TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -A full 24 hours after the game, Mark Ingram was still reliving the play.
But which highlight?
His 36-yard touchdown run on fourth down? The 25-yard rush to set up a field goal? The 13-yard catch on third-and-11 to keep a drive alive?
None of those. He was focused on a play when he missed a block.
No. 2 Alabama’s tailback missed a block that led to a sack of quarterback Greg McElroy. When he wandered into the film room Sunday evening, that’s the play he watched over and over again.
“Mark said, ‘That’s the only play I’ve been thinking about. I’ve been thinking about that play since it happened,”’ McElroy said. “That’s what’s great about Mark. He could look at the 15 great plays that he made in the game and he can look at the one play and that’s the one that’s going to stick with him. That’s what’s driving him.”
ds on 28 carries in that 22-3 win over Mississippi, and caught three passes.
But that missed block, it’s just sticking with him.
“The first thing I looked at was that play,” Ingram said. “I rewinded it again, rewinded it again, rewinded it again … When you miss a blocking assignment it sticks with you and you want to get better at it.”
The hard-driving 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore is leading the Southeastern Conference with 10 touchdowns – seven rushing, three receiving – is the league’s No. 4 runner and is tied for the team lead in receptions. He is one of only three players in the country with at least 10 TDs and a 100-yard rushing game average, along with Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers and Stanford’s Toby Gerhart
Not bad for a guy who might have been the fourth-most talked about Tide offensive player during the offseason, behind new starter McElroy, new left tackle James Carpenter and wide receiver Julio Jones. Ingram insists that’s fine with him.
“I’m not selfish at all, so when they talk about other players in front of me, all great to them and I’m happy for them,” he said. “They’re my teammates, so I want the best for them.
“The goals and aspirations that I have, and just trying to be the best player I can be, is what I’m more focused on.”
During the nationally televised game on Saturday one commentator called Ingram the strongest running back in college football.
Ingram brushed off the praise.
“I don’t really try to pay attention to national media,” he said. “I just try to focus on getting better each and every day. Going in the film room, going to practice, getting better. You either get better or worse every day. I just try to get better.
“Every Saturday, I try to improve as a player.”
Ingram said he has made significant improvement since his freshman season. He’s more patient waiting for blocks to develop and doing better at what running backs coach Burton Burns calls “pressing the hole.”
That means waiting behind his linemen before hitting a hole so that they can descend on the linebacker and keep him from cutting back with Ingram.
“From freshman to sophomore year, you just grow so much as a player and as a person, just watching film, making reads, picking up pass protection,” Ingram said. “Just being a better student of the game. And then everything kind of slows down for you a little bit. It’s not as fast. You’re just more comfortable out there.”
He was pretty good even as a freshman, especially at scoring touchdowns. Ingram set the Alabama freshman record with 12 rushing touchdowns and gained 728 yards behind Glen Coffee.
He has run for a TD in every game this season, nine of his last 10 and 15 of 20 in his career. Ingram has also not lost a fumble in 278 career touches, only putting the ball on the ground once.
“Mark’s a very good competitor,” coach Nick Saban said. “He’s got good speed, he’s got power, he’s built just like you like a running back to be, sort of low center of gravity, explosive. The thing I think he’s really done this year is he feels very comfortable and instinctive in making the cuts that he’s making. He certainly gets the most out of it for the most part and has the ability to finish if he gets through the line.”
Ingram has been especially effective in the workhorse role. He has had at least 22 carries three times this season and had 150 yards against No. 5 Virginia Tech and 140 against Kentucky in addition to the big game against the Rebels.
Against Mississippi, he gained 37 yards on five straight runs to work the clock down, and converted another fourth-and-1 play.
“It kind of surprised me that I had 28 carries,” Ingram said. “I didn’t even feel like that. I still felt kind of strong. You just go out and play hard, and you don’t really focus on how many touches you get, you just try to take advantage of every touch you get.”
Add A Comment