NCAA Football Recap (So Mississippi-Alabama)
Posted: Sat September 27, 1997 at 11:09 p.m. EDT
Freddie Kitchens threw a 17-yard touchdown pass late in the
third quarter and Curtis Alexander scored on a one-yard run on
the first play of the final period to propel Alabama
to a 27-13 victory over Southern Mississippi at Birmingham.
Playing at Legion Field, Alabama (3-1) beat Southern Miss for
the sixth straight time and improved to 28-4-2 in the all-time
series. The Crimson Tide had a 40-0 win in 1993 that they later
forfeited due to NCAA sanctions.
Alabama is 12-1-1 against the Golden Eagles at Legion Field and
has won 25 straight non-conference games. The win came despite
the Crimson Tide matching a school record for the fourth time
with 13 penalties.
"I think we are going to be a good football team," said Alabama
coach Mike DuBose. "We're not a good football team right now,
but we're going to be. I'll tell you this: it's going to be a
whole lot easier to sleep this Saturday night than it was last
Saturday night."
A fumble put Alabama at the Southern Miss 14 and Kitchens hit
Calvin Hall for a 17-yard scoring pass three plays later to give
the Crimson Tide a 17-13 lead with 1:28 remaining in the third
quarter.
"Offensively, we generated some confidence today," Kitchens
said. "I can't remember a week where we had four better
practices than this week. We executed all week and I think it
really showed this afternoon once we got moving."
Alabama forced the Golden Eagles into a three-and-out on the
next possession and took over at the Southern Miss 44 after a
punt. The Crimson Tide were into the end zone two plays and 14
seconds later, courtesy of Alexander's one-yard scoring run at
the outset of the fourth quarter. Kitchens set up the score
with a 43-yard pass to Shamari Buchanan.
Kitchens was 11-of-18 for 167 yards without an interception,
connecting with eight different receivers. Shaun Alexander led
Alabama with 66 yards on 16 carries and Dennis Riddle added 33
yards on eight attempts.
"I always feel like I'm in the groove, regardless of how many
carries I get," said Alexander. "But I was glad to have the
chance to carry the ball today. I just try to go as hard as I
can every chance I get. We wanted to establish the run today,
plain and simple. We went back to the I-formation and ran it
right at them."
Brian Cunningham kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:13 remaning
to make the final margin. It was set up when Lee Roberts was
intercepted at his own 12. Roberts also was picked off at his
own 17 on the next possession, but Alabama ran the ball four
times and gained no yards.
A 32-yard field goal by Tim Hardaway on the final play of the
first half helped Southern Miss (2-2) go to the locker room with
a 10-10 tie. His 27-yarder 4:51 into the second half put the
Golden Eagles ahead.
"We came in thinking we would beat Alabama," said Southern Miss
coach Jeff Bower. "They're not unstopable because they were
beaten last week. We just didn't have what it takes to win the
game. When you turn the ball over four or five times in a game,
you just can't win."
Kitchens hit fullback Dustin McClintock with an 11-yard scoring
pass with 57 seconds to go in the second quarter as Alabama took
a 10-7 lead.
After a scoreless first quarter, Brian Cunningham booted a
37-yard field goal midway through the second period to put
Alabama in front. Roberts responded for the Golden Eagles by
throwing a five-yard scoring pass to Todd Pinkston with 3:47
left. Roberts has thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of
his 10 starts.
"The difference between the first and second half -- we were not
focused and the effort wasn't there," Roberts said. "This is
the fourth time they've won like this and it hurts. I've got
one more shot at them."
Roberts was 21-of-40 for 226 yards and two interceptions,
hitting Sherrod Gideon seven times for 132 yards. Pinkston
caught five passes for 42 yards, while Harold Shaw carried 20
times for 79 yards.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
|
