Heisman Survey: Alabama's Derrick Henry powers to the front

For the first time this season, Leonard Fournette is not leading the weekly USA TODAY Sports Heisman Trophy survey.

The LSU running back dropped to second after rushing for just 31 yards on 19 carries in a 30-16 loss to Alabama on Saturday. The new No. 1 wears No. 2 — Alabama running back Derrick Henry.

He gained 210 yards on 38 carries and scored three touchdowns against a defense that came into the game second in the SEC against the run allowing 93.7 yards.

Alabama legitimizes its Playoff ranking, and more

Fournette still leads the nation in rushing with 1,383 yards. Henry is fifth at 1,254 and has averaged 173.6 yards in the team’s five games against opponents ranked at the time.

Also for the first time this season, running backs sit in the top three spots in the survey of reporters and editors with Heisman votes who work for properties owned by Gannett, parent company of USA TODAY. Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, sixth in rushing at 1,244, is third.

This could be a rare season in terms of the Heisman winner. Since 2000, quarterbacks have won 13 times. Also in that span, 32 out of a possible 45 top-three finishers were quarterbacks.

The last running back to win the Heisman also came from Alabama, Mark Ingram in 2009. The Tide won the national championship that season with Ingram gaining 116 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 37-21 win against Texas in the BCS title game.

The Tide were No. 4 in last week’s initial College Football Playoff committee rankings and could take over the No 2 spot that was held by LSU when the new rankings are announced Tuesday (7 p.m., ET, ESPN).

Alabama plays at No. 20 Mississippi State on Saturday. The players say there is no worry about a letdown.

“Since Ole Miss lost, we’re kind of back in control of what happens from here on out,” linebacker Dillon Lee said. “I think the guys will be more excited this week, going into the next game knowing that every game we win from here on out is taking us where we want to go.”

Contributing: Associated Press