Cody 5 Was the Name of the Winning Crimson Tide Play vs Auburn 2009

Cody-5 is the winning play Alabama’s coaching staff called on the winning touchdown. The Tide lined up in their goal-line formation with Big Mount Cody playing the role as a fullback/blocker.

But instead of running the ball — as Alabama has done all season out of that formation — quarterback Greg McElroy faked a handoff, rolled right and fired a quick pass to Upchurch for the touchdown.

Cody-5. As in Terrence Cody and Upchurch’s jersey number 5.

“Hey, if Daniel Moore wants to make a painting of it, I’m his man,” said Upchurch.

Such an unlikely star in such a big rivalry game, Upchurch , a senior from Tallahassee, Fla. — had touched the ball just once in Alabama’s previous 66 plays. Upchurch is Alabama’s third-string tailback who has battled injuries much of his career.

“I was just ready,” Upchurch said when the coaches called “Cody-5″. “I was just ready to get in the end zone, put points on the board and get out of here.”

On third-and-3 at the Auburn 4, Alabama originally called for a running play. And if the play did not result in a touchdown, Leigh Tiffin could kick a very short field goal for the lead.

But coach Nick Saban did not want a field goal that would only put them up by 2. He called a timeout, told his coaches he wanted to throw it and somebody finally heard Upchurch screaming for “Cody-5.”

“As soon as I got the play call I was like ‘We’re gonna throw it?’” said McElroy. “But I loved the play call. It was something we’d really been hitting on.”

As Upchurch ran his route, he said an Auburn defender grabbed his facemask and “I was just panicking. I had to find the ball and I did just that.”

Until that pass, Alabama had run 812 plays this season and Upchurch had touched the ball on just 50 of them. Because Roy played behind Mark Ingram and freshman sensation Trent Richardson, Upchurch’s opportunities are rare.

But Upchurch’s last touch in his last regular season game, hopefully Moore will paint it.

“It doesn’t get any bigger, really, than scoring the winning touchdown for the Iron Bowl,” fellow senior Brandon Deaderick said. “He did a great job when he got his opportunity. He really shined.”

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