Saban's first monumental win in Tuscaloosa wasn't against Clemson as many believe, but came against Arkansas in 2007. Now, relive that historic night through the eyes of John Parker Wilson and Matt Caddell.
Some might say it was the moment that the Crimson Tide became a contender again in the college football world.to Bryant-Denny Stadium on a bustling September night. While the Crimson Tide finished 6-7 the year prior, there was a lot of new energy on campus — due to the arrival of new head coach Nick Saban.
The aforementioned McFadden was the runner-up for the Heisman in 2006, and a lot of college football experts in the region thought he should have won over Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. The Razorbacks planned on making a run back to the SEC championship — and more. With Arkansas leading 38-31 with under eight minutes to go, it looked like another close loss for an Alabama program that was very familiar with slim defeats under head coach Mike Shula. As the clock got under under 4:30 to play, the Crimson Tide was faced with fourth-and-6 at the Razorbacks' 25-yard line. Despite being down by seven points, Saban decided to kick the field goal.
"I think Coach Saban had prepared us," Caddell said."We had put in such a great week of preparation — I don’t think there was ever doubt. They go up 38-31 and it’s looking grim. We had some guys down, it was hard to stop McFadden. The defense had to get a stop in order for us to get the ball back. I remember Coach Saban called a timeout and was like, ‘Listen, we need a stop right here.’After allowing one first down, the Crimson Tide couldn't surrender another.
"We wanted to be there," Wilson said."We were Alabama fans. We always had belief in ourselves. We never quit, we never gave up. We always had the belief that we had a chance to win with the guys that huddle and we weren't stopping until the very end. was a big part of that." "I came down with it, got back up and it was just pure pandemonium after that," Caddell said."I just remember getting bombarded by everybody and being on the bottom of the pile. It felt like we were celebrating for like 10 minutes before we kicked the extra point. It was just crazy, getting that first signature win for Saban — a special moment for sure."
The win sent Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama into a frenzy. For the first time in a while, it felt like the program was back on the map. "Have you ever seen the movie “Full Metal Jacket,” and the drill sergeant is chewing everybody out? It was like that," Caddell said."It was totally different — such a demand placed on excellence and preparation. The practices were so freaking hard. I’ll never forget our first practice. It wasn’t even pads and we were like, ‘Yo, this is crazy.’ Nobody is standing around — everybody is doing something, everybody has a job to do, has a purpose. It was so intense.
"We figured out how to win," Wilson said."We were able to win those close games . We beat LSU in overtime, we beat Georgia, we beat Clemson. I think it was taking the mentality of that 2007 team and refining it over the offseason."
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