Sunday, October 03, 1999
Alexander struts Heisman stuff
N.Ky. native runs for 4 TDs in Alabama's upset of Florida
The Associated Press
Shaun Alexander, the pride of Northern Kentucky, furthered his cause in the Heisman Trophy race with four TDs as 21st-ranked Alabama upset No. 3 Florida 40-39 Saturday.
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HEISMAN WATCH
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• Travis Prentice, RB, Miami, 27 rushes, 131 yards, receiving TD.
• Shaun Alexander, RB, Alabama, 28 rushes, 106 yards, 3 TDs; 4 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD.
• Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin, 32 rushes, 161 yards, 4 TDs.
• Drew Brees, QB, Purdue, 20-of-49, 293 yards, 1 TD.
• Pete Warrick, WR, Florida State, 6 catches for 67 yards, 3 TDs; 1 pass for 35 yards, 1 TD.
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After Alexander's 25-yard TD in overtime, walkon Chris Kemp missed the game-winning extra-point. But an offside penalty gave him another chance.
“I've been telling guys all the time God has something planned for this team,” said Alexander, from Boone County High School. “That showed this is God's team.”
How else could Alabama have two second-half turnovers turn into Florida touchdowns, surrender 449 yards of total offense and still get an opportunity to win when Jeff Chandler missed an extra-point attempt in overtime for the Gators?
“You can tell God has a sense of humor,” Alexander said. “After we missed the last extra point, God said, 'Y'all paying attention?' ”
Alexander rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries and caught four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown to challenge Florida State's Peter Warrick as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate.
Alabama owned the ball a staggering 41 minutes, 22 seconds of the 60-minute game, moving the ball at will.
A fourth-down plunge by Alexander and a pair of Kemp field goals left Alabama holding a tenuous 13-7 lead before the Gators caught fire to score 26 second-half points. Bennie Alexander's 42-yard interception return and a botched punt attempt that turned into a short 26-yard Florida scoring drive left Alabama trailing 33-26 with 5:15 left.
Alabama's next possession would stall, but Florida's Darrell Jackson fumbled Patrick Morgan's punt at the Florida 21. Four plays later, Alabama faced a fourth-and-2, but Shaun Alexander broke through the middle, pulled away from Lester Norwood at the 8 and sauntered into the end zone to tie the game with 85 seconds left.
Fate was on Alabama's side again on the Gators' ensuing possession when Chris Horne came on a rarely-called blitz and recorded the only Crimson Tide sack of a game to keep the Gators out of field goal position and preserve the tie.
In overtime, Alabama was trailing again when quarterbacks coach Charlie Stubbs signaled for a new play, a counter run out of a new formation. Alexander went 25 yards to give Alabama only its second win over the Gators in the last nine meetings.
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