|
Crimson Tide Wins 14th National Championship
Jeremy Shelley sets BCS National Championship and bowl record with five field goals
A staunch defensive
effort, combined with a record-setting night from kicker Jeremy
Shelley, propelled the University of Alabama football team to its 14th
national championship with a 21-0 victory over LSU Monday night in the
BCS National Championship Game.
The Crimson Tide’s defense held
LSU to just 92 total yards and five first downs as Defensive Player of
the Game Courtney Upshaw and Jerrell Harris each had seven tackles. As
a unit, the defense had 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and an
interception.
“I think it’s a great team win,” UA head coach
Nick Saban said. “Our offense controlled the tempo of this game. We did
a great job on special teams. It was just a great team win for every
guy here, every fan that we have, every supporter of this program. This
is great for Alabama.”
Fifteen of UA’s 21 points came from the
leg of kicker Jeremy Shelley, who converted on a bowl-record five field
goals from 23, 34, 41, 35 and a career-long 44 yards. The defense
provided the offense with excellent field position all evening and
quarterback AJ McCarron did a masterful job under center completing
23-of-34 passes for 234 yards to earn Offensive Player of the Game
honors.
“We knew that he [McCarron] was going to have to play
well because we knew that we were going to throw the ball,” Saban said
of his quarterback. “He showed great leadership and poise in making
good decisions.”
Thanks to Shelley, the Tide carried a 15-0 lead
into the final quarter when LSU mounted its first legitimate charge
after being held to just 55 yards in the previous three quarters. Upon
crossing midfield for the first time all game, the drive stalled and
left the Tigers facing 4th and 18 to gain on the UA 40. The Tide
defense came through again as Dont’a Hightower sacked LSU’s Jordan
Jefferson and knocked the ball loose at the 50-yard line. Nick Gentry
fell on the fumble to end the drive and set the UA offense up at
midfield with 6:15 left in the contest.
Four plays later, Trent
Richardson raced 34 yards for the first touchdown of the game and
the Heisman Trophy semifinalist finished with 96 yards on 20
carries and 107 all-purpose yards.
Alabama put up the first
points of the game when Shelley capped off a five-play, 20-yard drive
with a 23-yard field goal with five minutes left in the first quarter.
Shelley would come up big for the Tide on two more occasions in the
first half, connecting from 34 and 41 yards to give Alabama a 9-0 lead
at the break.
Alabama held LSU to one first down throughout the
first half, while collecting 13 of its own. The Tide also collected 156
total yards compared to the Tigers’ 26 total yards in the first 30
minutes.
The title is the Tide’s 14th in program history adding
to the national championships won in 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941,
1961, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009 and 2011. The Crimson
Tide finished the 2011 season with a 12-1 record. The combined record
of UA’s 14 national championship teams stands at 157-7-2.
|
