Jalen Milroe rushed for two touchdowns and Chris Braswell returned an interception for a score to help No. 12 Alabama record a 40-17 victory over Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday night at Starkville, Miss.
Jase McClellan rushed for a touchdown and Will Reichard kicked four field goals as the Crimson Tide (4-1, 2-0 SEC) won their third straight game. Milroe completed 10 of 12 passes for 164 yards and added 69 on the ground as Alabama defeated Mississippi State for the 16th consecutive time.
Will Rogers completed 15 of 27 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for the Bulldogs (2-3, 0-3). Mike Wright rushed for a touchdown and Jeffery Pittman had a scoring reception for Mississippi State, which lost its third straight game.
Rogers struggled after passing for a career-best 487 yards in last week’s loss to South Carolina. Lideatrick Griffin had just 21 yards on five receptions after piling up a school-record 256 receiving yards last week.
Alabama outgained the Bulldogs 357 to 261.
Milroe rushed for two first-half touchdowns to help Alabama hold a 31-10 halftime edge.
He started the scoring with a 53-yard scamper with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
The Crimson Tide stretched the lead to 14-0 just 57 seconds later. Jah-Marien Latham tipped a pass from Rogers that Braswell grabbed and raced 28 yards for a touchdown.
The two teams traded field goals early in the second quarter before Wright scored on a 15-yard run to bring Mississippi State within 17-10 with 6:26 left in the half.
McClellan scored on a 2-yard run with 1:07 left and Jihaad Campbell intercepted Rogers on the Bulldogs’ next offensive play. Milroe then scored on a 10-yard run with 31 seconds remaining to make it a 21-point lead.
In the third quarter, Rogers tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with 9:11 left. Reichard booted a 38-yard field goal to make it 34-17 with 2:50 remaining.
Reichard tacked on field goals of 34 and 48 in the fourth quarter to increase Alabama’s lead to 23. Reichard has made 24 consecutive field goals, including all 11 he has attempted this season.
–Field Level Media
