Bama Football News: Sun. (01/04/09)

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Allstate Sugar Bowl, the day after...

Nick Saban always uses his post-game news conferences to deliver a message. The horn he sounded Friday night was loud and clear.

"We need to continue to improve as a program for the future," Saban said. "We need more good players, more depth in the program. We need quality big people. We need quality skill guys. We need a lot of things for us to continue to improve to be the kind of program that is recognized as kind of a dominant program on a national level."
Crazy hops.
Big Dre's suspension and the loss of Johnson to an injury exposed a glaring lack of depth that was there all season. The common thinking was that as long as Alabama had no injuries or issues -- a perfect storm, in other words -- it could keep rollin'. Well, Smith's issue arose and everything crumbled. You think there might be a few offensive linemen prospects who heard from UA today? ...

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CECIL HURT: Loss of Smith not the only reason for loss

It doesn’t turn a memorable season into a bad way, and it doesn’t set the Crimson Tide’s ongoing rebuilding process back to Square One. It does reveal that there are still holes in Alabama’s roster — big-play scoring threats on offense, or a lockdown cornerback and a speedy pass rusher on defense — that will have to be addressed by more recruiting.

Another need that had been hidden all year is more big-time offensive linemen. That may have to come through a combination of player development and recruiting, but it is a priority.

“It starts up front,” Saban said. “That’s sort of the trademark of our team. We’ve done a great job all year up front and we didn’t tonight. We couldn’t run the ball and we couldn’t protect the passer very well. We lost two of our three best linemen, but we’re disappointed in the way we executed and the way we prepared our players to execute properly.

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Stabler uncertain about radio future

Ken Stabler said Friday he is uncertain whether he wants to return as color analyst on the Crimson Tide Radio Network after taking the season off as a result of his drunken driving arrest last June.

"We'll get down the road and we'll see," Stabler said in a brief interview from the 75th Anniversary Sugar Bowl Legends Luncheon, where other past Sugar Bowl MVPs and coaches were honored. "I don't really have any plans."

Asked about a return to broadcasting, Stabler said: "I'll deal with it when I get to it."

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Arenas passes 'Deuce' in bowl TD returns

The popular Palmer, called the "Deuce" because he worn No. 2, owned many of the punt return records at Alabama before Arenas arrived in 2006, including one for most career touchdowns. One of his, a touchdown in the Blockbuster Bowl, didn't count in his career total of four because bowl accomplishments were included in NCAA statistics at the time.

Arenas, who had an Independence Bowl record 86-yard return for a touchdown against Oklahoma State in 2006, bested Palmer again with his second bowl return for a touchdown.

[Arenas] broke three tackles en route to a 73-yard return in the second quarter to set a Sugar Bowl record for longest return and pull the Tide within 21-10.

[Arenas] now has six returns for touchdowns in his Tide career.

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Instant Analysis: Sugar Bowl

On the perimeter, Utah destroyed Dixie’s football pride. The Crimson Tide’s secondary clamped down against other SEC foes, as defensive backs Kareem Jackson and Rashad Johnson proved to be reliable throughout the regular season. Against the Utes’ receivers, however, Alabama’s Jacksons and Johnsons crumbled. Utah’s prime pass-catching trio—Freddie Brown, Bradon Godfrey and David Reed—embarrassed the Tide’s back line of defense by compiling a total of 20 catches for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Utah’s passing game was so dominant that the Utes consistently moved the ball on Bama despite throwing on virtually every down, and plainly abandoning the running game for large stretches of time. Utah felt it didn’t need to run in order to win, and the Utes’ final total of 27 rushing yards proved as much.

Quarterback Brian Johnson, appropriately selected as the game’s Most Outstanding Player after throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, took hold of the proceedings at the outset. With Bama’s secondary displaying its worst tackling of the year and consistently whiffing on quick-hitting routes, Utah receivers were able to move the sticks even on passes that were thrown short of the first-down marker. Early in the game, Johnson sensed this pattern and trusted his receivers to shed tackles. This crucial reality in turn enabled Utah to establish a three-touchdown bulge right out of the chute. Later in the game, Utah still passed the ball with success, but more as a ball-control device than a point-scoring mechanism. Just the same, the Utes constantly did the same basic things with their passing game. Bama slowed down Utah at times, but could never fully stop Brian Johnson’s humming offense, which scored the same amount of points (31) that Tim Tebow and Florida produced against the Tide.

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Steele still mum on Clemson

Alabama defensive head coach and inside linebackers coach Kevin Steele hasn't yet spoken to his charges about a move to Clemson.

Barring a last-minute change of heart, Steele is expected to be announced in the coming days as the Tigers' new defensive coordinator, multiple sources have told the Press-Register. There has been no confirmation from Alabama about the move.

"I'm not sure what he's going to do," freshman linebacker Dont'a Hightower said after Friday night's Sugar Bowl loss to Utah. "Hopefully, he comes back. I haven't talked to coach Steele about that. I'm pretty sure whatever he does is best for him. I'm going to support him either way. He's a good coach."

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Utah wrap-up: A breakdown of Bama’s breakdown
By Jess Nicholas

10. A game of inches
What happens to this game if Wilson hits Stover on the bomb? If Brandon Fanney picks off the Utes’ last third-down pass, which he was within a hand’s reach of doing? If Alabama makes 3rd-and-short just prior to Tiffin’s second missed kick?

Those are called breaks, and Alabama got them for the first 12 games this year but not the last two. And it shouldn’t have mattered, anyway.

Had Alabama showed up to play – and you can define “showed up” simply in emotional terms of you can include the technical aspects as well – the Crimson Tide would have sent its seniors out with a 13-1 record. Alabama didn’t, and the seniors didn’t get their reward. If championship teams are judged by how well they deal with adversity, Alabama got a teacher’s pet D-minus in that category in 2008 despite its accomplishments.

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