Crimson Tide works on Chattanooga & awards updates

Alabama practiced this week for the home finale versus Chattanooga on Saturday. Rolando McClain, Mark Ingram and Terrence Cody received more recognition towards possible national individual awards. UA Athletics Media Relations issued the press releases below on all those items. Be sure to sign-up for e-mail alerts, so you never miss a post on Alabama or the SEC, by selecting subscribe on my main page.

Alabama Begins Preparation for Chattanooga
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football team returned to the practice field Monday afternoon to begin preparation for Saturday’s game with Chattanooga. The team practiced for a little over an hour in shells at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.

“We always respect our opponents,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “These guys have come back in several games because of their ability to throw the ball, especially with the quarterback B.J. Coleman. They have good receivers. They have a good scheme and a good attack on offense. They seem to be a little simpler, playing hard and tough on defense. They do a good job of coaching their special teams. This is a very well-coached team. We always have the proper respect and we need to do a good job in what we do to execute and take care of our own business.”

Alabama will host Chattanooga in its final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised by the SEC Network with kickoff set for 11:21 a.m. (CT), with Doug Bell and Chris Doering calling the action. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Eli Gold, Phil Savage and Barry Krauss. The game can be heard locally in Tuscaloosa on WFNN-FM (95.3).
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McClain, Ingram Named Walter Camp Foundation “Players to Watch”
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama junior linebacker Rolando McClain and sophomore running back Mark Ingram headline the 15 college football players named as “Players to Watch” for the 2009 Player of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Foundation announced Tuesday.

Joining McClain and Ingram on the list are Stanford running back Toby Gearhart, Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, TCU defensive lineman Jerry Hughes, Houston quarterback Case Keenum, Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers, Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley, Clemson receiver/kick returner C.J. Spiller, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

“It’s been an exciting college football season with many teams and players still in the hunt for national recognition,” Walter Camp Foundation president Alphonse Paolillo, Jr. said. “We’ve identified some outstanding players and we know the final weeks of the regular season should be even more thrilling.”

Alabama and Texas are the only schools with two players on the 15-man list, which includes four quarterbacks, four running backs, four receivers and three defensive standouts.

McClain, who is one of three defensive players on the list, and the only linebacker, has proven to be the heart and soul of the Tide’s defense this season. He not only leads the team in tackles with 77, but is the on-field coach for Alabama. McClain is responsible for making all of the defensive calls and is especially proficient at checking the Crimson Tide into the correct play.

He has also added 10.0 tackles for loss (-45 yards), three sacks (-26 yards), two interceptions (21 return yards), one pass breakup, eight quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. McClain’s play has garnered him extensive national recognition. He was the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after his 12-tackle performance against Kentucky. He was named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Defensive Player of the Week following the Tide’s 20-6 win over South Carolina.

McClain was named a midseason All-American by Sporting News and was selected as a semifinalist for the Lombardi and Butkus Awards as well as the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the best defensive player in the nation.

Ingram is one of four running backs on the list and is one pace to shatter the Alabama single-season rushing record this season. In 10 games, Ingram has 194 rushing attempts for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is averaging 6.7 yards per carry and leads the SEC with 129.7 yards per game. He has also caught 25 passes for 225 and added three more touchdowns.

Against top 25 teams, He is averaging 178 yards per game this season against Virginia Tech, Mississippi, South Carolina and LSU. He has 812 yards after contact this season, accounting for 53.4 percent of his total yards. He was named SEC Player of the Week following wins over Virginia Tech and South Carolina. In the win over the Gamecocks, Ingram set a Bryant-Denny Stadium record with 246 rushing yards in the 20-6 win.

He was named midseason All-American by Sporting News and was selected as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award (player of the year) and the Doak Walker Award (top running back).

The Walter Camp Award is the fourth-oldest national award and is presented annually to the national player of the year. A list of five finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be presented live on Thursday, Dec. 10 during the 6 p.m. (ET) edition of ESPN SportsCenter.

The winner will receive his trophy at the Foundation’s annual awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

TUESDAY PRACTICE REPORT: The Alabama football team practiced for two hours in full pads Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility as preparations continue for Saturday’s home finale with Chattanooga.

“(Chattanooga) is very well-coached and they are always going to be where they need to be,” sophomore running back Mark Ingram said after Tuesday’s practice. “We are just going to approach the game like we always do every week. We go out and practice hard and try and perfect the game plan. They won one game last year and they’ve won six already (this year), so they are feeling pretty good about themselves. They are going to come here ready to play, I’m sure of it.”

Tide Working Towards Chattanooga Game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football team practiced for two hours in full pads at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility Wednesday afternoon as preparations continued for Saturday’s final home football game against Chattanooga.

“We are all looking forward to Saturday’s game against a much-improved Chattanooga team,” Alabama head football coach Nick Saban said after Wednesday’s practice. “I think anytime you improve five wins in one season, obviously the players have responded and played hard. They’ve come back in a couple of games that they were behind in, including their last game, and I think that always speaks well of the competitive character of the team.”

Chattanooga brings a 6-4 record into Saturday’s game against Alabama under first-year head coach Russ Huesman. The Mocs were 1-9 in 2008. Sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman has completed 220-of-376 passes for 2,312 yards this season. He has thrown 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His favorite target is senior wide receiver Blue Cooper, who has 82 catches for 817 yards and seven touchdowns.

“They are a very well coached team and the quarterback is very good. I think our players need to take ownership of what they have an opportunity to accomplish, not only in this game, but in each game and each challenge that we have as we go one game at a time here down the road.”

Alabama will host Chattanooga in its final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised by the SEC Network with kickoff set for 11:21 a.m. (CT), with Doug Bell and Chris Doering calling the action. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Eli Gold, Phil Savage and Barry Krauss. The game can be heard locally in Tuscaloosa on WFNN-FM (95.3).
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Terrence Cody Named Finalist for 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama senior nose guard Terrence Cody has been named one of five finalists for the 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Football Writers Association and the Charlotte (N.C.) Touchdown Club announced Thursday.

Cody is joined by Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer, Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh as the five finalists vying for one of the FWAA's highest honors, its National Defensive Player of the Year award.

The FWAA's National Defensive Player of the Year Award is named after Bronko Nagurski, who dominated college football at Minnesota as a bruising fullback and defensive tackle from 1927-29. He could have been an All-American at any position playing 60 minutes and was the best player wherever he lined up.

A member of the 2008 FWAA All-America team, Cody anchors an Alabama defensive front the leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in rushing defense. The Crimson Tide has allowed only 2.4 yards per play and 72.8 yards per game this season.

In addition, the Tide defense ranks second nationally and second in the SEC in scoring defense (10.9 ppg) and second in the SEC and third nationally in total defense (239.3 ypg). The Crimson Tide has held eight of its first 10 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing and three of the 10 opponents to less than 200 total yards in a game. Alabama has held five teams to a touchdown or less this season.

Cody has recorded 20 tackles, including five tackles of loss (-10 yards), two quarterback pressures and one pass breakup for the nation’s second-ranked team. He recorded three tackles and blocked a school-record tying two field goals in the Tide’s 12-10 win over Tennessee on Oct. 24. He was named the AT&T All-America and SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Vols, which included two blocked kicks in the final 10 minutes of the game, with second one coming on the game’s final play.

A 2009 Sporting News midseason All-American, Cody is also a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy and a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 7 and presented the Bronko Nagurski Trophy at a gala banquet at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C., where North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien will be the keynote speaker.
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UA Football Team Wraps Up Chattanooga Week
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football team practiced for 90 minutes in shells inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility Thursday afternoon wrapping up a week of preparation for Saturday’s game with Chattanooga.

“Our team is really focusing on improving,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said earlier this week. “I’ve said time and time again, I think our best game is out there someplace and we need to keep trying to work for it and develop the kind of consistency and performance that allows us to play our best game.

“Chattanooga has a good team. I mean, they’ve got an SEC quarterback and he’s done a really good job for them. We try to play these games one game at a time and these are the type games you never forget if you don’t play well in. We certainly want our players to have a good experience, especially for our seniors who will be playing the last game in Bryant-Denny Stadium.”

The Chattanooga game will mark the final home game for 27 Crimson Tide seniors. The group will be honored in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. The complete list of scholarship players, walk-ons and medical hardships includes Eryk Anders, Javier Arenas, Alex Benson, Evan Cardwell, Terrence Cody, Drew Davis, Brandon Deaderick, P.J. Fitzgerald, Hampton Gray, Baron Huber, Marquis Johnson, Mike Johnson, Tyrone King, Mike McCoy, Colin Peek, Cory Reamer, Chris Rogers, Brian Selman, Ali Sharrief, Leigh Tiffin, Heath Thomas, Jacob Vane, Roy Upchurch, A.J. Walker, Byron Walton, Lorenzo Washington and Justin Woodall.