No. 13/11 Alabama Football Opens 2026 with 48-10 Victory Over East Carolina

Saturday, September 5

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

11 a.m. CT

Alabama

1-0 , 0-0

East Carolina

0-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
East Carolina	0	7	3	0	10
Alabama	10	28	0	10	48

No. 13/11 Alabama Football Opens 2026 with 48-10 Victory Over East Carolina

9/5/2026 3:49:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Book Photo Gallery

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 13/11 Alabama football team (1-0) opened the 2026 campaign with a commanding 48-10 victory over East Carolina (0-1) in front of a sold-out crowd inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Crimson Tide totaled 487 yards of offense in the victory while limiting the Pirates to just 162 total yards. Making his starting debut, Keelon Russell accounted for 342 yards of total offense. Russell gained 256 yards through the air while adding 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Four different Alabama rushers combined for five touchdowns on the day, led by Daniel Hill with a pair of scores. Russell's 86 yards led a Tide backfield that saw eight rushers contribute positive yardage. Ryan Coleman-Williams posted the fourth 100-plus-yard receiving game of his career, finishing the day with 130 yards on five catches, while also adding 27 return yards.

Defensively, the Tide was led by Yhonzae Pierre, who returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown while adding three tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack. Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee Jr. and Bray Hubbard also had three tackles each, while Fatutoa Henry and Terrence Green each tallied a sack.

Notes

Keelon Russell made his debut as Alabama's starting quarterback, going 18-for-30 for 256 yards. Adding his 86 rushing yards, Russell accounted for 342 yards of total offense, the second highest tally for an Alabama quarterback making his starting debut (Bryce Young, 343).
With 182 passing yards and 54 rushing yards in the first half, Russell amassed the most total yards of offense (236) in a single half for an Alabama quarterback making his starting debut.
With Conor Talty's 46-yard field goal, Alabama scored on its opening drive of the season for the second consecutive year and for the fifth time in the last six campaigns.
EJ Crowell scored the first touchdown of the season for the Crimson Tide with a three-yard rush in the first quarter. Crowell is the first freshman to score the Tide's first touchdown of the season since Terry Grant in 2007.
The Tide defense held the Pirates to just two yards of rushing offense, the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Alabama defense since 2021.
With a second quarter interception returned for a touchdown, Yhonzae Pierre notched the first score of his career. Pierre's touchdown was the first non-offensive touchdown in a season opener since 2018.
The Tide has now scored 47 defensive touchdowns since 2015 and have forced at least one turnover in 135 of 155 contests across that span.
The victory marks the Tide's 89th consecutive win over an unranked opponent at home.
Alabama moved to 104-22-3 (.816) all-time in season-opening contests. The Tide has now won 23 of its last 24 season openers, including 12 straight at home dating back to 2001.
With the win, the Crimson Tide improved to 86-11-2 (.879) all-time in home-opening games.
Alabama has won 25 consecutive home-opening games, the second-longest active streak in the country.
Ryan Coleman Williams finished the afternoon with 130 receiving yards, the fourth game in his career with 100 or more receiving yards.
Daniel Hill scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. It was the second multi-score game in his career.
Trae'shawn Brown scored his first career rushing touchdown in his collegiate debut.
The Tide amassed 304 yards of offense in the first half, scoring on all six possessions. This marks the second straight home opener in which Alabama has scored each time it had the ball in the first half.

How It Happened

First Quarter

9:30 - UA | The Tide opened the season with a nine-play, 46-yard drive, capped by a 41-yard field goal by Conor Talty. (3-0, Alabama)
4:12 - UA | EJ Crowell scored the first touchdown of the season for the Crimson Tide with a three-yard rush. The scoring drive lasted eight plays and covered 86 yards. (10-0, Alabama)

Second Quarter

14:48 - UA | Set up with a short field after a Ryan Coleman-Williams punt return and an ECU penalty, Daniel Hill ended a six-play, 26-yard drive with four-yard touchdown run. (17-0, Alabama)
13:41 - ECU | Mitch Griffins connected with Jeremiah Melvin for a one-yard touchdown pass to cap a three-play, 75-yard drive. (17-7, Alabama)
10:02 - UA | The Tide scored a touchdown on its third consecutive possession on a seven-play, 86-yard drive that included a Coleman-Williams 58-yard reception. Hill scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a two-yard run. (24-7, Alabama)
9:15 - UA | On the second play of the ensuing drive, Yhonzae Pierre intercepted a pass from Griffins and returned it 27 yards for the touchdown. (31-7, Alabama)
0:14 - UA | Alabama scored its fifth touchdown of the first half when Keelon Russell finished a 15-play, 80-yard drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown. (38-7 Alabama)

Third Quarter

10:54 - ECU | The Pirates took advantage of an Alabama fumble, scoring on a Noah Perez 34-yard field goal to wrap a six-play, 14-yard drive. (38-10, Alabama)

Fourth Quarter

14:57 - UA | On the first play of the fourth quarter, Trae'shawn Brown tallied Alabama's fifth rushing touchdown of the game with a two-yard score, culminating a nine-play, 77-yard drive. (45-10, Alabama)
6:15 - UA | Talty made his second field goal of the afternoon, converting a 21-yard field, concluding a 12-play, 70-yard drive. (48-10, Alabama)

Up Next

Alabama will hit the road for its SEC opener, traveling to Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 12
Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC