2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2005 NCAA Division I - A football season . This was the team ' s 73rd season in the SEC . The 2005 squad collected a record of 10 – 2 , however all ten wins were vacated in 2009 when the NCAA announced penalties against Alabama for violations that occurred during the season making the official record 0 – 2 . The Crimson Tide were led by head coach Mike Shula who was entering his third season as head coach . The team started off the season at 9 – 0 , which included wins over Florida and Tennessee . However , the team lost their two final regular season games against LSU and Auburn . The team received a bid to the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas Tech . They defeated the Red Raiders on a last second field goal by Jamie Christensen . The season was also marked by a notable catch by wide receiver Tyrone Prothro , known to Alabama fans as " The Catch " . The receiver ' s career was ended later that season as he suffered a broken leg against Florida . Prothro ' s catch would win ESPN ' s Game Changing Performance for week two , and later for the entire season . Game notes . Middle Tennessee . Sources : Alabama opened the 2005 season by defeating the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 26 – 7 . Alabama scored first on a defensive play . Late in the first quarter , Mark Anderson sacked the Blue Raider quarterback Clint Marks for a safety and a 2 – 0 Crimson Tide lead . Alabama then scored their first touchdown of the season in the second quarter on a one - yard Tim Castille run to cap a 51 - yard drive . The Blue Raiders responded on the next drive with a 14 - yard Marks touchdown pass to Nick McAfee to cut the Alabama lead to 9 – 7 at halftime . The Crimson Tide scored on their opening drive of the third quarter when Brodie Croyle threw a 13 - yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Prothro . Later in the quarter , Alabama extended their lead to 23 – 7 after Castille scored his second touchdown from one - yard out in the game . Ryan Saxby then scored the final points of the game in the fourth with his 32 - yard field goal to make the final score 26 – 7 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Blue Raiders to 2 – 0 . Southern Mississippi . Sources : After going down 21 – 17 at halftime , the Crimson Tide came - from - behind and defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 30 – 21 . Alabama took an early 10 – 0 lead after Brodie Croyle threw a 26 - yard touchdown pass to D . J . Hall and Jamie Christensen connected on a 33 - yard field goal . The Golden Eagles then rallied with a pair of first quarter touchdowns to take a 14 – 10 lead at the end of the quarter . The first came on a defensive score when Gerald McRath intercepted a Croyle pass and returned it 33 - yards and the second on a 12 - yard Dustin Almond pass to Anthony Perine . Early in the second quarter Southern Miss extended their lead to 21 – 10 after Almond threw a 37 - yard touchdown pass to Perine . On their final offensive possession of the second quarter , Tyrone Prothro made one of the most memorable receptions in Alabama history . On a fourth - and - twelve , Croyle threw a 42 - yard pass that Prothro caught on the back of Golden Eagles cornerback Jasper Faulk . Referred to as simply " The Catch " , the play won the 2006 Best Play ESPY Award . The Crimson Tide then cut the lead on the following play to 21 – 17 just before the half after Croyle connected with Le ' Ron McClain on a one - yard touchdown reception . Alabama retook the lead in the third quarter after Tim Castille scored on a two - yard touchdown run , and led 23 – 21 after a failed Christensen extra point . The final points of the game came early in the fourth quarter on the second two - yard Castille touchdown run of the evening to give the Crimson Tide the 31 – 21 victory . For his 97 yards in kickoff returns and 34 yards punt returns , Tyrone Prothro was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week . South Carolina . Sources : In the first road game of the season , Alabama defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 37 – 14 for what was then only the third road win all - time for head coach Mike Shula . Brodie Croyle scored first for the Crimson Tide on a 15 - yard run to give Alabama a 7 – 0 lead after their opening drive . South Carolina then tied the game at 7 – 7 on the ensuing drive with a one - yard Mike Davis touchdown run . Alabama then retook the lead for good on the following possession when Croyle threw a 46 - yard touchdown strike to Keith Brown . Jamie Christensen then scored a pair of second quarter touchdowns from 41 and 29 yards to give the Crimson Tide a 20 – 7 halftime lead . Christensen connected on a 27 - yard field goal early in the third to extend the Alabama lead to 23 – 7 . On the following Gamecock possession , a Carlos Thomas fumble was recovered by Alabama ' s Rudy Griffin at the South Carolina 39 - yard line . Three plays later Kenneth Darby scored on a 22 - yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 30 – 7 lead entering the fourth quarter . With the second - string playing in the fourth , John Parker Wilson threw a 36 - yard touchdown pass to Brown for the final Alabama points of the afternoon . The final touchdown came on the ensuing South Carolina drive when Blake Mitchell threw a six - yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice to make the final 37 – 14 score . For his 145 rushing yards and one touchdown , Kenneth Darby was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week . Arkansas . Sources : With this 24 – 13 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks to open divisional play , Alabama secured their first 4 – 0 start since the 1996 season . After a scoreless first quarter , Arkansas scored first with a 34 - yard Chris Balseiro field goal . The Crimson Tide responded with a 43 - yard Brodie Croyle touchdown pass to D . J . Hall to give Alabama a 7 – 3 halftime lead . Arkansas quarterback Robert Johnson fumble d the ball on the opening offensive possession of the second half . Simeon Castille caused it with his quarterback sack , and DeMeco Ryans made the recovery at the Razorback 19 - yard line . Three plays later Alabama extended their lead to 10 – 3 after a 36 - yard Jamie Christensen field goal . On the second play of the fourth quarter , Tim Castille scored on a one - yard touchdown run to take a 17 – 3 lead . On the following Arkansas possession , Peyton Hillis made a 12 - yard run and then Darren McFadden scored on a 70 - yard touchdown run to cut the Alabama lead to 17 – 10 . After holding the Crimson Tide to a three - and - out , the Razorbacks ' Kyle Dickerson blocked a Jeremy Schatz punt that was recovered by John Aaron Rees at the Alabama eleven - yard line . The Alabama defense was able to get a stop and hold Arkansas to a 27 - yard Balseiro field goal . The Crimson Tide scored the final points of the game late in the fourth when Croyle connected again with Hall , and this time it was on a five - yard pass to make the final score 24 – 13 . For his 15 tackle performance , DeMeco Ryans was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week ; and for his 275 punting yards that included a 72 yard punt , Jeremy Schatz was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week . Florida . Sources : In what was Urban Meyer ' s first game as the Florida Gators head coach against Alabama , the Crimson Tide was victorious 31 – 3 . After fumbling the Florida punt after their first offensive series , Tyrone Prothro responded on Alabama ' s first offensive play of the afternoon by taking a Brodie Croyle slant pass 87 - yards for a 7 – 0 Crimson Tide lead . On the ensuing Florida possession , Chris Harris intercepted a Chris Leak pass and returned it to the Gators ' two - yard line . Three plays later , Alabama had a 14 – 0 lead after a one - yard Tim Castille touchdown run . Jamie Christensen added a 22 - yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 17 – 0 lead at the end of the first quarter . On the first play of the second quarter , the Alabama defense completed a goal line stand after Mark Anderson and Freddie Roach combine to tackle DeShawn Wynn at the one - yard line on fourth down . Chris Hetland then scored the only Florida points of the game on their next offensive possession with his 37 - yard field goal . Following the Hetland field goal , Alabama again scored on a one - play drive when Croyle connected with Keith Brown for a 65 - yard touchdown reception to give the Crimson Tide a 24 – 3 halftime lead . Prothro then scored the final points of the game early in the third quarter with his 15 - yard touchdown reception to make the score 31 – 3 . Although Alabama did go on to win 31 – 3 , the game is also notable as being the last played by Tyrone Prothro . Early in the fourth quarter , he broke both his tibia and fibula after landing awkwardly in a failed attempt to make a touchdown reception on a fourth - and - five play . For his four tackle performance , Mark Anderson was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week ; and for his 283 passing yards and three touchdowns , Brodie Croyle was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week . Ole Miss . Sources : In a game dominated by both defenses Alabama defeated their long - time rival , the Ole Miss Rebels 13 – 10 in Oxford . After Tim Castille failed to gain a first down on a fourth - and - one one the Rebels ' six - yard line , both teams traded turnovers on successive drives . DeMeco Ryans forced a fumble by Taye Biddle that was recovered by Charlie Peprah at the Alabama 16 - yard line . On the following Alabama play , Travis Johnson caused D . J . Hall to fumble that was recovered by Garry Pack . Three plays later Ole Miss took a 7 – 0 lead after Micheal Spurlock threw a 27 - yard touchdown pass to Mario Hill . After Jamie Christensen missed a 38 - yard field goal early in the second quarter , Ramzee Robinson intercepted a Spurlock pass on the first play of the ensuing possession to set up a 43 - yard Christensen field goal to make the score 7 – 3 . The Rebels missed one and had a second field goal attempt blocked later in the quarter to give Ole Miss a 7 – 3 halftime lead . On their first possession of the second half , Alabama scored their only touchdown of the game on a 48 - yard Kenneth Darby touchdown run . The Rebels tied the game up early in the fourth with a 24 - yard Robert Bass field goal , but the Crimson Tide won the game with a 31 - yard Christensen field goal as time expired to make the final score 13 – 10 . Tennessee . Sources : In a defensive struggle against long - time rival Tennessee , Alabama extended their overall , season record to 7 – 0 with this 6 – 3 victory over the Volunteers . After trading fumble s on two of the three opening possessions , Jamie Christensen missed a 50 - yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter for Alabama . Neither team would have another scoring opportunity again until midway through the third quarter . After DeMeco Ryans recovered a fumbled punt by Lucas Taylor at the 50 - yard line , Christensen connected on a 33 - yard field goal six plays later to give the Crimson Tide a 3 – 0 lead . Tennessee tied the game at 3 – 3 on their first possession of the fourth quarter with a 32 - yard James Wilhoit field goal . On the Volunteers ' next possession , Roman Harper forced a Cory Anderson fumble into the endzone that was recovered by Alabama for a touchback to keep the game tied at 3 – 3 . The Crimson Tide responded with a ten - play , 63 - yard drive and a 34 - yard Christensen field goal to win the game 6 – 3 with only seconds remaining in the game . For his 11 tackle performance , DeMeco Ryans was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week ; and for his two field goals in the victory , Jamie Christensen was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week . Utah State . Sources : In what was the final regular season , non - conference game , Alabama defeated the Utah State Aggies 35 – 3 on homecoming in Tuscaloosa . The Crimson Tide took a 21 – 0 halftime lead after a trio of Brodie Croyle touchdown passes . The first came on a nine - yard pass to Ezekial Knight , the second on a one - yard pass to Le ' Ron McClain and the third on a 13 - yard pass to D . J . Hall . The Aggies scored their only points of the game on their opening drive of the second half when Justin Hamblin connected on a 24 - yard field goal . After a Hall fumble resulted in an Aggie touchback on the following Alabama possession , Hamblin missed a 41 - yard field goal on the ensuing possession to keep the score 21 – 3 . The Crimson Tide then scored their fourth touchdown later in the third on a 38 - yard Kenneth Darby touchdown run . With the reserves playing in the fourth quarter , Alabama scored their final points when John Parker Wilson connected with Glen Coffee for a nine - yard touchdown reception and a 35 – 3 Crimson Tide victory . Mississippi State . Sources : Against long - time rival Mississippi State , the Alabama defense had its first shutout of the season and the offense did not have a touchdown in their 17 – 0 victory over the Bulldogs . After a scoreless first , Jamie Christensen scored the first points of the game with his 38 - yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 3 – 0 halftime lead . On the opening kickoff of the second half , Jimmy Johns forced the Bulldogs ' Derek Pegues to fumble . Matt Miller recovered the fumble and returned it 15 - yards for a touchdown and a 10 – 0 Alabama lead . On the ensuing Mississippi State drive , Michael Henig threw an interception to Rudy Griffin that was returned 17 - yards for an Alabama touchdown and a 17 – 0 victory . LSU . Sources : With College GameDay in town , in what was the first loss of the season for the Crimson Tide , the LSU Tigers defeated Alabama 16 – 13 in overtime . After Jamie Christensen missed a 46 - yard field goal , on the following Alabama offensive possession in the first quarter he connected on a 28 - yard field goal to give Alabama a 3 – 0 lead . The Crimson Tide then scored their only touchdown of the game early in the second quarter when Brodie Croyle threw an eight - yard touchdown strike to D . J . Hall to give Alabama a 10 – 0 halftime lead . LSU tied the game up at 10 – 10 in the third quarter . They scored first on a one - yard Justin Vincent touchdown run and then on a 42 - yard Chris Jackson field goal . After a pair of missed Jackson field goals in the fourth quarter for LSU , the game went into overtime . Alabama went on offense first and managed to score on a 34 - yard Jamie Christensen field goal to take a 13 – 10 lead . On the Tigers ' possession , JaMarcus Russell threw an 11 - yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe to give LSU the victory 16 – 13 . Auburn . Sources : A week after suffering their first loss of the season , the Auburn Tigers defeated Alabama 28 – 18 in the 2005 edition of the Iron Bowl to keep the Crimson Tide of consideration for a BCS Bowl game . Auburn took a 21 – 0 lead in the first quarter . The Tigers scored first on a seven - yard touchdown pass from Brandon Cox to Benjamin Obomanu ; second on an eight - yard Kenny Irons touchdown run ; and third on a 45 - yard Obomanu touchdown run . After a Prechae Rodriguez fumble was recovered by Charlie Peprah , Alabama scored their first points on the ensuing drive when Tim Castille scored on a one - yard touchdown run to make the score 21 – 7 . Auburn responded later in the second quarter with a five - yard Cox touchdown pass to Cole Bennett to give the Tigers a 28 – 7 lead at halftime . The Crimson Tide scored on their first possession of the second half on a 43 - yard Jamie Christensen field goal . After Auburn was able to get a defensive stand late in the fourth to ice the game , Alabama did score a late touchdown on a one - yard John Parker Wilson touchdown run . A successful two - point conversion pass from Wilson to D . J . Hall made the final score 28 – 18 . The Tigers ' victory marked their fourth straight over the Crimson Tide . Texas Tech . Sources : On December 4 officials from the Cotton Bowl announced their 2006 contest would feature the Crimson Tide competing against the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference . In a game that featured the nation ' s number one passing offense of Texas Tech against the nation ' s number one scoring defense of Alabama , the Crimson Tide won 13 – 10 . Alabama scored their only touchdown of the game on just their second offensive play when Brodie Croyle threw a 76 - yard touchdown pass to Keith Brown for a 7 – 0 lead . The Red Raiders responded later in the quarter with a 34 - yard Alex Trlica field goal to cut the lead to 7 – 3 . A scoreless second quarter saw the only scoring opportunities coming on a trio of failed field goal attempts . Alabama ' s Jamie Christensen missed a 39 - yard field goal and the second blocked by Chris Hudler and recovered by Dwayne Slay . The Red Raiders ' Trlica had a 37 - yard field goal blocked by Mark Anderson as time expired to give Alabama the 7 – 3 halftime lead . Christensen extended the Alabama lead to 10 – 3 early in the third quarter with his 31 - yard field goal . Texas Tech then tied the game up at 10 – 10 late in the fourth quarter after Cody Hodges threw a 12 - yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Hicks . The Crimson Tide responded on the following drive with Christensen kicking the game - winning field goal from 45 - yards out as time expired to give Alabama the 13 – 10 victory . After the season . Awards . Following the SEC Championship Game , the conference named its award winners . DeMeco Ryans was named by the coaches ' as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year . Kenneth Darby , Roman Harper and Ryans were named to the Coaches ' All - SEC First Team . Mark Anderson , Tyrone Prothro and Freddie Roach were named to the Coaches ' All - SEC Second Team . Antoine Caldwell , B . J . Stabler , Nick Walker and Bobby Greenwood were named to the 2005 Freshman All - SEC Team . In addition to his conference awards , Ryans was also named to the 2005 College Football All - America Team by AFCA and the Associated Press . He also won the Lott Trophy for 2005 season . NCAA sanctions . In October 2007 , the athletic department discovered a potential NCAA - violation present throughout the athletics program . The violations stemmed from athletes from several sports , including football , receiving improper benefits as a result of a failure in the distribution system of textbooks to student athletes from the university . After a prolonged investigation , in June 2009 the NCAA ruled all athletes that received improper benefits related to the textbook distribution system were deemed ineligible . As such , as part of the penalties imposed on the football program , all victories which those included in the inquiry participated , were officially vacated from the all - time record . The penalty to vacate victories does not result in a loss ( or forfeiture ) of the affected contests or award a victory to the opponent . As such , all ten victories from the 2005 season ( Middle Tennessee , Southern Mississippi , South Carolina , Arkansas , Florida , Ole Miss , Tennessee , Utah State , Mississippi State and Texas Tech ) were vacated making the official record for the season zero wins and two losses ( 0 – 2 ) .