Sept. 17, 2005

SOUTH CAROLINA POSTGAME NOTES

Freshman Mike Davis scored his first career touchdown on a fourth down one yard run to tie the score at 7-7 in the first quarter.

The Davis TD ended a 13 play, 75 yard South Carolina drive aided by an overrule of a pass to Kenny McKinley first ruled incomplete at the one yard line. The overrule was the first challenged play involving South Carolina under the new rule.

The Davis Touchdown was the first rushing score by South Carolina this season.

The announced attendance of 82,968 brought South Carolina’s total for two home games this season to 165,721, an average of 82,861. The season opener with Central Florida drew 82,753. The Alabama game attendance was the 17th largest in Williams Brice Stadium.

Freshman Bobby Wallace caught a 12 yard pass in the fourth quarter for his first career reception. Wallace added two more receptions in a fourth quarter touchdown drive. Just before the first Wallace reception he had a nine yard run, his longest career rushing play to date.

Redshirt freshman Sidney Rice caught five passes for 74 yards and one touchdown, matching his Georgia total of five catchers and one TD. Rice did not play in the season opener against Central Florida.

Tight end Robert Pavlovic caught two passes for 18 yards, the first two receptions of his career.

Syvelle Newton caught two passes for 12 yards to maintain his team leadership in receptions with 11. Sidney Rice and Daccus Turman have 10 receptions each.

South Carolina is 1-2 after three games. The last time the Gamecocks opened 1-2 was 2002 when they defeated New Mexico State but then lost to Virginia and Georgia.

ALABAMA POSTGAME NOTES

PREGAME NOTES: Alabama game captains were senior linebacker Freddie Roach (Killen), junior linebacker Juwan Simpson (Decatur) and junior running back Kenneth Darby (Hunstville) … South Carolina won the toss and deferred to the second half … The gametime temperature was 94 degrees, with a heat index of 99 degrees … The attendance at today’s game was 82,968 …

SEEING CRIMSON: At the request of South Carolina, Alabama wore its crimson jerseys today at Williams-Brice Stadium … USC asked Alabama this summer for the switch which allowed the Gamecocks to wear their white jerseys for their home game with Crimson Tide … Alabama traditionally wears white jerseys on the road, with the exception coming against LSU in Tiger Stadium … LSU wears white at home and Alabama wears crimson when visiting Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge ..

SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES: Alabama snapped a two-game losing streak to South Carolina with a 37-7 win over the Gamecocks today at Williams-Brice Stadium … Alabama leads the all-time series 10-3, including a 3-1 mark here in Columbia …

SEC OPENERS: Alabama has now won 14 consecutive SEC openers, dating back to the 1992 season … The winning streak includes win over Vanderbilt (10), Arkansas (1), Kentucky (1), Ole Miss (1) and South Carolina (1) … Alabama improves to 47-20-2 all-time in SEC openers … Coach Mike Shula is 3-0 in SEC openers at Alabama …

SEC WINS: Alabama is now 6-11 in SEC games under head coach Mike Shula … The South Carolina game marks the Crimson Tide’s third SEC road win under Shula … Alabama beat Miss. State (38-0) in 2003 in Starkville and Kentucky (45-17) last year in Lexington … Alabama’s 37 points today is the fourth-highest point total for an Alabama team under Shula … Three of those four have come on the road … The second-highest total came in 51-43 loss in five overtimes to Tennessee in 2003 … Alabama’s 23- point win over South Carolina is the third-largest margin of victory in an SEC game under Shula … UA beat Miss. State by 38 points (38-0) in 2003 and Kentucky by 28 points (45-17) last year … All three of those games came on the road …

STARTERS: Alabama used four new starters in the game at South Carolina, including two on offense and two on defense … On offense, redshirt freshman B.J. Stabler (Grove Hill) made his first career start at right guard … Stabler made his UA debut last weekly against Southern Miss … The Crimson Tide opened the South Carolina game with three wide receivers, giving sophomore wide receiver Ezekial Knight (Wedowee) his first collegiate start for the Tide … On defense, junior defensive tackle Jeremy Clark (Daphne) made his first start of the 2005 season, subbing for the injured Justin Britt (Cullman), who did not make the trip due to an injury … Clark had started 17 consecutive games at Alabama before Britt earned the starting job in the Crimson Tide’s first two games of the season … Junior left cornerback Ramzee Robinson (Huntsville) returned to the starting lineup against South Carolina … Robinson entered the 2005 with 13 straight starts but lost his starting job after he missed the entire preseason camp with a lower back injury … Sophomore Simeon Castille (Birmingham) started the first two games of the season for Alabama at left cornerback …

FIRST HALF TURNAROUND: Alabama managed only 26 points and 380 total yards in the first half in its first two games against Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss … The breakdown was 49 rushing yards and 331 passing yards … The first half against South Carolina was a different story as the Crimson Tide scored 20 points and rolled up 280 total yards … Alabama had 185 rushing yards in the first half against the Gamecocks (6.2 yards per carry) … The Crimson Tide completed 7 of 15 passes in the first half for 95 yards … Alabama ran 45 plays in the first half and generated 280 total yards (6.2 yards per play) … The Crimson Tide held the ball for 20:25 time of possession in the first two quarters … FAST START: Alabama has scored on its first possession in five of the six halves this season … The Crimson Tide did not scored on its opening possession against Middle Tennessee in the season opener, but has scored on its first possession in each of the last five halves, including both today at South Carolina … The Crimson Tide has four TDs and one field goal on those five possessions …

THREE STRAIGHT WINS: Alabama becomes just the second team in college football to record three straight wins over a Steve Spurrier-coached team … The Crimson Tide beat No. 3 Florida 40-39 (overtime) at the Swamp during the 1999 regular season and then posted a 34-7 win over the Gators in the SEC Championship game … Alabama beat South Carolina 30-7 here this afternoon in Columbia … Florida State (1999-2001) is the only other team to post a three-game winning streak over a Spurrier-coached team …

BRODIE CROYLE: The fifth-year senior made his 19th career start at quarterback for the Crimson Tide … He has a 10-9 (.526) career record under center … Croyle has won his last six starts for Alabama, including wins over Utah State, Ole Miss and Western Carolina in 2003 and Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss and South Carolina this season … Croyle completed 12 of 21 passes for 115 yards and one TD in the win over South Carolina … He has thrown as least one TD pass in 17 of his 19 career starts … TYRONE PROTHRO: Junior Tyrone Prothro (Heflin) had a career-high three rushing attempts for 61 yards, including a long of 41 yards in the win over South Carolina … He also caught one pass in the game for minus four yards … Prothro has at least one pass reception in 21 consecutive games for Alabama, dating back to the Ole Miss game in 2003 … Prothro did not play in the second half due to an injury … In his career, Croyle has completed 335 of 613 passes for 4,538 yards, with 31 yards and 31 TDs …

KENNETH DARBY: Junior running back Kenneth Darby (Hunstville) recorded his first 100-yard game of the 2005 season today against South Carolina … Darby had 20 rushing attempts for 145 yards and one TD in the win over South Carolina … He did not play in the fourth quarter … The South Carolina game is Darby’s fifth career 100-yard rushing game … The 145 yards are the third-most in a game by the junior running back … In his career, Darby has 311 rushing attempts for 1,561 yards and nine TDs … With 145 rushing yards against South Carolina, Darby moved into 20th place on the Crimson Tide’s all-time rushing list … He surpassed Walter Lewis (25th, 1,433 yards), Santonio Beard (24th, 1,444 yards), Steve Bowman (23rd, 1,422 yards), Linnie Patrick (22nd, 1,480 yards), Dixie Howell (21st, 1,508 yards) and Wilbur Jackson (20th, 1,529 yards) …

NOTEBOOK: Alabama is 3-0 for the second year in-row … This is the 53rd time in school history Alabama has opened the year with a three-game winning streak … Alabama ran the ball 52 times for 338 yards in the win over South Carolina … The 338 rushing yards are the most by the Crimson Tide under coach Mike Shula … The previous high was 304 yards in a 45-17 win at Kentucky last year … The Crimson Tide had only 273 rushing yards in its first two wins over Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss … Alabama had 489 total yards in the win over South Carolina … The 489 yards are also the most by Alabama in the Shula era … The previous high was 478 yards against Western Carolina last season in Tuscaloosa … Alabama has rolled up 959 total yards in the last two weeks … The Crimson Tide did not have a turnover in the win over South Carolina … The last time UA did not have a turnover came in a 45-17 win at Kentucky last year … Alabama averaged 10 yards per play (10 plays, 80 yards) on its opening touchdown drive … Following the touchdown on its opening drive of the game, Alabama has now scored on its first possession in each of its last four halves … Alabama had 170 yards (19 plays) total offense in the first quarter … The Crimson Tide offense scored on its first four possessions in the first half … Sophomore cornerback Simeon Castille (Birmingham) recorded his second career interception in the second quarter … Alabama has recorded at least one turnover in 20 consecutive games … Overall, Alabama has recorded at least one turnover in 24 of 28 games under coach Mike Shula … Junior Brandon Brooks (Birmingham) recorded his first career reception with a nine-yard grab at the USC nine-yard line in the third quarter to set up Jamie Christensen’s third field goal of the game … True freshman QB John Parker Wilson (Hoover) threw his first career TD pass in the win over South Carolina … Wilson’s TD pass was a 36-yarder to Keith Brown with 9:51 left in the game and extended UA’s lead top 37-7 … Redshirt freshman Will Oakley made his Alabama debut today against South Carolina.