Final
Alabama looks to snap slide against Mississippi State
Nov 15, 2008 - 11:26 AM Mississippi State (3-6) at (1) Alabama (10-0), 7:45 pm ESTTUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Ticker) -- Alabama escaped Baton Rouge with its national champion hopes intact.
Now the top-ranked Crimson Tide would like to settle a score against a native son when they host Mississippi State on Saturday.
Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom, a Tuscaloosa native and former Alabama player under Bear Bryant, has won two straight meetings against his alma mater.
In 2006, Croom won at Alabama, 24-16, and repeated the feat with a 17-12 victory in Starkville a year ago. That win enabled Mississippi State to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.
Alabama (10-0, 6-0 SEC West) has not dropped three in a row against the Bulldogs since 1996-98. The Crimson Tide own a commanding 71-18-3 lead in the all-time series.
This Alabama team, of course, is far superior to the ones that lost to Mississippi State the previous two seasons.
Last week marked Alabama coach Nick Saban's first trip back to Baton Rouge since he bolted the LSU program for the NFL's Miami Dolphins following the 2004 season.
The Tigers' fans still haven't forgiven Saban, who guided LSU to a national championship in 2003, but the Crimson Tide overcame the hostile environment at Tiger Stadium for one of their most satisfying wins in years.
Alabama posted a 27-21 victory in overtime to clinch its first berth in the Southeastern Conference championship since 1999 and stay in contention for its first national title since 1992.
With the Crimson Tide getting closer to their goal, Saban doesn't want his team to stumble now.
"We are at about 19,000 feet," he said. "The mountain is at 26,000 feet, and the air is changing a little bit. The air is a little rarer and you have to change how you breathe sometimes, but you still have to focus on the task at hand.
"Because of that, if you slip up and don't focus on what you are supposed to, the consequences can be devastating even more so than when you are at 7,000 feet."
Mississippi State parlayed its win over Alabama last year into a berth in the Liberty Bowl, where it defeated Central Florida, 10-3.
But the Bulldogs (3-6, 1-4) have been unable to build on last season's success. After losing at Kentucky, 14-13, last week, they will need to win out just to salvage a .500 season.
Last week's loss was especially frustrating as a blocked extra point turned out to be the difference.
- NCAAF FINAL
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MISSISSIPPI ST 0 7 0 0 7
ALABAMA (1) 5 7 10 10 32 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: ALABAMA - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE 4:57.
ALABAMA 2-0
ALABAMA - FG, LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD, 13:17.
ALABAMA 5-0
2ND QUARTER: MISSISSIPPI ST - TD, JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM
TYSON LEE (ADAM C
Nov 15 10:51 PM
TD ALABAMA MARK INGRAM 1 YD RUN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 32 4th - 7:58Nov 15 10:32 PM
TD ALABAMA MARK INGRAM 1 YD RUN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 32 4th - 7:58Nov 15 10:32 PM- NCAAF
TD ALABAMA
MARK INGRAM 1 YD RUN
(LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 32 7:58 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 32 4th - 7:58Nov 15 10:32 PM - NCAAF
FG ALABAMA
LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 25 11:14 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 25 4th - 11:14Nov 15 10:18 PM - NCAAF END, 3RD QTR
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MISSISSIPPI ST 0 7 0 7
ALABAMA (1) 5 7 10 22 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: ALABAMA - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE 4:57.
ALABAMA 2-0
ALABAMA - FG, LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD, 13:17.
ALABAMA 5-0
2ND QUARTER: MISSISSIPPI ST - TD, JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM
T
Nov 15 10:10 PM - NCAAF
FG ALABAMA
LEIGH TIFFIN 34 YD
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 22 3:51 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 22 3rd - 3:51Nov 15 10:00 PM
TD ALABAMA JAVIER ARENAS 80 YD PUNT RETURN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 19 3rd - 12:14Nov 15 9:36 PM
TD ALABAMA JAVIER ARENAS 80 YD PUNT RETURN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 19 3rd - 12:14Nov 15 9:36 PM- NCAAF
TD ALABAMA
JAVIER ARENAS 80 YD PUNT RETURN
(LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 19 12:14 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 19 3rd - 12:14Nov 15 9:36 PM - NCAAF HALFTIME
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MISSISSIPPI ST 0 7 7
ALABAMA (1) 5 7 12 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: ALABAMA - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE 4:57.
ALABAMA 2-0
ALABAMA - FG, LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD, 13:17.
ALABAMA 5-0
2ND QUARTER: MISSISSIPPI ST - TD, JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM
TYSON LEE
Nov 15 9:09 PM
TD ALABAMA JOHN PARKER WILSON 1 YD RUN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 12 2nd - 4:47Nov 15 8:56 PM
TD ALABAMA JOHN PARKER WILSON 1 YD RUN (LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 12 2nd - 4:47Nov 15 8:56 PM- NCAAF
TD ALABAMA
JOHN PARKER WILSON 1 YD RUN
(LEIGH TIFFIN KICK)
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 12 4:47 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 12 2nd - 4:47Nov 15 8:56 PM
TD MISSISSIPPI ST JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM TYSON LEE (ADAM CARLSON KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 5 2nd - 10:19Nov 15 8:37 PM
TD MISSISSIPPI ST JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM TYSON LEE (ADAM CARLSON KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 5 2nd - 10:19Nov 15 8:37 PM
TD MISSISSIPPI ST JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM TYSON LEE (ADAM CARLSON KICK)
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 5 2nd - 10:19Nov 15 8:37 PM- NCAAF
TD MISSISSIPPI ST
JAMAYEL SMITH 31 YD PASS FROM TYSON LEE
(ADAM CARLSON KICK)
MISSISSIPPI ST 7
ALABAMA (1) 5 10:19 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Mississippi State 7, Alabama(2) 5 2nd - 10:19Nov 15 8:37 PM - NCAAF END, 1ST QTR
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MISSISSIPPI ST 0 0
ALABAMA (1) 5 5 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: ALABAMA - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE 4:57.
ALABAMA 2-0
ALABAMA - FG, LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD, 13:17.
ALABAMA 5-0
Nov 15 8:21 PM - NCAAF
FG ALABAMA
LEIGH TIFFIN 35 YD
MISSISSIPPI ST 0
ALABAMA (1) 5 1:43 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Mississippi State 0, Alabama(2) 5 1st - 1:43Nov 15 8:14 PM - NCAAF
SAFETY ALABAMA
BALL THROUGH END ZONE
MISSISSIPPI ST 0
ALABAMA (1) 2 10:03 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Mississippi State 0, Alabama(2) 2 1st - 10:03Nov 15 7:58 PM
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