| FTBL Stoops and Meyer

[BamaGradinTN]

For all the media blabbering about these awesome displays of offense, it's time for a little history lesson.

In 1973 we beat Virginia Tech 77-6. A Division I school, not a little D-II school. We had 833 yards of total offense, and 748 of that was on the ground. Unlilke Stoops, who had his first string Qb in the game and throwing the ball when he was up 56-14, Bama only threw 7 passes, and none in the second half. Four Alabama backs, including a third stringer, shared the SEC Back of the Week honors because they all had over 100 yards on the ground.

So, you know what all those inflated offenseive statistics mean when you get right down to it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In the end, we still couldn't beat Notre Dame. And 800 yards and 60 or 70 points scored last night won't mean anything on Jan. 8, either.

 

[TerryP]

To be an equal opportunity historian...we also beat Cal 66-0 that year and Cal had twice as many wins on the season as Va Tech did in '73.

The thing that was such a shock to those who remember that season very well was Bill Davis' 51 for 53 PAT's that year and one of those two misses came in the Sugar Bowl..in the 4th quarter mind you on our last scoring drive.

 

[BamaGradinTN]

Continuing our stroll down memory lane, if the rules on Jan. 1, 1974 were the same as they are today, we win that game. We punted on 4th and 20, ND was called for roughing the kicker, which at the time was 15 yards but no automatic first down. We downed the ball inside the 2 yard line, declined the penalty, and put the game in the hands of our defense, with 3:00 left in the game . It almost worked, but Tom Clements completed a long pass on 3rd down and Notre Dame ran out the clock. With today's rules, Bama would have maintained possession around midfield with 3:00 left and very likely might have won the game.

I always like these bits of trivia. Here's one for you. What two Cal QBs who played in that 66-0 beating went on to play in the NFL? One was a rookie of the year and the other was a starting QB in a Super Bowl.

Also, who did Clements complete that pass to?

 

[aug]

Thats the thing with these flashy spread offenses, when their clicking they look godlike. Heck, who here seriously thought TT would have gotten beat that bad. If you looked at the scores of their previous games and how many points they scored, I can easily see why someone would think they should have been #1. The only problem with that is when you disrupt just 1 aspect of these teams flashy offense they crash and burn (as seen last nite). This is why Alabama will win out. Roll Tide!

 

[TerryP]

I've got this game on tape...I know the Clements pass was completed to Weber. That only reason I know that is weird...and it does involved a bird and a grill.

Yeah, it was one of "those" afternoons many moons ago...red grill at that.

As to the two QB's? Bartkowski?

 

[TerryP]

I also wanted to say it was a Dallas QB...Morton?

EDIT: No, he'd have to be too old to have played in that year...

 

[BamaGradinTN]

Bartkowski was the ROY. The Super Bowl QB was Vince Ferragamo, who later transferred to Nebraska because he knew he was stuck behind Bartkowski.

 

[TerryP]

Ferragamo...didn't cross my mind, at all. Heck, I thought I might be a little before Bartkowski's time...