Alabama Has Enough to Remain Unbeaten : SEC: Crimson Tide rallies to defeat Mississippi State, 29-25, to reach conference championship game again.

Alabama doesn’t win by much, but the sixth-ranked Crimson Tide is still undefeated and headed to the Southeastern Conference championship game for the third consecutive season.

Seldom-used freshman tailback Dennis Riddle scored on a one-yard run with 51 seconds to play as the Crimson Tide, 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the SEC, defeated No. 20 Mississippi State on Saturday, 29-25, to clinch the SEC Western Division title.

“The fact is, we won the game under tough conditions,” Alabama Coach Gene Stallings said.

Mississippi State (7-3, 4-3) led, 25-15, after Tim Rogers kicked a 21-yard field goal with 7:57 to play.

But Alabama, which has beaten its nine Division I-A opponents by an average margin of only 8.1 points, scored two touchdowns after that to defeat the Bulldogs for the 14th consecutive time and 36th time in the last 37 meetings.

Jay Barker completed 26 of 35 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns to improve to 33-1-1 as Alabama’s starter.

“The only thing that helped Alabama today was No. 7 (Barker),” said Mississippi State Coach Jackie Sherrill, who is 0-6 against his alma mater, including four losses at Mississippi State. “They don’t win games the last three years without 7.”

Alabama will play Florida in the SEC title game on Dec. 3.

Riddle, whose three carries Saturday gave him 23 for the season, capped the game-winning 10-play, 66-yard drive by powering over left tackle.

The big play on the drive was Barker’s 28-yard pass to Sherman Williams, who made a diving catch to the Mississippi State 16.