Alabama’s trip to Mississippi State brings an early kickoff and a clear challenge: keep the Bulldogs from turning Saturday into the kind of upset stage they’d love to use to announce themselves. The game is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC, and Mississippi State comes in undefeated.
For Alabama, the path to a win starts with handling the quarterback who has driven the Bulldogs’ hot start. Sophomore Kamario Taylor has been the engine behind one of the SEC’s early surprises, and he’s doing damage in more than one way.
He has thrown 14 touchdown passes against just two interceptions, while also averaging five yards per carry on the ground. Mississippi State’s 4-0 start has come with Taylor at the center of everything.
That makes him the first name Alabama has to account for. The Crimson Tide cannot afford the kind of defensive slip-ups that have shown up at times this season, whether it was trouble against Florida State’s passing game or the lapse by Dijon Lee last week that opened the door for Nyck Harbor’s touchdown for South Carolina. Alabama’s defense should be the toughest Taylor has seen so far, and if the Tide can keep him contained, it can force the Bulldogs to look elsewhere for answers.
The other big point for Alabama is simple: get going right away. Slow first quarters have been a recurring issue for the offense.
Against Kentucky, the Tide fell behind by two scores before rolling to a blowout. The same thing happened a week later against Florida State.
Even in the South Carolina game, Alabama opened with a three-and-out before settling in.
That kind of pattern can’t keep showing up if Alabama wants to keep building toward bigger goals. At some point, a sluggish start will leave too much ground to make up.
Mississippi State might not be the easiest team left on the schedule, but it is the best opponent Alabama has seen so far, and Georgia is next. A fast start Saturday would not only help against the Bulldogs, it would also be a useful sign for what’s ahead.
It would also go a long way toward taking away Mississippi State’s best shot at an upset.
Alabama’s own sophomore quarterback has his own job to do. Keelon Russell looked sharp against South Carolina, throwing for 365 yards and four touchdowns while also scoring on the ground. He also flashed in a big way on a sideline throw to Lotzeir Brooks, a play that stood out as part of his best performance.
Russell has made progress in handling pressure, but he’s still not flawless. That puts extra pressure on Alabama’s offensive line, especially if the group is dealing with injuries. Jayvin James was listed as questionable on the first availability report of the week, and if he’s limited, players such as Tyrell Miller and Nick Brooks may need to carry more of the load.
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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 🡒]