CECIL HURT: Comeback win rare at Bryant-Denny

There have been moments of high drama at Bryant-Denny Stadium before — but never quite like this.

If that statement sounds like so much overblown hyperbole in the wake of a win, think hard about it.

When was the last time that an Alabama football team had to have a fourth-quarter touchdown to win in a two-minute situation? When has an Alabama team ever looked to be so worn down and defeated, only to find the inner reserve to score 10 points in the final five minutes and win?

There have been great stops to win, like the LSU game in 1999 when Marvin Constant essentially ended his career keeping the Tigers out of the end zone. Or when Roman Harper put his helmet on the football to jar it out of Tennessee’s hands in 2005. There have been game-winning field goals like the one Michael Proctor kicked against Georgia in the great Jay Barker vs. Eric Zeier duel of 1994. There have been classic two-minutes drives on the road (Mike Shula leading one against Georgia in 1985 comes to mind) and in Legion Field (like Dennis Riddle’s game-winning touchdown against Auburn in 1996.)

But when has it ever happened in Tuscaloosa? And when has it ever happened with a team that seemed to be drained of momentum, sapped of the defensive energy to stop a powerful opponent or the offensive energy to muster a final drive?

It may not have happened in the past 40 years, at least — until the NickSaban Era.

And if anyone asks the question about what exactly why Alabama is paying a coach $4 million a year, that is the answer.

It’s not just the winning, although the winning is important. It’s the sense of confidence that leadership instills. It’s the belief that there will always be a chance when things look bleak. It’s the notion that the decisions made in the heat of battle — like kicking a field goal rather than going for a fourth down with under five minutes to go — will work out.

It’s peace of mind. And if $4 million seems a steep price to pay, try spending a decade or so tormented by uncertainty and see what you think serenity is worth.

It’s not something magical. Saban has not transformed Alabama’s roster into something it’s not. But, three games into his tenure, he has squeezed as much potential out of it as it has to give.

Physically, Alabama wasn’t better than Arkansas on Saturday night. The Razorbacks have two great running backs. They dominated the line of scrimmage at times. They took Alabama’s best shot in the first quarter and didn’t back down. If Matt Caddell had caught the decisive touchdown pass with 68 seconds remaining instead of just eight, there would have been more harrowing moments for the Tide.

But psychologically, the Tide seemed to have confidence that it could find a way, even when no way seemed clear.

After the game, Saban seemed to take it all in stride.

“If you are going to have great wins, then you are going to have great adversity,” he said. “Arkansas has great players. They never threw in the towel. So you can look at it one of two ways. You can be negative about it and say we didn’t have a killer instinct [after giving up leads of 21-0 and 31-10]. Or you can be very positive and say that even with that, we were able to regroup and come back and win.”

That composure is something that takes time to develop. Some teams never develop it. Saban has been seeking to instill it since the spring by various means, including one that came to the forefront on Saturday night: Trust.

With 4:20 remaining, Saban made a crucial decision to kick a field goal, even though the Tide trailed 38-31 at the time.

Saban had to trust Leigh Tiffin, who had missed a field goal earlier in the game and has a haunted history against the Hogs. Tiffin responded and made the kick.

He had to trust a defense that had buckled under the second-half onslaught of Darren McFadden. The defense responded by stopping the Razorbacks and getting the ball back.

He had to trust John Parker Wilson, whose back-to-back turnovers in the third quarter on a bobbled snap and a bad interception had opened the door for Arkansas. Wilson responded with a touchdown drive that will live in Crimson Tide history.

Trust won’t always make up for talent. Confidence won’t always overcome adversity. A win doesn’t make a season. But confidence and leadership will give a team a chance — sometimes even a chance to step into history.

Alabama had that chance for the first time in the Nick Saban Era on Saturday night, and it responded. And perhaps the most amazing and encouraging thing of all wasn’t that it was a great surprise to Alabama fans who saw it happen — but that, somehow, it wasn’t a surprise at all.

Cecil Hurt is sports editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Reach him at cecilhurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.