Lacy and Yeldon lead top-ranked Tide over Missouri

In the world of college football, where virtually anything can happen, even the combination of heavy rain and lightning was simply no match for Alabama.

Thanks to career-high rushing efforts from Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, the top-ranked Crimson Tide rolled to a 42-10 victory over the downtrodden Missouri Tigers.

Alabama jumped out to a 7-0 lead within the first 45 seconds of the game, thanks to a 73-yard touchdown run courtesy of the aforementioned Lacy. What transpired the remainder of the afternoon was merely a combination of ‘Bama domination, water-logged preoccupation…and weather provoked evacuation.

With the Crimson Tide leading by the tune of 27-0 with eight minutes until intermission, the game was halted, and subsequently delayed for 38 minutes, due to lightning in the area.

Once the contest resumed, ‘Bama had a difficult time regaining their prior intensity. Due to Alabama’s “scattered” performance, Missouri scored their only touchdown of the game courtesy of a Marcus Murphy 98-yard kickoff return. While the Tigers would add a third quarter field goal, following a “weather vigilant” halftime that consisted of only five minutes, ‘Bama still held a 28-10 lead as rain continued to rule the day.

Although the outcome of the game was never in serious jeopardy, UA did “officially” put the game on ice during the final period of play. Courtesy of an Eddie Lacy one-yard touchdown, and a Kenyan Drake three-yard touchdown, the Crimson Tide increased the lead to the resulting final score of 42-10.

When all was said and done, the Alabama offense had garnered 533 total yards, and the Tide rushing effort quickly became a hallmark of the victory.

In respect to individual superlatives, Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon stole the show. The career-best performances delivered by each player were very impressive, but all the more so given the inclement weather. Lacy and Yeldon carried the ball 18 times apiece, and visibly and statistically, dissected the Missouri defense. Lacy rushed for 177 yards, including three touchdowns, while Yeldon churned for 144 yards, and two scores. The Crimson Tide rushed for 362 yards as a team, and the duo of Lacy and Yeldon combined for 321.

On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama yielded only three points, and held the Tigers to a pedestrian 129 yards of total offense, which included limiting Mizzou to only three yards rushing.

Thanks to quarterback pressure and swarming overall play, Alabama forced three turnovers, two of which were interceptions by secondary performers Vinnie Sunseri and HaHa Clinton-Dix.

With the road victory at Missouri, the Crimson Tide improve to 6-0 overall, and 3-0 in the SEC. Alabama will now travel to Knoxville to tangle with traditional rival, Tennessee.

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Crimson Tide injury report

-AJ McCarron sustained a bruised and twisted right knee during the third period of play. Although removed from the field with the help of the Alabama training staff, McCarron did not miss a single snap, but did return to the game adorning a knee brace.

-Wide receiver Christion Jones missed the entire second half due to a sprained ankle.

-Running back Eddie Lacy was seen exiting the field during the latter stages of the game, and making his way to the locker room area. While the outward appearance of the situation seemed potentially significant, the issue was nothing more than a bruised hand. In a postgame interview, Lacy told reporters the injury didn’t occur on a single play, but rather a culmination of absorbing hits from opposing helmets.