Ingram, Tide roll over Chattanooga 45-0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mark Ingram ran for 102 yards and two long touchdowns in the first half, and No. 2 Alabama breezed to a 45-0 win over Chattanooga on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide (11-0) raced to a 35-0 halftime lead and showed no signs of a 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 against the FCS Mocs (6-5), although Ingram and the Tide still managed to turn in a few highlight-reel plays.

Ingram ran for touchdowns of 25 and 40 yards, and Javier Arenas set the SEC career record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown, sprinting 66 yards down 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 Greg McElroy.

The stats were even more lopsided than the final score. The Tide had a 422-84 advantage in total yards, gained 313 on the ground and had five players with at least 60 yards rushing. They also had 26 first downs while holding Chattanooga to five.

It was the sixth time the Tide’s defense had held an opponent to seven points or less this season, but the first shutout since last year’s 36-0 win over Auburn.

Ingram managed his sixth 100-yard effort of the last seven games despite carrying only 11 times. The Heisman Trophy candidate broke three tackles and had two defenders draped across his back at the end of the 25-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Then, Ingram zigzagged 40 yards for another score 5 minutes into the second quarter on his final carry. He nearly lost his balance early in the run before getting his footing.

McElroy was 6-of-11 passing for 80 yards, including that 19-yard touchdown pass 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 ball against 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 Tiffin kicked 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 ideal final home performance of scoring “a couple of touchdowns” that he stated early in the week. He is 37 yards shy of the Lee Nalley of Vanderbilt’s SEC career punt return record of 1,695 yards, and 103 yards from the NCAA mark set by 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 times failing to convert on fourth-and-long. The first ended with four straight incompletions from the 38, and the second on an interception from the 22.

The Mocs couldn’t come close to scoring again, even against the Tide backups. Quarterback B.J. Coleman, a Tennessee transfer, faced pressure nearly every time he dropped back to pass and was 7-of-25 passing for 36 yards with two interceptions.

© 2009, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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