Friday, January 8, 2010
Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram scored a one-yard touchdown and Trent Richardson scored from two yards to cement the University of Alabama’s first national American football title since 1992 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game over the University of Texas at Austin yesterday in Pasadena, California. The Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 37-21.
After a strong start by Texas, Alabama — led by Greg McElroy — went on the offense, leading by 24-6 at the end of the first half. Texas launched an impressive comeback bid to bring the score within three, but Alabama capitalized on two turnovers at the end of the fourth quarter to put the game away.
For the Crimson Tide, Ingram led all rushers with 116 yard and both he and Richardson had two touchdowns. For Texas Jordan Shipley led all receivers with 112 yards and two touchdowns. McElroy went 6/11 passing with 58 yards gained but was sacked several times. For Texas, Garrett Gilbert went 15/40 for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times. On defense, Javier Arenas had two interceptions to lead all defenders.
With the win, Ingram became only the second Heisman winner to win the BCS national championship game in the same season. Also with the win, Alabama coach Nick Saban became the first coach to win two BCS national titles with two different schools. He previously won the title in 2003 with Louisiana State University.
After the game, Ingram told ESPN that the national title has been a season-long goal for Alabama.
“The whole entire organization from the top to the bottom,” Ingram said, “we set that goal at the beginning at the season and worked towards it […] I could not have done it by myself.”
Ingram also told his father — who is currently serving a prison sentence — via the television broadcast that he loved him. Ingram’s father played football for nine years in the NFL and was the 28th overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft.
On the opening Texas possession, an injury to Texas starting quarterback Colt McCoy, who left the game, put true freshman Gilbert in charge of the Longhorn’s offense.
After the game, McCoy told ESPN that he “[…] would haven given anything to be out there with [his] team.”
The game, held annually in Pasadena, California, is the final college American football game in the country determines the national champion for the previous year’s regular season. Both teams came into the game with perfect records and as the champions of their respective conferences, the SEC for Alabama and the Big 12 for Texas.