Peach Bowl: Alabama’s World of Coker cools Houston’s hopes; Tide rolls, 38-8

 

Ask Alabama about how they like the new tournament inclusion of Atlanta as a bowl site, and they will respond it is just peachy.  Alabama’s aura that they are the team to beat this year was solidified, as the Crimson Tide crushed a game Houston team.

 

Early Houston turnovers cost the Cougars, and contributed to Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry’s 1 yard TD score to give Bama an early lead, followed by Tide kicker Adam Griffith’s 47 yard field goal.  The first quarter ended with the Cougars down by 10.  And the Jake Coker was just beginning.  Coker hit Calvin Ridley with a 6 yard TD pass, and Alabama cruised to a 17-0 halftime lead. 

 

In the second half, Alabama special teams joined the domination act, scoring on a Cyrus Jones 57 yard punt return.  Believe it or not, Ridley caught a 50 yard TD pass from Coker.   Houston finally garnered some points as Chance Allen’s 17 yard TD pass from Greg Ward Jr, but Bama was ahead at the start of the 4^th quarter, 31-8.

 

Derrick Henry 11 yard TD run in the 4^th finished the scoring, in Alabama’s clear victory statement.  The Tide’s 38-8 victory earned them a trip to the San Antonio Semi-Finals to play the winner of the Rose Bowl.