http://snurl.com/2ko0 But Brandon Avalos is preparing to start against USM
10/06/03 By THOMAS MURPHY Sports Reporter The daunting task facing Mike Shula and his first Alabama staff this week is easy to identify and tough to solve. How can these coaches slow the downward slide the Tide appears headed for at a rapid clip? It's not just a disheartening injury report for Alabama, loser's of three straight heading into Saturday's homecoming game against Southern Miss. There's the overall team psyche, plus the fact that the Crimson Tide is wearing down in the trenches, where the games are decided each week. "Obviously everyone's spirits are down," Shula said Sunday, before again saluting his team's commitment to improving and finding senior leadership. "I'd be lying if I said the spirits weren't down. We've got to have some good things happen. When I say that I mean we have to go make some good things happen." Shula and his offensive staff face a full-blown quarterback crisis, partly due to their own decision to put Brodie Croyle into a 30-3 game against Georgia only to have their top signal caller slammed and re-injured two plays later. "Our feeling is, unless something changes between now and Tuesday, (Croyle) is similar to last week," Shula said. "There's a chance to play." Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman thumped Croyle flat on his back in the second quarter, and Croyle left in severe pain, whatever progress he had made after one week a long forgotten memory. One quarter later, hit man Thomas Davis plowed Spencer Pennington into the ground, sending him onto the injury list with what is believed to be a separated right shoulder. "He's probably out a couple of weeks, at least," Shula said, without defining Pennington's injury. Suddenly redshirt freshman Brandon Avalos looks like the Tide's homecoming starter, with walk-on Michael Machen of Mobile rushed into the mix to pick up early week reps in case Croyle cannot practice. Avalos had between five and 10 practice snaps last week; Machen has had none this season. "We have to come up with a plan that caters to things (Avalos) does well," Shula said. "Right now, I'm number one on the list," Avalos said after Saturday's 37-23 loss in Athens. "Unless Brodie and Spencer can fully rehab, it's me. I'm going to prepare like I'm No. 1." The Crimson Tide got down early and never recovered until it seemed Georgia, ahead 37-10 at intermission, lost interest in the second half. Georgia had pummeled Alabama statistically before doing the same to its quarterbacks. Alabama's initial first down came after the Bulldogs led 30-3 with Croyle already removed from the game. "The worst thing that could have happened happened," Shula said. "We couldn't get a first down. We were about as low as we've felt all year at halftime." Senior back Shaud Williams and junior tackle Wes Britt tried to stay positive about the Tide's current skid. "It's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of effort," Williams said. "We have to stay positive. If we get down right now, it can start going downhill." Britt said the team will not roll over. "The sense of competition will do that," he said. "We're going to do what it takes to win football games." --------------------------------------------------------- "It wouldn't have been somewhere else," Shula said. "If it hadn't been Alabama, I would have stayed where I was." ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
