TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama sophomore tailback Mark Ingram failed to score in Saturday's 24-15 win over LSU, but he didn't damage his Heisman Trophy hopes, either.

Ingram had 22 carries for 144 yards as the Crimson Tide improved to 9-0, including 106 yards on 16 second-half carries. When Alabama opened the second half with an eight-play, 81-yard march that culminated with Greg McElroy's 21-yard pass to Darius Hanks, Ingram had 46 yards on four rushes.

"I always want to make big plays, and I always want to make something happen for us," he said. "We got some drives going and some momentum going, and I was just trying to make plays."

Ingram, who also had five catches for 30 yards against the Tigers, has 1,148 rushing yards this season (127.6 a game) and has been his best against the best. In four games against teams that were ranked, the 5-foot-10, 212-pounder has racked up 712 yards (178 a game).

When Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald was roughed on fourth-and-6 midway through the fourth quarter of a 21-15 game, Tide coach Nick Saban didn't hesitate on fourth-and-1 from the LSU 45. Ingram went over left guard for 2 yards.

"It was a one-score game," Saban said, "and I felt like when it's inside 1 yard, you've got to have confidence in your players that you can get it."

Tiffin makes history

Leigh Tiffin's 40-yard field goal with 3:04 remaining not only sealed Alabama's second straight SEC West title, but it vaulted the senior from Muscle Shoals to the top of the Crimson Tide charts. Tiffin tallied 11 points Saturday to increase his career scoring total to 348 points, three more than Phillip Doyle amassed from 1987 to '90.

"I had no idea, but that's great," Tiffin said. "It was a big important kick that meant a lot on a lot of different levels."

Tiffin has made 23 of 26 field-goal attempts this season and now has 76 career field goals, two shy of Doyle's school mark. Last year, Tiffin set Alabama's single-season record for field goals at 25.

A-Maze-ing half

Tide sophomore receiver Marquise Maze had six receptions for 88 yards, all in the first half, which set a single-game career high for receptions and matched his single-game yardage best. His previous high of four catches occurred against Tulane in 2008 and North Texas and Ole Miss this season.

His first 88-yard performance was earlier this season on two catches against Arkansas.

The early hole

LSU's 12-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Jefferson to Deangelo Peterson with 9:12 remaining before halftime broke a scoreless tie and marked the first time all season Alabama didn't score first. The 7-0 deficit also marked the first time the Tide have trailed since falling behind Florida International 14-13 in the second quarter of their eventual 40-14 romp.

Alabama pulled within 7-3 at halftime, with its three points being the fewest since playing Florida State to a scoreless first half in 2007.

"We're really not supposed to look at the scoreboard," Saban said, "but since we came back in the game, I'd say we responded pretty well."

The Tide entered this season 0-5 under Saban when trailing at halftime, but they are now 2-5 after rallying past Virginia Tech and LSU.

Tide tidbits

Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU 45-23-5 after defeating the Tigers at home for the first time since 1999. ... LSU's Charles Scott rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries before leaving late in the third quarter, which helped enable Alabama's defense to extend its streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher to 27 games (the last was BenJarvus Green-Ellis of Ole Miss in '07). ... Saban is now 2-2 against LSU, 0-1 with Michigan State and 2-1 with Alabama. ... The replay booth at Bryant-Denny Stadium was unavailable for use during the first 5:34 of the game. ... When McElroy was called for intentional grounding in the end zone with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter, it was the first safety Alabama has allowed since the Ole Miss game of '03. ... Saban said every Tide player who left with an injury, including cornerback Javier Arenas getting the wind knocked out of him, was able to return.