Alabama upends Texas Tech 13-10 to win Cotton Bowl

By Darrell Laurant  |   Monday, January 02, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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When Jamie Christenson stepped up to try and win Monday afternoon's Cotton Bowl with a career-long 45-yard field goal, no one would have blamed him for having Cotton mouth.

Earlier, the Alabama place kicker had missed one kick from 39 yards and had a 38-yarder blocked. And the one he launched with five seconds left was no thing of beauty, either -- a low line drive that had "wide left" written all over it. But the ball ducked just inside the lower left upright for Christenson's third game-winning three-pointer of the season and a 13-10 victory over Texas Tech, and suddenly no one on the Crimson Tide side cared about style points.

The game also answered, at least for a day, the question of what happens when a irresistible offense (18th-ranked Texas Tech, averaging more than 40 points a game) meets a rugged defense (13th-ranked Alabama). As everyone knows who's ever played the simplest and most popular childhood game, rocks always break scissors.

At the same time, Tech quarterback Cody Hodges -- disrespected in many circles as simply an automaton, plugged into Mike Leach's offense to push buttons and throw short passes --- surprised his detractors and Alabama alike by scampering for 65 rushing yards, many off busted plays.

Hodges also brought the Big 12 runner-up Red Raiders from behind with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Hicks with 2:56 left, the score set up by a 25-yard run on a reverse by another wide receiver, Joel Filani. Alex Trlica's extra point made it 10-10.

Which left it up to Alabama QB Brodie Croyle, who started the final drive on his own 14 and steered the Tide (which won its record 30th bowl game) into field goal range with a couple of key pass completions, the last a 24-yarder to Keith Brown. After Croyle threw an interception and Tech stuffed 'Bama RB on consecutive plays, Christenson got his chance for redemption.

Brown had given Alabama its first lead by hauling in a 76-yard touchdown pass from Croyle in the first quarter. Trlica and Christenson then swapped field goals, the Red Raider kicker nailing a 34-yarder in the first period and Christenson connecting from 31 yards out in the third.

A stubborn Alabama defense, led by linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Freddie Roach, held Leach's team to 56 yards rushing and kept the pressure on Hodges to make plays through the air. Texas Tech finished 9-3 on the season, while Alabama broke a two-game losing streak to wind up 10-2.
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