Nick Saban made his point on “College GameDay,” and Alabama backed it up in Starkville.
Before No. 7 Alabama ever took the field against No.
16 Mississippi State, Saban said exactly what he wanted to see from his old program in the fourth quarter: “There’s a difference between winning the game and defeating the other team,” the former Crimson Tide coach said. “We have to take their hope away.
What I want to see in the fourth quarter is no fans in the stands with no hope of winning this game.”
Alabama delivered that kind of afternoon and then some, rolling to a 56-23 win that handed Mississippi State its first loss of the season.
Keelon Russell did the heavy lifting for the Tide offense, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while also running for another score. Trae’shawn Brown added two rushing touchdowns, Rico Scott hauled in two touchdown passes and Dijon Lee Jr. turned an interception into a 30-yard return for a score.
The victory pushed Alabama to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC, and it came in a game that showed why the Tide continue to look like a real force. They also controlled the ground game in a major way, outgaining Mississippi State 179-18 on the ground in their 17th straight win in the series. The last seven meetings have all been Alabama wins by 23 points or more.
Mississippi State entered the day with one of college football’s most electric quarterback situations, but Kamario Taylor never looked fully right after an ankle injury last week. His mobility was limited, and Alabama made him pay for it early. A first-quarter fumble and two interceptions helped set up Tide touchdowns, and Taylor was sacked five times before being pulled early in the fourth quarter with Mississippi State down by 26.
Taylor still finished with 258 passing yards and three touchdowns, including an 11-yard strike to Zion Riggins that cut the deficit to 21-14 in the second quarter. Anthony Evans III was the Bulldogs’ biggest weapon, finishing with 12 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, one of the few bright spots in a lopsided loss.
In Other News...
Alabama Found Two Reasons To Feel Better Before Georgia
Before Alabama turns its attention to Georgia, there were a couple of encouraging signs worth noting from the latest game. Keelon Russell gave the offense a lift by throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the run game got meaningful help from a deeper group of backs, including Traeshawn Brown and EJ Crowell.
Xavier Griffin also stood out on the other side of the ball, leading the team in tackles and helping make several key defensive plays. Just as important for a defense looking to steady itself, Alabamas run front was much firmer against Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 18 rushing yards and giving the Tide something concrete to carry into a bigger test. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwoods Struggles Leave Michigan With An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality
Keelon Russells rise has become one of the more notable developments around Alabamas early-season start, and the quarterbacks recent stretch has only sharpened the attention. After throwing four touchdowns in the spring game and then piling up 10 passing touchdowns and 970 yards over three games, he has helped steady a team that rolled to a 56-23 win and moved to 5-0.
For Alabama, that kind of production matters not just in the standings but in the broader SEC picture, where quarterback play can change the feel of a season quickly. Around the country, other programs were dealing with their own storylines in Week 5, but Russells emergence has given Alabama a promising answer at the position and left the rest of the league watching what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Real Shot To Climb After Saturdays Top 25 Chaos
Saturdays college football slate did Alabama a favor, even before the next AP Top 25 poll gets posted. USC barely survived an upset scare, Ohio State and Missouri both had results worth watching, and a few teams around the country did enough to create the kind of weekend that tends to shake up the middle and upper tiers of the rankings.
For Alabama, the bigger point is simple: the Crimson Tide have a real path to move up if the voters decide the chaos mattered as much as the resumes. The poll will be refreshed soon, and with conference play still unfolding, there is a decent chance the order gets jumbled in a way that opens the door for Alabama to climb if enough teams ahead of it wobble. [Read more 🡒]