Bama sputters past Kentucky

TUSCALOOSA - The mood was a familiar one in the Alabama lockerroom.

Once again, the Crimson Tide came into a game with the hype of an attention-grabbing defeat of a top-10 team looming. And again, Alabama players congregated afterward with a feeling that they hadn't just kept their undefeated season alive.

"It was a tough win, and the mood in the lockerroom was that everybody felt like we kind of lost it," center Antoine Caldwell said after No. 2 Alabama's 17-14 win Saturday against Kentucky. "We knew Kentucky was a good football team. We'll give them credit first, but we did a lot of stuff out there that wasn't characteristic of our football team."

Those characterizations were of a team that took care of the football, avoided penalties and converted on scoring opportunities. Alabama (6-0, 3-0) broke character against the Wildcats (4-1, 0-1), fumbling the ball away twice, losing it once inside the 10-yard line, and racking up a season-high 10 penalties for 92 yards. In five previous games, the Crimson Tide committed 18 penalties for 127 yards, an average of 25.4 penalty yards a game that ranked third nationally.

Alabama also suffered two missed field goals by kicker Leigh Tiffin and was 1-for-3 in red zone opportunities, the only score coming on a 24-yard Tiffin field goal with 2:12 remaining, which capped a 78-yard drive.

The kick proved to be the game-winner, but only after Alabama recovered a Kentucky onsides kick with 40 seconds left, rendering harmless Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline's 48-yard touchdown strike seconds earlier.

"It was an opportunity for our team to play after they've been recognized on a national level," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "That's a different kind of psychological level to handle success. I'd say we didn't handle it very well."

Still, Saban noticed some positives, like the spark his saw during the first half, as the Crimson Tide outgained the Wildcats 253-60 in total offense to take a 14-0 lead.

Glen Coffee accounted for 118 of those yards and a 78-yard touchdown run on his way to a personal-best 218-yard performance.

"The defense played really well," Wilson said. "And the way we were able to run the ball kind of saved us."

Kentucky knocked Wilson around, and the wind out of him once, while racking up three sacks. Wilson finished 7-for-17 passing for 106 yards and an interception.

Saban said he'd like to see more from the passing game, but didn't pin the woes on his senior QB.

"I don't think they did anything we were unprepared for," he said of Kentucky's defense. "I just don't think we did a good job executing in the passing game. We need more guys stepping up with more consistency … and it wasn't John Parker. I don't know if he made a misread out there."

Hartline finished 20-for-42 passing for two touchdowns - his first a 26-yard third-quarter strike to Derrick Lyons - and an interception.

While acknowledging Alabama's second-half lack of intensity, Wilson said playing in a tight game might have benefited the Tide.

"But we did execute when we needed to," Wilson said. "As bad as things were, we had that long drive in the fourth quarter that really sealed the game for us. We haven't had to comeback this season. That's as close as we've been this season, and we were able to get it done."

Like his coach, Wilson said he was just glad to be 6-0. And like Wilson, his coach said he's ready for the upcoming bye week.

"Once you play six games, physically, emotionally, mentally, your players are a little tired," Saban said. "I think the players were a little tired emotionally. You can say what you want about our team, but I bet there are a lot of people in this room who wouldn't have bet we'd be 6-0 right now. And I'm not sure I would have bet it either."

Bryan App can be reached at 740-5730 or bryan.app@timesdaily.com.