Pickin' Splinters » Paul ‘Bear Bryant

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 16

Casey — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:03:24 +0000

September 16, 1978

Alabama at Missouri

The top-ranked, 1-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Paul “Bear” Bryant traveled to Missouri to battle the 11^thranked, 1-0 Missouri Tigers coached by Warren Powers in his first year. Missouri was coming off a 3-0 upset of the 5^th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Alabama rallied for three 2^ndhalf touchdowns to claim a 38-20 victory over the Tigers to retain The Belt. The 1^stquarter belonged to the Crimson Tide as RB Major Ogilvie scored on a 23-yard touchdown run & QB Jeff Rutledge threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to TE Rick Neal. When PK Alan McElroy hit a 26-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead with 12:07 to play in the half, it looked like the Crimson Tide would roll to an easy victory. Missouri got on the board with a 4-yard touchdown run from RB Earl Gant midway through the quarter. Missouri’s All-Big 8 QB Phil Bradley broke loose for a 69-yard touchdown run with 3:44 left in the half as the Tigers closed to within 4 points at 17-13. On the next series, Missouri’s All-Big 8 CB Russ Calabrese intercepted Rutledge & returned the pick 30 yards giving the Tigers a 20-17 halftime lead. The 3^rdquarter belonged to Alabama as the Crimson Tide’s All-SEC DE E.J. Junior blocked a punt which LB Rickey Gilliland returned 35 yards for a touchdown giving Alabama a lead they would not relinquish. Late in the quarter, RB Tony Nathan pushed in from 1 yard putting the Crimson Tide in front 31-20. On the first play of the 4^thquarter, Rutledge threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to RB Lou Ikner to finish the scoring. Rutledge finished with 70 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but 2 interceptions. Bradley threw for 114 yards with an interception as well as rushing for 60 yards with a touchdown & All-American TE Kellen Winslow had 3 catches for 49 yards in the loss. Alabama finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions & National Champions while the Tigers finished 8-4, ranked 15^th nationally. Missouri would play for The Belt again in 1991.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – December 31

Casey — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:06:48 +0000

December 31, 1973 -Bear Bryant’s top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide came to the Sugar Bowl with an 11-0 record & the UPI National Championship in hand. Before 1974, the UPI Coaches’ poll was voted prior to the bowl games. The Crimson Tide’s defense featured All-SEC LB Woodrow Lowe & All-SEC DB Mike Washington while the offense had All-American OT Buddy Brown, QB Gary Rutledge, & QB Richard Todd. In the first meeting between these two storied programs, the 3^rd ranked, 10-0 Notre Dame Fighting Irish of coach Ara Parseghian were happy to defend The Belt to decide the true champion. The game featured six lead changes with a missed extra point by Alabama’s PK Bill Davis the difference in a 24-23 Notre Dame win. The Fighting Irish got the only points of the 1^st quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by RB Wayne Bullock after QB Tom Clements completed 3 straight passes to WR Pete Demmerle for 59 yards. The missed extra-point left the score at Notre Dame 6 Alabama 0. The Crimson Tide took the lead when RB Randy Billingsley scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to put Alabama ahead 7-6. Fighting Irish’s RB Al Hunter returned the ensuing kick-off 93 yards for a touchdown to put Notre Dame back in front 14-7 after the successful 2-point conversion. Alabama got a 39-yard field goal from Davis to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half. Alabama’s All-SEC RB Wilbur Jackson scored on a 5-yard touchdown run capping an 11-play, 92-yard drive that put the Crimson Tide back ahead by a score of 17-14. Notre Dame responded with a 12-yard touchdown run by RB Eric Penick for a 21-17 Fighting Irish lead. Alabama got the lead back on a trick play when RB Mike Stock connected with Todd for a 25-yard touchdown on a halfback throw-back pass to the quarterback but the missed extra-point kept the score Alabama 23 Notre Dame 21. After Clements carried 3 times for 25 yards & completed a 30-yard pass to All-American TE Dave Casper, Notre Dame’s PK Bob Thomas hit a 19-yard field goal with 4:26 left for a 24-23 lead but the game was not yet in hand for the Fighting Irish. After a 69-yard punt by Alabama’s All-SEC P Greg Gantt pinned the Fighting Irish at their own 1-yard line, Coach Bryant declined a roughing the kicker penalty that would have allowed the Tide to retain the ball. Bryant hoped his defense could hold Notre Dame & get the Tide better field position. Clements sealed the win with a 36-yard pass to WR Robin Weber on 3^rd down play that got Notre Dame out of danger. Clements threw for 169 yards while Casper finished with 3 catches for 75 yards for the Fighting Irish. Rutledge threw for 88 yards with an interception in the loss. Notre Dame finished 11-0 & claimed the National Championship while the Crimson Tide finished 11-1; SEC Champions & ranked 4^th nationally. Alabama would play for The Belt again in 1978.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 23

Casey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:07:38 +0000

The 7^th ranked, 2-0 Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson traveled to Birmingham to battle the top-ranked, 2-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Paul “Bear” Bryant in the rematch of their epic 1977 contest when Alabama took The Belt with a 21-20 victory over the Trojans. Alabama brought a 12-game winning streak along with The Belt to battle the previous champion. Southern Cal’s All-American RB Charles White rushed for 199 yards including a 40-yard touchdown in the 1^st quarter & All-Pac 10 WR Kevin Williams caught 2 touchdown passes to lead the 10 ½-point underdog Trojans to a 24-14 upset that returned The Belt to Los Angeles. Things did not start the way Southern Cal had planned though as the Trojans drove 73 yards to the Alabama 2-yard line but White’s fumble was recovered by Alabama’s All-SEC S Murray Legg keeping the game scoreless. White made up for his miscue on the next series with his 40-yard touchdown run on Southern Cal’s famed “Student Body Right” sweep that gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead. A field goal from Southern Cal’s PK Frank Jordan made the score 10-0 & the Trojans’ defense used a solid goal-line stand to keep the Crimson Tide out of the end zone in the 1^st half. In the 3^rd quarter another White fumble, the second recovered by Legg, gave the Crimson Tide the ball at the Southern Cal 42-yard line. A 42-yard touchdown run through the middle of the Southern Cal defense by Alabama’s RB Major Ogilvie followed as the Crimson Tide closed to within a field goal at 10-7 early in the 3^rd quarter. Early in the 4^th quarter, Southern Cal took advantage of a short punt that gave the Trojans possession of the ball at the Alabama 39-yard line. Southern Cal got the touchdown on a 6-yard pass from QB Paul McDonald to Williams pushing the Trojans’ lead to 17-7 with 11:15 left in the game. Southern Cal effectively put the game out of reach when McDonald connected with Williams on a 40-yard touchdown pass that was tipped into Williams’ hands by Alabama’s CB Don McNeal. A 41-yard touchdown pass from the Crimson Tide’s QB Jeff Rutledge to TE Bart Krout with 7:10 to play closed the scoring. Alabama had chances to score again but RB Tony Nathan’s fumble was recovered by Southern Cal’s S Ronnie Lott at the Southern Cal 12-yard line with 3:26 to play. The Crimson Tide’s final threat ended when Southern Cal’s S Dennis Smith intercepted Rutledge inside the Trojans’ 10-yard line. McDonald finished with 113 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but an interception while the Trojans’ defense forced 6 turnovers. Rutledge threw for 119 yards with a touchdown but 4 interceptions in the loss. Alabama finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions & National Champions while the Trojans finished 12-1, Pac-10 Champions, ranked 2^nd nationally. Alabama would play for The Belt again in 1983.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 16

Casey — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:24:08 +0000

The top-ranked, 1-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Paul “Bear” Bryant traveled to Missouri to battle the 11^thranked, 1-0 Missouri Tigers coached by Warren Powers in his first year. Missouri was coming off a 3-0 upset of the 5^th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Alabama rallied for three 2^ndhalf touchdowns to claim a 38-20 victory over the Tigers to retain The Belt. The 1^stquarter belonged to the Crimson Tide as RB Major Ogilvie scored on a 23-yard touchdown run & QB Jeff Rutledge threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to TE Rick Neal. When PK Alan McElroy hit a 26-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead with 12:07 to play in the half, it looked like the Crimson Tide would roll to an easy victory. Missouri got on the board with a 4-yard touchdown run from RB Earl Gant midway through the quarter. Missouri’s All-Big 8 QB Phil Bradley broke loose for a 69-yard touchdown run with 3:44 left in the half as the Tigers closed to within 4 points at 17-13. On the next series, Missouri’s All-Big 8 CB Russ Calabrese intercepted Rutledge & returned the pick 30 yards giving the Tigers a 20-17 halftime lead. The 3^rdquarter belonged to Alabama as Crimson Tide’s All-SEC DE E.J. Junior blocked a punt that LB Rickey Gilliland returned 35 yards for a touchdown that gave the Crimson Tide a lead they would not relinquish. Late in the quarter, RB Tony Nathan pushed in from 1 yard putting Alabama in front 31-20. On the first play of the 4^thquarter, Rutledge threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to RB Lou Ikner to finish the scoring. Rutledge finished with 70 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but 2 interceptions. Bradley threw for 114 yards with an interception as well as rushing for 60 yards with a touchdown & All-American TE Kellen Winslow had 3 catches for 49 yards in the loss. Alabama finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions & National Champions while the Tigers finished 8-4, ranked 15^th nationally. Missouri would play for The Belt again in 1991.

The College Football Belt