Notes: Alabama football's Legion Field past, and Saban offense tipping plays? | Goodbread
When Alabama football and the South Florida Bulls meet Saturday in Tampa, it will be just the second game ever between the schools.
The first was quite a footnote in Crimson Tide history.
Twenty years ago this month, USF became the last opponent the Crimson Tide ever played at Birmingham's Legion Field. Players on that 2003 Alabama team, I'm told, knew that UA intended to disentangle itself from its contract to play home games there, but weren't aware at the time that when their bus pulled out of the parking lot, Alabama had turned its back on Legion Field for good.
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UA had been playing home games there since 1927, including decades of Iron Bowls where tickets were split evenly between Alabama and Auburn, each jamming half the stadium with fans, and all the grudge-match electricity of dueling bands, two student sections, and a tradition steeped in rivalry hate. It was an attractive place for Alabama to play many of its home games there, in part because Legion Field's steady expansion outpaced Bryant-Denny Stadium's capacity until BDS finally became the larger venue in 1998. Keep in mind, before the college football business model was swallowed whole by TV revenue, butts in seats were a more important cash source. When Legion Field fell into disrepair, particularly after its East-side upper deck failed building code inspections in 2004, Alabama's already-dwindling interest in playing there fell to zero.
Interestingly enough, Alabama's canceled contract killed a 2007 game that would've put Nick Saban on the Legion Field sideline in his first year as Alabama coach. Instead, UA's last game at the stadium Paul W. "Bear" Bryant nicknamed "The Old Gray Lady," was coached by Mike Shula in his debut, the 40-17 win over USF.
In a twist of irony, the first 2,000 fans through the gate received a set of trading cards featuring the "Legends of Legion Field."
Brooks breakout coming?
A year after Ja'Corey Brooks piled up 674 receiving yards and led UA in TD receptions (8), he's still looking for his first catch of 2023. He missed the first half of Alabama's first game against MTSU for what Saban hinted was a disciplinary measure, and played 18 offensive snaps in the second half. But the junior didn't play much more against Texas last week (23 offensive snaps). The UA receiving corps has looked improved despite his absence, especially sophomore Isaiah Bond. If Brooks is to re-emerge as a key cog in the passing attack, Jalen Milroe's first career road start on Saturday would be good timing for it.
Quotable
"I think what we need to do as an offense is everybody’s got to pay more attention to detail. We can’t give bird and rabbits so the other team knows when we’re passing so they can tee off. All these little things sort of add up to create a disadvantage for you if you don’t get them fixed." - Saban, suggesting Alabama's offense has tipped off opposing defenses.
Around the SEC
Prediction: official injury reports will be required of SEC coaches beginning next season, in an effort to prevent gambling corruption via inside information. Commissioner Greg Sankey had the same "we're looking into it" answer last week that he intimated at SEC Media Days, but in the wake of multiple gambling scandals that have rocked college sports in the last year, it's the only sensible move. ... Arkansas got by last week against Kent State without injured star RB Rocket Sanders (knee), and he'll be missed more Saturday against BYU (2-0). For the Razorbacks (2-0), however, his return for their SEC opener at LSU a week later is of greater importance. … On fire at 80% against the spread since launching last season, here's the Goodspread SEC Pick of the Week: LSU-Mississippi State under (55). Season: 2-0. All-time: 12-3.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23 and the Talkin' Tide podcast. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Notes: Alabama's Legion Field past,and is Saban offense tipping plays?
