The Spartans dream season ends on a sour note, while the Crimson Tide are set to play the Clemson Tigers on Jan. 11th in Glendale, Arizona for the National Championship.
Michigan State tried to out-Alabama Alabama and failed miserably. And the lopsided nature of third-ranked Michigan State’s 38-0 loss to second-ranked Alabama in the national semifinals may linger.
The University of Alabama answered one of its own imponderables in Thursday night’s Cotton Bowl: could the Crimson Tide possibly win a playoff game without Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry leading the charge? It makes things a lot easier on us. His TD passes both went to Calvin Ridley (6 and 50 yards). He caught eight passes for 138 yards. But, it was Jake Coker doing most of the work.
Running back Kenyan Drake of the Alabama Crimson Tide ran for 58-yards within the fourth quarter against the Michigan State Spartan. ArDarius Stewart had 7 receptions for 37 yards, O.J. Howard 3-59, and Richard Mullaney 3-53. It was downed by the Spartans at the 4.
Michigan State has never played the Tigers. I saw Clemson as an underdog in this matchup; I thought Bob Stoops and his staff would have that team well prepared and ready to fight against a tough Clemson team, I was wrong. At this time previous year, when Alabama lost to Ohio State in the inaugural College Football Playoff, he was still in high school in Florida. That forced 4th down and a punt by MSU. Same as Ryan Anderson and Reggie Ragland.
And when Alabama added three touchdowns in the third quarter, it was time for the Spartans to face an uncertain future. Edwards led all players connecting on 5 of 9 3-point attempts. The big tailback who has carried the offense most of the season was mostly just a role player against a defense stacked to stop him. The Spartans were the first team shutout in the Cotton Bowl game since Texas in 1963.
“When they started coming off the ball slow and stopped using technique”, Williams said. He said his team struggled to start the second half off correctly in several previous games.
Henry is an absolute monster in the Alabama backfield that’s rarely stopped by a defense’s front four. Henry score again to put the Tide up 38-0. A little better. In 2010 it was 49-7. The first quarter was nothing but punts.
It is Henry’s 24th rushing touchdown this season, breaking the SEC record. Aside from not one…but two tackles from Daphne native Ryan Anderson, the Tide and the Spartans were successful in stopping its opponents offense.
The nine-play, 50-yard drive was capped off with Gallman’s second touchdown of the contest. Michigan State helped the cause with two 15-yard penalties on the possession. Coker hit Ridley with a perfect pass and the freshman toasted Michigan State’s defensive back to make it 31-0.
Michigan State couldn’t move on its next two possessions, unless one counts moving backwards. Jones’s juke on the punter left people in awe, in multiple languages for that matter.
Alabama forward Jimmie Taylor (10) shoots over Norfolk State forward Jordan Butler (45) during an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Last night’s performance was just different.
