Bama Wins

[EH31 2,523]

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Nick Saban may face his toughest task yet: Holding down runaway expectations for his inexperienced Alabama team.

 

Crimson Tide's $4 million-per-year coach gave Alabama backers a reason to think big Saturday night, leading 'Bama to a thorough 34-10 beating of No. 9 Clemson 34-10 at the Georgia Dome.

 

Fast Facts

 

• Alabama won its 12th straight game against Clemson and extended its win streak in season openers to seven games.

 

• Nick Saban won his 99th career game. It was his largest margin of victory as Alabama head coach.

 

• Alabama outrushed the Tigers 239-to-0, the fewest yards rushing by Clemson at home in school history and its fewest since rushing for -1 yards against Boston College in 1947.

 

-- ESPN Research

 

"Nobody can be satisfied with a one-game performance," Saban said. "This will be a challenge for our team and it'll be interesting to see how they respond."

 

Still, as the Alabama band broke into Queen's "We Are The Champions," at the end, you had to wonder if they were honoring the Crimson Tide's past, with 12 national titles and years of dominance in the Southeastern Conference under Bear Bryant, or gazing into the near future.

 

"It's still early. We still got a long way to go," cautioned quarterback John Parker Wilson, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third. "But we've got a good group of guys here who can do it."

 

Especially if the Tide play like this.

 

Alabama's defense held Clemson to zero rushing yards to help bat a top-10 opponent for the first time since topping No. 5 Florida in 2005. That was part of the last hurrah for former coach Mike Shula, who followed that 10-2 season with a 6-7 campaign that ended his time with the Tide.

 

Alabama lured Saban from the NFL last season to lead the 12-time national champs back to glory. Based on the opener, Saban and the Tide are on their way.

 

Saban hopes his players understand how far they have to go.

 

Wilson finished 22-of-30 for 180 yards and, with his career total completions now at 500, surpassed Brodie Croyle's old record of 488.

 

"I think we got something special here," Wilson said.

 

The Crimson Tide defense held the Tigers' heralded "Thunder and Lightning" backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to 20 yards combined.

 

The Tigers managed only 188 yards, way off their 403-yard average from last season.

 

Saban's latest recruiting class included such high-profile prospects as receiver Julio Jones, an Internet sensation who fans have buzzed about for months. Still, Alabama didn't figure to hang with the Tigers, an experienced bunch who entered the season with higher hopes than just their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 17 years.

 

Right from the start, though, Alabama showed it matched up fine with the ACC's favorite.

 

The Tide ran the ball easily on Clemson's defense, which was ninth in the country a season ago. At one point, Alabama had outgained the Tigers 114-1. By the time, tight end Nick Walker had slipped behind three defenders for a 4-yard TD catch, Alabama was ahead 20-3 midway through the second quarter.

 

Just for good measure, Jones collected his first college TD pass, a 4-yarder from Wilson that put Alabama up 31-10.

 

Leigh Tiffin added four field goals, including a 54-yard kick that was Alabama's third longest of all time.

 

Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper, voted the favorite to win ACC player of the year, was continually pressured and off target throughout.

 

The Tigers, down 23-3 at the half, got a burst of life when Spiller broke for a 96-yard kickoff return TD to start the second half, then forced the Tide into their first punt of the night a series later.

 

Clemson, though, could get little going.

 

"Maybe we needed a wake up call," Harper said. "We'll have to keep working hard this week and correct our mistakes."

 

So, for the second time in eight months, they left the Georgia Dome with more questions and answers.

 

"We can't hang our heads down now," Clemson's Davis said.

 

That could be difficult since the Tigers just can't help but stumble whenever they close in on success.

 

They lost to lightly regarded Maryland in 2006 at home, 13-12, when victory would've sent Clemson to the ACC title game.

 

Then last year, the Tigers were beaten 20-17 by Boston College in a showdown for a spot in the league's championship game.

 

Clemson concluded the season with a 23-20 overtime loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, missing out on its first 10-victory season since 1991.

 

This was the year, many thought, that Clemson and embattled coach Tommy Bowden would shake off their reputations for not winning the biggest games. Alabama was where it was supposed to start.

 

Instead, Bowden again must refocus a team filled with veterans and leaders running out of time.

 

"We were whipped pretty bad," Bowden said.

 

Clemson's loss also concluded a demoralizing day for the ACC. Earlier, defending league champion Virginia Tech fell to East Carolina, while Virginia was defeated at home by No. 3 Southern Cal 52-7.

 

The Crimson Tide have won 12 straight against Clemson, although the teams hadn't met since 1975 when the late Bryant laid a 56-0 humiliation on the Tigers.

 

Maybe Alabama and Saban will soon have more in common with the Bear's championship teams.

[Pirate1 10]

Bama looked really good tonight, but I had a hard time telling if it was because they are that good. Or if it was just the normal play like crap in a big game Clemson performance.

 

The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.

[thegamer 10]

Bama looked really good tonight, but I had a hard time telling if it was because they are that good. Or if it was just the normal play like crap in a big game Clemson performance.

 

The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.

ya know i just think the ACC kinda sucks in football

[Pirate1 10]

Yeah, but watch out for Duke! The Blue Devils are for real!!!

 

 

 

 

If they played in 1 AA

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

The ACC is garbage this year in football. Most fans are already looking forward to basketball season and it's only the first week. I feel sorry for whoever wins the ACC title and has to play in the Orange Bowl.

[vthokies4life 10]

The ACC is garbage this year in football. Most fans are already looking forward to basketball season and it's only the first week. I feel sorry for whoever wins the ACC title and has to play in the Orange Bowl.

Hahaha, that was my first thought after the game yesterday. "When does basketball season get here?" Yesterday was so bad for the ACC. Calling it the Almost Competitive Conference isn't even accurate. There isn't anything even almost competitive about the ACC this year. The apparent class of the ACC, Clemson, ended the game with 0 rush yards. Yes. 0 RUSH YARDS. Nice work thunder and lightning.

 

Ah well. Soccer's home schedule opens up this week as well as volleyball which are sports the ACC is competitive in. Maybe that will spare some of my embarrassment.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Hahaha, that was my first thought after the game yesterday. "When does basketball season get here?" Yesterday was so bad for the ACC. Calling it the Almost Competitive Conference isn't even accurate. There isn't anything even almost competitive about the ACC this year. The apparent class of the ACC, Clemson, ended the game with 0 rush yards. Yes. 0 RUSH YARDS. Nice work thunder and lightning.

 

Ah well. Soccer's home schedule opens up this week as well as volleyball which are sports the ACC is competitive in. Maybe that will spare some of my embarrassment.

 

That's pretty much dead on. ONE team in this "conference" won a game against a I-A team, and that was Wake Forest over Baylor. Pitiful performance by this conference. If the Coastal is that bad, I frankly think Miami will win it this year. No joke, friends. But the Pac-10, Big XII, and Big Ten are head-and-shoulders above the ACC in volleyball, too. Soccer, at least, the ACC may pride itself on.

[GetMoney55 11]

Miami showed some promise. Granted against Charleston Southern, I believe, but they still did very well with a true freshman at quarterback. I think they can keep it close against the alpha male Tim Tebow and his Florida Gators and could possibly pull the upset, but it will take a lot.

 

Wake Forest didn't do bad at all, even if it was against Baylor. Their offensive line was very impressive, including true freshman Joe Looney. If Clemson doesn't play any better than what they did against Alabama, it's bye bye to Tommy.

[hokie07 11]

If Clemson doesn't play any better than what they did against Alabama, it's bye bye to Tommy.

 

Tommy would've been gone about 4 years ago if his last name wasn't Bowden...

[GetMoney55 11]

That's a fact. The only good Bowden has been Bobby, and I hate absolutely hate Florida State so saying that takes a lot. FSU = where high school talent goes to die.

[dawgs86 10]

Miami showed some promise. Granted against Charleston Southern, I believe, but they still did very well with a true freshman at quarterback. I think they can keep it close against the alpha male Tim Tebow and his Florida Gators and could possibly pull the upset, but it will take a lot.

 

Wake Forest didn't do bad at all, even if it was against Baylor. Their offensive line was very impressive, including true freshman Joe Looney. If Clemson doesn't play any better than what they did against Alabama, it's bye bye to Tommy.

 

 

I doubt they will keep it close.. I'd like to see 'em do it but I dont see how playing Charleston Southern prepared them for the Gators..

[Bulldogs52 483]

That's a fact. The only good Bowden has been Bobby, and I hate absolutely hate Florida State so saying that takes a lot. FSU = where high school talent goes to die.

 

 

These days anyway........