STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Alabama football team bounced back after their first loss of the season, defeating Mississippi State 24 to 7 on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide got off to another slow start against the Bulldogs, with their first scoring drive coming late in the second quarter.

Alabama’s offense struggled for the second straight week, failing to convert on their scoring opportunities. The Tide missed three of four field goals this week and never found a consistent rhythm on offense. The Bulldogs played tough on defense and forced the Tide to punt on a few of its opening drives.

“They had a lot of energy coming out,” running back Eddie Lacy said. “But energy only lasts for so long and we stay composed.”

Quarterback AJ McCarron threw an early interception that was nearly returned for a touchdown, but he was able to bounce back in the second half. McCarron finished the game 14-of-24 for 163 yards.

“AJ did well,” Lacy said. “We all made mistakes, but he stayed composed.”

Running back Trent Richardson ran hard throughout the night, finishing with 127 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. The real bright spot for Alabama was running back Eddie Lacy. Lacy has battled nagging injuries over the last few games, but came out strong against the Bulldogs. Lacy carried the ball 11 times, rushing for 96 yards and two scores.

“Most plays we blocked well,” Lacy said. “I just do what I had to do and run the ball.”

Alabama got another dominate performance from its defense. The only touchdown they allowed came after a blown kickoff coverage that let Mississippi State return the ball inside the five-yard line. The Tide held the Bulldogs to 131 total yards of offense and was able to sack the Bulldog quarterbacks five times.

“We came out and played disciplined all night,” safety Mark Barron said. “We stayed into the game all night and we wanted to make sure we had the offense’s back. Through their ups and downs, we want to make sure we keep them in a good position to win the game for us.”