The 1998 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Mike DuBose, the Crimson Tide compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing third in the SEC's Western Division. Alabama as invited to the Music City Bowl, where the Crimson Tide lost to Virginia Tech. The team played home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Game summaries BYU
The Crimson Tide debuted a new east-side upper deck and 81 new skyboxes at Bryant-Denny Stadium, helping set a new attendance record of 83,818. Along with the stadium renovations, Alabama unveiled a new wide-open offense. The record-breaking crowd watched Shaun Alexander score five touchdowns, leading the Crimson Tide to a 38-31 victory over BYU.
Alabama received the football to start the game, with John David Phillips making his first career start for the Crimson Tide. Phillips led Alabama on an impressive 15-play, 65-yard opening drive, which was capped off by Alexander scampering in from 5 yards out to give Alabama an early 7-0 lead.
After a three-and-out by BYU on its opening possession, Alabama once again found the end zone, this time needing just three plays to travel 46 yards. Alexander got his second rushing touchdown of the night, breaking free for a 37-yard touchdown run to extend the Alabama lead to 14-0.
BYU moved the football on its second possession, driving into Alabama territory before a couple of negative plays derailed the drive and forced the Cougars to punt once again.
In the second quarter Alexander fumbled the football, and BYU's Byron Frisch scooped it up and raced 39 yards for a Cougar touchdown, cutting the Alabama lead to 14-7.
Alabama answered by driving 65 yards in nine plays. The drive was capped off by Alexander's third rushing touchdown of the night, this one coming from 1 yard out, to give Alabama a 21-7 advantage.
On its next possession, BYU's Will Snowden fumbled the football, and Alabama's Kevin Sigler recovered at the BYU 46-yard line. Alabama moved the ball inside the Cougars' 15-yard line, but BYU's defense held the Tide out of the end zone. Ryan Pflugner scored a 34-yard field goal to extend the Alabama lead to 24-7.
After another three-and-out by BYU, the Cougars punted, but Alabama's Arvin Richard fumbled on the return, with BYU's Carlos Nuno recovering the ball.
BYU drove 46 yards in eight plays, and scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Feterik to a wide-open Tevita Ofahengaue, trimming the Alabama lead to 24-14.
Alabama took its next possession into BYU territory once again, thanks in large part to a pass interference penalty and then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on BYU head coach LaVell Edwards for arguing the call. The drive stalled and Alabama was forced to punt for the first time all night.
BYU attempted to drive the length of the field during the final minute of the half, but the Cougars were unable score and Alabama took a 24-14 lead into halftime.
BYU received the football to start the second half and mounted an impressive 84-yard drive in nine plays, resulting in a 6-yard touchdown run by Reno Mahe to cut the Alabama lead to 24-21.
On Alabama's first play of the second half, Phillips hit Michael Vaughn on a screen pass, which Vaughn took 31 yards into BYU territory. Phillips injured his hand during the drive, and redshirt freshman Andrew Zow made his Alabama debut at quarterback on fourth down. Alexander picked up the first down to keep the drive alive.
Two plays later, Zow completed his first collegiate pass to Quincy Jackson, who was knocked out of bounds just a yard short of the line to gain, setting up another fourth-down situation. Alabama went for it again, but this time Alexander was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. BYU capitalized and drove deep into Alabama territory. The Crimson Tide defense held the Cougars out of the end zone, but Owen Pochman scored a 23-yard field goal to cap off the 67-yard drive and tie the game at 24-24.
Zow remain at quarterback for Alabama on the next possession, and for the first time all night, the Tide went three-and-out, eventually being forced to punt on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
After BYU went three-and-out on its first possession of the fourth quarter, Alabama started its next drive with Zow still at quarterback. However, four plays into the possession, Phillips returned, but Alabama was forced to punt. On BYU's next possession, Feterik's third-down pass wasbintercepted by Fernando Bryant, giving Alabama the football near midfield with eight minutes remaining in the game.
The Tide needed just three plays to regain the lead, when Alexander broke two tackles and raced 28 yards into the end zone for his fourth touchdown of the night, putting Alabama back in front, 31-24.
On BYU's next possession, a fumbled quarterback-center exchange was recovered by Alabama's Reggie Grimes, giving the Crimson Tide the football at the BYU 30-yard line with a chance to put the game away. Six plays and 30 yards later, Alexander ran 2 yards into the end zone for his fifth rushing touchdown of the night, giving Alabama a 38-24 lead with just over a minute and a half remaining in the game.
BYU then drove 75 yards in six plays. Feterik finished the drive himself, running 13 yards for a touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining to cut the Alabama lead to 38-31. BYU's ensuing onside kick was recovered by Alabama, allowing the Crimson Tide to run out the clock and secure a 38-31 victory. This was the first victory in Tuscaloosa for head coach Mike DuBose.
Statistics BYUAlabama First downs 25 25 Total yards 280 339 Rushing yards 98 143 Passing yards 182 196 Turnovers 3 2 Time of possession 30:19 29:41 Team Category Player StatisticsBYU Passing Kevin Feterik 19–30, 182 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Will Snowden 4 carries, 27 yards Receiving Margin Hooks 4 receptions, 65 yardsAlabama Passing John David Phillips 17–29, 188 yards Rushing Shaun Alexander 26 carries, 115 yards, 5 TD's Receiving Quincy Jackson 11 receptions, 104 yards
Vanderbilt
Alabama scored 32 unanswered points after Vanderbilt took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and the Crimson Tide earned its first conference victory of the season with a 32-7 win over the Commodores. The victory was Alabama's 300th SEC win.
Vanderbilt received the football to start the game but was forced to punt on its opening possession. Alabama quickly moved into Vanderbilt territory on its second offensive play when John David Phillips found Michael Vaughn on a screen pass for 27 yards, taking the ball inside the Vanderbilt 30-yard line. However, on the very next play, another screen pass was deflected and intercepted by Doyle Crosby, ending the Alabama drive.
Vanderbilt responded with a six-play, 70-yard drive, with the majority of the yardage coming on a 50-yard touchdown pass from David Wallace to Tavarus Hogans. The touchdown gave the Commodores their first points and first lead of the season at 7-0.
Alabama again drove into Vanderbilt territory, thanks in large part to a 36-yard scamper by Shaun Alexander that moved the ball inside the Vanderbilt 40-yard line. The drive stalled, however, and Ryan Pflugner missed a 52-yard field goal wide left.
After an exchange of punts, Wallace overthrew a pass on third down, and the ball was intercepted by Warren Foust, giving Alabama possession at the Vanderbilt 40-yard line. Two plays later, Alexander busted up the middle untouched for a 36-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.
After three more punts—two by Vanderbilt and one by Alabama—the Crimson Tide put together an 11-play drive that took the ball inside the Vanderbilt 30-yard line, where Alabama faced a third-and-16. Phillips rolled out of the pocket and found a wide-open Quincy Jackson in the back of the end zone, but his throw sailed to the right and led Jackson out of bounds, resulting in an incomplete pass. Pflugner missed a 45-yard field goal.
On the very next play Vanderbilt gave up the ball when Wallace's pass sailed high and was intercepted by Kevin Sigler, giving Alabama the ball back at the Vanderbilt 31-yard line. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Phillips connected with a wide-open Jackson for a 31-yard touchdown, giving Alabama its first lead of the game at 14-7.
Vanderbilt took the final possession of the half into Alabama territory and eventually attempted a 63-yard field goal by John Markham. The kick was partially blocked and fell short; Alabama took a 14-7 lead into halftime.
After an Alabama punt to begin the second half, Vanderbilt went backward after starting at its own 20-yard line. A holding penalty on first down backed the Commodores up to the 10-yard line, and a sack moved them back to the 4. Facing third down, Wallace rolled out in the end zone to avoid another sack and attempted to throw the ball away. However, he threw the ball into an area where no receiver was in sight, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone and a safety. The safety extended Alabama's lead to 16-7.
Alabama took the ball into Vanderbilt territory on its ensuing possession and narrowly avoided disaster when Vanderbilt batted a Phillips pass into the air and intercepted it. However, the Commodores were flagged for defensive holding, negating the interception. On the very next play, Alexander took the toss and scampered 8 yards for a touchdown, extending the Alabama lead to 23-7.
After both teams exchanged punts, the Commodores began their next possession inside their own 10-yard line. Three plays later, Kindal Moorehead sacked Wallace in the end zone, resulting in Alabama's second safety of the third quarter and increasing the Crimson Tide's lead to 25-7.
Both teams exchanged punts twice as the game moved into the fourth quarter. Alabama then put together its best drive of the day, going 81 yards in eight plays. The drive was capped off by a perfectly timed draw play against an all-out Vanderbilt blitz, with Alexander breaking through and racing 35 yards for the touchdown to give Alabama a commanding 32-7 lead.
After three more punts—two by Alabama and one by Vanderbilt—the Commodores got the ball back with less than 20 seconds remaining. Backup quarterback Greg Zolman threw a deep pass into the end zone, but the ball was intercepted by Marcus Spencer, ending the game.
Statistics VanderbiltAlabama First downs 13 16 Total yards 145 400 Rushing yards –33 221 Passing yards 178 179 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 25:31 36:08 Team Category Player StatisticsVanderbilt Passing David Wallace 18–40, 167 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's Rushing Jared McGrath 7 carries, 16 yards Receiving Tavarus Hogans 5 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TDAlabama Passing John David Phillips 19–30, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Shaun Alexander 20 carries, 206 yards, 3 TD's Receiving Michael Vaughn 8 receptions, 73 yards
Arkansas
Despite trailing by only eight points at halftime, Alabama would be shut out in the second half and ultimately suffer a 42-6 defeat. The 36-point margin of defeat would be Alabama's largest since the 1957 Iron Bowl.
After Alabama went three-and-out to open the game, Arkansas would drive the ball into Alabama territory, eventually reaching inside the Crimson Tide's 5-yard line. The Alabama defense would stiffen near the goal line, however, and Todd Latourette would hook a 19-yard field goal wide left, keeping the game scoreless.
Alabama would go three-and-out again on its second possession, and Daniel Pope's punt would travel only to the Alabama 43-yard line, giving the Hogs excellent field position to begin their second drive. Arkansas would be unable to pick up a first down and would attempt a fake punt on fourth down, but Alabama would stop the play and take over on downs.