Arenas sets SEC mark as No. 2 Tide roll
November 21, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Mark Ingram ran for 102 yards and two long touchdowns inthe first half, and No. 2 Alabama breezed to a 45-0 win over Chattanooga onSaturday.
The Crimson Tide (11-0) raced to a 35-0 halftime lead and showed no signs ofa letdown ahead of games with rival Auburn and No. 1 Florida.
That enabled many of the starters to take a break in the second half againstthe FCS Mocs (6-5), although Ingram and the Tide still managed to turn in a fewhighlight-reel plays.
Ingram ran for touchdowns of 25 and 40 yards, and Javier Arenas set the SECcareer record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown, sprinting 66 yardsdown the right sideline in the second quarter. Arenas also had an interception.
Julio Jones caught a 44-yard pass and scored on a 19-yarder from GregMcElroy.
The stats were even more lopsided than the final score. The Tide had a422-84 advantage in total yards, gained 313 on the ground and had five playerswith at least 60 yards rushing. They also had 26 first downs while holdingChattanooga to five.
It was the sixth time the Tide’s defense had held an opponent to sevenpoints or less this season, but the first shutout since last year’s 36-0 winover Auburn.
Ingram managed his sixth 100-yard effort of the last seven games despitecarrying only 11 times. The Heisman Trophy candidate broke three tackles and hadtwo defenders draped across his back at the end of the 25-yard touchdown run inthe first quarter.
Then, Ingram zigzagged 40 yards for another score 5 minutes into the secondquarter on his final carry. He nearly lost his balance early in the run beforegetting his footing.
McElroy was 6-of-11 passing for 80 yards, including that 19-yard touchdownpass to Jones, before giving way to backup Star Jackson in the second half.Jones caught three passes for 65 yards, all in the first half.
After that, Alabama attempted only five passes, content to control the ballagainst the Southern Conference team and let the clock wind toward bigger games.It was the finale at Bryant-Denny Stadium for 27 Alabama seniors.
Arenas wasn’t the only Bama special teamer in record territory. Leigh Tiffinkicked a 41-yard field goal, tying the school records for kicks made in a season(25) and career (78).
Arenas sat out the second half and the senior only got halfway to his idealfinal home performance of scoring “a couple of touchdowns” that he statedearly in the week. He is 37 yards shy of the Lee Nalley of Vanderbilt’s SECcareer punt return record of 1,695 yards, and 103 yards from the NCAA mark setby Texas Tech’s Wes Welker.
Trent Richardson and Roy Upchurch both rushed for touchdowns.
Chattanooga twice drove into Alabama territory in the first half, both timesfailing to convert on fourth-and-long. The first ended with four straightincompletions from the 38, and the second on an interception from the 22.
The Mocs couldn’t come close to scoring again, even against the Tidebackups. Quarterback B.J. Coleman, a Tennessee transfer, faced pressure nearlyevery time he dropped back to pass and was 7-of-25 passing for 36 yards with twointerceptions.
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