ORLANDO, Fla. — The team picked to repeat as national champions gave a glimpse of everything it could’ve been and more. Too bad for Alabama it came too late.
Mark Ingram ran for two scores to break the school record for career touchdowns, and the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide rolled past No. 7 Michigan State 49-7 on Saturday in the most lopsided Capital One Bowl in the game’s history.
“We just showed what we’re capable of doing when we play our best football,” Ingram said. “It just shows how fragile a season is.”
The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner had 59 yards rushing on 12 carries and a 30-yard reception against the team he rooted for as a kid. Greg McElroy threw for 220 yards and one touchdown, and the game got so out of hand that the Crimson Tide (10-3) pulled most of its starters early in the third quarter. Ingram also moved past Shaun Alexander’s mark (41) with 42 career touchdowns.
“We were outcoached, we were outplayed and we were outphysicaled and that’s just the way it is,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “Sometimes, you get an avalanche come on you, and that’s just what happened.”
The Crimson Tide found the end zone on its first five possessions, held the Spartans (11-2) to 171 total yards and sacked Kirk Cousins four times in its most dominant performance all season.
Alabama 7 21 14 7 — 49
Michigan State 0 0 0 7 — 7
First quarter: Ala — Ingram 1 run (Shelley kick), 8:20. Second quarter: Ala — Richardson 8 run (Shelley kick), 14:33. Ala — Ingram 6 run (Shelley kick), 6:46. Ala — J.Jones 35 run (Shelley kick), 3:50. Third quarter: Ala — Maze 37 pass from McElroy (Shelley kick), 12:00. Ala — Lacy 12 run (Shelley kick), 1:09. Fourth quarter: Ala — Lacy 62 run (Shelley kick), 8:58. MSU — Fowler 49 pass from Ke.Nichol (Conroy kick), 5:45. A — 61,519.
Ala MSU
First downs 25 12
Rushes-yards 44-275 28-(-48)
Passing 271 219
Comp-att-int 19-23-0 14-29-1
Return yards 44 15
Punts-avg. 2-39.5 7-43.4
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties-yards 3-25 8-45
Time of possession 32:22 27:38
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Alabama, Lacy 5-86, Ingram 12-59, Richardson 10-42, J.Jones 2-36, Goode 10-36, Hanks 1-6, McCarron 1-4, McElroy 1-4, Fowler 1-3, Team 1-(minus 1). Michigan St., Baker 12-14, Bell 4-13, Caper 1-1, K.Martin 4-0, Maxwell 1-(minus 8), Team 1-(minus 12), Cousins 5-(minus 56).
PASSING — Alabama, McElroy 13-17-0-220, McCarron 6-6-0-51.
Michigan St., Cousins 10-18-1-120, Maxwell 2-6-0-43, Ke.Nichol 2-5-0-56.
RECEIVING — Alabama, Maze 4-77, Dial 4-55, J.Jones 3-49, Smelley 2-20, Ingram 1-30, Goode 1-17, Richardson 1-12, Alexander 1-7, M.Williams 1-3, Underwood 1-1. Michigan St., K.Martin 3-41, Ke.Nichol 3-22, Fowler 2-56, Gantt 2-40, Dell 2-27, Linthicum 1-28, Caper 1-5.
