Nick Saban came out aggressive…. normally after winning the coin toss he elects to defer until the second half but sent out his offense instead.
Bama 3-0 – Tide opened up in the spread and moved quickly down field but only got a FG.
Bama 9-0 – stopped Florida on with a 3 and out on the Gators first drive which in cluded a big drop by Demps who was wide open for a big play. Bama moved down the field quickly for a TD but missed the extra point. McElroy looks sharp.
Bama 9-3 – Tebow comes up with a big 3rd and 3 conversion Gators get a Sturgis FG.
First Quarter thoughts – lots of Florida mistakes, costly penalties. Bama is playing aggressive on both sides of the ball and playing confidently.
Second Quarter
Gators stop Bama to start the 2nd quarter, Bama’s first punt of the game.
Gator holding penaltly wipes out a 14-yard run from Demps. 3rd Florida penalty for 31 yards. On 3rd down Tebow has nowhere to go and leaves one short that could of been picked off. Bama holds.
Bama 12-3 – Tiffin FG. Bama continues to move the ball well but needs to get TDs not FGs. McElroy is playing out of his mind. I wonder how long Bama will be able to keep Florida bottled up offensively.
Bama 12 – 10 – Tebow with two big runs and one big pass TD pass to David Nelson. Gators with a quick answer to Bama’s last drive.
Bama 19 – 10 – McElroy hits Ingram on a screen pass for 69 yards. Ingram runs it in for a 4 yard TD. Bama answers Florida’s quick score. Nice call on the screen pass against a Florida blitz.
Bama 19 – 13 – Sturgis 32-yard FG. Big play was Tebow’s connection to hottie Riley Cooper for a big play to get the Gators into FG range. Hernandez dropped a catchable pass from Tebow at the goal line during the drive.
Halftime: Bama 19 -13 Alabama gained ~ 270 yards in the first half and continues to play aggressively on offense but the Gators are heating up. Looks like it’s going to be a great 2nd half. Florida made a lot of mistakes early with penalties and dropped passes and Alabama took advantage. Every time you thought Florida would take over Alabama would answer.
3rd Quarter
Gators come up one yard short on the first series of the 2nd half. Punt to Bama….Tide ball at their own 25.
Bama 26 – 13 – McElroy hits Maze for big play, Florida commits a personal foul — roughing the passer on a busted play — and then McElroy hits his tight end Peek in the endzone. Great over the shoulder catch.
Alabama shuts down the Gators again and gets the ball back at their own 12-yard line. On the drive Gators had stopped Alabama on 3rd and 7 but an offsides penalty — Gators 5th penalty for 51 yards — gave Bama 3rd and 2 and Ingram converted for a Bama first down.
Facing another 3rd and 7 and under pressure McElroy hits Jones for a first down at the Florida 37. Several big runs from Mark Ingram to keep drives alive and Alabama takes 7:30 minutes off the clock. Going to the fourth.
End of 3rd Quarter thoughts – this is the best Bama has looked all year. McElroy, Ingram and the offiense line are winning the battle against the Gator defense. Tebow isn’t a factor. Boy was I wrong about this one.
Fourth Quarter
Bama 32 – 13 17-play drive. That’s huge. Two point conversion failed.
Florida drives down the field quickly but Tebow is intercepted in the end zone by Javier Arenas. That’s gotta be the ball game. Now it’s just how many yards will Ingram end up with.
Bama goes conservative and doesn’t get a first down. Florida takes over after punt at their own 32 yard line.
Florida drives the ball down deep again but Tebow’s pass is behind his receiver on 4th down. Bama will milk the clock.
With 6 minutes left the game is over and the keys to Alabama’s win was aggressiveness on offense, the play making of Greg McElroy and Bama’s offensive line. It’s on to Pasadena and as an Auburn fan I gotta say that I hate it but they were so much better than Florida today. Saban had the Tide ready to play.

20 years ago The University of Alabama was undefeated, ranked #2 in the country and seemingly on their way to another national championship heading into it’s annual showdown with Auburn known as the Iron Bowl. 




































































