Alabama

 Welcome back to Doak Campbell Stadium.

That was the opening to Coach Norvell’s press conference last night, and even as the echoes of the chant reverberated in the background almost an hour after the new turf was decimated under the penguinesque happy feet of 12,000 students. This was indeed what we love to think of as truly Doak. A place where even the most storied program in college football expects to get punched in the kisser. In 2024, we sat in temporary stands, with pop up bathrooms and rolling fairlike concession stands. The team decided to play in kind and their paltry effort mirrored the embarrassment of a stadium surrounding them. Well, we are back baby! The new brick Babylon that Bobby built is a showpiece and the kids wearing the helmets made us proud to be Seminoles again. 

As we approached halftime, the heavens opened and officially washed the last remnants of 2024 away with some of the largest raindrops I have ever witnessed in my massive thunderstorm soaked Florida history. Pooh and Piglet would have both stayed indoors for this 10 minute dousing, but with the garnet and gold boys up by 10 and counting down the quarter clock, all of us just welcomed the deluge like a camel coming out of a 3 month Sahara bender. We saw a preview of the TC dance party that would go into full effect two hours later. Our brash signal caller walked the walk this week, and I am fairly certain that both incredibly important late hits that he absorbed were the direct result of his Summer Bama banter. I heard a bunch of post game chatter about how lethargic the Tide defenders looked, but um, we got three guys on offense that are otherworldly fast. Danzy, Lewis and Tommy are all faster than probably anyone that lines up opposite them all season. So, maybe just maybe Alabama apologists, you faced someone better. I know we are all planets to the SEC and especially Alabama’s sun…but not last night my fellow Noles.

That first offensive drive was so incredibly crucial. For the team, for the fans and maybe most importantly for Mike and the coaching staff. When our favorite fuzzy rodent hauled in that bomb and one play later TC was jigging with Dalvin and P Dub, the pressure cooker of the last 360 plus days was finally released. When we grabbed the lead, we commented that this was actually all the recruits and fans needed to feel that their program was relevant, and by the third quarter the realization that we might actually not only win but own this thing, that feeling was euphoric. The coaching should be lauded all around, but three segments blew me away. No position group is more difficult to gel quickly that offensive line. Coach Hand did not have any of these guys healthy in the Spring. In 20 plus practices this Fall, they were a unit that held their own and at times rocked the future Crimson pros across the line. They only had one penalty all night, and opened holes for all of the myriad of backs that hung on Tommy’s hip. Loved the look of the freshman. He might be option A and B by mid season, and reminds old timers of Sammy Smith. Sawchuk just wanted to score way more than the six pack of Tide defenders wanted him not to…and Tommy found a way to wiggle and jiggle to be our leading rusher while generally avoiding major collisions. That’s good, cuz behind him is a bit of a mystery. Obviously Gus and Tony deserve huge bouquets as well, but we kinda hoped / knew that going in right kids?

We have all seen what a wiz Gus can be, although maybe chewing up a little more clock when you are up by two scores woulda saved some cuticles. But, seeing Coach White adjust on the fly was awesome. Bama just kicked our teeth in on that first series with counters and smashing the A and B gaps. They were doubling Jackson and Lyons and our backers were taking the SAT in Mandarin. Well, one little tent session later, and one LB and my new favorite defender - the human missile Earl Little - were flying in that gap and pads were popping and jaws were dropping. Coach White took a defense that actually look tulip tiptoed last year and installed a raw aggressive physicality that was incredible to watch. I can tell you that we do not have anywhere near the talent of Nole defenses of yore, but this group brings it. Barker was a beast, and Rawls kamikaze body sacrificing blow on 4th down to stop the Bammer QB a foot short epitomized the entire unit. Loved the effort from the ends, and the fact that almost 30 guys got PT on defense against a team like this will definitely bear fruit later. 

The special teams was not last night. Sam Singleton brought a kickoff out after hesitating, wrapping up his conversations with a golden girl and then got pummeled on the 15. He did not return to that role later in the contest. Jaylin Lucas playing European football with a punt after the defense had turned in an incredible stop was not ideal, and our new punter hit two boomers but failed to pin em on a key short attempt in the second half. The bright side was our not yet able to order a loaded Shirley Temple kicker who routinely bombed our wonderfully numerous kickoffs and nailed his only attempt. The kid has a howitzer for a right leg. Janikowski will be coming to town soon and will compare armament and teach him how to order drinks and get away with it with your coach…

Again, kids…the win was the cherry. But, all of us needed to put ‘24 in our rear view and by halftime it was clear that that blip has burped like a baby on your shoulder. This fan base can breathe, can throw that flag up in the front yard and for those of you in the panhandle, you can walk by your Bammer buddies and ask em how much that buyout is again, because by the time we make the return trip to Tuscaloosa in late September of next year, we would like them to have a new coach and be starting over…again.