Alabama Rallies to Win, 21-7 : No. 4 Tide Too Much for No. 13 Gators

Fourth-ranked Alabama showed Coach Ray Perkins something Saturday.

“I think we touched on greatness today,” Perkins said after a strong second-half performance carried the Crimson Tide to a 21-7 victory over 13th-ranked Florida in a Southeastern Conference showdown.

The Tide took control in the third quarter, when quarterback Mike Shula engineered two long scoring drives that erased a 7-0 halftime deficit.

“We haven’t had a better half since I’ve been here,” Perkins said. “Our team played a great game against a great football team. Florida is one of the most talented teams in the country.”

Shula, who completed 11 of 16 passes for 118 yards, led the tying drive with his passing and then turned to the running game for the go-ahead drive.

“The very first series of the second half was crucial to the outcome,” Florida Coach Galen Hall said. “Alabama got the momentum, and it snowballed.”

David Casteal scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run at the end of a 15-play, 91-yard drive that included only one pass. But it was a key one.

Faced with a third and six at the Florida 34, Shula shoveled a pass to Kerry Goode, who went 12 yards for the first down.

Casteal then set up a clinching touchdown with a 31-yard run to the Florida 17 before Bobby Humphrey scored on a 1-yard plunge with three minutes left in the game.

Humphrey led Alabama’s running attack with 114 yards in 24 carries as the Tide played without its leading rusher, Gene Jelks, who was sidelined by an ankle injury.

With linebacker Cornelius Bennett leading Alabama’s defensive charge, the Gators sacked Kerwin Bell three times. Bell completed 22 of 36 passes for 235 yards, but Florida gained just 42 yards on the ground.

The victory lifted Alabama to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC race as it continued its mastery of the Gators, building its series lead to 17-5, including all 6 meetings at Florida Field.

Florida fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.