Today in College Football History: A Defensive Start to Alabama’s Title Season

The 1992 season culminated in Alabama’s 34-13 rout of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, giving Gene Stallings a national championship. The campaign’s beginning didn’t suggest just how strong this Crimson Tide squad really was, though, proving that any analyst making concrete proclamations now is off base.

To wit, the Tide beat Southern Miss in Week 2 by a ho-hum 17-10 tally, just one week after defeating Vanderbilt 25-8. Now, 25-8 may seem a decent figure; not overtly impressive, but nothing to glean ‘Bama wasn’t yet ready for national championship contention. But Alabama won its season opener with the offense largely struggling while playing without prime weapon David Palmer.

Alabama used four field goals by kicker Michael Proctor, playing his first collegiate game. Three of Proctor’s four kicks were from beyond 40 yards, showing both his big leg but also demonstrating how Vandy’s defense was slowing ‘Bama’s offense.

The Tide got a touchdown from Michael Rogers, a 36-yard interception return. The score was Alabama’s biggest “offensive” play of the day. The other UA touchdown was also a result of defense, specifically the Tide forcing a Vanderbilt fumble at its own six-yard line. Such field position was the Tide’s only shot at a touchdown on the day, which quarterback Jay Barker parlayed into a scoring pass to Derrick Lassick.

‘Bama actually failed to crack the 20s in three of its four games that first month. But by October, Stallings’ team was firing on all cylinders. The Tide went on to score 30-plus in six of its next nine games, including dropping 31 on a Miami defense that had previously only surrendered more than 20 twice. The lesson: Week 1 inferences mean little come January.