Alabama narrowly avoids an upset against South Carolina with a thrilling finish in the fourth quarter.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In a tense Southeastern Conference matchup, No. 7 Alabama managed to sidestep a second consecutive upset. The Crimson Tide, who improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, eked out a 27-25 victory against South Carolina.
Alabama appeared to be in trouble when they mishandled the recovery of an onside kick, giving the Gamecocks one last opportunity. However, as time ran out, Domani Jackson intercepted LaNorris Sellers to secure the win for the Tide.
This game marked the third consecutive contest for Alabama that has gone down to the wire, following a nail-biting victory over then-No. 2 Georgia and a loss to Vanderbilt.
“Another game down to the wire,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer stated. “We’re kind of getting accustomed to those. There are certainly things we can improve to prevent it from getting to that point. But we emphasize finding a way to win. Despite the challenges, we succeeded.”
With just 43 seconds left in the game, Sellers connected with Nyck Harbor for a 31-yard touchdown, but the Gamecocks failed on the ensuing two-point conversion. Despite recovering the onside kick, Sellers’ last-ditch attempt toward the end zone was intercepted by Jackson with 13 seconds remaining.
“We expected to win this game,” said South Carolina coach Shane Beamer. “No one was celebrating at halftime just because we were in a close game with Alabama. We have a strong team, and competing in this conference is tough.”
In the fourth quarter, Jalen Milroe rushed for a 7-yard touchdown and later assisted Germie Bernard with a critical 34-yard touchdown. While it wasn’t the commanding win Alabama had hoped for, they managed to secure the victory.
“It’s not the ‘W’ we aimed for,” defensive lineman Tim Smith remarked. “It was supposed to be more dominant and physical, but a win is a win.”
Milroe stepped up when needed, finishing the game with two interceptions and a safety due to intentional grounding. In a pivotal moment, he connected with Bernard on a third-and-10 play to complete a 10-play drive with 1:54 remaining.
“There were various safe options we discussed, and I appreciate Jalen’s aggressiveness,” DeBoer commented.
Milroe completed 16 of 23 passes, totaling 209 yards with one touchdown and two rushing scores. Sellers concluded his performance with 238 yards, two touchdowns, and the final interception.
The Gamecocks, who began the fourth quarter with the lead, missed a potential game-shifting 51-yard field goal when Alex Herrera’s kick fell short.
Milroe capitalized on a fumble by Sellers with a 7-yard touchdown run, but the two-point conversion was unsuccessful, bringing the score to 20-19.
“As the team, it was great to see everyone rally behind those on the field,” Milroe shared.
Alabama initially led 14-0, but a series of key plays from South Carolina allowed them to narrow the gap just before halftime, including a safety and a 36-yard touchdown pass from Sellers to Mazeo Bennett Jr.
“There were several unexpected events, but our guys persevered,” Beamer said.
In terms of rankings, Alabama might see a decline despite the win.
Looking ahead, South Carolina will face No. 18 Oklahoma on Saturday, October 19, while Alabama will travel to play No. 8 Tennessee on the same day.