Mike Johnson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama's newfound emphasis on the passing game was evident in Saturday's 24-15 win over LSU.

The results were pleasing to quarterback Greg McElroy and receivers Marquis Maze and Julio Jones, and they were pleasing to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. Yet nobody seemed happier than sophomore tailback Mark Ingram, who only had six first-half carries for 38 yards but finished with 22 for 144.

"Obviously when we're having success throwing the ball, they can't put eight or nine people in the box," Ingram said. "They have to play the pass, and Greg and the receivers did a great job of connecting and making plays, and it opened up the running game. It was a great game plan."

Alabama clinched a Dec. 5 date with Florida in the SEC title game with Saturday's triumph and looks to go 10-0 this week at Mississippi State, a contest that will be televised by ESPN at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Throwing seven straight passes to open the game looked out of place in a venue that once housed Bear Bryant's wishbone, but Saban said that was the idea after Alabama's aerial attack had soured in recent wins over South Carolina and Tennessee. The Tide threw for 92 yards against the Gamecocks and 120 against the Vols but had 155 in Saturday's first half.

McElroy finished with 276 passing yards, with 73 coming on the go-ahead score to Jones with 10:24 remaining.

"We planned to spread them out and do a lot of empty (backfield), which we did," Saban said. "We wanted to throw the ball more and create balance, and we knew we were going to come back and try and run the ball. We wanted balance, and I thought it was a little different way to play our hand, but I thought it worked effectively.

"Hopefully it surprised them at the beginning and caught them a little off guard. We changed field position a lot in the first half, but it didn't pay off in points."

The Crimson Tide scored three first-half points, when they had 25 passing plays and only 11 rushes. McElroy overthrew Maze on Alabama's first possession and missed Jones at the goal line in the second quarter before the Tide settled on a field goal.

He overthrew tight end Brad Smelley late in the third quarter, but Ingram then ripped off two runs for 33 yards, proving incompletions can serve a purpose.

"I think it's important that we utilize our players and attack the middle of the field and make them defend the middle of the field," Saban said. "You've got to have some kind of vertical passing game to do that. Even when you don't hit them, and we missed a few, it affects how they play on the next play."

Said McElroy: "I can't tell you why we missed, but more times than not, we're going to hit those. We're going to make people pay in the future. We have a lot of speed on the outside, and it really kind of fits with what we're able to do."

'Oh shoot' moment

The SEC's latest controversial call occurred with 5:54 remaining Saturday when McElroy forced a sideline throw to Jones at LSU's 32-yard line. Tigers cornerback Patrick Peterson caught the ball, but officials ruled the play incomplete.

After a lengthy review, officials upheld their decision even though Peterson appeared to get a foot in bounds.

"It was an 'Oh shoot' moment," McElroy said. "What can you say? It's a learning experience, and sometimes it doesn't go in your favor, and fortunately that call did. That was a situation where I should have thrown it away."

LSU, which trailed 21-15 at the time, already had lost quarterback Jordan Jefferson and tailback Charles Scott to injuries. The Tigers wound up running 11 fourth-quarter plays for 9 yards.