Alabama Crimson Tide races past Southern Miss
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama didn’t slow down. It didn’t focus on clock management in order to keep its young defense off the field. It didn’t need to.
Paced by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and track-star receiver Henry Ruggs III, the No. 1 Crimson Tide sprinted to an early lead while blowing by Southern Miss, 49-7, Saturday inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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Alabama scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, as Tagovailoa started the game 12 of 13 for 237 yards with four scores through the air. His first two scoring strikes were to Ruggs as the speedy receiver found the end zone from 45 yards and 75 yards out.
Tagovailoa finished the game 17 of 21 for 293 yards and five touchdowns, tying the school's single-game passing touchdown record for a second straight week. Ruggs led Alabama in receiving with a career-high 148 yards on four receptions. On top of blazing past Southern Miss, the duo also shot their way up the school’s record books.
Tagovailoa's fifth touchdown gives him 71 on his career, joining AJ McCarron (77) as the only Alabama quarterback to throw 70 or more touchdowns in his career. The left-hander also leapfrogged Jalen Hurts, Jay Barker and Greg McElroy to climb to fifth on the Crimson Tide’s all-time passing list with 5,902 career yards through the air.
Ruggs' two receiving touchdowns give him 21 on his career, moving him past Calvin Ridley (19) for third place on the school's all-time list. Ruggs was temporarily in second place during the game but was passed by teammate Jeudy who pulled in two touchdowns of his own Saturday to give him 22 on his career. Amari Cooper holds the school record with 31.
After managing a season-low 76 yards on the ground last week against South Carolina, Alabama ran for 176 and two touchdowns on 35 carries. Najee Harris led the Crimson Tide with 110 yards on 14 carries, snapping Alabama's nine-game streak without a 100-yard rusher. Brian Robinson Jr. added 39 yards and a touchdown, while Jerome Ford had 21 yards and ran in a score of his own.
Last week Alabama’s defense looked tired late in the game as it was on the field for 86 plays against South Carolina. Southern Miss held a 32:55 to 27:05 advantage in time of possession Saturday but was limited to 58 plays as the Crimson Tide’s defense did a much better job of getting off the field. Alabama forced Southern Miss to punt the ball six times, while Trevon Diggs recorded an interception and Jordan Battle recovered a fumble stripped by Phidarian Mathis. The Crimson Tide held the Golden Eagles to 226 yards of total offense on the day, including just 52 yards on the ground.
Alabama’s only downside on the day came as starting defensive tackle D.J. Dale and kicker Will Reichard left the game with injuries. Reichard appeared to injure himself on a 29-yard kickoff in the first quarter, while D.J. Dale came up limping on a play near the end zone just before the half. Both players were taken to the locker room and did not return to the game.
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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
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