🏈 Bear knew how to work the rules...more trivia

[BamaGradinTN]

Remember my earlier change to free substitution in 1973 and the nquestion about Danny Ridgeway. In the opening game of 1973, the first game after the rule change, Bryant very cleverly used the new rule to his advantage on the fist drive of the game and scored. Anyone know the details?

 

[BamaGradinTN]

Bama vs. Cal in Bham, opening drive, opening game. Drive stalls in the red zone, on 4th down, Bear sends in the place kicker. He is setting up his tee and lining up his stance while the rest of the team is in the huddle. As the team breaks huddle, he grabs the tee and sprints off the field, Bama runs a play and scores a touchdown. Cal was expecting the FG.

 

[rammajamma]

Bama vs. Cal in Bham, opening drive, opening game. Drive stalls in the red zone, on 4th down, Bear sends in the place kicker. He is setting up his tee and lining up his stance while the rest of the team is in the huddle. As the team breaks huddle, he grabs the tee and sprints off the field, Bama runs a play and scores a touchdown. Cal was expecting the FG.

I was one in 1973 but I have to say that Coach Bryant was amazing. They would change the rules just because of him. Only other coach that comes to mind that has happened to is the "Saban Rule" interesting... Saban will never be Bryant but they have similar drives and were both born to be our coach.

 

[Guest]

In the mid sixties Bama had converted running back Jerry Duncan playing tackle on offense. Bryant used the rules in effect at the time, with formations that lead to Duncan being uncovered and thus an eligible receiver, to good effect. Bob Devaney complained so about this that the rules were changed so that a player numbered 50-79 had to report to the referee if he was going to line up as an eligible receiver.

 

[UAgrad93]

I say thats just good coaches working hard to do their job. Some of these lesser knowns(i.e. anyone that has coached at the Barn or Tn) haven't done their homework like Coach Bryant did or as Coach Saban has done. They read the rules and find the gray areas where the wannabes just glance at it and say " oh well we can't do this or that".