🏈 Best Opening Game Drives in Alabama History?

[Bammerboy321]

The 2014 SEC Championship crossed my mind and I forgot how flawless Alabama executed on the opening drive. Kiffin did a really great job giving a lot of different looks, throwing Mizzou's defense off. It got me thinking about other opening drives in Alabama history. Which one stands out to you all?

 

[Bammerboy321]

For what it's worth too, even though it only ended in a FG, I think Jim McElwain dialed it up very well vs Florida in 2009. Sort of made a statement that it was going to be a much more aggressive approach than the year prior.

 

[tide92]

Wow. I totally forget that we played Misery in an SEC championship game. What a down year it must have been for the SEC East.

 

[PurlJam]

ND in the NC game

 

[Bammerboy321]

ND in the NC game

I think everyone - besides ND fans - knew Alabama was going to smash those jokers before the game. The opening drive solidified that thought.

 

[TerryP]

Wow. I totally forget that we played Misery in an SEC championship game. What a down year it must have been for the SEC East.

UGA was 10-3 that season. (UF, a nine win season.) That was a decent UGA team (beat Mizzou 34-0.) But, they lost to UofSC and UF...lost the tie-breaker.

If I recall correctly, that was the year Georgia Tech notched 11 wins capping their season off with a win over UGA. 'Jackets were pretty good that season.

(Coincidentally, with Cignetti and Indiana in the news lately...Mizzou dropped their game against them that season. And that IU team ... hell, I think their only conference win was Purdue.)

 

[TerryP]

Shaud Williams, '03, in Fayetteville. His first carry for the Tide: 80 TD.

 

[rammerjammer]

Shaud Williams, '03, in Fayetteville. His first carry for the Tide: 80 TD.

The smoke draw........ He wore their ass out that day with that play. I remember Fran saying they would run it until Arky stopped it. They could do nothing with that play all day.

Along the lines of that nostalgia. When Tyler Watts played QB for Fran, they would run a play action pass out of the option and that play was always good for 30 plus yards.

 

[252BAMA]

ND in the NC game

Game was over at the 2:30 mark. When Bama players finished passing the ND team on the way to the field.

 

[252BAMA]

1973 ut( as in u of tn). Rutledge 80 yards to Wheeler on play action on opening play. Fourteen seconds in and it's 7-0. Bama'73 was a bad ass team!

Side note: Back then my daughter had an annual $5 bet on that game with an uncle ( my brother-in-law and a ut fan). He gave her the $5 before the '73 game started.

And another: Scroll down to roster and view coaching staff and you will see why that team was so bad ass. May have been the best staff in CFB history.

1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football team - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And another: And why the '73 Sugar Bowl was the toughest loss to me in Bama history. Making it the worst New Years Eve in my life.

 

[252BAMA]

Wow. I totally forget that we played Misery in an SEC championship game. What a down year it must have been for the SEC East.

It was a down year for the East every year then. MO won BTB in '13 and '14.

 

[sean]

Coach Saban's 1st game at BAMA...and it only took 1 play.

 

[alabama mike]

Shaud Williams, '03, in Fayetteville. His first carry for the Tide: 80 TD.

That’s the one I was going to say as well.

 

[OldPlayer]

I think everyone - besides ND fans - knew Alabama was going to smash those jokers before the game. The opening drive solidified that thought.

Notre Dame’s team knew it was over