Alabama narrowly escapes upset against South Carolina in a thrilling finish.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama faced the threat of suffering a second consecutive upset in the Southeastern Conference but managed to pull through, albeit by a slim margin.
Ranked No. 7, Alabama (5-1, 2-1) initially struggled, failing to recover an onside kick that gave South Carolina one last opportunity. However, as time ran out, Domani Jackson intercepted LaNorris Sellers, securing a 27-25 victory for the Crimson Tide.
This marked the third consecutive game for Alabama that concluded in a nail-biting fashion, including a previous victory against then-No. 2 Georgia and a loss to Vanderbilt.
“Another game down to the wire,” noted Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. “We’re starting to get used to these close encounters. There are things we can do to avoid such situations, but we emphasize finding a way to win, and despite the challenges, we succeeded.”
With just 43 seconds left in the game, South Carolina’s Sellers connected with Nyck Harbor for a 31-yard touchdown, but the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-3) missed the crucial two-point conversion. They recovered the subsequent onside kick, but Jackson’s interception in the end zone ended their hopes.
“We expected to win this game,” said South Carolina coach Shane Beamer. “Nobody was celebrating during halftime. We anticipated being competitive against Alabama since we have a solid team. Competing in this conference is extremely challenging.”
Jalen Milroe played a significant role for Alabama, scoring on a 7-yard touchdown and later delivering a 34-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard to secure the win. However, the team’s performance fell short of the dominant outcome they aimed for.
“It’s not the victory we were looking for,” admitted Alabama defensive lineman Tim Smith. “We should have played more physically, but a win is a win.”
Milroe showcased his ability in crucial moments despite throwing two interceptions and incurring a safety due to intentional grounding. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 209 yards, including a touchdown and two rushing scores. Sellers finished with a solid performance as well, completing 23 of 31 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, alongside the final interception.
The Gamecocks started the fourth quarter in a position of strength but missed a promising opportunity with a 51-yard field goal attempt that fell short. Shortly before, Milroe capitalized on a fumble from Sellers with a touchdown run that cut South Carolina’s lead to just one point.
In the final moments, Alabama’s defense held strong as Milroe took a step back to encourage his teammates.
“We focused on being a cohesive team, cheering for one another, and supporting whoever was on the field,” Milroe said.
Alabama initially enjoyed a 14-0 lead, which quickly evaporated before halftime, marked by a mix of South Carolina’s explosive plays and mistakes from the Tide. This included a safety and turnovers leading to Sellers connecting with Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a pivotal 36-yard touchdown.
“There were some wild moments, but our players remained resilient,” Beamer commented.
In summary:
South Carolina: The Gamecocks showed significant improvement after a previous loss, with Sellers performing well against Milroe for much of the game.
Alabama: The team’s early dominance feels distant at this point, yet they managed to hold on for a win similar to their previous match against Georgia.
Poll Impact: Alabama may see a drop in the rankings despite their win.
Upcoming Matches:
South Carolina will face No. 18 Oklahoma on Saturday, Oct. 19, while Alabama will go up against No. 8 Tennessee on the same day.