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The idiot that I am forgot to bring a reader for my SD card, but trust me when, I got a great picture of Alabama fans sitting stunned and dejected after Utah’s third score. Alabama just kicked a field goal to make the score 21–3 and ‘Bama fans just seemed relieved to even be on the board.

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Alabama’s John Park Wilson has spent most of this game with his face in astroturf as he’s been sacked approximately four-dozen times. Oh, he also threw an interception inside the Tide’s 30-yard line that set the Utes up for their second score. All in all, you gotta wonder why Alabama was so heavily favored in this game. Let’s see if they wake up and show everyone why they spent most of the season ranked No. 1.

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Photo by Jonathan Bachman

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UPDATE: Just got the stat sheet for the first quarter. Wilson 3-of-7 for 34 yards with three sacks and an interception. Utah’s Brian Johnson is 10-of-14 for 139 and two touchdowns. Not pretty for Alabama but they did just force the Utes to punt for the first time today and their fans have new life.

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2nd UPDATE: Alabama has made a game of it somewhat. After that atrocious start, the Crimson Tide have scored 17 unanswered points including a touchdown just a few minutes ago after recovering a Brian Johnson fumble. It’s 21-17 but Utah is driving and Alabama seriously needs a stop. The Bama fans aren’t as quite as they were 45 minutes ago, though.

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3rd UPDATE: Well there goes all that momentum for Alabama, Brian Johnson just passed for his 3rd touchdown and now the Utes lead it 28–17. It seemed like the Tide was finally awake coming out for the second half and their defense looked like it would begin two swarm. But two big completions negated all that. Bama needs to figure out how to stop this Utah offense or this game is pretty much over.

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4th UPDATE:  After Leigh Tiffin missed a 49-yard field goal attempt wide left with just under five minutes left in the third quarter, all Alabama and Utah have done is trade punts. The game has turned into a battle of attrition which is bad news for the Crimson Tide as they still trail by 11 points. If nothing else happens from now until 5 minutes left in the game, this will be my last update as I’ll be down on the field for post-game interviews.

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Photo by Jonathan Bachman

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The University of Utah Utes had a pep rally yesterday in the third-floor ballroom at the Canal Street Marriott and we were there to document all them Utes doing what Utes do. It was a pretty impressive turnout by a large contingent of fans some speculated might not match the number of Alabama fans. (Anyone who’s been downtown the last couple of days knows that the sea of red is not restricted to Crimson Tide.) We managed to wrangle a couple of the players’ families and former NFL running back Jamal Anderson (a Utah alum) and they talked to us about what it means to be a Ute.

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Enjoy the video after the jump.

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Congratulations to Indianapolis Colts quarterback and all-around swell New Orleanian Peyton Manning, who was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player today. Manning joins New Jersey Jets chalk outline and sometime comic actor Brett Favre as the only three-time winners of the award. Speaking to the Associated Press, Manning called 2008 — a year in which the Colts started 3-4 before ripping off nine straight wins to reach the playoffs — “the most rewarding regular season that I’ve been a part of in my 11 years.” Over the last decade-plus, Manning has never missed a single game, and his commercial spots for MasterCard are actually kind of hilarious. Really, it’s hard to say which accomplishment is more impressive.   

 

A by-the-numbers breakdown of Manning’s three MVP seasons, per the AP:

 

Year

2003

2004

2008

Team W-L

12-4

12-4

12-4

Comp. Pct.

67.0

67.7

66.8

Pass yds

4,267

4,557

4,002

TD-Int

29-10

49-10

27-12

Rating

99.0

121.1

95.0

 

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Alabama fans and the rest of the country will find out just what a Ute is tonight at the Sugar Bowl. Jonathan Bachman, Clay Smith and I found out yesterday. Video evidence is coming in a bit.

A new breakfast spot called Huevos (4408 Bank St., 482-6264) opens today in Mid-City, serving a short menu of Mexican-style egg dishes.

It’s another new addition to the city’s mysteriously short list of casual breakfast joints, and it’s also a nimble turn for the restaurant’s owners, who saw themselves doing something quite different just a few months ago.

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