Mississippi State vs. Alabama: Score and Twitter Reaction

Points were at a premium a week ago when the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0) took on the LSU Tigers in a defensive duel, but that wasn't the case Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

Matched up against the Mississippi State Bulldogs—who were coming off an upset of then-No. 4 Texas A&M—the nation's top-ranked team ran away with a 51-3 win in which its offense got back on track.  

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was locked in from start to finish. The true freshman finished 28-of-37 passing with career highs of 347 yards and four touchdowns passing to complement 11 carries for 100 yards and a score on the ground. 

For a guy who was bottled up to the tune of 107 passing yards last week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, those staggering stats were a welcomed sight. 

ESPN Stats & Info put Hurts' dual-threat capabilities in perspective: 

Hurts also became the fifth FBS player this season to tally at least 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

ArDarius Stewart operated as Hurts' primary target during the blowout. He thrived to the tune of eight catches for 156 yards and three scores, including a 67-yard touchdown that helped put the Crimson Tide up 17-0 minutes into the second quarter:

The Tide's decision to hit Mississippi State with an aerial assault through the first half overshadowed the team's rushing attack, but Joshua Jacobs was in fine form. 

The freshman—who entered Saturday ranked No. 1 overall among SEC players in elusive rating, according to Pro Football Focus—used his speed and shifty feet to fluster the Bulldogs defense time and again in the open field. 

He finished the day with nine carries for 89 yards and three catches for 34 yards, as Bama Hammer compared him to a Crimson Tide great: 

"

Joshua Jacobs reminds me of Trent Richardson in his body style and playing style.

— BamaHammer (@Bama_Hammer) November 12, 2016"

While explosive plays reigned supreme for Alabama, the Bulldogs couldn't come up with answers on a day when they fell behind 30-0 by halftime. 

Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald shredded Texas A&M with 391 total yards and four touchdowns last Saturday, but the speed of the Crimson Tide's defense shut him down at all three levels. 

The sophomore finished 10-of-33 for 145 yards and an interception, and he managed 15 yards on 11 carries as a runner. 

As a team, Mississippi State mustered 2.7 yards per carry against the nation's most dominant and physically imposing defensive front. 

AL.com's Michael Casagrande pointed to a couple of unsuccessful first-half drives to sum up the Bulldogs' struggles: 

Those problems persisted into the second half, but the Bulldogs were able to put points on the board and avoid a shutout against a defense that is playing at a historic level, according to ESPN Stats & Info's Sharon Katz: 

The Bulldogs will have a chance to move to within a game of .500 next weekend when the Arkansas Razorbacks pay a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, but besting head coach Bret Bielema's boys won't be an easy task. Quarterback Austin Allen guides an offense that has led Arkansas to a 6-3 record entering Saturday. 

The Crimson Tide will be back in action for a presumed cakewalk over Chattanooga next Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but that game will merely be an appetizer for the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26. 

If Alabama can squash its biggest rival, Auburn, to advance to the SEC Championship Game, a College Football Playoff berth will be in sight for the country's most feared team. 

And if Saturday's win over the Bulldogs was any indication, the Crimson Tide look ready to wreak havoc in pursuit of back-to-back national titles. 

Postgame Reaction

While some were concerned the Crimson Tide would come out flat playing in the early window, head coach Nick Saban told reporters he was encouraged by the way his team played in the first half. 

"I was really pleased with the way we got started today," he said, according to 247 Sports' Charlie Potter. 

Saban was also thrilled with the way Hurts played on a day when offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin featured his talents as a pocket passer. 

"Jalen had a really good day today," Saban said, per Potter. "It was something we've wanted to do."

"They’re an excellent football team," Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen said, according to the Commercial Dispatch's Ben Wait. "Just way too many mistakes early on for us."

Looking ahead, Mullen noted his team will have to hang tough if it wants to sneak into a bowl game. 

"Three short years ago we were in this situation," he said, per HailState.com's Bob Carskadon. "Backs to the wall. Gotta go win two games."

"We're going to move on and go on to Arkansas, at this point," Mullen said, per Carskadon.