Here are some quick thoughts on No. 2 Alabama’s 31-6 win against No. 17 Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday:

What it means: Only a Week 13 meeting with Auburn stands between Alabama and a trip to the SEC Championship game. With only one conference game remaining, the Crimson Tide is primed for a chance to defend its conference championship thanks to a strong performance in Starkville. For Mississippi State, this ends any hope for a come-from-behind division win. Now at 7-3, with all three losses coming to SEC West opponents, the Bulldogs are left to jockey for position in the bowl sweepstakes during the final two weeks of the regular season.

What I liked:

  • From an Alabama perspective, a trio of big plays in the second quarter were the defining moments. First came a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by Cyrus Jones, then a highlight reel 60-yard catch and run for WR Calvin Ridley and finally a 74-yard touchdown run RB Derrick Henry.
  • The Crimson Tide front seven was on point from the opening snap, which resulted in an A’Shawn Robinson sack. Though he was still solid producer, Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott was under constant duress. Per ESPN, Prescott had not been sacked more than three times in a game during his career. The Crimson Tide was able to sack the senior quarterback eight times.
  • Alabama RB Derrick Henry had another massive game. He scored a rushing touchdown for the 15th consecutive game, and enjoyed his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season. Six of those seven 100-yard performances have occurred against ranked opponents, which is a fact that should not be ignored by Heisman voters.
  • Prescott deserves some credit for hanging in there in spite of no help from his offensive line or running game. He was again Mr. Everything for the Bulldogs, but the guy can’t beat a stout Alabama defense on his own.
  • Dan Mullen’s willingness to go for it on fourth down in the first quarter. With three yards to gain inside Alabama territory, he did not flinch in his decision to keep the offense on the field. The option play resulted in a new set of downs. However, the drive ended without points when he again went for it on fourth down from the Alabama 1-yard line.

What I didn’t like:

  • Crimson Tide RB Kenyan Drake left the game in the first half with an air cast on his right arm. It didn’t look good, and it was an unfortunate outcome for a guy that already suffered a gruesome injury during last season’s game against Ole Miss. CB Minkah Fitzpatrick also left the game with an injury.
  • Mississippi State WR De’Runnya Wilson suffered what appeared to be a head and/or neck injury trying to make a tackle on a fourth quarter interception return. He was able to stand up with assistance and appeared to have movement of all extremities, but he was carted off the field.
  • From a Mississippi State perspective, the Bulldogs seemingly held the momentum for much of the first quarter, but were unable to turn a couple of early scoring chances into points. Alabama had four punts and an interception during its first five possessions.
  • Trailing by 18 points and driving into Alabama territory late in the first half, Mississippi State chose not to use any of its timeouts, and called a conservative quarterback draw on 3rd-and-long before ultimately turning the ball over on downs.
  • At some point in the first quarter, a cut mysteriously appeared on the left cheek of Alabama coach Nick Saban. Presumably he was hit by one of his player moving to and from the sidelines. In any case, we don’t like it when any of the SEC coaches get an ouchie.
  • During the third quarter, the officials ruled a fumble on a sack of Dak Prescott that was returned for an Alabama touchdown. It was a bad call that was reversed on review, as Prescott’s knee was clearly down before losing the ball. But a very soft personal foul penalty on a Mississippi State player trying to tackle the Alabama player stood on the play because it was considered a dead-ball penalty. Essentially, Alabama received a free 15 yards for a play that should have never taken place if the proper call was made on the field.

Who’s the man: Alabama RB Derrick Henry. The talented junior had touchdown runs of 74 and 65 yards on his way to 204 yards on 22 carries. Following a standout performance against LSU in Week 10, this showing likely cements him as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy at this point in the season.

Key play: Facing 4th-and-goal from the Alabama 1-yard line in the first quarter, Mississsippi State coach Dan Mullen sought out the opportunity to cash in on some early momentum, deciding to forgo an opportunity to kick a field goal to break a scoreless tie and instead go for a touchdown. QB Dak Prescott was stopped short on the keeper, and the game’s momentum seemingly swung to Alabama, which scored the game’s first touchdown in the second quarter and never trailed.

What’s next: Alabama will host Charleston Southern for the season’s final game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 12 before travelling to Auburn for the Iron Bowl to finish out the regular season. Mississippi State will travel to Arkansas in Week 12 before returning home to host Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl in Week 13.