ATLANTA — Florida came into the Southeastern Conference Championship Game with the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation, but the Gators hadn’t played Mark Ingram yet.
Alabama’s Heisman Trophy candidate running back broke tackle after tackle on his way to 113 rushing yards and 76 receiving yards, helping the Crimson Tide put 32 points on the board.
UF came in allowing 9.8 points per game, one rushing touchdown in the last six games and only three all season.
Ingram rushed for three in 47 minutes.
“One of the worst games we’ve played around here in a long time,” UF defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said. “We just didn’t tackle. There were a lot of three-step (drops), so we just didn’t tackle well. It’s no different from what we played all season, we just didn’t make plays.”
The missed tackles gave Alabama the chance to make big plays without throwing the ball downfield.
Ingram took a screen pass 69 yards at the end of the second quarter, setting up his 3-yard rushing touchdown. And wide receiver Marquis Maze took a 5-yard hitch 34 yards on a third and 3 on the previous drive to set up a Leigh Tiffin field goal.
UF cornerback Janoris Jenkins came up to make the tackle but was quickly turned away by Maze, who finished the game with five catches for 96 yards.
“Your ability to tackle — that’s your job,” safeties coach Chuck Heater said. “So if you don’t do it, you’re going to have a hard time getting off the field.”
Though the Gators couldn’t seem to tackle Ingram, the Crimson Tide’s success was also a result of a surprise effort.
Ingram, whose 1,429 rushing yards ranked him seventh in the nation coming into the game, didn’t go overlooked by Florida’s defense, but Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy seemed to sneak up on the Gators.
He completed 12 of 18 passes for 239 yards and dropped in a touch pass to tight end Colin Peek from 17 yards out to cap the Crimson Tide’s first drive of the second half.
The junior looked poised in the pocket and found the open man consistently with Alabama’s offensive line keeping Florida’s pass rush at a distance.
Without suspended defensive end Carlos Dunlap, the Gators sacked McElroy one time — on a safety blitz by Ahmad Black.
“The guy that we didn’t think could execute as well as he executed was the quarterback,” Heater said.
