Alabama staged a comeback to take a 27-25 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks after falling behind in the third quarter.
“We always talk about finding a way to win,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “And as many times that it may have looked like we wouldn’t, we did. I’m very proud of the response.”
Everyone was looking to see how Alabama would respond to last week’s loss to Vanderbilt, and the Crimson Tide came out strong. Alabama scored only four minutes into the game on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Alabama continued its momentum from the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown from running back Justice Haynes with 4:38 in the first half. However, that momentum was stifled just a minute and a half later, as South Carolina receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. scored a touchdown off a 36-yard pass from South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, bringing the score to 14-7.
The scoring run didn’t stop there for the Gamecocks. An intentional grounding penalty on Milroe in the end zone brought in 2 more points, followed by a 37-yard field goal by Alex Herrera on the next drive, which brought the Crimson Tide’s lead down to 14-12 going into the half.
The Crimson Tide and the Gamecocks fought scoreless for nearly 10 minutes in the third. South Carolina chipped away at the Crimson Tide defense on a 16-play, 85-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown from running back Raheim Sanders.
With 12 minutes left in the game, a delay of game penalty on South Carolina brought the game to the South Carolina 26-yard line. Two plays later, a Milroe pass to wide receiver Ryan Williams moved the Crimson Tide up 16 yards, which allowed for a 7-yard touchdown run from Milroe to put Alabama up by 1. The score remained 20-19 after a failed 2-point conversion.
On the next South Carolina possession, Herrara missed a 51-yard field goal that would have put the Gamecocks up again.
While the Crimson Tide found itself up by 1 it did not let the momentum stop, with Germie Bernard scoring a touchdown off a 34-yard pass from Milroe with 4:14 left in the game.
South Carolina matched the score with one of its own off a 31-yard pass from Sellers to Nyck Harbor. The Gamecocks also failed their ensuing 2-point conversion attempt.
With the game at 27-25, South Carolina attempted and recovered an onside kick. With 13 seconds left, Sellars sent the ball into the endzone, but it was intercepted by defensive back Domani Jackson, who ran for a 38-yard return and ran out the clock, ending the game 27-25.
“We’re ‘Bama and that’s what we do. We keep on fighting,” linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. “We face adversity every single day, even in practice.”
Alabama will head to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a game against No. 8 Tennessee Oct. 19 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
