Alabama’s Ingram takes shot at Heisman

The Heisman Trophy likely will be won or lost based on performances in two remaining games. Only Alabama’s Mark Ingram has the opportunity to play in both of them.

Audition No. 1 belongs solely to Ingram, the 5-foot-10, 215-pound tailback who will try to power the No. 3 Crimson Tide (8-0) past No. 9 LSU (7-1) on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. A victory would give Alabama the SEC West crown and set up an all-in donnybrook in the SEC championship game Dec. 5 between Ingram’s Crimson Tide and top-ranked Florida and Tim Tebow - with both a berth in the BCS title game and the stiff-arming statue likely on the line.

“Beating LSU and clinching the [SEC] West is our only concern,” said Ingram, who leads Tebow in most Heisman polls. “If we keep winning, the rest will take care of itself.”

In 112 years of Alabama football yielding a self-professed 12 national titles, no Alabama player has lifted the Heisman Trophy. David Palmer came closest in 1993, finishing third behind Florida State’s Charlie Ward and Tennessee’s Heath Shuler.

If Ingram continues his sophomore rampage through the sport’s marquee league, the bronze boy finally might be destined for Tuscaloosa. The son of the former New York Giants receiver by the same name, Ingram has rushed for 1,004 yards on 153 carries to rank fifth in the nation in yards per game (125.5).

But take a look behind those basic numbers - at Ingram’s versatility, toughness, reliability and fondness for the big stage - and it’s much easier to understand his status as the Heisman favorite.

Among backs with more than 150 carries, only Fresno State’s Ryan Matthews has averaged more yards a carry (7.35) than Ingram (6.56). For an Alabama attack that has struggled of late behind faltering junior quarterback Greg McElroy, Ingram is virtually the entire offense. He’s tied for second on the team in receptions behind Julio Jones, adding 19 catches for 186 yards and three scores to a rushing total that is on pace to smash Bobby Humphrey’s single-season Alabama record (1,471 in 1986).

And with McElroy slumping, Ingram has taken more and more snaps in the Wildcat formation. Given his low, tumbling running style, Ingram’s direct-snap set would be more appropriately labeled the Pitbull package. Ingram has yet to throw a pass out of the formation.

“When we run the Wildcat, they know what’s coming,” Ingram said. “There’s no surprise.”

The surprise is that even though Ingram has been the Crimson Tide’s only consistent source of offense, nobody in a conference known for its defense has been able to stop him. And Ingram has been at his best against stronger defenses. In three games against ranked teams (No. 7 Virginia Tech, No. 20 Mississippi and No. 22 South Carolina), Ingram has averaged 189.3 rushing yards and nearly 7.3 yards a carry.

“Mark Ingram is a great back,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “He’s from Flint, Michigan. I wish he would’ve stayed in the Midwest. I think he’s physical and has speed. He can make you miss.”

But he doesn’t have to. Nicknamed “Bam-Bam” for his Flint roots and his college choice, Ingram has amassed 654 of his 1,190 rushing and receiving yards (almost 55 percent) after contact. And he has done it all while leading the nation in ball security. In 322 touches in his two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Ingram has fumbled just once.

Coincidentally, that fumble came on the last carry of his most recent game and would have cost the Crimson Tide a loss against Tennessee if not for a game-ending blocked field goal by All-America nose tackle Terrence Cody.

Ingram’s response: “I made a mistake that could have cost us dearly. It was unfortunate, and I apologized to my teammates, my coaches and all the fans for making it tougher than it was supposed to be. I promise to never let that happen again.”

He’ll start a new streak Saturday against LSU.

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