can go have ice cream. During the game, I had nothing but the utmost contempt and disdain for my opponents.
So yeah, I like it when players rub it in. I also like it when they meet after the game and shake hands and hug. Leave it on the field. That's where it belongs.
Everybody who get really offended when a player does something to insult/intimidate/humiliate the other team needs to find another sport. Maybe golf? Although that's gotten pretty cutthroat too these days, and I think they might even swear when they mi.... a shot.
Hah it edited mis-hit
It was a huge factor. It apparently changed our whole game plan going in. GMac was obviously struggling with his mobility and the pass . Our true freshman #2 has not taken a live snap all season and has held onto his redshirt through 13 games. I think Saban took the load off of GMac and committed to running the football. It looked ultra conservative at the time but makes sense after hearing (post game) about GMac's injury status. We have three stud RBs in the stable. Probally feel we out man their run defense anyway. May have to go with an inexperienced QB at any time. Why not go heavy on the rushing attack? Why push the chance of getting GMac hurt?
The only other question I have is...Why was we pounding the right side on those two 3 and outs early in the 3rd qtr when we were so dominating behind Carpenter on the left?
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Were the people complaining about the last TD actually watching the game? Had Texas quit by that time? No. Would they have used their last timeout if Bama took a knee? Yes. When Texas got the ball back did they run plays or leave the field? After all the crazy things that happened in this game, there is no way you take a knee there. Unless Texas had surrendered, it's the right thing to do to score the TD.
