STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Derrick Henry ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns and No. 3 Alabama used a season-high nine sacks on defense to beat No. 20 Mississippi State 31-6 on Saturday night.
Alabama (9-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 2 CFP) easily survived its last major test before the Iron Bowl in two weeks. The Tide shook off a slow start thanks to three long touchdowns in the second quarter, starting with a 69-yard punt return by Cyrus Jones.
Calvin Ridley scored on a 60-yard touchdown catch from Jake Coker and Derrick Henry ran for a 74-yard touchdown as Alabama built an insurmountable 21-3 halftime lead.