The top-ranked, 2-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach
Nick Saban traveled to Durham, North Carolina to battle the 1-1 Duke Blue
Devils of coach David Cutcliffe. The Crimson Tide welcomed back 2009
Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram who had missed the first 2 games
following knee surgery. Ingram rushed for 151 yards with 2 touchdowns
while QB Greg McElroy threw 3 touchdown passes as Alabama routed the Blue
Devils 62-13. Ingram first rush of the game came on the first snap
from scrimmage & the big back carried 48 yards to the Duke 12-yard line.
Two plays later, McElroy connected with WR Darius Hanks on a 9-yard
touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead just 1:19 into the game. The Crimson
Tide scored on their first 4 possessions as they raced to a 28-3 lead in the
1st quarter. McElroy connected with All-SEC WR Julio Jones
on an 18-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead before Ingram scored his first
touchdown of the season with a 1-yard run. Ingram's 17-yard touchdown
run following an interception of Duke's QB Sean Renfree by Alabama's CB Dre
Kirkpatrick pushed the Crimson Tide's lead to 28-0. Blue Devils' PK
Will Snyderwine kicked a 22-yard field goal to finished the scoring in the
opening stanza. A 5-play, 56-yard drive pushed the Alabama lead to
35-3 as McElroy threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to TE Preston Dial for the
score. Snyderwine's second field goal of the game came from 42 yards
but on the ensuing kick-off, Crimson Tide RB Trent Richardson returned 91
yards for another score after mishandling the kick. The exchange of
scores left Alabama ahead 42-6. Duke's only touchdown came just before
intermission as QB Sean Renfree led a 13-play, 68-yard drive capped with an
11-yard touchdown pass to WR Austin Kelly. The 2nd half was again
dominated by the Crimson Tide with a 21-yard field goal from PK Cade Foster,
a 45-yard touchdown run from Richardson, & a 1-yard touchdown run by RB
Eddie Lacy. The Alabama offense amassed 626 yards with McElroy
throwing for 258 yards with his 3 touchdowns as well as an interception
while Ingram added his 151 yards with 2 scores & Jones making 5 catches for
106 yards with a touchdown. Renfree threw for 144 yards with a
touchdown & an interception in the Blue Devils loss. Duke finished the
season 3-9 while Alabama finished 10-3, ranked 10th
nationally. Duke has not played for The Belt again.
