Quarterback Keelon Russell threw for three touchdowns, and wide receiver Rico Scott recorded a career day as No. 7 Alabama football blew by No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23 on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
Scott caught four passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns, including two acrobatic snags that helped the Crimson Tide maintain momentum early in the second half. Russell completed 16 of 22 passes for 285 yards and added 16 yards and a score on the ground, as he continued his impressive ascent as the Crimson Tide’s starter.
The sophomore signal-caller has tallied 13 total touchdowns and zero turnovers since a two-interception performance against Kentucky on Sept. 12.
“He’s always had the ability to make plays,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “I think it was just a matter of him balancing that with taking care of the football. And you just know that there’s a matter of a growth process that he has to go through. He went through that early in the season, in the real action. But we also saw him go through that through the spring and fall, and the big plays happened.”
Russell finished his day with a second touchdown toss to Scott with 9:43 to go in the fourth quarter, making way for senior Austin Mack, who later strolled into the end zone on a quarterback keeper to extend the Crimson Tide’s lead to a whopping 33 points. Russell’s counterpart, Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor, also left the contest early with a leg injury after a 258-yard performance on 19 of 34 passes, in which he threw three touchdowns but turned it over as many times.
The duo entered the game as Heisman Trophy contenders after each endured a meteoric rise. After the performance, Russell sits as the favorite for the award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“[I am] just playing my game. Not really focused on the Heisman right now,” he said. “Accolades and stuff will come; just playing my game week in and week out.”
A dominant second-half showing began with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that Scott closed with a 13-yard touchdown catch. The Crimson Tide rolled with three more touchdown drives, including freshman running back Trae’shawn Brown’s second of the day, his first multi-touchdown performance of his young career.
Brown’s impressive performance came as the Crimson Tide bounced back on the ground, tallying 179 rushing yards after a lackluster showing against South Carolina. DeBoer said that the team believes it can wear down opponents with its ground game.
“The script’s never gonna look the same. It’s a different opponent every week, but we do believe that we have a good thing going,” he said. “Our backs are running hard and breaking tackles, too.”
The Crimson Tide entered the break with an 11-point cushion despite a far-from-clean first half. Alabama tallied 228 total yards and forced three takeaways, but fumbled it once and muffed a punt, keeping Mississippi State well within reach.
Russell continued his strong beginning to the season with two total touchdowns and several drive-saving downfield throws. He found receiver Lotzeir Brooks with a throw into a tight window on third down and 19 with 43 seconds left in the first quarter, which later resulted in a rushing score from Russell.
Russell said that he has grown most in becoming a complete quarterback both operationally and by letting the game come to him.
Despite the bumpy opening 30 minutes, the Crimson Tide regained momentum with a 7-yard score from running back Trae’shawn Brown with under two minutes to go. A resilient defensive performance on the final Mississippi State drive held the Bulldogs to a field goal, despite having first and goal at the Crimson Tide’s 2-yard line.
Alabama returns to action next week in a marquee SEC matchup against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ABC.
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