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The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide 25th Anniversary Retrospective (Part 1 of 2)
Posted on 12/22/17 at 4:31 am
Posted on 12/22/17 at 4:31 am
Blue collar.
That is how one would describe the 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide. They weren't flashy, they weren't overly talented, and they weren't ever favorites to win it all. But when the clock struck 00:00 in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, the '92 Tide had capped off a dream season, defeating defending national champion Miami and winning the program's 12th national championship in the process.
Led by a balanced rushing attack and a vaunted defense that some experts regard as the best ever, the Red Elephants of '92 were the very definition of old school. Ranked #9 in both major polls to start the season, Alabama was coming off an 11-1 1991 campaign, their only loss to conference champion Florida in the season's second game. Despite their lofty, Top 5 finish, as well as the return of key starters on offense and defense, many in the media never gave the Tide a chance at even sniffing the national championship.
And in the season's early going, it sure looked like the experts might be correct. In their first game against Vanderbilt, Alabama struggled to move the ball and also struggled at times to stop Vandy's I-Bone option attack. The Tide only led the Commodores 16-8 late in the fourth quarter when a Michael Rogers pick six sealed the deal and gave Alabama a 25-8 season opening win.
In the Tide's second game against Southern Miss, Alabama's defense started to make their presence known. Holding the Golden Eagles to just 54 yards and 3 first downs, on paper the Tide should have run away with it. But penalties and turnovers kept Southern Miss in the game. After a Jay Barker pick six and a fumble that resulted in a field goal, the Golden Eagles led 10-7 at one point in the second half. But the Tide got its act together late, scoring 10 unanswered points and leaving Legion Field with a 17-10 victory and 2-0 record.
After two games, the Tide faithful and those in the media were most concerned about the mediocrity of the Alabama offense. The run game was not progressing as fans had hoped and Jay Barker was not really proving himself to be a competent passer in the early going. Tide head coach Gene Stallings challenged his offense all throughout that next week in practice to prove their doubters wrong, and put on a show for the ages against their next opponent - SEC newcomer Arkansas.
Still #9 in the rankings, Alabama traveled to Little Rock for what many thought could be its first real test of the season. The Razorbacks were coming off a big win against fellow SEC newcomer South Carolina and were riding high as they welcomed their first ever conference opponent as members of the SEC. The Tide almost immediately proved their detractors wrong as Alabama running back Derrick Lassic took it to the house on the very first play from scrimmage. The Tide led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 28-0 at the end of the first half, en route to a 38-11 victory over Arkansas in Little Rock. Fun fact: Arkansas was coached by future Alabama assistant and interim head coach, Joe Kines.
With Alabama's much maligned offense exploding for almost 470 yards, many fans thought a corner had been turned. The Tide rose to #7 in the rankings and would host Louisiana Tech at Legion Field the very next week. Many Tide fans thought they'd have an easy time of it - how wrong they were.
September 26, 1992, was not only the date of the last game in the month of September for the Crimson Tide, but also the date of the return of star WR David Palmer. Palmer had been suspended for the first game of the season due to a DUI arrest he had incurred over the summer. Within hours of Alabama's victory over Vanderbilt, however, Palmer was arrested for a second DUI. With many in the media calling for Palmer's immediate dismissal from the team, Stallings went to bat for his star player. Worrying that Palmer's life would fall apart if he returned to the ghettos of Birmingham, he kept Palmer on the roster. And boy were Alabama fans glad he did!
The Louisiana Tech game was a sloppy affair. Alabama's offense regressed significantly, only managing to gain 167 yards all game long. The Tide's defense, however, once again stood tall, holding Tech to just 117 yards. The Cajuns were held to the negatives in rushing (-8 yards on 27 attempts) and gained just 5 first downs. A pair of Michael Proctor field goals gave Alabama a 6-0 lead. With 8:18 left in the game, Palmer sealed the deal with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Deuce was back! And the Tide escaped Louisiana Tech with a 13-0 victory, its first shutout of the season.
After the Tide's lackluster showing against Louisiana Tech, Alabama dropped from #7 back to #9 in the rankings. Many national media pundits, including ESPN's Lee Corso, proclaimed Alabama to be the worst undefeated team in the country.
That is how one would describe the 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide. They weren't flashy, they weren't overly talented, and they weren't ever favorites to win it all. But when the clock struck 00:00 in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, the '92 Tide had capped off a dream season, defeating defending national champion Miami and winning the program's 12th national championship in the process.
Led by a balanced rushing attack and a vaunted defense that some experts regard as the best ever, the Red Elephants of '92 were the very definition of old school. Ranked #9 in both major polls to start the season, Alabama was coming off an 11-1 1991 campaign, their only loss to conference champion Florida in the season's second game. Despite their lofty, Top 5 finish, as well as the return of key starters on offense and defense, many in the media never gave the Tide a chance at even sniffing the national championship.
And in the season's early going, it sure looked like the experts might be correct. In their first game against Vanderbilt, Alabama struggled to move the ball and also struggled at times to stop Vandy's I-Bone option attack. The Tide only led the Commodores 16-8 late in the fourth quarter when a Michael Rogers pick six sealed the deal and gave Alabama a 25-8 season opening win.
In the Tide's second game against Southern Miss, Alabama's defense started to make their presence known. Holding the Golden Eagles to just 54 yards and 3 first downs, on paper the Tide should have run away with it. But penalties and turnovers kept Southern Miss in the game. After a Jay Barker pick six and a fumble that resulted in a field goal, the Golden Eagles led 10-7 at one point in the second half. But the Tide got its act together late, scoring 10 unanswered points and leaving Legion Field with a 17-10 victory and 2-0 record.
After two games, the Tide faithful and those in the media were most concerned about the mediocrity of the Alabama offense. The run game was not progressing as fans had hoped and Jay Barker was not really proving himself to be a competent passer in the early going. Tide head coach Gene Stallings challenged his offense all throughout that next week in practice to prove their doubters wrong, and put on a show for the ages against their next opponent - SEC newcomer Arkansas.
Still #9 in the rankings, Alabama traveled to Little Rock for what many thought could be its first real test of the season. The Razorbacks were coming off a big win against fellow SEC newcomer South Carolina and were riding high as they welcomed their first ever conference opponent as members of the SEC. The Tide almost immediately proved their detractors wrong as Alabama running back Derrick Lassic took it to the house on the very first play from scrimmage. The Tide led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 28-0 at the end of the first half, en route to a 38-11 victory over Arkansas in Little Rock. Fun fact: Arkansas was coached by future Alabama assistant and interim head coach, Joe Kines.
With Alabama's much maligned offense exploding for almost 470 yards, many fans thought a corner had been turned. The Tide rose to #7 in the rankings and would host Louisiana Tech at Legion Field the very next week. Many Tide fans thought they'd have an easy time of it - how wrong they were.
September 26, 1992, was not only the date of the last game in the month of September for the Crimson Tide, but also the date of the return of star WR David Palmer. Palmer had been suspended for the first game of the season due to a DUI arrest he had incurred over the summer. Within hours of Alabama's victory over Vanderbilt, however, Palmer was arrested for a second DUI. With many in the media calling for Palmer's immediate dismissal from the team, Stallings went to bat for his star player. Worrying that Palmer's life would fall apart if he returned to the ghettos of Birmingham, he kept Palmer on the roster. And boy were Alabama fans glad he did!
The Louisiana Tech game was a sloppy affair. Alabama's offense regressed significantly, only managing to gain 167 yards all game long. The Tide's defense, however, once again stood tall, holding Tech to just 117 yards. The Cajuns were held to the negatives in rushing (-8 yards on 27 attempts) and gained just 5 first downs. A pair of Michael Proctor field goals gave Alabama a 6-0 lead. With 8:18 left in the game, Palmer sealed the deal with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Deuce was back! And the Tide escaped Louisiana Tech with a 13-0 victory, its first shutout of the season.
After the Tide's lackluster showing against Louisiana Tech, Alabama dropped from #7 back to #9 in the rankings. Many national media pundits, including ESPN's Lee Corso, proclaimed Alabama to be the worst undefeated team in the country.
This post was edited on 12/22/17 at 4:36 am
4
Posted on 12/22/17 at 4:32 am to RollTide1987
The first weekend in October was Homecoming for the Tide and Tuscaloosa welcomed the South Carolina Gamecocks, the second of the SEC newcomers, into town. Game Day dawned wet and miserable, but even the rain couldn't put a damper on the Homecoming festivities, nor could it put a damper on the Tide's best offensive performance of the season so far! The Tide rushed for over 350 yards and totaled right at 485 yards, while holding South Carolina to just 191 yards, in a 48-7 victory over the Gamecocks.
Through five games, the Tide's defense was beginning to make a name for itself. In those first five outings, Alabama's defense had held its opponents to 210 yards, 54 yards, 192 yards, 117 yards, and 191 yards respectively. That was an average of just under 153 yards per game, with Vanderbilt of all teams the only one to break 200 against them. While the Tide offense had been wildly inconsistent at times, the Tide defense had been nothing but an immovable object.
Next up, the now sixth-ranked Alabama traveled to New Orleans to play Tulane in the Super Dome. During pre-game warm-ups, it has been stated by multiple players that Stallings gathered his team together and told them that he expected them to be back playing in this very stadium on New Years Day. For the often stoic and in-the-moment Gene Stallings, this came as a surprise to his players.
But in the first half the Tide sure didn't play like a team destined for the Sugar Bowl. Much as they had for the majority of the season, the Tide offense started off sluggish, only managing two field goals in the first two quarters of action. A play that seemingly gave Tulane a touchdown was called back due to a controversial penalty and the Tide managed to hold a 6-0 halftime lead after the missed Tulane field goal. Inspiring halftime speeches from the team's senior leadership lit the spark Alabama's offense needed. The Tide scored 31-unanswered points in the second half, en route to a 37-0 victory over the Green Wave. The Tide offense exploded for a season-best 573 yards of offense while the defense held Tulane to just 165 yards.
At 6-0 and now #4 in both major polls, the Tide now faced its toughest test of the season thus far - a visit to Neyland Stadium to play #13 Tennessee in the annual rivalry clash. Despite the Tide's lofty ranking halfway through the season, many national pundits (included in their number was Lee Corso) continued to regard the Tide as a great pretender. Many felt that the college football world would finally find out just what Alabama was made of in Knoxville.
In their first nationally televised broadcast of the season, the Tide got to work doing what it does best - running the ball. They ran it 66 times in total, as a matter of fact, for 301 yards. In point of fact, Derrick Lassic already had over 20 carries in the game midway through the second quarter. Behind the running of Lassic, Palmer, Lee, and others, Alabama raced out to an early 17-0 lead. Tennessee managed to cut the deficit to 17-3 by halftime and several early second half mistakes by Alabama allowed the Volunteers the opportunity to crawl back into the game. They closed the gap even further in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with just under 13 minutes to play.
The Tide defense, however, made several impressive fourth quarter stands - the last of which being an interception to seal the deal with just over a minute to play in the game. Alabama's offense was the star in the first half, but the Tide defense once again stole the show in the second - holding the Volunteers to just 194 yards of offense in a 17-10 victory!
Alabama entered their much deserved bye week with a 7-0 record and #4 ranking. The Tide had silenced some of their critics but many still remained skeptical. But the only thing that mattered to the team, the coaching staff, and the fans is that they were still undefeated and in the hunt for a possible national championship. With four games left in the regular season, however, they knew there was still a long way to go before they could raise that finger and say they were Number One.
END OF PART 1.
Through five games, the Tide's defense was beginning to make a name for itself. In those first five outings, Alabama's defense had held its opponents to 210 yards, 54 yards, 192 yards, 117 yards, and 191 yards respectively. That was an average of just under 153 yards per game, with Vanderbilt of all teams the only one to break 200 against them. While the Tide offense had been wildly inconsistent at times, the Tide defense had been nothing but an immovable object.
Next up, the now sixth-ranked Alabama traveled to New Orleans to play Tulane in the Super Dome. During pre-game warm-ups, it has been stated by multiple players that Stallings gathered his team together and told them that he expected them to be back playing in this very stadium on New Years Day. For the often stoic and in-the-moment Gene Stallings, this came as a surprise to his players.
But in the first half the Tide sure didn't play like a team destined for the Sugar Bowl. Much as they had for the majority of the season, the Tide offense started off sluggish, only managing two field goals in the first two quarters of action. A play that seemingly gave Tulane a touchdown was called back due to a controversial penalty and the Tide managed to hold a 6-0 halftime lead after the missed Tulane field goal. Inspiring halftime speeches from the team's senior leadership lit the spark Alabama's offense needed. The Tide scored 31-unanswered points in the second half, en route to a 37-0 victory over the Green Wave. The Tide offense exploded for a season-best 573 yards of offense while the defense held Tulane to just 165 yards.
At 6-0 and now #4 in both major polls, the Tide now faced its toughest test of the season thus far - a visit to Neyland Stadium to play #13 Tennessee in the annual rivalry clash. Despite the Tide's lofty ranking halfway through the season, many national pundits (included in their number was Lee Corso) continued to regard the Tide as a great pretender. Many felt that the college football world would finally find out just what Alabama was made of in Knoxville.
In their first nationally televised broadcast of the season, the Tide got to work doing what it does best - running the ball. They ran it 66 times in total, as a matter of fact, for 301 yards. In point of fact, Derrick Lassic already had over 20 carries in the game midway through the second quarter. Behind the running of Lassic, Palmer, Lee, and others, Alabama raced out to an early 17-0 lead. Tennessee managed to cut the deficit to 17-3 by halftime and several early second half mistakes by Alabama allowed the Volunteers the opportunity to crawl back into the game. They closed the gap even further in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with just under 13 minutes to play.
The Tide defense, however, made several impressive fourth quarter stands - the last of which being an interception to seal the deal with just over a minute to play in the game. Alabama's offense was the star in the first half, but the Tide defense once again stole the show in the second - holding the Volunteers to just 194 yards of offense in a 17-10 victory!
Alabama entered their much deserved bye week with a 7-0 record and #4 ranking. The Tide had silenced some of their critics but many still remained skeptical. But the only thing that mattered to the team, the coaching staff, and the fans is that they were still undefeated and in the hunt for a possible national championship. With four games left in the regular season, however, they knew there was still a long way to go before they could raise that finger and say they were Number One.
END OF PART 1.
Posted on 12/22/17 at 5:23 am to RollTide1987
The '92 D had 7 First Team All SEC and 4 All Americans.
Posted on 12/22/17 at 6:06 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
RollTide1987
Nice run down. However:
quote:
They weren't flashy, they weren't overly talented
is only true of the offense in general.
Palmer was an extremely talented athlete and plenty flashy with his returns. Lassic too.
And that Defense, oh my Lord, they had crazy talent all over the field. The WTF look on Geno Torreta's face when all 11 defenders lined up on the line of scrimmage...just priceless. That D straight mauled opponents.
Posted on 12/22/17 at 10:02 pm to RollTide1987
My dad and I are at our cabin in BFE Mississippi.
Last night we watched the first half of the game, and will watch the 2nd half tomorrow night. I'm 27, and while I've seen most of the game here and there, I've never watched from pregame hype through the entire game in order. Some thoughts so far..
1. We should be up comfortably at the half. Jesus Christ Jay Barker sucks.
2. The FB, #35, is a beast.
3. Langham and Teague play with maximum amounts of swag(without going overboard). Damn they were good.
4. Cristobol was a huge person
5. Sapp damn near beat the gunner down the field on a punt.
6(and most importantly). What type of pain meds was our guy on in his sideline interview? He was high as you can be He wasn't even making words for most of the interview
Started reading about some of the players on the team. Teague had himself quite a playoff game with Minnesota(I think.)
On 3 consecutive possessions, he forced a fumble out the back of the endzone for a touchback by knocking the ball out from behind, forced another fumble that his team jumped on, then took an INT to the house for 6
Last night we watched the first half of the game, and will watch the 2nd half tomorrow night. I'm 27, and while I've seen most of the game here and there, I've never watched from pregame hype through the entire game in order. Some thoughts so far..
1. We should be up comfortably at the half. Jesus Christ Jay Barker sucks.
2. The FB, #35, is a beast.
3. Langham and Teague play with maximum amounts of swag(without going overboard). Damn they were good.
4. Cristobol was a huge person
5. Sapp damn near beat the gunner down the field on a punt.
6(and most importantly). What type of pain meds was our guy on in his sideline interview? He was high as you can be
He wasn't even making words for most of the interview Started reading about some of the players on the team. Teague had himself quite a playoff game with Minnesota(I think.)
On 3 consecutive possessions, he forced a fumble out the back of the endzone for a touchback by knocking the ball out from behind, forced another fumble that his team jumped on, then took an INT to the house for 6
Posted on 12/22/17 at 10:37 pm to ReauxlTide222
Posted on 12/22/17 at 10:55 pm to CrimsonTideMD
Teague
Posted on 12/23/17 at 12:35 am to CrimsonTideMD
quote:
is only true of the offense in general.
I slightly disagree.
That defense played well together as a unit, but none of them as individuals ever found consistent success at the next level.
Don't get me wrong. That was a talented team. They would have to be as they managed to win a national championship. But compared to past and future national championship teams, that '92 squad was actually below average on the talent spectrum.
quote:
Palmer was an extremely talented athlete and plenty flashy with his returns.
Palmer actually had something of a sophomore slump in 1992. He missed the first three games of the season due to suspension and was utilized mostly as a decoy for the remainder of the season. His lone highlight of the season was that 67-yard punt return against Louisiana Tech in his first game back.
This post was edited on 12/23/17 at 12:38 am
Posted on 12/23/17 at 2:23 pm to RollTide1987
Still my favorite season of all time.
It was my junior year at Bama and my then boyfriend and now husband were at every single game - home and away and the SECCG and Sugar Bowl - that season.
As it was 25 years ago (GULP!), I've forgotten a lot of the details but when I think of that season a few memories are still clear -
1 - That Palmer punt return.
2 - First time going to a game in Starkville and OMG THOSE COWBELLS ARE A frickING BEATING IN PERSON.
3 - First SECCG at Legion Field. HOLY shite WAS IT COLD AND WET AND MISERABLE.
4 - Lassic scoring a TD on the first drive and his prentend "fainting spell" in the endzone.
5 - Langham's pick six that sealed the win. We were on the second row of the endzone and he ran right up to the fence and watching the team celebrate right in front of us was awesome.
6 - The Miami fans that came to New Orleans were super giant assholes.
7 - Sugar Bowl. We were front row, dead center in the endzone. Our seats were right on top of the Miami tunnel. We heckled Michael Irvin and some other former players hanging out there pregame and Dennis Erickson shot the bird in our general direction as he went in for halftime.
8 - Shouting "GINNNNNOOOOOOO! GINNNNNOOOOOOOO! GINNNNNOOOOOO!" every time Torretta was on the field.
9 - Teague stripping that ball!!!
10 - After the game, walking back to the Quarter and wanting a cigarette and a fellow Bama fan gave me an unfiltered Marlboro Red. I took three puffs and proceeded to puke.
It was my junior year at Bama and my then boyfriend and now husband were at every single game - home and away and the SECCG and Sugar Bowl - that season.
As it was 25 years ago (GULP!), I've forgotten a lot of the details but when I think of that season a few memories are still clear -
1 - That Palmer punt return.
2 - First time going to a game in Starkville and OMG THOSE COWBELLS ARE A frickING BEATING IN PERSON.
3 - First SECCG at Legion Field. HOLY shite WAS IT COLD AND WET AND MISERABLE.
4 - Lassic scoring a TD on the first drive and his prentend "fainting spell" in the endzone.
5 - Langham's pick six that sealed the win. We were on the second row of the endzone and he ran right up to the fence and watching the team celebrate right in front of us was awesome.
6 - The Miami fans that came to New Orleans were super giant assholes.
7 - Sugar Bowl. We were front row, dead center in the endzone. Our seats were right on top of the Miami tunnel. We heckled Michael Irvin and some other former players hanging out there pregame and Dennis Erickson shot the bird in our general direction as he went in for halftime.
8 - Shouting "GINNNNNOOOOOOO! GINNNNNOOOOOOOO! GINNNNNOOOOOO!" every time Torretta was on the field.
9 - Teague stripping that ball!!!
10 - After the game, walking back to the Quarter and wanting a cigarette and a fellow Bama fan gave me an unfiltered Marlboro Red. I took three puffs and proceeded to puke.
Posted on 12/23/17 at 2:33 pm to BamaChick
quote:
After the game, walking back to the Quarter and wanting a cigarette and a fellow Bama fan gave me an unfiltered Marlboro Red. I took three puffs and proceeded to puke.
that's how you know you really left it all on the field
that place shook when Teague took that int back
This post was edited on 12/23/17 at 2:36 pm
Posted on 12/23/17 at 2:44 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
That defense played well together as a unit, but none of them as individuals ever found consistent success at the next level.
Bruh
Teague
Langham
Shade
Copeland
Curry
Hall
All spent several years in the League
London, Nunley, and Oden were also at least on squads for a few years and I think Johnson for 1.
That's 10/11 starters that made it to the NFL.
That Defense was crazy talented. Probably an all time Top 10 defense. It doesn't get much more talented than that.
The offense was definitely blue collar though.
Posted on 12/23/17 at 2:46 pm to CrimsonTideMD
^^^ yea I'm glad someone addressed that
that D was legit
that D was legit
Posted on 12/23/17 at 5:39 pm to CrimsonTideMD
quote:
All spent several years in the League
That still doesn't take away from this line right here:
quote:
none of them as individuals ever found consistent success at the next level
Playing in the league doesn't mean you are successful in the league. Jay Barker was even in the NFL for a time.
This post was edited on 12/23/17 at 5:41 pm
Posted on 12/24/17 at 8:41 am to RollTide1987
Jesus Christ dude. Let it go.
Antonio Langham started 4 straight years in the League. That is someone with consistent individual success at the next level.
Antonio Langham started 4 straight years in the League. That is someone with consistent individual success at the next level.
Posted on 12/28/17 at 4:48 pm to McGregor
quote:
that's how you know you really left it all on the field that place shook when Teague took that int back
That was a bourbon&coke bath for the ages!!
Posted on 12/28/17 at 6:06 pm to CrimsonTideMD
quote:
The WTF look on Geno Torreta's face when all 11 defenders lined up on the line of scrimmage...just priceless
He was visibly scared a few times in that game. Since then, when a qb gets very unnerved, I figure the poor guy has Torreta's Syndrome.
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