The Alabama Crimson Tide absolutely rolled over the South Carolina Gamecocks at home, securing a dominant 49-18 victory that left no doubt who was in charge. This win was pure fireworks, largely thanks to quarterback Keelon Russell’s monster five-touchdown performance. ‘Bama came into Saturday’s game as a 12.5-point favorite, and boy, did they prove FanDuel right.
Russell Airs It Out While ‘Bama Defense Shows Up
When it came down to winning this game, the difference was clearly through the air. Keelon Russell was slinging it, racking up 365 passing yards on a ridiculous 21 of 27 completions, tossing four touchdowns with zero interceptions. Compare that to LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina, who managed just 185 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. That’s a 162-yard difference, an absolute chasm. Russell wasn’t just a passer, either, adding another touchdown on the ground with 35 rushing yards. He hit Ryan Coleman-Williams for two scores and 98 yards, and Lotzeir Brooks for a 78-yard touchdown. Josh Ford even got in on the action with a scoring grab. While South Carolina actually held a slight advantage on the ground, Alabama’s aerial assault was simply too much to handle.
An Early Statement and Defensive Dominance
Alabama wasted zero time making a statement, dropping two touchdowns in the first quarter to jump out to a 14-0 lead. Russell connected with Lotzeir Brooks for a 75-yard bomb to open the scoring, then followed it up with a 32-yard strike to Ryan Coleman-Williams. They piled on three more scores in the second quarter, with the most electric play coming from the defense: Red Morgan snagged an interception and took it 23 yards to the house for a pick-six! By halftime, Alabama was up 35-10. South Carolina did manage a deep touchdown connection from Sellers to Nyck Harbor late in that second quarter, a fleeting moment of hope. The third quarter was a defensive slugfest, with both teams punting multiple times, showing some real grind-it-out football before Alabama slammed the door shut.
South Carolina did chip away early in the fourth with a 13-play, 75-yard drive ending in a Matt Fuller rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion. But any thoughts of a comeback got squashed fast. Alabama immediately responded with a Daniel Hill rushing touchdown, forced a fumble, and then Russell himself put the cherry on top with another touchdown run to close out the game. Alabama is now a perfect 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play, ranked number 8 in the SEC. South Carolina sits at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in conference. Next up, Alabama hits the road to face Mississippi State next Saturday, looking to keep that undefeated run alive. South Carolina will be looking for a bounce-back win at home against Kentucky on the same day.
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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