GAMES NOTES: ALABAMA WINS SEC TITLE

ALABAMA FOOTBALL FINAL GAME NOTES 2009 SEC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (courtesy of UA Media Relations)
ALABAMA 32, FLORIDA 13

TEAM NOTES
ALABAMA WINS 22ND SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: Winning its first SEC football championship since 1999, Alabama claimed its SEC-leading 22nd conference football championship when the Crimson Tide defeated Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. In addition to its 22 SEC Championships, Alabama also won four Southern Conference titles (1924, 1925, 1926 and 1930), giving the school 26 conference football championships.

ALABAMA NOW 3-4 IN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES: Alabama played in its seventh SEC Championship Game as the 2009 SEC Western Division champion. The Crimson Tide is 3-4 in SEC Championship Games with the victory over Florida on Saturday.

Alabama’s SEC Championship Game Appearances
Date Result of Game Site
Dec. 5, 1992 Alabama 28, Florida 21 Legion Field (Birmingham)
Dec. 4, 1993 Florida 28, Alabama 13 Legion Field (Birmingham)
Dec. 3, 1994 Florida 24, Alabama 23 Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
Dec. 7, 1996 Florida 45, Alabama 30 Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
Dec. 4, 1999 Alabama 34, Florida 7 Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
Dec. 6, 2008 Florida 31, Alabama 20 Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
Dec. 5, 2009 Alabama 32, Florida 13 Georgia Dome (Atlanta)

BEATING THE BEST: With the win over Florida, Alabama is 8-2 against the Associated Press Top 25 since the start of the 2008 season. The Crimson Tide’s victory over Florida was the Tide’s fifth win over a top 10 team dating back to the start of the 2008 season. Alabama is 5-0 against the AP Top 25 in the 2009 season.

Alabama vs. Top 25 Opponents (since the start of the 2008 season)
Date Team Rank Result
Aug. 30, 2008 vs. Clemson (at Atlanta, Ga.) 9 W, 34-10
Sept. 27, 2008 at Georgia 3 W, 41-30
Nov. 8, 2008 at LSU 15 W, 27-21 (OT)
Dec. 6, 2008 vs. Florida (at Atlanta, Ga.) 2 L, 31-20
Jan. 2, 2009 vs. Utah 7 L, 31-17
Sept. 5, 2009 vs. Virginia Tech (at Atlanta, Ga.) 7 W, 34-24
Oct. 10, 2009 at Mississippi 20 W, 22-3
Oct. 17, 2009 South Carolina 22 W, 20-6
Nov. 6, 2009 LSU 9 W, 24-15
Dec. 5, 2009 vs. Florida (at Atlanta, Ga.) 1 W, 32-13

13 WINS TIES FOR MOST IN A SEASON IN ALABAMA HISTORY: The win over Florida gives Alabama a 13-0 record, tied for the most wins in a single season by any Crimson Tide squad. The 1992 team won a school record 13 games en route to the school’s 12th national title. The 2009 squad is the fourth in school history to win at least 12 games, joining the 1979, 1994 and 2008 squads.

Most Wins In A Season
13 1992 (13-0); 2009 (13-0)
12 2009 (13-0); 2008 (12-0); 1994 (12-1); 1979 (12-0)

ALABAMA 28-1 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Alabama led Florida, 19-13, at halftime on Saturday, before going on to the victory. With the win, the Crimson Tide improves to 28-1 when leading at halftime under head coach Nick Saban, including a 21-game winning streak. The only loss came against LSU in 2007 when UA held a 20-17 halftime lead before losing, 41-34, on Nov. 3, 2007, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide is 2-5 under Saban when trailing at halftime and 2-2 when tied at halftime.

BEST COACHING STARTS: With the win over Florida, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has compiled a 32-8 (.800) record in his career with the Tide and the 32 wins rank as the fourth-most for any Crimson Tide head football coach after 40 games. Wallace Wade holds the record for most wins after 40 games with 35 victories while Frank Thomas and Gene Stallings are second with 34. Xen Scott and Paul “Bear” Bryant are tied for fifth with 28 wins at this point in their careers. Below are the most wins by UA coaches after the first 40 games at Alabama.

Most Wins (After 40 Games)
Wallace Wade 35
Frank Thomas 34
Gene Stallings 34
Nick Saban 32
Xen Scott 28
Paul Bryant 28

ALABAMA-FLORIDA SERIES: With the victory, Alabama holds a 22-14 series lead over Florida in a series that dates back in the Alabama record books to the 1904 season. Florida does not recognize the 1904 game, claiming their team was a “club” team that season. The Crimson Tide and Gators met for the 36th time in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, the seventh time in the SEC Championship game with the Gators holding a 4-3 lead.

SABAN VERSUS FLORIDA: With the victory, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has a 3-4 record in his career against Florida, with five of the seven meetings coming while he was the head coach at LSU. He compiled a 2-1 record against the Gators in Gainesville and a 0-2 record in Baton Rouge.

Saban vs. Florida
Oct. 7, 2000 Florida 41, LSU 9 L
Oct. 6, 2001 Florida 44, LSU 15 L
Oct. 12, 2002 LSU 36, Florida 7 W
Oct. 11, 2003 Florida 19, LSU 7 L
Oct. 9, 2004 LSU 24, Florida 21 W
Dec. 6, 2008 Florida 31, Alabama 20 L
Dec. 5, 2009 Alabama 32, Florida 13 W

TWO GAMES, SAME STADIUM: The 2009 SEC Championship Game marked the Tide’s second game in the Georgia Dome this season. Alabama opened the season on September 5 with a 34-24 win over No. 7 Virginia Tech in the 2009 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff. The two Georgia Dome appearances marked the eighth time in school history that Alabama has played two games in the same stadium in the same season. Alabama has also played two games in the same season at Grant Field (1942), Tulane Stadium (1947), the Orange Bowl (1952), the Astrodome (1970), Mississippi Memorial Stadium (1982), the Superdome (1992) and the Georgia Dome (2008 and 2009).

Year Stadium City Games
1942 Grant Field Atlanta Georgia 21, Alabama 10 (Oct. 31)

Georgia Tech 7, Alabama 0 (Nov. 14)

1947 Tulane Stadium New Orleans Tulane 21, Alabama 20 (Sept. 28)

Texas 27, Alabama 7 (Jan. 1, 1948 – Sugar Bowl)

1952 Orange Bowl Miami Alabama 21, Miami 7 (Oct. 3)

Alabama 61, Syracuse 6 (Jan. 1, 1953 – Orange Bowl)

1970 Astrodome Houston Alabama 30, Houston 21 (Oct. 24)

Alabama 24, Oklahoma 24 (Dec. 31 – Bluebonnet Bowl)

1982 Memorial Stadium Jackson, Miss. Alabama 42, Mississippi 14 (Sept. 14)

Alabama 20, Mississippi State 12 (Oct. 30)

1992 Superdome New Orleans Alabama 37, Tulane 0 (Oct. 10)

Alabama 34, Miami 13 (Jan. 1, 1993 – Sugar Bowl)

2008 Georgia Dome Atlanta Alabama 34, Clemson 10 (Aug. 30)

Florida 31, Alabama 20 (Dec. 6 – SEC Championship Game)

2009 Georgia Dome Atlanta Alabama 34, Virginia Tech 24

Alabama 32, Florida 13 (Dec. 5 – SEC Championship Game)

DOME SWEET DOME: With the victory, Alabama is 11-5-1 all-time in domed stadiums. The 2009 SEC Championship Game was the Tide’s second game in a domed stadium this season and its fifth in the last two seasons.

Alabama in Domed Stadia
Date Result Stadium
Oct. 24, 1970 Alabama 30, Houston 21 Astrodome
Dec. 31, 1970 Alabama 24, Oklahoma 24 Astrodome (Bluebonnet Bowl)
Dec. 31, 1975 Alabama 13, Penn State 6 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Jan, 2, 1978 Alabama 35, Ohio State 6 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Jan, 1, 1979 Alabama 14, Penn State 7 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Jan. 1, 1980 Alabama 24, Arkansas 9 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Jan. 1, 1990 Miami 33, Alabama 25 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Oct. 10, 1992 Alabama 37, Tulane 0 Superdome
Jan. 2, 1993 Alabama 34, Miami 14 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Dec. 3, 1994 Florida 24, Alabama 23 Georgia Dome (SEC Championship)
Dec. 7, 1996 Florida 45, Alabama 30 Georgia Dome (SEC Championship)
Dec. 5, 1999 Alabama 34, Florida 7 Georgia Dome (SEC Championship)
Aug. 30, 2008 Alabama 34, Clemson 10 Georgia Dome
Dec. 6, 2008 Florida 31, Alabama 20 Georgia Dome (SEC Championship)
Jan. 2, 2009 Utah 31, Alabama 17 Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
Sept. 5, 2009 Alabama 34, Virginia Tech 24 Georgia Dome
Dec. 5, 2009 Alabama 32, Florida 13 Georgia Dome

GEORGIA ON MY MIND: With the victory, Alabama is 31-28-3 all-time in games played in the state of Georgia, including a 4-1 mark the last two seasons. The Crimson Tide owns an 18-16-3 record in the city of Atlanta and has won eight of its last 11 games played there. Alabama is 13-10 in games played in Athens and 0-2 in Columbus.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
INGRAM BECOMES ALABAMA’S SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING LEADER: Sophomore running back Mark Ingram rushed for 113 yards on 28 carries against Florida, giving him 1,542 rushing yards this season, moving him into first place on the Alabama single-season rushing list (see below).

RUSHING YARDS – SEASON
1,542 Mark Ingram (249 att.) 2009
1,471 Bobby Humphrey (236 att.) 1986
1,383 Shaun Alexander (302 att.) 1999
1,367 Shaud Williams (280 att.) 2003
1,341 Sherman Williams (291 att.) 1994

RUSHING YARDS – CAREER
3,565 Shaun Alexander (727 att.) 1996-99
3,420 Bobby Humphrey (615 att.) 1985-88
3,324 Kenneth Darby (702 att.) 2003-06
2,741 Johnny Musso (574 att.) 1969-71
2,645 Dennis Riddle (612 att.) 1994-97
2,560 Bobby Marlow (408 att.) 1950-52
2,519 Johnny Davis (447 att.) 1974-77
2,486 Sherman Williams (535 att.) 1991-94
2,288 Shaud Williams (410 att.) 2002-03
2,270 Mark Ingram (392 att.) 2008-09

INGRAM SCORES 3 TOUCHDOWNS: Sophomore running back Mark Ingram’s three rushing touchdowns gives Ingram 15 rushing touchdowns in the 2009 season and the 27 in his two-year career at Alabama. Those totals rank among the best in Alabama history.

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS – SEASON
19 Shaun Alexander…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1999
17 Siran Stacy………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1989
16 Johnny Musso…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1971
15 Bobby Humphrey…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1986
15 Cotton Clark…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1962
15 Tony Nathan …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1977
15 Mark Ingram………………………………………………………………. 2009
14 Shaud Williams……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2003
13 Shaud Williams……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2003
12 Bobby Marlow……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1951
12 Craig Turner……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1982
12 Shaun Alexander…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1998
12 Santonio Beard……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2002
12 Mark Ingram……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2008

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS – CAREER
41 Shaun Alexander……………………………………………………………………………………… 1996-99
34 Johnny Musso………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1969-71
33 Bobby Humphrey………………………………………………………………………………….. 1985-88
29 Tony Nathan ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 1975-78
27 Sherman Williams………………………………………………………………………………….. 1991-94
27 Mark Ingram…………………………………………………………. 2008-09
26 Bobby Marlow………………………………………………………………………………………… 1950-52

INGRAM OVER 100 YARDS RUSHING FOR 7TH TIME THIS SEASON; 8TH TIME IN HIS CAREER: Mark Ingram’s 113 rushing yards gives him seven 100-yard rushing performances in 2009, tying an Alabama record for 100-yard rushing outings in a season originally set by Shaun Alexander in 1999. Ingram has eclipsed 100 rushing yards eight times in his Alabama career, ranking ninth in Alabama history. Alexander (15 from 1996-99) and Bobby Humphrey (15 from 1985-88) hold the record.

LONGEST RECEPTION OF INGRAM’S CAREER SETS UP HIS OWN RUSHING TD: Mark Ingram took a screen pass 69 yards to the Florida 3-yard line with approximate 4:00 left in the second quarter to set up his own 3-yard touchdown run that gave Alabama a 19-10 lead with 3:32 remaining in the first half. That pass and run is the longest pass reception of Ingram’s career.

TIFFIN NOW 2ND IN SEC HISTORY FOR KICKING POINTS & FIELD GOALS MADE: Senior placekicker Leigh Tiffin converted field goals of 48 and 34 yards in the first half. The field goals, Tiffin’s 28th and 29th of the 2009 season, extended his Alabama single-season and career records for most field goals made at Alabama. He now has 377 career points to rank second among kickers in SEC history behind Georgia’s Billy Bennett, who holds both the SEC and NCAA scoring record with 409 career points. With 82 field goals made in his career, Tiffin ranks second on the SEC’s career field goals made list, just five behind Georgia’s Billy Bennett (87), who is also the NCAA career leader.

FIELD GOALS – SEASON
29 Leigh Tiffin (33 att.)……………………………………………………. 2009
25 Leigh Tiffin (34 att.)………………………………………………………………………………………. 2007
24 Philip Doyle (29 att.)…………………………………………………………………………………….. 1990
22 Philip Doyle (25 att.)…………………………………………………………………………………….. 1989
22 Michael Proctor (29 att.)……………………………………………………………………………. 1993

FIELD GOALS – CAREER
82 Leigh Tiffin (109 att.)…………………………………………….. 2006-09
78 Philip Doyle (105 att.)…………………………………………………………………………… 1987-90
65 Michael Proctor (91 att.)…………………………………………………………………….. 1992-95
59 Van Tiffin (88 att.)………………………………………………………………………………….. 1983-86
38 Brian Bostick (52 att.)………………………………………………………………………….. 2002-04