Alabama
4-0 , 2-0
South Carolina
2-2 , 0-2
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| Alabama | 14 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
Russell Leads No. 8/8 Alabama Past South Carolina, 49-18
9/26/2026 11:02:00 PM | Football
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 8/8 Alabama football team (4-0, 2-0 SEC) used an explosive first-half performance to power past South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC), 49-18, in front of a sold-out crowd inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Crimson Tide offense shined on the night, tallying 489 yards and eight plays of 20-plus yards. Keelon Russell led the way with a career-high 400 yards of total offense, including 365 yards and four touchdowns through the air on 21-of-27 passing. The Alabama signal-caller also added 35 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Russell has now provided for at least 300 yards of offense in three of the four games this season.
Ryan Coleman-Williams led UA with 98 yards on five receptions, including a pair of touchdowns. Lotzeir Brooks and Josh Ford also both hauled in touchdown receptions on the night. EJ Crowell was the Tide's leading rusher with 50 yards on six carries and Daniel Hill also added a touchdown on the ground.
Luke Metz led the way for the Alabama defense, tallying a career-best 13 tackles to go along with a fumble recovery. Caleb Wilson joined Metz in double figures with 12 stops. Red Morgan delivered Alabama's third pick-six of the season and added eight tackles, including one for loss, on the night.
Notes
- Alabama moves to 70-19-4 in its Southeastern Conference home opener, including wins in all three seasons under Kalen DeBoer.
- Kalen DeBoer moves to 16-1 inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
- With the win, Alabama has won its last 91 games against unranked teams at home.
- Alabama has scored at least 45 points in each of its first four games for the third time in school history and for the first time since 2018. The Crimson Tide is also the first FBS team since LSU in 2019 to score 45 or more points in all of its first four contests.
- The Crimson Tide has gained over 400 yards of offense in 81 of its last 114 games, including in three of four games this season.
- Alabama's 35 first-half points are its most in an SEC game under Kalen DeBoer.
- The Tide's 25-point lead at the break was its largest in a conference game since Sept. 24, 2022, against Vanderbilt (28).
- The 31-point margin of victory is Alabama's second largest in a conference game under Kalen DeBoer (34, vs. Missouri, Oct. 26, 2024).
- Keelon Russell totaled 400 yards of offense on the night, including 365 through the air. The quarterback has now totaled at least 300 yards of offense in three of four games this season, including back-to-back games of over 300 yards passing.
- Russell has totaled at least 300 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games, a first for a Crimson Tide quarterback since Tua Tagovailoa in 2018.
- Russell is the first Alabama quarterback with at least 300 yards of offense in three of the first four games of a season since Mac Jones in 2020.
- Russell found the end zone through the air four times in the opening half. His four touchdown passes across the first two quarters are the most for an Alabama quarterback in an SEC game since Bryce Young on Sept. 24, 2022, against Vanderbilt (4).
- Russell threw for three touchdown passes of over 30 yards, a first for an Alabama quarterback since Ty Simpson on Sept. 13, 2025, vs. Wisconsin.
- Ryan Coleman-Williams tallied the third multi-touchdown game of his career and first since Sept. 13, 2025, vs. Wisconsin (2).
- Alabama has now totaled six interceptions through the first four games this season. The Crimson Tide's six picks are the most it has forced through three games since 2021 (6).
- The Tide has forced nine turnovers through its first four games, the most for the program since 2019 (10).
- Alabama has returned an interception for a touchdown in three of four games this season. The Tide's three pick-sixes in the first third of the season is its most since 2018 (3).
- The Tide has now scored 49 defensive touchdowns since 2015 and have forced at least one turnover in 138 of 158 contests across that span.
- Alabama has forced nine turnovers and four turnovers on downs this season. The Crimson Tide has scored from those takeaways 11 times and gone into victory formation from the other two. In total, the Tide has converted its nine turnovers into 45 points and its four turnovers on downs into 25 points.
- Luke Metz' 13 tackles are the most by an Alabama defender this season.
How It Happened
First Quarter
- 5:53 - UA | On the first play after the Crimson Tide forced a turnover on downs, Keelon Russell found Lotzeir Brooks for a 75-yard touchdown pass. (7-0, Alabama)
- 0:00 - UA | As the first-quarter clock expired, Russell connected with Ryan Coleman-Williams on a 32-yard touchdown pass to complete a nine-play, 70-yard drive. (14-0, Alabama)
Second Quarter
- 10:52 - USC | South Carolina scored its first points with a Malik Orsan 34-yard field goal at the end of a 10-play, 59-yard drive. (14-3, Alabama)
- 7:22 - UA | Russell threw his third touchdown pass of the evening, connecting with Coleman-Williams on a 42-yard reception to cap a six-play, 75-yard drive. (21-3, Alabama)
- 2:33 - UA | Josh Ford hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Russell with a one-hand grab to conclude a five-play, 78-yard drive. (28-3, Alabama)
- 2:20 - UA | On the next play from scrimmage, Red Morgan intercepted a pass from LaNorris Sellers and returned the ball 23 yards for the touchdown. (35-3, Alabama)
- 0:35 - UA | Sellers connected with Nyck Harbor for a 41-yard touchdown, culminating a eight-play, 75-yard drive. (35-10, Alabama)
Fourth Quarter
- 14:29 - USC | South Carolina scored the first points of the second half at the end of a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Matt Fuller rushed nine yards for the score and Maurice Brown II converted a two-point attempt on the ground. (35-18, Alabama).
- 7:40 - UA | Daniel Hill found the end zone with a one-yard rush at the end of a 10-play, 74-yard drive. (42-18, Alabama)
- 2:00 - UA | At the two-minute mark, Russell scored on a nine-yard rush to cap a seven-play, 49-yard drive (49-19, Alabama)
Up Next
- Alabama will make the 90-Mile Drive on Saturday, Oct. 3 for a game at No. 24/RV Mississippi State.
- Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on ABC.
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
USC 0, ALA 7
ALA - Brooks,Lotzeir 75 yd pass from Russell,Keelon (Talty,Conor kick) 1 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:10
USC 0, ALA 14
ALA - Coleman-Williams,Ryan 32 yd pass from Russell,Keelon (Talty,Conor kick) 9 plays, 70 yards, TOP 05:01
USC 3, ALA 14
USC - Orsan,Malik 34 yd field goal 10 plays, 59 yards, TOP 04:08
USC 3, ALA 21
ALA - Coleman-Williams,Ryan 42 yd pass from Russell,Keelon (Talty,Conor kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:30
USC 3, ALA 28
ALA - Ford,Josh 3 yd pass from Russell,Keelon (Talty,Conor kick) 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 02:18
USC 3, ALA 35
ALA - Morgan,Red 23 yd interception (Talty,Conor kick)
USC 10, ALA 35
USC - Harbor,Nyck 41 yd pass from Sellers,LaNorris (Orsan,Malik kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:45
USC 18, ALA 35
USC - Fuller,Matt 9 yd run (Brown II,Maurice rush), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:36
USC 18, ALA 42
ALA - Hill,Daniel 1 yd run (Talty,Conor kick), 10 plays, 74 yards, TOP 06:43
USC 18, ALA 49
ALA - Russell,Keelon 9 yd run (Talty,Conor kick), 7 plays, 49 yards, TOP 02:55
