Alabama narrowly escaped an upset against South Carolina with a thrilling finish in the fourth quarter.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama was on the verge of suffering a second consecutive loss in the Southeastern Conference but managed to hang on for a 27-25 victory over South Carolina.
Ranked No. 7, Alabama (5-1, 2-1) found themselves in a precarious situation when they mishandled an onside kick, allowing the Gamecocks one last opportunity. However, Domani Jackson intercepted LaNorris Sellers as time expired, sealing the win for the Tide.
This match was the third consecutive game for Alabama that was decided in the final moments, following their 41-34 victory over then-No. 2 Georgia and a 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt the previous week.
“Another game down to the wire,” said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. “We’re kind of getting accustomed to those. There’s some things that we can do to make sure it doesn’t get to that point. But we always talk about finding a way to win.”
With only 43 seconds left, Sellers connected with Nyck Harbor for a 31-yard touchdown, but the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-3) failed to convert on their two-point attempt. After recovering an onside kick, Sellers’ last-ditch throw towards the end zone with 13 seconds left was intercepted by Jackson.
“We expected to win this game,” stated South Carolina coach Shane Beamer. “Nobody was coming in here at halftime doing cartwheels because we were in a tight game with Alabama. We expect that because we have a good football team.”
In the fourth quarter, Jalen Milroe scored on a 7-yard run and connected with Germie Bernard for a late 34-yard touchdown to help Alabama secure the victory, although it wasn’t the dominant performance they desired.
“It’s not the ‘W’ that we wanted,” commented Alabama defensive lineman Tim Smith. “It should have been a lot more dominant and physical, but a ‘W’ is a ‘W.’”
Milroe had a mixed performance, completing 16 of 23 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and rushing for two scores, while Sellers finished 23 of 31 for 238 yards, also throwing two touchdowns but ending with the game-ending interception.
South Carolina had the lead entering the fourth quarter and even had a chance to regain it, but Alex Herrera’s 51-yard field goal attempt fell short.
Milroe scored off a Sellers fumble but failed on a two-point conversion, leaving Alabama trailing 20-19 with 10:42 left. He then had to watch from the sidelines as the defense took over, just like in previous tight games this season.
“When we talk about team, that’s a great example of just finding a way as a group to just cheer on whoever’s on the field and everyone just buying in,” Milroe said.
Despite a strong start with a 14-0 lead, Alabama saw South Carolina cut the deficit to just two points before halftime, highlighted by a significant 36-yard touchdown connection from Sellers to Mazeo Bennett Jr.
“There was some crazy stuff but our guys just kept hanging in there,” Beamer noted.
South Carolina rebounded sharply following a tough loss to Mississippi, with Sellers generally outshining Milroe during the game.
Alabama’s once-dominant first half and recent win over Georgia now feel like a different season, but they managed to secure victory once again.
Alabama may see changes in their ranking despite the win, with upcoming games that include South Carolina facing No. 18 Oklahoma and Alabama traveling to face No. 8 Tennessee.