No. 1 Alabama 24, No. 18 Mississippi State 0
Josh Jacobs ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass and Alabama had its second straight shutout.
With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa still battling a gimpy right knee, the Crimson Tide (10-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) turned to defense for another vintage performance.
The offense raced to a fast start but mostly stalled from there against the Bulldogs (6-4, 2-4) and the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense.
Tagovailoa started the fourth quarter on a stationary bike after getting his right knee checked out in the medical tent following a hard hit. He didn’t return and wasn’t needed.
Fresh from a 29-0 victory over No. 9 LSU, the Tide defense hasn’t allowed a point in nine-plus quarters. Alabama had five sacks and Mississippi State had four in a rough day for both quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa was 14 of 21 for 164 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also lost a fumble on a botched exchange with Damien Harris. Backup Jalen Hurts missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. Jacobs ran for 97 yards on 20 carries as Alabama. He scored on a 1-yard run and a 14-yard catch.