PASADENA, Calif. – The No. 1 ranked Alabama football team beat No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship game, played in the Rose Bowl Thursday, 37-21, winning the 13th national title in school history and first since 1992.

With the win, head coach Nick Saban becomes the fifth coach to bring a national championship to the Capstone.

“Our message to the team at halftime was that it’s a 60-minute game,” Saban said. “I’m proud of the way we hung in there and bounced back at the end of the game.”

The Crimson Tide defense ended any hopes of a Longhorns comeback when Eryk Anders forced a fumble out of the hands of Texas quarterback Garret Gilbert with 3:08 remaining in the game.

Alabama would force two more turnovers and score two touchdowns to seal the 2009 national championship.

After Texas jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pair of field goals in the first quarter, the Crimson Tide took the lead when sophomore Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram scored on a two-yard rush, putting Alabama up 7-6 with 14:18 remaining in the second quarter.

Freshman Trent Richardson joined in on the ground attack when he busted a 49-yard touchdown run at the 7:59 mark in the second quarter. The long touchdown run stretched Alabama’s lead to 14-7.

Senior Leigh Tiffin would extend the Tide’s lead further connecting on a 26-yard attempt. Two plays later Marcell Dareus intercepted Gilbert’s shovel pass and returned it 28 yards for an Alabama touchdown. The 10-point swing gave the Crimson Tide a 24-6 lead heading into the half.

With Texas’ offense scoring 11 unanswered points in the second half and pulling within 24-21, Anders swung into action, forcing a fumble at the three-yard line with Courntey Upshaw recovering for the Tide.

Ingram capitlized on the turnover, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run three plays later, putting Alabama up 31-21.

Senior Javier Arenas came up with his second interception of the night with 1:55 remaining in the game. Richardson turned the turnover into points once again, scoring a touchdown on a two-yard run. Tiffin missed the extra point attempt, making the score 37-21.

With the win Saban becomes the first head coach in major college football history to win a national championship at two different schools, also winning the BCS national championship in 2003 at LSU.

(Story courtesy rolltide.com)