Alabama players celebrate after the Southeastern Conference championship game against Florida on Saturday in Atlanta. Alabama won 29-15.More Info
WHERE ARE THEY HEADED?Possible bowl destinations for SEC teams:Alabama (4-Team Playoff)Ole Miss (Sugar)Florida (Citrus)Tennessee (Outback)Georgia (TaxSlayer)Mississippi State (Belk)Texas A&M (Music City)Arkansas (Liberty)LSU (Texas)Auburn (Birmingham)
ATLANTA – Alabama actually managed to win consecutive national championships under football coach Nick Saban before consecutive Southeastern Conference titles, but that league accomplishment can now be checked off the list.
The No. 2 Crimson Tide defeated Florida 29-15 Saturday inside the Georgia Dome to become the first repeat SEC winner since Phillip Fulmer’s 1997 and 1998 Tennessee Volunteers. This might seem a bit familiar, but Alabama used Derrick Henry’s running and a dominant defense to clinch the win.
“I don’t think anybody really thought after the Ole Miss game (a 43-37 loss on Sept. 19) that this team would wind up here,” Saban said after the Tide won their 25th league title. “To be honest with you, I had some questions in my mind as to whether we would wind up here. These players wanted to do something special, and probably more than any other time I’ve ever coached, I wanted to see these guys succeed and win back-to-back SEC championships and have an opportunity to get in the playoff.”
Alabama, which won consecutive national titles in 2011 and 2012 but didn’t win the SEC in 2011, is certain to be in the four-team playoff that will be announced tonight. The Crimson Tide’s triumph over the Gators was far more thorough than the two-touchdown final margin would indicate, as Alabama posted a 25-7 edge in first downs and possessed the ball for a whopping 43 minutes and 29 seconds.
Henry was a big reason for the statistical dominance, as the Heisman Trophy favorite strengthened his case with 44 carries for 189 yards and a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:26 left in the second quarter that put the Tide ahead to stay at 12-7. The 6-foot-3, 242-pounder had 25 rushes for 124 yards in the second half.
“My main focus is on finishing and helping this team win,” Henry said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help this team win. It’s a team effort, and all the success I’ve had is a credit to my teammates and coaches and God, because I couldn’t do it without them.”
Henry now has 1,986 rushing yards, eclipsing the SEC single-season mark of 1,891 set by Herschel Walker during an 11-game season in 1981. He has scored in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season and became the first player with two 100-yard SEC championship games.
Big special-teams plays dominated the early stages of Saturday’s game. Keith Holcombe blocked a Johnny Townsend punt through the end zone at the 9:05 mark of the first quarter, and D.J. Pettway blocked Austin Hardin’s 40-yard field-goal attempt four minutes later to prevent the Gators from taking a 3-2 lead.
Florida wound up grabbing a 7-2 lead with 11:53 left in the second quarter on Antonio Callaway’s 85-yard return of JK Scott’s monstrous 59-yard punt that never allowed the coverage to get set.
Alabama collected its second touchdown with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter on a 32-yard pass from Jake Coker to ArDarius Stewart and its third with 8:50 to play on a 9-yarder from Coker to Richard Mullaney, which made it 29-7.
The Gators finished with 15 rushing yards on 21 carries. Tailback Kelvin Taylor entered needing just 23 yards for a 1,000-yard season. He still needs 15.