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In recent history, the Alabama Crimson Tide have struggled the game after playing LSU, losing 11 of their last 17 such contests before today. Five of those came against Mississippi State Bulldogs, but the Tide managed to avoid succumbing to that fate again Saturday night, pulling out a slow-paced 20-7 victory on the road.
The game started out slowly, with Cade Foster's 33-yard field goal the only points scored in the first quarter.
On third-and-11 with about half a minute to play in the half, A.J. McCarron found his tight end Brian Vogler on the left sideline. Vogler juked inside and dove forward towards the end zone, getting the 18-yard score and the 10-0 lead.
Mississippi State got on the board on its second drive of the third quarter. The Bulldogs got the ball in Alabama territory, and quarterback Tyler Russell completed three passes for a total of 37 yards. Russell's next play ended up in a bizarre Mississippi State touchdown. Russell kept the ball and ran it up the middle, juked left and fumbled the ball in a pile of players near the five-yard line. The ball scooted out of the pile and towards the end zone, where offensive lineman Charles Siddoway recovered for a touchdown.
McCarron led the Tide immediately back for a score, completing passes to four different receivers -- including a 26-yarder to Christion Jones -- before capping it with his 11-yard touchdown to Kevin Norwood to make it 17-7.
Foster's 35-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter were the only points scored in the period, and the Tide won the game 20-7.
Box Score Hero: T.J. Yeldon. The running back set the tone for the game on the ground, running 23 times for 155 yards.
Rankings Ramifications: Alabama entered the game as the top-ranked team in the country, while Mississippi State was unranked. Neither of those will change.
But Did They Cover? Alabama was a 23.5-point favorite, so they did not.
For More On This Game: Head to Roll Bama Roll for the Alabama perspective and For Whom the Cowbell Tolls for the Mississippi State side of things.
Next Week's Schedule: Alabama hosts Chattanooga while Mississippi State travels to face Arkansas.
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