Alabama appears to be ready for SEC, 53-7

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama coach Nick Saban was waiting for his team to play solid ball for the full 60 minutes.

Well, 55 minutes and 40 seconds isn't too bad.

Greg McElroy fumbled on the game's first play but just about everything else went well for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide in a 53-7 victory over North Texas on Saturday.

McElroy passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another before sitting out most of the second half, the one miscue a distant memory.

"Until today, I wondered, 'Was this team really going to fulfill its full potential?' " Saban said. "I just wasn't pleased with the lack of consistency we played with in the first two games. We played really well at times and at other times we didn't, but I feel like we were much more solid today and we made some improvement."

Mark Ingram ran for 91 yards and a TD on eight carries, and scored on a 29-yard reception for the Tide (3-0) in its final pre-conference tuneup before Arkansas visits last year's SEC West champions. Freshman Trent Richardson added 87 yards and a touchdown, and Terry Grant scored twice and gained 79 yards.

It was the highest-scoring game for Alabama since a 56-7 win over UTEP in 2001.

Star receiver Julio Jones missed the game with a bruised right knee, tailback Roy Upchurch was out with a high ankle sprain and the subs got plenty of action after 'Bama raced to a 30-0 halftime lead. With starting quarterback Riley Dodge out with a separated non-throwing shoulder, North Texas (1-2) was outgained 523-187.

"Our goal was to dominate for 60 minutes," said McElroy, a high school teammate of Dodge. "We were able to do that."

McElroy completed 13-of-15 passes for 176 yards, including the 29-yarder to Ingram and a 34-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Maze before leaving after one drive in the third quarter. He ran for a 2-yard score against a team led by his high school coach and Riley's father, Todd Dodge.

"That was a different experience," McElroy said. "It was a good feeling for him to tell me he was proud of me."

Dodge left impressed with the Tide as well.

"They were as advertised," he said. "Coming in and preparing for them, we felt like there was definitely a reason they were ranked No. 4 in the nation. They obviously should (be), and have high hopes of being able to play for a national championship. They've got all the ingredients you need: a big physical offensive line, tough running backs, an accurate quarterback and a defense that's very tenacious."

Backup Star Jackson led a field goal drive in the final 2:08 of the first half and was 9 of 13 passing for 87 yards, his first career attempts.

'Bama converted 10 of 14 third-down plays and collected 28 first downs.