Alabama Finds Its Drive Against Colorado : Blockbuster Bowl: Crimson Tide puts together three long scoring marches in the second half for a 30-25 victory.

Alabama completed its best season since 1979 with its best offensive performance since October.

The Crimson Tide mounted three long scoring drives in the second half for a 30-25 victory over Colorado Saturday night in the Blockbuster Bowl. Alabama freshman Jay Barker threw three touchdown passes, all on third down.

Eighth-ranked Alabama finished 11-1, its best record since the 1979 Tide went 12-0 and won the national championship. No. 15 Colorado fell to 8-3-1.

“It’s been a great year for us,” Alabama Coach Gene Stallings said. “The defense was super, and finally we got some output from the offense.”

Alabama’s offense had scored only three touchdowns in the past four games and had 63 yards in the first half. But the Tide put the game away in the second half by driving 90, 75 and 71 yards for touchdowns.

The Buffaloes’ game plan included more pass plays and little of the option attack that helped them win the national championship a year ago. The result: eight first downs and minus-11 yards rushing.

Barker completed 12 of 16 passes for 154 yards. He capped Alabama’s long drives with clutch scoring passes of 13 yards to Siran Stacy, 12 yards to Kevin Lee and five yards to David Palmer.

Palmer opened the scoring with his fourth punt-return touchdown this season, a 52-yard runback. The freshman received the game’s most valuable player trophy.

“I don’t have a trophy this big,” he said.

“I’m sure glad he’s playing for us,” Stallings said.

Alabama senior Siran Stacy rushed for 111 yards in 26 carries and caught four passes for 59 yards.

“I wanted to go out a champion and a winner,” Stacy said.

Colorado three-year starter Darian Hagan attempted a career-high 30 passes but completed only 11 for 210 yards. Coach Bill McCartney said he decided after the regular season to change the team’s offense.

“We have to learn to throw the ball, to mix it up,” McCartney said. “So we dabbled in it. This wasn’t just for one game. This was for the future. This is what you’ll be seeing. But we knew it was risky to do it so soon.”

The lead changed hands six times, and the Buffaloes mounted one last challenge with 3:30 left on Hagan’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson.

They got the ball back with 1:49 to go, but James Hill was stopped for a one-yard loss on fourth and one at the Alabama 33 with 45 seconds left.

Hagan, a senior, was sacked seven times.

“I didn’t play my best,” he said. “That’s what I really wanted to do--finish my career with the best game I played. But it just didn’t happen.”

The Buffaloes had 31 yards at halftime but led, 12-10. On the first play of the third quarter, Hagan tossed a short pass over the middle to Michael Westbrook, who found himself in the clear and completed a 62-yard scoring play.

A punt return, blocked punt, safety, interception and fumble accounted for all the points in the first half. The longest scoring drive was three yards.

Palmer set the tone for the game when he caught a punt near midfield, slipped through the initial wave of coverage, sent one would-be tackler sprawling with a fake and outran another to the end zone.

Ron Woolfolk blocked a punt to set up Colorado’s first touchdown. The Buffaloes took over at the Alabama three-yard line and scored in two plays.