 The minus @-@ 48 yards rushing allowed by the Alabama defense was the fewest ever allowed in a bowl game and the second fewest allowed all @-@ time only eclipsed by a minus @-@ 49 yard performance against Houston in 1962 . With his pair of touchdowns , Mark Ingram established a new Alabama record for career rushing touchdowns with 42 to eclipse the previous mark of 41 set by Shaun Alexander . The contest also marked both Nick Saban 's and Bobby Williams ' first game against the Spartans since their respective terms as Michigan State 's head coach between 1995 – 1999 and 2000 – 2002 . 
