Mark Ingram leads Alabama past South Carolina

TUSCALOOSA — For much of its homecoming game, it looked like Alabama welcomed back the Mike Shula era of offensive football to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

But the Crimson Tide also displayed a defense that resembled the 1992 unit and a running back that did something not even Shaun Alexander had done.

Mark Ingram rushed for a stadium record 246 yards and Mark Barron returned a first-quarter interception 77 yards for a touchdown to lead second-ranked Alabama past stubborn South Carolina 20-6 on Saturday night.

Ingram’s 246 yards came on 24 carries. The yardage was the third-highest in school history, behind Alexander’s 291 at LSU in 1996 and Bobby Humphrey’s 284 at Mississippi State in 1986.

It is also the second-best rushing performance in the nation this season, behind UTEP’s Donald Buckram, who shredded Houston for 262 yards two weeks ago.

“Mark did as fine a job today as anybody I’ve ever been around — and that includes Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown and some other really good ones,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. “If all our guys could play like that, the sky would be the limit in terms of heart and character that he plays with.”

When it became evident that Alabama couldn’t move the football in its regular offense, Ingram moved to the wildcat formation in the fourth quarter and engineered a six-play, 68-yard march that gave Alabama a two-touchdown lead with 4:54 remaining.

“That drive was probably the best drive we had all game as an offense,” Ingram said. “We struggled a bit, but when the time came, we came through in the clutch.”

Saban, who didn’t see much to like in Alabama’s passing game, liked the adjustment to go to the wildcat by offensive coordinator Jim McElwain.

“They were putting a lot of (defenders) up there and we couldn’t get them all blocked in regular, so we made a good adjustment,” Saban said. “We went down the field and ran the ball down the field in that one formation, basically.”

Before putting the game on ice in the fourth quarter, Barron staked the Tide to an early lead.

On South Carolina’s second play from scrimmage, Gamecock quarterback Stephen Garcia badly overthrew a receiver and Barron caught it in the middle of the field at his 23-yard line. He worked his way to the left sideline and weaved his way to the end zone as four Carolina players touched him.

“He threw the pass right to me,” Barron said. “When I got the ball, all I saw was the end zone. I wasn’t going to stop until I got in there. I think that play helped to set the tone for the game.”

He wasn’t alone. Garcia said it changed the game.

“I know it was only the second play of the game, but it did,” the sophomore said. “I missed a tackle on the play, too, which made it even worse.”

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy threw two interceptions in the first quarter and never looked comfortable. The Crimson Tide had just 92 passing yards, and Julio Jones did not catch a pass.

But that didn’t mean Jones didn’t have a key role. Jones returned punts for the injured Javier Arenas, who couldn’t play after sustaining a rib injury in practice last week. Jones also made a fine play to strip an interception from C.C. Whitlock, who picked off a McElroy floater. Darius Hanks recovered for the Tide at the South Carolina 39.

“That was big,” Saban said of the play. “Julio, I guess he didn’t catch any passes, but he played a really good game. He blocked, he was physical out there, he did a great job in the return game.”

Playing for Arenas on defense was cornerback Marquis Johnson, who broke up six passes, including three fade routes in a row as Carolina threatened to score in the second quarter.

Arenas also moves to the star position in passing situations and Tyrone King earned praise from Saban for his play.

“No. 20 did a really good job out there today,” Saban said. “It’s a message for every player on our team. Sometimes we have a hard time getting the backup players to focus and get ready because they don’t think they’re going to play.

“Well, here’s a guy that does a good job all the time on special teams, does a good job in practice and gets an opportunity to go out there and played a wonderful game for us.”

King finished with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. The 5-foot-11 Johnson had four tackles, added a quarterback hurry and broke up six passes as he was clearly targeted by the South Carolina game plan.

“Those fades aren’t all that easy to play when the guy you’re playing against is 6-4,” Saban said.

First quarter
13:56 Alabama 7, South Carolina 0: Mark Barron 77-yard interception return (Leigh Tiffin PAT). Key play: It happened on the second play from scrimmage, after the Gamecocks started at the Alabama 44 after a good kickoff return was made even better with a facemask penalty on Dre Kirkpatrick.

2:13 Alabama 10, South Carolina 0: Leigh Tiffin 25-yard field goal. 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:21. Key play: An alert play by Julio Jones saved the Tide from potential catastrophe. Greg McElroy forced a throw off his back leg under pressure. The ball floated and South Carolina’s C.C. Whitlock intercepted it near the left sideline at the Carolina 30. But Jones stripped the ball from Wilson, and Darius Hanks recovered the fumble at the Gamecocks’ 39.

Second quarter
3:14 Alabama 10, South Carolina 3: Spencer Lanning 22-yard field goal. 10 plays, 63 yards, 2:38. Key play: There were two. Stephen Garcia completed a big pass on third-and-10 from the 32 to Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery shook off a tackle near midfield and kept running for a 52-yard play to the Alabama 16. Then Moe Brown caught a Garcia pass on third-and-seven at thet 5. He was hit hard on the play and did not get up. Brown was immobilized, carted off the field and taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons.

0:56 Alabama 13, South Carolina 3: Tiffin 35-yard field goal. 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:18. Key play: Mark Ingram burst through a hole over right guard and torched the Gamecocks’ secondary for 54 yards and a first down at the Carolina 18.

0:00 Alabama 13, South Carolina 6: Lanning 31-yard field goal. 8 plays, 45 yards, 0:56. Key play: Stephen Garcia twice scrambled out of trouble and picked up big yardage, running for 21 yards and 12 yards on consecutive plays. 

Fourth quarter
4:54 Alabama 20, South Carolina 6: Mark Ingram 4-yard run (Tiffin PAT). 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:01. Key play: Ingram got it started when he lined up in the wildcat, faked a speed sweep to Julio Jones and burst off right tackle for 24 yards into Gamecock territory. He also converted a third-and-1 with a carry around left end that set up his short touchdown run.