Tide left tackle Smith recalls last year’s Ole Miss game

October 15, 2008

Ken Rogers

I’m writing about Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy in tomorrow’s Eagle.
Crimson Tide left tackle Andre Smith recalled the junior’s performance against Alabama last year. Hardy nearly kept the Rebels in the game by himself. He had 13 tackles, nine solo, three sacks and forced two fumbles.
“He’s great, fast, explosive, great engine. He’s a great football player,” Smith said. “He had an outstanding game last year.”
I asked if anyone had done that since he’s been at Alabama. Smith didn’t answer with an individual defender. But he did say the offense was dominated in another game last season.
“The entire Florida State team last year,” the All-American left tackle said.
“That defense was so fast. A couple of times when they were hitting Terry (Grant), they were saying, ‘Hold him up.’ That’s how fast they were, as far as getting to be ball, being aggressive. That kind of blew my mind away.”
Smith did recall the scene after the Ole Miss game last season, when Alabama left to a shower of cups and bottles from Ole Miss fans angered by the controversial finish. He recalled leaving the field, but looking into the stands in the Alabama section.
“I could actually see my parents, and my dad was like, ‘Put your helmet on.’” Smith said, gesturing that motion as he spoke. “That was one of my more memorable moments.”
More on Andre in Friday’s Eagle.

Last year’s controversy from an Ole Miss perspective

October 14, 2008

Ken Rogers

This weeks’ Alabama-Ole Miss game represents a sigh of relief from Alabama, but something edgier for the Rebels.
Ole Miss wide receiver Shay Hodge was at the center of the game’s controversial finish. Hodge apparently caught a 41-yard completion to the Alabama 4-yard line with seven seconds remaining.
However, the catch was overruled on replay when Hodge was judged an illegal receiver after stepping out of bounds on the play.
“It felt like he pushed me,” Hodge said, referring to Tide cornerback Lionel Mitchell. “When the play was going on, I had no idea how close I was to the sideline. He was pushing me. I finally got around it and then I saw the ball and I just went up and got it. I came back and saw the replay and then I was thinking, ‘I didn’t know I went out of bounds, but he pushed me, and if you get pushed out of bounds, you can come back in.’ But it went the other way.”
The play cost the Rebels a chance at a last-second victory.
“I got over it real quick. You have to get on with the season. I let it go real fast,” Hodge said. “I think about it all the time though. It could’ve been a big play to turn our season around and maybe things would’ve been different with the momentum of beating them, but I’ve let it go.”
Many Rebels fans, apparently, have not.
“Every time I go home, they always talk about that play and about how we got ripped off against Alabama,” Hodge said.
A year ago, the reaction was immediate. Fans showered the end zone with debris, including bottles and cups, empty and full.
“I had never seen that before. It was funny,” Hodge said, before quickly retreating. “It really wasn’t funny at the time but after thinking about it and then they said our fans needed to get some class or something like that, it was funny. It was crazy.”
Hodge is hoping for a better ending in Tuscaloosa. It will already be a big day. He turns 21 on Saturday.

No, Saban wasn’t chilling on open date Saturday

October 13, 2008

Ken Rogers

TUSCALOOSA—Six weeks into the season, Alabama coach Nick Saban just couldn’t enjoy the open date last weekend.
On a day when some of the biggest games in the country were being played, Saban admitted he tried to watch a little college football, but couldn’t enjoy it.
“It’s really hard for me to enjoy watching the game,” Saban said Monday. “You look at it too much like a coach. They get in a formation you say how would we adjust to that? What would we do against that? Next thing you know you might as well be going in there and turning the computer on and can’t enjoy the game because you’re kind of going through the same program as if you’re playing the game.
“Even watching Texas and Oklahoma. I’m adjusting to formations and matching patterns — and we don’t play either one of those teams. But anyway, it’s not much fun. And there’s not really a way to relax during the season, as much as you might try to. You have a lot of things you want to prepare for and lot of things on the horizon.
“It’s always been my way is to get it done and relax when you get it done. When you feel the hay’s in the barn and you’ve prepared and made the decisions and judgments that you need to make against the next team. And taught it to players and hopefully given them enough repetition that they know what to do. ... You’re kind of sitting there, shaking your leg, waiting to do that. But you’ve got to get these guys some time off, too. That’s part of the benefit of having a bye week. The work and their rest and recharging.”

Alabama-Kentucky game will be shown live online, too

October 03, 2008

Ken Rogers

If you can’t get to a television, you can still see Saturday’s Alabama-Kentucky game online.
CBS will provide a live stream of the 2:30 p.m. game at http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/video/live

There is no charge. All CBS broadcasts of SEC games are being shown online this season.

Tide lineman pulling hard for Cubbies this week

September 30, 2008

Ken Rogers

Alabama offensive guard Mike Johnson will be pulling against a scout team defense that looks like Kentucky this week.
But the die-hard Cubs fans will also be pulling hard for his team as the baseball playoffs begin.
Johnson came into the media room Monday wearing a Detroit Tigers hat, but had a reasonable explanation.
“The truth is, I couldn’t find a Cubs hat to fit my head because it’s like a size 8. So I had to go with the Tigers,” Johnson admitted. “The adjustable ones don’t have enough depth to fit my big ol’ noggin.”
That prompted speculation about Johnson’s helmet size. It’s still a mystery.
“I don’t know. I had to take all the air out of it, though, I’ll tell you that,” Johnson said.
The guard said he’d be following the Cubs, hoping for the best, expecting ... well, he’s a Cubs fan.
“The first one’s a night game, so I should be good with that,” Johnson said. “But I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m nervous.”
But is he more nervous for the Cubs than Kentucky? Johnson smiled, knowing that he has some control what happens in Saturday’s game against the Wildcats.
“Yes. I’m far more nervous for them. I’m just crossing my fingers for Wednesday.”
Teammate Baron Huber, perhaps an even bigger Cubs fan than Johnson, is doing more than crossing his fingers.
“Praying. We’re both praying,” Johnson said.