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Tide's Ingram strives for perfection

Alabama Mississippi Football

Alabama running back Mark Ingram (22)

Rogelio V. Solis/AP

Written by JOHN ZENOR

The Associated Press
Posted on 10.13.09
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Gamecocks vs. Tide

WHO: USC (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at Alabama (6-0, 3-0)

WHEN: 7:45 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

LINE: Alabama by 18

TV: ESPN (TWC 26/DTV 206/Dish 140)

RADIO: WNKT-FM 107.5

ONLINE: Seth Emerson will blog live from the game. Get updates at gogamecocks.com.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Twenty-four hours after the game, Mark Ingram still was reliving the play.

But which one?

His 36-yard touchdown run on fourth down? The 25-yard rush to set up a field goal? The 13-yard catch on third-and-11 to keep a drive alive?

None of those. He was focused on a play in which he didn't even touch the ball.

No. 2 Alabama's tailback missed a block that led to a sack of Greg McElroy. When Ingram wandered into the film room Sunday evening, he watched the play over and over.

"Mark said, 'That's the only play I've been thinking about. I've been thinking about that play since it happened,'" McElroy said. "That's what's great about Mark. He could look at the 15 great plays that he made in the game and he can look at the one play, and that's the one that's going to stick with him. That's what's driving him."

Ingram is a big part of what's driving the Crimson Tide offense. He ran for a career-high 172 yards on 28 carries and caught three passes in the 22-3 win over Mississippi.

But that missed block is sticking with him.

"The first thing I looked at was that play," Ingram said. "I rewinded it again, rewinded it again, rewinded it again ... When you miss a blocking assignment, it sticks with you and you want to get better at it."

The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore is leading the SEC with 10 touchdowns - seven rushing, three receiving - is the league's No. 4 runner and is tied for the team lead in receptions. He is one of three players in the country with at least 10 touchowns and a per-game rushing average of at least 100 yards, along with Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Stanford's Toby Gerhart

Not bad for a guy who might have been the fourth-most talked about Tide offensive player during the offseason, behind new starter McElroy, new left tackle James Carpenter and wide receiver Julio Jones. Ingram insists that's fine.

"I'm not selfish at all, so when they talk about other players in front of me, all great to them and I'm happy for them," he said. "They're my teammates, so I want the best for them.

"The goals and aspirations that I have, and just trying to be the best player I can be, is what I'm more focused on."

During the nationally televised game on Saturday, one commentator called Ingram the strongest running back in college football.

Ingram brushed off the praise.

"I don't really try to pay attention to national media," he said. "I just try to focus on getting better each and every day. Going in the film room, going to practice, getting better. You either get better or worse every day. I just try to get better.

Ingram said he has made significant improvement since his freshman season.

"From freshman to sophomore year, you just grow so much as a player and as a person, just watching film, making reads, picking up pass protection," Ingram said. "Just being a better student of the game. And then everything kind of slows down for you a little bit. It's not as fast. You're just more comfortable out there."

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