Alabama Football: 10 memorable Crimson Tide season-openers
By Ronald Evans
No. 6 Alabama vs. Nebraska (1978)
In the second game of the 1977 season, the Crimson Tide lost to the Cornhuskers in Lincoln, NE. The 31-24 loss ended up costing the Tide the 1977 National Championship. When the 1978 season opened in Birmingham, revenge was on the minds of all Alabama football players.
Nebraska opened the scoring with a field goal. It was all Crimson Tide the rest of the way as the Cornhuskers gained only 174 yards of total offense, with Alabama winning easily, 20-3.
Check out the highlights below, beginning with a second-quarter, Alabama Crimson Tide 99-plus yard touchdown drive.
No. 7 Alabama at Georgia (1985)
Alabama led 13-9 with less than a minute left in the game when the Bulldogs blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown. Sanford Stadium went wild. The celebration continued, as Alabama took possession after the kickoff, at its 29-yard line, trialing 16-13.
Alabama QB, Mike Shula had completed only five of eight passes in the game. The Crimson Tide had 50 seconds and no timeouts. First down was a long incompletion. A second down completion to Greg Richardson took Alabama to the Georgia 45. A Shula completion to Al Bell got to the Georgia 30. Another completion to Richardson took the Tide inside the Georgia 20. With 20 seconds on the clock, Shula passed to Bell again, for the winning touchdown and final 20-16 score.
A stunned Sanford Stadium crowd turned silent.