The Beautiful Symmetry of Roy Upchurch

by kleph on Nov 28, 2009 8:13 AM CST

With just 1:24 left in the game yesterday and Alabama on the 4-yard-line, Coach Saban made a last-second change of the play. Instead of the expected run, he dialed up a play-action pass which Greg McElroy easily put in the waiting hands of Senior running back Roy Upchurch. It proved to be not only the go-ahead points but the decisive score in the game.

And as the final touchdown of the Crimson Tide's undefeated 2009 regular season, it was also supremely fitting. If you recall, the season began way back on Sept. 5 in Atlanta against Virginia Tech. With 3:09 left in the second quarter, Upchurch ran for 19 yards and plowed over a Hokie defender to for a score - the very first touchdown of the 2009 campaign.

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This game shall be forever known by...

whatever that play is called. Or Maybe just “Roy in the flat”.

by J Tadpole on Nov 28, 2009 8:20 AM CST via mobile reply actions

"CODY 5! CODY 5!"

Fumbles. It was always Fumbles

by DocFumbles on Nov 28, 2009 8:23 AM CST up reply actions

I’ll never forget that VaTech play. I sent clips of that touchdown to quite a few friends. One of whom, a long-time Raider fan like myself, responded with “Bo who?”, recaling the famous Bo Jackson plowover of Brian Bosworth, viewable here, where you can see it as more of a “plow-past” than the plowover Upchurch delivered.

You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game.

by StablerRaider on Nov 28, 2009 9:01 AM CST reply actions

That Upchurch run gives me chills every time I see it.

It epitomizes our offense, and Roy Upchurch himself. He had a lane to the pylon and could have gotten in nearly untouched. Instead he tasted blood in the water and turned into that poor defender! It may have been that style of play that kept him injured most of his career, but I love that toughness and fight in a RB. It has been an honor to watch him play.

I bleed crimson and white...I puke Vol puke orange. RTR

by SugarBowl93 on Nov 28, 2009 9:36 AM CST reply actions