http://www.tennessean.com/sports/college/archives/04/12/63350006.shtml?Element_ID=63350006
Sunday, 12/26/04 Tide goes wild for Music City
By MIKE ORGAN Staff Writer
For anyone wondering how the climate has changed at Alabama since the Crimson Tide last rolled into Nashville for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, consider this statement made by then-coach Mike DuBose:
''Sometimes we take bowl games for granted at the University of Alabama.''
Rest assured, that is no longer something Alabama coaches worry about.
Mike Shula has had plenty of headaches since assuming the role once held by DuBose, but a lack of appreciation for a bowl berth is not one of them.
In the six years since DuBose's team played Virginia Tech in the inaugural Music City Bowl, Alabama has been to two bowl games.
And that is why a team steeped in such a rich football history — that includes an NCAA record 51 bowl appearances and 29 bowl victories — isn't looking down at the opportunity to play Minnesota in Friday's Music City Bowl at the Coliseum.
A program, that in the past never wondered if it would play in a bowl, only which bowl would present the most attractive offer, wildly celebrated news that it was coming to Nashville when the invitation was extended earlier this month.
''I think back to when we got our sixth win, there was something different about that one,'' Shula said. ''All the guys knew we were bowl eligible. The look on their faces, especially the seniors that have been to only one other bowl, they take a lot of pride being at Alabama. They take a lot of pride in winning. And they take a lot of pride in carrying on traditions.''
Has Alabama's proud tradition been tarnished by the fact that its players are elated to be playing in a lower tier bowl? Probably so.
But Shula insists it is part of the recovery that is necessary for a program that was rocked by stiff NCAA sanctions, which made the Crimson Tide ineligible for postseason play the previous two seasons and lowered the talent level as a result of severe scholarship limitations.
''We all know what our standards are, our expectations,'' Shula said. ''We're not where we want to be, where we need to be right now. But for where we have had to come from — to not having a chance to play in a bowl, guys who are on their fourth head coach and going through three in a year — there are a lot of things going in the right direction.''
Even if there had been no NCAA sanctions looming when he accepted the job in 2003 — less than three months before the Tide's first game — Shula, who replaced Mike Price who was fired before he ever coached his first game, tempered his expectations.
That was a wise move considering his first team posted a 4-9 record, which marked the Tide's second most losses since the 1956 team lost 10 games.
Still, Alabama fans, perhaps more finicky than any in the country, have given Shula a passing grade this season. They snatched up their full allotment of Music City Bowl tickets in a matter of hours. And when Minnesota returned half of its allotment, the Alabama fans bought the rest.
And Athletics Director Mal Moore couldn't be happier with the turnaround Shula has engineered leading the Tide to a 6-5 record this season.
''It's an unbelievable opportunity for us (to play in the Music City Bowl) given the situation we've been in the last couple of years,'' Moore said. ''We're definitely moving in the right direction. We'll play this game about 20 recruited players short. On top of that we've lost our starting quarterback, running back, fullback and against Auburn we were without our starting tight end. These coaches and players are to be commended for the way they've worked through adversity.''
An inordinate number of injuries have been as much of an obstacle for the Tide as the NCAA sanctions were the previous two years.
Quarterback Brodie Croyle suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sept. 18. Not long after that starting tailback Ray Hudson and fullback Tim Castille's seasons were ended prematurely by knee injuries. Then Croyle's backup Spencer Pennington was injured, which forced Marc Guillon, a transfer from Miami, into action.
Other significant injuries followed including fullback LeRon McClain, offensive linemen Wesley Britt and Danny Martz, tight ends David Cavan and Clint Johnson and cornerback Simeon Castille.
Shula still doesn't know if Tim Darby, who stepped in for Hudson, will play because he has a pulled stomach muscle.
With so many distractions, it's easy to understand why Alabama in general and Shula in particular are so excited about returning to the Music City Bowl.
''These guys have paid the price,'' Shula said. ''These guys in my opinion are what this university is all about and what this football program's all about.''
Mike Organ is a staff writer for The Tennessean. Reach him at 259-8021 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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