2012 NCAA First Round Playoff-Alabama-52, Northern Illinois-3

McCarron throws for 390 and 4 TD (AP)

December 14, 2012

Weather-73 degrees, 8 mph S

Tuscaloosa, AL-The Crimson Tide demonstrated just how prepared they are to repeat as National Champions by crushing Northern Illinois, 52-3. Both sides of the ball prospered against the Huskies out of the MAC conference. Offensively, Alabama gained 580 yards and scored 42 first-half points. On defense, the Crimson Tide limited the NIU offense to 149 yards and 3 points. Alabama QB A.J. McCarron completed 21 of 28 passes for 390 yards and 4 TD. T.J. Yeldon gained 115 yards rushing to pace the Crimson Tide running game, scoring twice. Eddie Lacy ran for 61 yards and caught passes for 76 yards, including a 64-yard TD that gave Alabama a 14-3 lead.

Alabama will host an NCAA Quarterfinal Game next weekend.

Northern Illinois Huskies.(12-2)-3-0-0-0-3
Alabama Crimson Tide...(13-1)-14-28-3-7-52

Ala-Williams 8 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
NI-Sims 28 FG
Ala-Lacy 64 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Yeldon 61 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Yeldon 8 run (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Bell 2 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Norwood 69 pass from McCarron (Shelley Kick)
Ala-Shelley 44 FG
Ala-Drake 10 run (Shelley Kick)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
NI-Settle-14-54-0 (115-507-5), Lynch-29-23-0 (300-1,794-19), Daniels-7-20-0 (72-452-9), Harris-8-12-0 (63-238-4)
Ala-Yeldon-16-115-2 (170-1,115-13), Lacy-18-61-0 (202-1,243-16), Drake-6-16-1 (45-289-6), McCarron-7-(-2)-0 (55-(-7)-1)

Passing
NI-Lynch-12-5-40-0-0 (365-227-3,002-24-5)
Ala-McCarron-28-21-390-4-1 (314-212-3,059-30-4)

Receiving
NI-Ashford-1-15-0 (31-369-1), Eakes-1-11-0 (9-279-0), Schepler-1-8-0 (4-73-1), Daniels-1-5-0 (19-197-2), Settle-1-1-0 (5-21-0)
Ala-Norwood-4-111-1 (30-506-5), Cooper-4-80-0 (56-974-9), Lacy-3-76-1 (23-248-2), Williams-3-41-1 (24-207-4), Jones-3-33-0 (28-361-4), Bell-2-19-1 (19-450-4), White-1-19-0 (9-124-2), Johnson-1-11-0 (5-45-0)