Tide Tidbits - December 22, 2008

SUGAR BOWL: Alabama's Greenwood wants to go out strong
Bobby Greenwood can't complain. The Alabama senior from Prattville would like more sacks, but what defensive end wouldn't? He'd like more tack­les, but doesn't every defender? Most of all, he'd like to wipe out the disappointment of Ala­bama's last game, a 31-20 loss to Florida in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, with a win over Utah in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2. "We've done a lot of great things this year," he ob­served, "and we just don't want to mess it up here at the end. We just want to go out on top with a victory. I know the sen­iors, we're going to give it all we got."

Utah Utes football: Sharitt knows an upset of Alabama
When Kelly Sharitt became Utah's new athletic equipment manager earlier this year, he brought a wealth of experience to the post. It's a staff Christmas gift he received last year from his previous employer — a commemorative football from Louisiana-Monroe football coach Charlie Weatherbie. "We went in there in front of 92,000 people and we shocked the world," said Sharitt, who was ULM's equipment manager at the time. "It's a pretty neat little gift and just something to remember it by for a long time."

Tide's defense has seen enough of the spread to be ready for Utah
When head defensive coach Kevin Steele's unit takes the Superdome field on Jan. 2 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, it won't be exactly like facing the Gators. But the nation's No. 3 defense can expect many of the same plays and formations. Coach Nick Saban began to sprinkle work on the schemes into practice as early as Nov. 17. By the time the team turned its attention to Utah on Sunday, the UA defenders were practically experts. "It will be just repetition and getting it down more polished," safety Rashad Johnson said, "instead of having to learn new stuff."

Stover enjoying the ride in his senior season
Nikita Stover had no ulterior motive for picking out a shirt from last year’s Independence Bowl to wear after practice on Saturday. The senior receiver for the fourth-ranked University of Alabama wasn’t trying to make a statement, nor did he wear it as a reminder. “I just threw it on,” he said.

Roll Tide!