Alabama just absolutely steamrolled Mississippi State 56-23, and if you weren’t watching, you missed Keelon Russell officially stake his claim as an early Heisman frontrunner. The Crimson Tide, who were favored by 5.5 points, ran all over Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs on Saturday, making a statement that resonates across the entire college football landscape.
Russell’s Red-Hot Resurgence Shakes Up the Heisman Race
Listen, Russell came out swinging, accounting for four touchdowns with zero turnovers before they even pulled him midway through the fourth quarter. Dude was just doing work, going 16-22 for 285 yards passing with three touchdowns, and adding another 16 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. This is the Russell we’ve been waiting for! After a slow start to the season where he only had one touchdown pass and two picks through his first two games, he’s absolutely caught fire over the last three weeks. Now, Alabama isn’t just a good team, they’re on the short list of the best teams in the nation, and Russell is a huge reason why.
You want a highlight? How about this: on their second touchdown drive, Russell dropped an insane 39-yard pass to Lotzeir Brooks on third-and-19. Think about that, third-and-19! Three plays later, he waltzed into the end zone himself with a 17-yard touchdown run. That’s the kind of play that makes you stand up and scream at your TV. This kid is making magic happen, and it’s electrifying.
Taylor’s Nightmare Start and the Costly Injury
On the flip side, man, what a tough day for Kamario Taylor. This game could not have started worse for him or Mississippi State. Fifth play of the game? Strip-sacked. Next drive, third play? Pick-six. Ouch. Taylor got hit with a lost fumble and an interception on his first two offensive possessions. He did manage to rebound a bit, throwing for 258 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two more interceptions, matching his total from the first four weeks of the season in just one game. His 55.9 completion percentage and 7.6 yards per attempt were his lowest all season too. It was a rough one, and to top it all off, he was seen heading to the locker room in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury. You never want to see that.
Even though Taylor helped get Mississippi State back within a score at 21-14 midway through the second quarter, Alabama just kept punching. They scored touchdowns on three straight possessions at the end of the first half and the start of the second, and that was that. Game over.
What’s Next for the Nation’s Top Talent… and Our Hawks!
Mississippi State and Taylor have a bye week to lick their wounds, and hopefully Taylor can get healthy before they return to action on October 17 at LSU. Meanwhile, Russell and Alabama are gearing up for one of the marquee games of the season next week, a heavyweight clash against No. 2 Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium. You know we’ll be glued to that one!
Speaking of big news, don’t miss this from the wire: Apparently, some folks out there were speculating about the Seahawks moving, but Vinod Khosla just clarified that the team has no plans to relocate from Seattle. You hear that, 12s? Our Hawks are staying right here in the Emerald City! Mike Macdonald, Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp , they’re all staying put, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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