Published Sep 20, 2010
Sickness, surgery didnt slow Jones, Ingram
Christopher Walsh
Rivals.com Senior Writer
TUSCALOOSA _ They combined for 296 total yards Saturday during the University of Alabama's 62-13 dismantling of Duke, yet hardly anyone would have known that something was amiss for either running back Mark Ingram or wide receiver Julio Jones by the way they played.
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It was a different matter when play stopped.
Ingram, of course, was coming off arthroscopic knee surgery which caused him to miss the first two games of the season. He took off on a 48-yard gain on the Crimson Tide's first snap and showed few signs of rust.
"I feel great," Ingram said Monday. "Just being out there with the team and competition.
"I was a little sore. Nothing really, taking a few pass-blocks. I really didn't get much running, the offensive line did a great job for me blocking. I really feel great."
The arthroscopic procedure Ingram had three weeks ago marked the first time he's undergone surgery for a football-related injury. He initially sustained it near the end of Monday's practice just before the season opener against San Jose State, when he was hit on an end run.
"Just guys practicing hard, nothing intentional," Ingram said. "I tried to get up and walk it off right away, but I'd take a few steps and my knee would buckle, and I would take a few steps and my knee would buckle. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, too bad."
While the time off gave him an added appreciation of the game ("Cherish every rep"), it also contributed to his 15-yard personal foul following a 1-yard touchdown.
Ingram had gone over the top, but after the whistle blew linebacker Abraham Kromah kept pushing back while safety Waly Canty pulled on his surgically-repaired leg. When Ingram finally got his feet on the ground he showed his displeasure by essentially head-butting Kromah.
It turns out he wasn't thinking about the knee when he retaliated.
"I didn't want to get dropped on my chin," he said. "I hadn't been out there in a while. That was the heat of the moment, guys talking noise. My emotions got the best of me. It's just part of the game."
Meanwhile, when not torturing the Duke secondary, Jones looked uncomfortable on the sideline and was taking in a lot of fluids. It turns out the cause was twofold:
"I was a little under the weather," Jones said Monday.
In addition to the stomach bug that also affected cornerbacks DeQuan Menzie and DeMarcus Milliner, Jones took a nasty hit on his first punt return, resulting in a 15-yard interference penalty.
"I think he got the wind knocked out of him, maybe his ribs were bruised or whatever," Coach Nick Saban said. "It was nothing that was significant that he couldn't play with or continue to play with."
Jones had five catches for 106 yards, 89 of which were after the catch.
"We just took what the defense gave us," Jones said. "They played off-man, so we just tried to make some easy throws to me and make the cornerback try and come up and make the tackle.
"If they give us that much room, it's like a gift to us."
Alabama has had 23 100-yard rushing performances and nine 100-yard receivers since Saban arrived in 2007, but it was just the fifth time that both occurred in the same game.
Ingram's 151 rushing yards gives him 11 100-yard rushing performances, ranking fifth in Alabama history. Both Shaun Alexander and Bobby Humphrey did it 15 times during their careers (1996-99 and 1985-88, respectively).
Meanwhile, it was the fifth 100-yard game for Jones, and he also notched his 10th touchdown reception.
Here's the breakdown:
100-Yard Rushers (23-1)
246 by Mark Ingram vs. South Carolina (Oct. 17, 2009) W
218 by Glen Coffee vs. Kentucky (Oct. 4, 2008) W
173 by Terry Grant at Vanderbilt (Sept. 8, 2007) W
172 by Mark Ingram at Mississippi (Oct. 10, 2009) W
162 by Glen Coffee at Arkansas (Sept. 20, 2008) W
151 by Mark Ingram at Duke (Sept. 18,, 2010) W
150 by Mark Ingram vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 5, 2009) W
149 by Mark Ingram vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 14, 2009) W
144 by Mark Ingram vs. LSU (Nov. 7, 2009) W
144 by Glen Coffee vs. Auburn (Nov. 29, 2008) W
144 by Trent Richardson vs. Penn State (Sept. 11, 2010) W
140 by Mark Ingram at Kentucky (Oct. 3, 2009) W
134 by Terry Grant vs. Western Carolina (Sept. 1, 2007) W
126 by Glen Coffee at LSU (Nov. 8, 2008) W
121 by Glen Coffee vs. Houston (Oct. 6, 2007) W
118 by Trent Richardson vs. Florida International (Sept. 12, 2009) W
116 by Mark Ingram vs. Texas (Jan. 7, 2010) (BCS) W
113 by Mark Ingram vs. Florida (Dec. 5, 2009) (SEC) W
113 by Mark Ingram vs. Arkansas State (Nov. 1, 2008) W
111 by Eddie Lacy vs. San Jose State (Sept. 4, 2009) W
112 by Glen Coffee vs. Florida (Dec. 6, 2008) (SEC) L
109 by Trent Richardson vs. Texas (Jan. 7, 2010) (BCS) W
104 by Terry Grant vs. Tennessee (Oct. 20, 2007) W
102 by Mark Ingram vs. Chattanooga (Nov. 21, 2009) W
100-Yard Receivers (8-1)
185 by D.J. Hall vs. Tennessee (Oct. 20, 2007) W
172 by D.J. Hall at Arkansas (Sept. 15, 2007) W
140 by D.J. Hall at Mississippi (Oct. 13, 2007) W
128 by Julio Jones at LSU (Nov. 8, 2008) W
124 by Julio Jones vs. Florida (Dec. 6, 2008) L
106 by Julio Jones at Duke (Sept. 18, 2010) W
103 by Julio Jones at Tennessee (Oct. 25, 2008) W
102 by Julio Jones vs. LSU (Nov. 7, 2009) W
100 by Mike McCoy vs. Florida International (Sept. 12, 2009) W
100-Yard Rusher/Receiver in Same Game (4-1)
Tennessee (Oct. 20, 2007) W 104 by Terry Grant and 185 by D.J. Hall
vs. Florida (Dec. 6, 2008) L 112 by Glen Coffee and 124 by Julio Jones
Florida International (Sept. 12, 2009) W 118 by Trent Richardson and 100 by Mike McCoy
LSU (Nov. 7, 2009) W 144 by Mark Ingram and 102 by Julio Jones
at Duke (Sept. 18, 2010) W 151 by Mark Ingram and 106 by Julio Jones