The Opelika-Auburn News from Opelika, Alabama • 28

Page 4 Auburn At Alabama Opelika Auburn News Saturday November 18 2000 Coaches who deny also lie TUSCALOOSA Some people say just being clever Others say being coy Most people say just the nature of the business I call it lying At least a trio of college head coaches maybe more have denied publicly any interest in the Alabama coaching job while they appear to be maneuvering and gauging interest in them privately The reasons for playing that game are under standable Coaches want to damage recruiting The Dothan Eagle Lance Griffin destroy fidence current or their staff But still a lie Coaches try to parse their words carefully if they remain at their school They want to tne con of their players I gj with the inten tion of coming back later and denying they ever implied they had no interest It reminds me of President famous depends on what your definition of is remark But hey it worked wonders for Tommy Tuberville He denied interest in the Auburn job almost until the moment he signed on the dotted line It infuriated most of his Ole Miss players but he just signed a contract extension worth $125 annually Guess he got the last laugh Speaking of coaches representatives of Alabama are burning up the phones with representatives of Miami coach Butch Davis and Virginia Tech coach rank Beamer difficult to tell if Davis and Beamer are really interested in coming to Tuscaloosa or just flirting to make their current school up the ante to keep them there Davis is reportedly unhappy with his salary at Miami currently around the $800000 range ABC's Dean Blevins reported on his website Mon day that Davis had unofficially been offered the Alabama job and was keeping Miami apprised of the situation leaving the door open for Miami to try to keep him While that could be true Blevins also stated last week that Alabama attract a big name coach so factor that in when paying attention to Blevins Beamer has confirmed that representatives have contacted him about the Alabama coaching job and chose his words carefully when asked about his interest There are other candidates out there including TCU head coach Dennis ranchione recommended to Mai Moore by at least one Alabama heavy hit ter Also Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel has some backing from a few people in the inner circle and believe it or not David Cutcliffe con tinues' to be a player And Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill continues to be a hot name despite repeated denials then cryptic suggestions of interest Moore is having to negotiate a minefield How will one coach react if he learns he the first choice? How late can Moore wait before this recruiting season goes down the drain? If Moore handles the coaching search with the same deft touch he handled the dismissal of Mike DuBose Alabama is in good hands Alabama assistant coaches will continue to recruit after this weekend but one has to wonder what the point is Ironically the coaches may want to continue contact with the players and develop a relationship in order to continue to recruit them when they hook on with another staff Receivers coach Dabo Swinney has another moti vation University of Alabama is great not because here but because the University of Alaba Swinney said Alabama has seen fit to offer you a visit be crazy not to take a visit telling my guys to just wait and keep Alabama on their Lance Griffin covers the University of Alabama He can be reached at Lgriffindothaneaglecom or 334 712 7916 The Associated Press jB IB pnirj jMk fllBB reddie Milons was heralded as one of the top receivers going into the season not mentioned as an All America candidate anymore Tuscaloosa abuzz over game Lance Griffin The Dothan Eagle TUSCALOOSA Not even the announcement of the new Mer cedes plant in nearby Vance cre ated as much buzz as ihe return of the Iron Bowl io the Univer sity of Alabama campus The annual contest between Alabama and Auburn will make its first appearance in Tuscaloosa in 99 years today signaling an end to the Legion ield era home to the game for almost 50 years before Auburn moved its home game to Jordan Hare Stadium in 1989 In fact the annual game became known as the because of the tie to steel mills But a recent marketing agreement between the two schools assures the game will con tinue to be known as the Iron Bowl is big no said Alabama senior left guard Griff Redmill adding that the disap pointing 3 7 season will not take away from the importance of Sat game Iron Bowl is huge and Bryant Denny Stadium is a special place to play You put those two things together and just glad I can be a part of game will mark the first ever Iron Bowl in Bryant Denny Stadium In two previous meet ings (1895 and 1901) the game was played on the grass quad rangle in the middle of the Alaba ma campus Things did not go well tor the Crimson Tide shut out on both occasions 48 0 in 1895 and 17 0 in 1901 Newspaper accounts of the open ing game are scarce but the Birm gt Age Herald had this to say about the contest: was apparent to the specta tors that when the two teams came on the field Auburn greatly out classed the University team in a matter of size and when the play ing began it was a battle of sea soned veterans against fresh Things have certainly changed in 105 years Most of the news paper space was dedicated to the post game party and dance that took place at Hall fol lowing the game After a disagreement concern ing a controversial offensive for mation used by Alabama in a 10 0 win in 1906 in Birmingham the game was discontinued and did not resume again until 1948 Bryant Denny Stadium was built in 1929 never hosting an Iron Bowl until today Alabama senior safety Tony Dixon said the game will be spe cial not only because it is being played in Tuscaloosa but because it will be his final collegiate game even want to think about what be feeling after the game I know I was a big baby after my last high school game There will be a lot of emo Dixon said want to lose the first Iron Bowl at Bryant Denny had so many things happen this year where we broke streaks and stuff We want to win this one in Wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney may be coaching in his last Iron Bowl Head coach Mike DuBose and his staff were dis missed Nov 1 effective at the end of the season Swinney played in three Iron Bowls for Alabama and coached in several more or Swinney the game in Tuscaloosa takes on a special meaning is home to me or this game to come here is spe cial I love everything about this game the excitement the hype everything I even loved when we had the open date before the game and everything just brewed for two weeks It was amazing game is so big You can fire all the coaches on both sides and it matter Everybody is going to give it everything they DuBose has fond memories Lance Griffin Eagle Staff Writer TUSCALOOSA Mike DuBose has no illusions A victory over Auburn today at Bryant Denny Stadi um will not erase a disas trous 3 7 mark in Alabama first 10 games It inspire athletics director Mai Moore to rethink his decision not to retain DuBose as Tide head coach It thrust Alabama into any type of prominence in the college football world But a win over the bitter rival would wipe out a lot of pain for the lame duck DuBose his coaching staff and his players In fact a win over Auburn is the only antidote for the pain DuBose and his players have felt this season DuBose can take heart in dismal 1984 cam paign when he was the defensive line coach under head coach Ray Perkins ew people remember that Alaba ma finished the season with a 5 6 record and failed to earn a bowl berth for the first time in almost 30 years ew people remember Alabama blowing a 31 14 halftime lead in the season opener against Doug lutie and Boston Col lege nor do they remember an embarrassing 30 21 loss to Vanderbilt for homecoming Most football fans in the state remember Auburn run ning back Bo Jackson run ning left when he should have run right helping the Tide upset the Tigers 17 15 in the season finale at Legion ield DuBose said the win over Auburn 16 years ago may have saved job and in turn his job into that game many thought we were the worst staff in the nation After that game it was like we became the best staff in the DuBose ifc jno doubt a win Sat urday rcould ease a lot of pain for reshman running back Brandon Miree con cerned about saving jobs He simply wants to walk off the field at Bryant Denny Stadi um in a good frame of mind for one of the few times this season just want to be smiling when the game ends Miree said everything that would give us all smiling faces for a long But for some Tide players no single victory can take the place of seven losses think anything is going to salvage this senior left guard Griff Red mill said think this year was our year to win it all and anything less than that is going to be a disappointment a win over Auburn would be way better than a loss for Hype enthralls Tide freshman Lance Griffin The Dothan Eagle TUSCALOOSA Brandon Miree thought the man on the radio was talking about a war instead of a football game It startled him The Alabama running back from Cincinnati was going through a redshirt season last year as Alabama made its trek across the state for the annual Iron Bowl at Jordan Hare Sta dium Miree was listening to the and radio show when an Alabama fan called in and explained what the annual game was all about remember hearing this guy call in telling why the Iron Bowl was more than just a Miree recalled nev er forget it He said Iron Bowl is not just about a school winning and losing about our way of life against their way of was like my when I knew what this game was all Miree now a freshman will make his first appearance in the annual game Saturday at Bryant Denny Stadium His teammates have told him he can never real ly know what the game is about until he actually plays in it However he thinks he has a good idea amazing People talk about this game all the Miree said have a college professor that told me there was only one reason this Alabama football team was even made and that was to beat Miree was a high school all star at Winton Woods High School in the Cincinnati sub urbs He grew up following another of college great rivalries Ohio State vs Michigan But Miree said that game amounts to little compared to this one what I remember the Ohio State Michigan game was a big game that Miree said this game is big 365 days a Unlike most of his teammates Miree knew little about the Iron Bowl as a child He vaguely remembers watching some of the past Iron Bowls on televi sion but admits quite embar rassingly his knowledge of the game was limited be honest I didn't even know Auburn was in he said sheepishly know that sounds crazy down here I knew about Bo Jackson and Dameyune Craig and I knew that Auburn was a powerhouse team but all I ALABAMA INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS ield goals GA Pct Neal Thomas 9 12 750 Punting No Yds Avg Long Lane Bearden 52 2154 414 62 Rushing Att Yards Avg TD Ahmaad Galloway 128 643 50 7 Brandon Miree 92 419 46 6 Tyler Watts 39 159 41 1 McClintock 20 110 55 1 Passing Effie A Pct Yds TD Andrew Zow 10160 220 108 13491 1449 6 Tyler Watts 10313 56 31 1 554 303 1 Receiving No Yds Avg TD Antonio Carter 40 544 136 1 reddie Milons 31 278 90 1 Jason McAddley 24 368 153 3 Sam Collins 13 106 82 0 Arvin Richard 6 165 108 0 Punt Returns No Yds Avg TD Antonio Carter 6 24 40 0 KSESnESESSES reddie Milons 6 112 187 1 Interceptions No Yds Avg TD Marcus Spencer 3 0 00 0 Milo Lewis 3 20 67 0 Tony Dixon 2 13 65 0 Reggie Myles 2 127 635 1 Kick Returns No Yds Avg TD Arvin Richard 14 273 195 0 Defense UT AT TT SacksYds Marcus Spencer 73 21 94 111 Victor Ellis 59 29 88 2524 Tony Dixon 58 21 79 00 Saleem Rasheed 38 33 71 00 Jarret Johnson 33 23 56 00 ALABAMA SCHEDULE Sept 2 at UCLA (L 24 35) Sept 9 Vanderbilt (W 28 10) Sept 16 So Miss (L 0 21) Sept 23 at Arkansas (L 21 28) Sept 30 Carolina (W 27 17) Oct 14 Ole Miss (W 45 7) Oct 21 at Tenn (L 10 20) Oct 28 UC (L 38 40) Nov 4 at LSU (L 28 30) Nov 1 1 at Miss St (L 7 29) Nov 18 Auburn 4DIB4AM TEAM STATISTICS Category Alabama Opp TDs rushing 17 8 Interceptions 10 15 Scoring 228 237 Passing yardage 1777 2189 umbles lost 19 10 15 5 Points per game 228 237 Att Comp Int 282 141 15324 181 10 Penalties yards 80 629 78 704 irst downs 171 188 Avg per attempt 63 68 Punts avg 53 406 58 377 Rushing first downs 74 77 Avg passing 1777 2189 Time of poss avg 28:44 31:16 Passing first downs 78 93 Total offense 3268 3406 3rd down conv 48135 63159 irst downs by penalty 19 18 Total plays 644 700 3rd down perc 36 40 Rushing yards 1491 1217 Avg yards per play 51 49 4th down conv 414 610 Rushing attempts 362 376 Avg offense 3268 3406 4th down perc 29 60 Avg per rush 41 32 KO retyards 35 638 34 670 Avg rushinggame 1491 1217 Punt retumsyards 14 183 19 102.