[ad_1]
A strange scene took place in the northeast corner of Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
There were hugs, smiles and selfies.
Those in light blue were far from being upset under the final score of 50-17. The Citadel lost technically to Alabama on a strange Saturday in Tuscaloosa, although you can not know when the team ran to their fans as a result.
Boo and General, the two bulldog mascots of the Citadel did not make the trip but about 600 of their human friends did. And it was a party while Rammer Jammer plays in the distance.
"Well," said a player from the Citadel, "they have not covered the gap".
This is true since the line was in the neighborhood at 52 points.
"We just put him on Bama," said another man who was heading to the locker room.
For an FCS program with a 4-6 record, it was something. She tied Alabama 7-7 early in the second quarter and 10- 10 on a 48-yard field just before half-time. The Southern Conference's undersized team edged the defending champions by 120-113 yards at the end of the second quarter as the confused world of college football tuned in to the SEC network.
What these viewers did not see was Bulldog's half-time locker room in Alabama's student section. It was an Alabama who had averaged five touchdowns and was sort of tied.
Coach Brent Thompson said he had to reign at the party after Jacob Godek scored. Players described a scene similar to a post-game championship celebration. They "were jumping everywhere, screaming," linebacker Russell Hubbs said.
"We realized that we could actually do that and that the type of operation would" shock the world, "said attacking midfielder Dante Smith, owner of both Bulldog touchdowns. "Draw at halftime, few teams were able to face Alabama and we had the opportunity. It was a good feeling. "
It was a Citadel team that did not feel respected considering Alabama's criticism for hosting the lower level team. Smith said that it had put a chip on their shoulder because everyone wanted to talk about it was Alabama "and we will not back down in front of anyone."
Quarterback Brandon Rainey reacted to a statement by Tim Tebow, a former Heisman winner.
"Before the game, Tebow said (in Alabama) that the practices were more intense than this game will be," Rainey said. "I hope he understands now that it was a bit of a misrepresentation and that it gives us a little more respect than that."
This first half did the business.
Rainey, making his third start, felt the moment when the mood changed in the stadium. It would have been easy to get caught at the moment, as have been the case for many FCS teams. Holding the ball for more than seven minutes in the first round was the first clue. Then going down 10-7, Rainey felt the change.
"All at once," he said, "the sound got a little louder and I started thinking," Hey, we are really with these guys. "The fans began to realize that they had a baseball game.It was a pretty cool moment to hear the fans being heard knowing that this team is here to play."
The guy behind the wild Twitter account of the Citadel explains the strategy
For Lorenzo Ward Jr., this game meant a little more a week of madness for his family. The Bulldog running back is the son of the former Crimson Tide star, who has the same name and was promoted to head coach of Louisville football six days ago.
He grew up wanting to follow his father's legacy and play Alabama.
"But do not try to be the same size as him," said the junior at 5-10 pounds, 211 pounds. It was a great moment for me to be able to play on the same court as him.
The young Ward ran 10 times 27 points Saturday as part of the triangle offense that caused such problems in Alabama. The Citadelle had the advantage of 15 minutes in possession time thanks to the touchdown style that has touched Alabama coaches all week.
A year earlier, the Bulldogs were hit 61-3 at Clemson, while they ran for 155 yards rushing 54 times. And Alabama has no problem with FCS teams as Georgia Southern's notorious triple option finishes with 302 rushing yards and a 45-21 win in Alabama. Mercer beat 56-0 last season in the Iron Bowl deal without any fireworks of this type.
The citadel, however, was different. He ran 60 times against the tide for 285 yards – the maximum allowed by the tide this season with a margin of 85 yards.
After consecutive games in play against Alabama, LSU and the Mississippi State – both ranked at that time – were aimed at what was called "no November score". Smith's 45-yard touchdown on an optional throw in the first quarter put an end to that goal. series that goes back to the second quarter of the October 20 victory in Tennessee.
Coach Thompson said his team's success is due in part to the unique style that Alabama does not usually see. The plan was to keep Alabama's big-game offensive as long as possible in the first period, so the opening mark that counted 12 times and bit 7:08 of the clock was a success. if she scored only 35 yards.
Things turned south in the third quarter when Alabama ended the match with a 26-0 attack. A last moment in the November sun came midway through the fourth period when Smith ran another 44-yard touchdown along the Bulldog sideline. With a mindset of nothing to lose, the Citadel attempted an extra fake point down from 43-16 just to be called for a late play.
"We were trying to score as many points as possible," said Thompson.
Alabama has added one with the players of the second and third teams in the field. That was it.
We will not remember the 11th win of Tide's schedule with Auburn and Georgia a week later in the SEC championship.
The loss of 33 points is likely to last a little longer on the Charleston, S.C., campus of the Citadel. For about thirty minutes, they matched the blows with the nation's highest ranked team.
The post-game celebration in this northeast corner of the Bryant-Denny stadium has proven.
"I hate to lose," said Rainey, Bulldog's quarterback. "We hate it, but you know, the way we played – we played hard and left everything on the pitch – I can take a defeat."
Michael Casagrande is an author of the Alabama Beat Group of Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande Or on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link
