No. 8 Alabama football rolled early — something it has done sparingly in 2026 — with 35 first-half points, cruising to a 49-18 blowout win over South Carolina on Saturday.
After rough opening halves in wins over Kentucky and Florida State, the Crimson Tide’s offense totaled 318 first-half yards in the win as quarterback Keelon Russell tossed for 234 yards and four touchdowns on 13 of 15 passing. He also found three different receivers for scores in Lotzeir Brooks, Ryan Coleman-Williams and Josh Ford, continuing to show his growth in the passing game.
Ford’s Houdini-esque one-handed grab in the end zone capped the offensive scoring in the opening 30 minutes for Alabama, as Russell produced his most effective half thus far in crimson.
“It’s sick,” Russell said of Ford’s catch. “The guys are showing me the picture of the grab, [it] looked like he was Spider-Man.”
After a rough week against the Seminoles, the Crimson Tide’s defense allowed an explosive 56-yard run from Gamecocks running back Matt Fuller on the game’s first play. It bounced back with three shutout drives and capped off the impressive half with a pick six, the team’s third through four games.
Defensive back Red Morgan strolled in untouched after Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers airmailed receiver Nitro Tuggle, seemingly capping off the dominant opening half. A quick-moving South Carolina drive culminated in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Sellers to speedy receiver Nyck Harbor in the final minute of the half as the topsy-turvy period came to a close.
Despite the hot start, Alabama’s offense again struggled to play a complete game. It opened the second half with three straight punts and tallied just 40 total yards in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide’s defense came out of halftime strong and allowed Sellers to record just 27 third-quarter passing yards.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer said the team had an “okay” third quarter overall, despite the tough offensive showing.
Alabama’s offense picked it back up in the fourth quarter with three successful third down conversions and two touchdowns, with one coming from Russell as he capped a five-touchdown performance. The celebrations for Russell’s rushing score were delayed due to video review, but an amped crowd inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium erupted after the call was overturned and gave Alabama a 31-point lead shortly after Dixieland Delight blared throughout the stadium.
“I thought he made some more strides again tonight with his playmaking ability, and just putting the ball on the money, especially with the balls farther down the field,” DeBoer said.
While Russell shone through the air, the Crimson Tide’s running game took a step back from last week’s 247-yard performance against a Gamecocks defense allowing the 22nd-fewest rushing yards per game at 85.3. Freshman EJ Crowell recorded 50 yards on six carries, but fellow freshman Trae’shawn Brown and starting back Daniel Hill combined for just 37 yards, after accounting for 145 yards against Florida State.
With a potent rushing defense in Mississippi State — which allows the 34th-fewest rushing yards per game at 100.0 — the Crimson Tide could again face trouble on the ground next weekend. Returning to form running the ball may be crucial as Russell endures 61,337 fans — and perhaps cowbells — in his second SEC road start next Saturday in Starkville.
“Anywhere you step into as a quarterback, you know it’s going to be loud,” he said. “You know there’s going to be boos.”
Alabama will return to action next week for the first edition of the Battle for Highway 82 since 2023 against Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT, and can be seen on ABC.
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