The 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Mike Shula, the Crimson Tide compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing third in the SEC's Western Division. The team started off the season at 9–0, notching wins over Florida and Tennessee, the two final games of the regular season against LSU and Auburn. The Crimson Tide received a bid to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they defeated Texas Tech on a last-second field goal. The team played home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The season was marked by a notable catch by wide receiver Tyrone Prothro, known to Alabama fans as The Catch, against Southern Miss in the second game of the season. Prothro's career ended later that season as he suffered a broken leg against Florida. Prothro's catch won ESPN's Game Changing Performance for week two, and later the Best Play ESPY Award in all of sports for 2005.
In 2009, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) levied sanctions against Alabama, forcing the Crimson Tide to vacate all of their wins from the season.
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Game summaries Middle Tennessee
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Alabama opened the 2005 season by defeating the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 26–7. Alabama scored first on a defensive play. Late in the first quarter, Mark Anderson sacked the Blue Raider quarterback Clint Marks for a safety and a 2–0 Crimson Tide lead. Alabama then scored their first touchdown of the season in the second quarter on a one-yard Tim Castille run to cap a 51-yard drive. The Blue Raiders responded on the next drive with a 14-yard Marks touchdown pass to Nick McAfee to cut the Alabama lead to 9–7 at halftime.
The Crimson Tide scored on their opening drive of the third quarter when Brodie Croyle threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Prothro. Later in the quarter, Alabama extended their lead to 23–7 after Castille scored his second touchdown from one-yard out in the game. Ryan Saxby then scored the final points of the game in the fourth with his 32-yard field goal to make the final score 26–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Blue Raiders to 2–0.
Southern Miss
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After going down 21–17 at halftime, the Crimson Tide came-from-behind and defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 30–21. Alabama took an early 10–0 lead after Brodie Croyle threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to D. J. Hall and Jamie Christensen connected on a 33-yard field goal. The Golden Eagles then rallied with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to take a 14–10 lead at the end of the quarter. The first came on a defensive score when Gerald McRath intercepted a Croyle pass and returned it 33-yards and the second on a 12-yard Dustin Almond pass to Anthony Perine. Early in the second quarter Southern Miss extended their lead to 21–10 after Almond threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Perine.
On their final offensive possession of the second quarter, Tyrone Prothro made one of the most memorable receptions in Alabama history. On a fourth-and-twelve, Croyle threw a 42-yard pass that Prothro caught on the back of Golden Eagles cornerback Jasper Faulk. Prothro had to wrap his right arm around Faulk's neck and his left arm under Faulk's right armpit to catch the ball (which appeared on replays to be blocked from his view by Faulk), and then he had to maintain possession of the ball until his knee touched down at the one-yard line. Referred to as simply The Catch, the play won the 2006 Best Play ESPY Award. The Crimson Tide then cut the lead on the following play to 21–17 just before the half after Croyle connected with Le'Ron McClain on a one-yard touchdown reception.
Alabama retook the lead in the third quarter after Tim Castille scored on a two-yard touchdown run, and led 23–21 after a failed Christensen extra point. The final points of the game came early in the fourth quarter on the second two-yard Castille touchdown run of the evening to give the Crimson Tide the 30–21 victory. For his 97 yards in kickoff returns and 34 yards punt returns, Tyrone Prothro was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
South Carolina
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In Alabama's first road game of the season, the Crimson Tide defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 37–14, earning Mike Shula only his third road win all-time as Alabama's head coach. Brodie Croyle scored first for the Crimson Tide on a 15-yard run to give Alabama a 7–0 lead after their opening drive. South Carolina then tied the game at 7–7 on the ensuing drive with a one-yard Mike Davis touchdown run. Alabama then retook the lead for good on the following possession when Croyle threw a 46-yard touchdown strike to Keith Brown. Jamie Christensen then scored a pair of second-quarter touchdowns from 41 and 29 yards to give the Crimson Tide a 20–7 halftime lead.
Christensen connected on a 27-yard field goal early in the third to extend the Alabama lead to 23–7. On the following Gamecock possession, a Carlos Thomas fumble was recovered by Alabama's Rudy Griffin at the South Carolina 39-yard line. Three plays later Kenneth Darby scored on a 22-yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 30–7 lead entering the fourth quarter. With the second-string playing in the fourth, John Parker Wilson threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Brown for the final Alabama points of the afternoon. The final touchdown came on the ensuing South Carolina drive when Blake Mitchell threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice to make the final 37–14 score. For his 145 rushing yards and one touchdown, Kenneth Darby was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Arkansas
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With this 24–13 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks to open divisional play, Alabama secured their first 4–0 start since the 1996 season. After a scoreless first quarter, Arkansas scored first with a 34-yard Chris Balseiro field goal. The Crimson Tide responded with a 43-yard Brodie Croyle touchdown pass to D. J. Hall to give Alabama a 7–3 halftime lead.
Arkansas quarterback Robert Johnson fumbled the ball on the opening offensive possession of the second half. Simeon Castille forced the fumble with a quarterback sack, and DeMeco Ryans made the recovery at the Razorback 19-yard line. Three plays later Alabama extended their lead to 10–3 after a 36-yard Jamie Christensen field goal. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Tim Castille scored on a one-yard touchdown run to take a 17–3 lead. On the following Arkansas possession, Peyton Hillis made a 12-yard run and then Darren McFadden scored on a 70-yard touchdown run to cut the Alabama lead to 17–10.
After holding the Crimson Tide to a three-and-out, the Razorbacks' Kyle Dickerson blocked a Jeremy Schatz punt that was recovered by John Aaron Rees at the Alabama eleven-yard line. The Alabama defense was able to get a stop and hold Arkansas to a 27-yard Balseiro field goal. The Crimson Tide scored the final points of the game late in the fourth when Croyle connected again with Hall, and this time it was on a five-yard pass to make the final score 24–13. For his 15 tackle performance, DeMeco Ryans was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week; and for his 275 punting yards that included a 72-yard punt, Jeremy Schatz was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Florida
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In what was Urban Meyer's first game as the Florida Gators head coach against Alabama, the Crimson Tide was victorious 31–3. After fumbling the Florida punt after their first offensive series, Tyrone Prothro responded on Alabama's first offensive play of the afternoon by taking a Brodie Croyle slant pass 87-yards for a 7–0 Crimson Tide lead. On the ensuing Florida possession, Chris Harris intercepted a Chris Leak pass and returned it to the Gators' two-yard line. Three plays later, Alabama had a 14–0 lead after a one-yard Tim Castille touchdown run. Jamie Christensen added a 22-yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 17–0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter, the Alabama defense completed a goal line stand after Mark Anderson and Freddie Roach combine to tackle DeShawn Wynn at the one-yard line on fourth down. Chris Hetland then scored the only Florida points of the game on their next offensive possession with his 37-yard field goal. Following the Hetland field goal, Alabama again scored on a one-play drive when Croyle connected with Keith Brown for a 65-yard touchdown reception to give the Crimson Tide a 24–3 halftime lead. Prothro then scored the final points of the game early in the third quarter with his 15-yard touchdown reception to make the score 31–3.
Although Alabama did go on to win 31–3, the game is also notable as being the last played by Tyrone Prothro. Early in the fourth quarter, he broke both his tibia and fibula after landing awkwardly in a failed attempt to make a touchdown reception on a fourth-and-five play. For his four tackle performance, Mark Anderson was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week; and for his 283 passing yards and three touchdowns, Brodie Croyle was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Ole Miss
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In a game dominated by both defenses Alabama defeated their long-time rival, the Ole Miss Rebels 13–10 in Oxford. After Tim Castille failed to gain a first down on a fourth-and-one on the Rebels' six-yard line, both teams traded turnovers on successive drives. DeMeco Ryans forced a fumble by Taye Biddle that was recovered by Charlie Peprah at the Alabama 16-yard line. On the following Alabama play, Travis Johnson caused D. J. Hall to fumble that was recovered by Garry Pack. Three plays later Ole Miss took a 7–0 lead after Micheal Spurlock threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Mario Hill. After Jamie Christensen missed a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter, Ramzee Robinson intercepted a Spurlock pass on the first play of the ensuing possession to set up a 43-yard Christensen field goal to make the score 7–3. The Rebels missed one and had a second field goal attempt blocked later in the quarter to give Ole Miss a 7–3 halftime lead.
On their first possession of the second half, Alabama scored their only touchdown of the game on a 48-yard Kenneth Darby touchdown run. The Rebels tied the game up early in the fourth with a 24-yard Robert Bass field goal, but the Crimson Tide won the game with a 31-yard Christensen field goal as time expired to make the final score 13–10.
Tennessee
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In a defensive struggle against long-time rival Tennessee, Alabama extended their overall season record to 7–0 with a 6–3 victory over the Volunteers. After trading fumbles on two of the three opening possessions, Jamie Christensen missed a 50-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter for Alabama. Neither team would have another scoring opportunity again until midway through the third quarter. After DeMeco Ryans recovered a fumbled punt by Lucas Taylor at the 50-yard line, Christensen connected on a 33-yard field goal six plays later to give the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead.