It was a very temporary look.
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“Most people probably don’t even know that they were a Top 25 team, finished ranked 24th in the country past year with a 12-2 record and actually won a bowl game and won their conference”, Saban said Monday. They are nearly never happy unless you win the whole thing.
However, most preseason predictions for 2016 saw Southern Miss winning the C-USA title or at least taking on one of three teams (Marshall, WKU or MTSU) in the conference title game.
In case you forgot, Kiffin used to be the head football coach at the University of Southern California until he was sacked on the LAX tarmac in 2013. While it probably felt really good for everyone on Alabama’s sideline, considering how his tenure in Southern California ended, it probably felt especially great for Kiffin. Ridley was held to just 2 receptions for 9 yards and used more in the jet sweep early in the game to try to spread the Trojan defense but they made good adjustments to that plan in the first quarter.
That’s Kiffin’s son, Knox, holding the game ball, with the hashtag #3:14AM-LAX, which is the exact time and place he was sacked three years ago.
While Alabama heads into Saturday’s game as a 27-point favorite, Saban warned his players of taking the Hilltoppers lightly.
NOTES: Redshirt freshman Blake Barnett got the start at quarterback for Alabama. While the Tide had some explosive runs, there was alot of inconsistency in the running game in the first half.
“We’re going to continue to help him in his program as an organization and we’ll support him when he has an opportunity”, Saban said. Rather, he referred to it as an ongoing process, one he feels he can play a role in. “Y’all never asked, but I wouldn’t have told you if you would have asked, but you didn’t ask”.
Thanks to South Alabama, Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State, the Crimson Tide is not taking Western Kentucky for granted, nor should they. They hooked up on a 71-yard touchdown right after halftime for a 24-3 lead, and Hurts later had TD runs of 7 and 6 yards.
Hurts immediately fumbled on his first snap, giving USC the ball at midfield, with all of the momentum in the world and up 3-0. “That’s the only decision we made, and I am not speculating on what we’re going to do in the future”. “That’s what we do”. Even though they lost the quarterback, they have a transfer quarterback who started at another Division I school. They were upset by Portland State in their first game previous year and they start this season hosting regular FCS contender Eastern Washington. Obviously he is happy that the Tide crushed USC but he is more concerned with how his team played.
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Saban now has five former FBS head coaches on staff: Sarkisian, Kiffin, Mario Cristobal, Bobby Williams and Mike Locksley.
